Section 74.431 - Special rules applicable to remote pickup stations(a) Remote pickup mobile stations may be used for the transmission of material from the scene of events which occur outside the studio back to studio or production center. The transmitted material shall be intended for the licensee's own use and may be made available for use by any other broadcast station or cable system.(b) Remote pickup mobile or base stations may be used for communications related to production and technical support of the remote program. This includes cues, orders, dispatch instructions, frequency coordination, establishing microwave links, and operational communications. Operational communications are alerting tones and special signals of short duration used for telemetry or control.(c) Remote pickup mobile or base stations may communicate with any other station licensed under this subpart.(d) Remote pickup mobile stations may be operated as a vehicular repeater to relay program material and communications between stations licensed under this subpart. Precautions shall be taken to avoid interference to other stations and the vehicular repeater shall only be activated by hand-carried or pack-carried units.(e) The output of hand-carried or pack-carried transmitter units used with a vehicular repeater is limited to 2.5 watts. The output of a vehicular repeater transmitter used as a talkback unit on an additional frequency is limited to 2.5 watts.(f) Remote pickup base and mobile stations in Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands may be used for any purpose related to the programming or technical operation of a broadcasting station, except for transmission intended for direct reception by the general public.(h) In the event that normal aural studio to transmitter circuits are damaged, stations licensed under Subpart D may be used to provide temporary circuits for a period not exceeding 30 days without further authority from the Commission necessary to continue broadcasting.(i) Remote pickup mobile or base stations may be used for activities associated with the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and similar emergency survival communications systems. Drills and test are also permitted on these stations, but the priority requirements of § 74.403(b) must be observed in such cases.51 FR 4602, Feb. 6, 1986, as amended at 68 FR 12764 , Mar. 17, 2003