Co-channel interference protection.

§ 80.773 Co-channel interference protection. (a) Where a VHF public coast station geographic area licensee shares a frequency with an incumbent VHF public coast station licensee, the ratio of desired to undesired signal strengths must be at least 12 dB within the service area of the station. (b) Where a VHF public coast station geographic area licensee shares a frequency with an incumbent private land mobile radio licensee, the VHF public coast station geographic area licensee must provide at least 10 dB protection to the PLMR incumbent's predicted 38 dBu signal level contour. The PLMR incumbent's predicted 38 dBu signal level contour is calculated using the F(50, 50) field strength chart for Channels 7–13 in § 73.699 (Fig. 10a) of this chapter, with a 9 dB correction factor for antenna height differential, and is based on the licensee's authorized effective radiated power and antenna height-above-average-terrain. (c) VHF public coast station geographic area licensees are prohibited from exceeding a field strength of + 5 dBu (decibels referenced to 1 microvolt per meter) at their service area boundaries, unless all the affected VHF public coast station geographic area licensees agree to the higher field strength. [63 FR 40065, July 27, 1998, as amended at 64 FR 26887, May 18, 1999]