This is a reminder that the comment deadline for FCC Docket 04-140 is
rapidly approaching. The comment deadline is 15 June and reply comment
deadline is 30 June.
Amongst other things, the FCC is seeking comments on whether to adopt the
ARRL's proposed phone band expansion, "refarming" the novice subbands. In my
opinion, the League proposal falls short, especially on 75/80m. Generals
would be able to go down to 3800, Advanced to 3750, and Extras to 3725. The
total phone band would be expanded only 25 kHz. This would offer little
relief to the present overcrowded conditions on the "phone" band, while most
of the "cw" band lies idle even during optimum wintertime nighttime
conditions on weekends. I suggest that if we must continue to have subbands,
the 80/75m phone band be expanded at least down to 3600 kHz to allow a more
equitable distribution of wideband vs narrowband signals and make for more
effective use of the 80m amateur spectrum.
Per to-day's date, the FCC has received only 85 comments on this proceeding,
and fewer than half dozen address the specific issue of cw/phone or
narrow/wideband allocation.
The follow excerpt from the Docket addresses the subband issue. The entire
document can be viewed (Adobe reader required) at:
http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_document=6516185678
To electronically file comments to the FCC, go to
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/
High Frequency Privileges:
ARRL Petition. Background. On March 22, 2002, the ARRL requested that we
eliminate the telegraphy frequency segments currently authorized to Novice
and Technician Plus
Class licensees, and to restructure the operating privileges authorized
licensees in certain HF
amateur service bands.33 The ARRL based its request on over 4,700 responses
to a survey it
conducted regarding different emission subband options for four of the eight
HF amateur service
bands. The ARRL notes that while the survey results did not reflect a
consensus on any one HF
band frequency alternative, most respondents favored dissolving the Novice
and Technician
Plus Class telegraphy subbands so that additional spectrum could be
authorized for phone
communications. The ARRL requests the Commission to amend Section 97.301 of
its Rules to
expand the frequency segments of the 80-, 40-, and 15 m HF amateur service
bands that licensees
may use for phone communications. The ARRL states that a refarming plan
based on
eliminating the Novice and Technician Plus Class subbands is critical
because the segments
presently authorized for phone and digital communications are severely
overcrowded.
The ARRL requests that ...General Class licensees should be authorized to
control an
amateur station transmitting voice communications on the 3800-4000 kHz,
7175-7300 kHz and
21275-21450 kHz frequency segments;41 (3) Advanced Class licensees should be
authorized to
control an amateur station transmitting voice communications on the
3750-4000 kHz and 7125-
7300 kHz frequency segments;42 and (4) Amateur Extra Class licensees should
be authorized to
control an amateur station transmitting voice communications on the
3725-4000 kHz and 7125-
7300 kHz frequency segments.
Discussion: ... Because the ARRL Petition
addresses the operating privileges of all classes of licensees on these
amateur service bands, we
believe that the ARRL Petition provides a basis for a comprehensive
restructuring of operating
privileges. We note that, as proposed, no licensees would lose any spectrum
privileges and that
General, Advanced, and Amateur Extra Class licensees would gain spectrum for
phone
emissions, one of the most popular operating modes on the HF bands. For
these reasons, we will
propose amending Part 97 of our Rules as the ARRL requests. We seek comment
on this
proposal.
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