Was thinking about PART15 AM modulation

[Kage]

I remember the Part 15 rules for the AM BC band allows for around 100mw power into an antenna of 3 meters length including grounding length.
Now call me stupid but doesn't modulating AM on top of the 100mw cause the transmitter to swing up to 400mw when using 100% modulation?
Okay okay I know this is kind of a silly thing to discuss but if one were to truely obey the FCC I would think that carrier power would have to be 25mw so that full modulation would only reach 100mw on peaks.
Not that I give a rats ass about the rules lol but I thought this would be interesting to discuss. Maybe I missed something in the rules but I don't remember them saying much on modulation, just carrier power not in excess of 100mw correct?
Even if the FCC allows 100mw to be AM modulated 100% I wonder about some of those transmitters that get 125% or more positive modulated? Seems that would break the infamous rules.

[Deleted]

Good question!

I posed this one when I was younger to our (what was called back then), Department of Communications.

The inspector sighed and grumbled about making him have to think, LOL!!!!!

He said the letter of the law was 100mW DC input to the final and we'd probably be OK with that.

He also said this was average DC input, so even if we pulsed at 10W peak (digital comms), as long as the average was 100mW, it's OK.

Peace!