A new ARRL proposal to FCC petitions for 100W ERP and more mode flexibility in the 5MHz amateur radio channels. Among other things, it proposes to add <=2.8kHz bandwidth digital signals, combined with "...care to limit the length of transmissions so as to avoid interference with Federal operations."
If this wonderful concept is approved by FCC, USA ham operators will gain the use of various non-voice transmissions on 5MHz, such as CW, PSK31, and other digital modes, similar to the privileges on 5MHz that many other countries now enjoy. Read the ARRL article "ARRL Asks FCC to Upgrade 60-Meter Allocation, Privileges": http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/10/23/1/?nc=1 Read the ARRL FCC petition: http://www.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/5MHz/5-MHz-Improvement-Petition-09-2006.pdf All digitalradio members and ham operators in USA should consider actively supporting this petition! Comments: While I certainly take no credit for ARRL's impressive work towards this excellent petition... In Feb 2004, I proposed to ARRL staff, and the ham community at large, that digital and other non-voice emissions with time limitation and/or concurrent USB voice monitoring by operators could provide an alternative solution to the "voice-only" 5MHz FCC rules, and a persuasive case for it could be put forward. Here were my original suggestions from 2004: 1. Emission bandwidth must not exceed 2.8kHz. 2. Transmissions other than USB voice may only be initiated if the transmitting operator is monitoring on the same USB voice channel for non-interference to primary users. 3. A transmission or sequence of transmissions other than USB voice must not exceed 90 seconds duration with a 90 second interval between a transmission or sequence of transmissions. 4. For emergency communications, a transmission or sequence of transmissions other than USB voice is not limited in duration or time interval between transmissions. Original reference: http://www.qsl.net/kq6xa/freqplan/ While the new ARRL petition is less limiting than my original suggestions toward specifying actual transmission time limits, I believe that the spirit of the petition is good, and the language is adequate to provide a framework to protect the primary 5MHz users. Therefore, I wholeheartedly support the ARRL petition, and encourage others to support it as well. An excerpt from the ARRL petition is attached to this message, below. Regards, Bonnie Crystal KQ6XA ---- ARRL Petition Excerpt: "47 CFR Parts 2 and 97 are amended to read as follows: 1. Section 2.106, the Table of Frequency Allocations, is amended as follows: § 2.106 Table of Frequency Allocations. b. In the list of United States footnotes, footnote US 381 is amended to read as follows: UNITED STATES (US) FOOTNOTES US381 The frequencies 5332 kHz, 5348 kHz, 5358.5 kHz, 5373 kHz, and 5405 kHz are allocated to the amateur service on a secondary basis. Amateur use of these frequencies shall be limited to: (1) a maximum effective radiated power (e.r.p.) of 100 W; and (2) the following emissions only: (a) single sideband suppressed carrier modulation (emission designator 2K8J3E), upper sideband voice transmissions; (b) Morse telegraphy by means of on-off keying (emission designator150HA1A); (b) data emissions 60H0J2B and 2K80J2D, provided that the operators using these data modes exercise care to limit the length of transmissions so as to avoid interference with Federal operations. 4. Section 97.303 is amended by revising paragraph (s) to read as follows: § 97.303 Frequency sharing requirements. * * * * * (s) An amateur station having an operator holding a General, Advanced or Amateur Extra Class license may transmit on the channels 5332 kHz, 5348 kHz, 5358.5 kHz, 5373 kHz, and 5405 kHz using any of the following emissions: (a) single sideband suppressed carrier modulation (emission designator 2K8J3E), upper sideband voice transmissions; (b) Morse telegraphy by means of on-off keying (emission designator 150HA1A); (b) data emissions 60H0J2B and 2K80J2D. When using single sideband, suppressed carrier, (emission type 2K8J3E) upper sideband emission, Amateur stations will utilize Voice-Operated Transmit. When using the other emissions permitted above, Amateur operators must exercise care to limit the length of transmissions so as to avoid interference with Federal operations. Amateur operators shall ensure that their transmission occupies only the 2.8 kHz centered around each of these frequencies. Transmissions shall not exceed an effective radiated power (e.r.p) of 100 W PEP. For the purpose of computing e.r.p. the transmitter PEP will be multiplied with the antenna gain relative to a dipole or the equivalent calculation in decibels. A half wave dipole antenna will be presumed to have a gain of 0 dBd. Licensees using other antennas must maintain 12 in their station records either manufacturer data on the antenna gain or calculations of the antenna gain. No amateur station shall cause harmful interference to stations authorized in the mobile and fixed services; nor is any amateur station protected from interference due to the operation of any such station." -end- Need a Digital mode QSO? 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