Dear Take
Thank you for bringing to attention the ARRL Letter from September. Unfortunately they have not fully represented the facts in this case. For clarity here is what is happening currently within IARU: 1) There is a multi-regional committee in place with representatives from Region 1 (Tom DL5FL), Region 2 (Al VO1NO) and Region 3 (myself Grant VK5GR) as well as representatives from the IARU executive that has been tasked with reviewing data mode segment harmonisation within the HF band plans. The committee is still in the relatively early stages of this work and is still seeking and analysing feedback on various pain points and preliminary suggestions. The principle goals of the tri-region working group are to: a. Enhance harmonisation of the amateur HF digital sub-bands across the world generally b. Achieve an agreed set of improved mechanisms for describing band usage that cope with the technology changes that have arisen since they were first laid down over a decade ago. c. Achieve common centres of activity for conversational; modes (PSK, RTTY and all other digital modes which are operated on a manned basis), tine synchronised modes (such as WSJT which has a particular channel access mechanism that is unfriendly to most other modes) and unattended modes (like Winlink). d. Allocate suitable amounts of spectrum to enable the newer data modes that have very high concentrations of activity to be expanded - hence reducing congestion within those modes (particularly looking at considered expansion of the FT8 segment as well as other unattended modes). e. And a new area of study that has emerged from early consultations is how to separate out emergency data communications from general traffic on the bands (including contesting activity which has a large impact on unattended traffic, particularly in the US where amateurs are restricted under Part 97.221 of the FCC rules). 2) The report by ARRL suggesting Region 3 is proposing this is not strictly correct - as the release of the very first draft of proposals and concepts for discussion was actually released to all regions simultaneously from the data mode segment harmonisation committee. However it is true that IARU R3 was the first region to have it presented to their regional conference, more be a quirk of timing than anything else. It is not correct that the proposal is coming from region 3. 3) The IARU committee members have met so far with numerous representatives of major digital modes communities around the globe. Some of these groups include the WSJT development team, the ARRL, through the Region 1 committee member it has been presented to the region 1 members, it has been circulated to the region 2 societies for feedback and it has also been circulated to region 3 (although so far a poor level of engagement has resulted out of region 3 which is proving difficult to overcome). We have also met with various representatives and proponents of the Winlink community and have plans to discuss the proposals and ideas more widely as we progress into 2022. That is not a small agenda - and unfortunately is taking a lot longer than we had hoped to land consensus around the IARU member societies. With regards to 40m, this is a band with significant regulatory challenges across the regions. Specifically: ・ The US FCC rules that prevent SSB voice being used below 7125kHz have distorted the use of the band compared to general practice in the rest of the world. The US band plan usage of 7074-7080 for WSJT modes was originally at odds with the rest of the world which, until WSJT modes appeared, had been mostly using the segment for SSB activity. The nature of WSJT and FT8 in particular, however, has meant that what started as a US centric allocation has now morphed into a global centre of activity. The FCC Part 97.221 rules add a further US centric constraint, with its allocation of 7100-7105KHz to automatic unattended stations - well into the SSB segment of the band as used in the rest of the world. ・ The Japanese administration’s regulations preventing inter-JA domestic data mode communications above 7045kHz has also created a clash between the long established PSK use segment that was between 7040-7044kHz in Region 1 and parts of Region 3. JA amateurs have in the last 2 years started using 7041kHz for domestic FT8 activity, again impacting PSK and other similar conversational data modes that had long been established in that segment (noting again the US/Region 2 exception where that activity was occurring on 7070-7074kHz). ・ The 40m band is also variable in size. While most if not all of Region 2 have access to 7000-7300kHz, Region 1 and Region 3 (with some exceptions) is limited to 7000-7200kHz. This creates a substantial conflict between US centric use of data modes above 7080 vs the SSB community in the rest of the world today. ・ Some national regulators in Region 2 and 3 have actually linked their national radio regulations to the IARU amateur band plans. This has further impediments and limitations on what can be done quickly. In short - these challenges present significant headwinds to harmonisation of the data segment in the 40m band. It is also worth noting that, to address one small part of the review, enquiries were raised to JARL in the first instance to ask what scope there might be for relocating the JA domestic (intra-Japan) FT8 activity into the JA only part of the data sub band (which in JA is allocated 7030-7045kHz as far as we understand). We are still trying to obtain a response from JARL on this suggestion. Note: no actual changes have been agreed as yet (contrary to what I have been told has been reported in Japan). So, the official position currently is that the formal discussion paper has been circulated to IARU member societies for discussion. That is where the project is up to. It is worth noting that In the paper are initial draft proposals for reorganisation of the data sub-bands. They are intended purely as a starting point for discussions, however. If amateurs wish to provide feedback, the correct route for feedback via the regional IARU societies. Feedback is welcome at this stage. We don’t have all the answers and may not yet have fully understood all of the problems. Now is your chance to provide feedback. I am also happy to also engage in further discussion, however as this is far more than a WSJT development it probably is best conducted outside this mailing list. Regards, Grant Willis VK5GR IARU Region 3 HF Band Plan committee chairman and R3 representative on the IARU data modes harmonisation committee Email: vk5gr.ra...@gmail.com From: Tsutsumi Takehiko via wsjt-devel [mailto:wsjt-devel@lists.sourceforge. net] Sent: Monday, 27 December 2021 2:15 PM To: WSJT software development Cc: Tsutsumi Takehiko Subject: [wsjt-devel] 40m IARU Proposal for Narrowband Data Hi, ARRL Letter on 09/23/2021 titled “IARU Regio 3 Considers Significant Expansion of HF Digital Segments” triggered the dialog among JA WSJT users about the recent activities of IARU bandplan proposal. It is the great movement establishing “time-synchronized transmission mode capacity demands” and we must encourage globally harmonized bandplan implementation as soon as possible. However, I noticed a concern on 40m proposal by the reason that I have experienced a lots of QRM from lengthy, high powered and wide band occupied adjacent SSB operation on 40m at QRG 7074 FT-8 activity and it is not the best allocation for all narrow band data users as FT-8 is the most favorite and popular format today. From this aspect, I prefer FT-8 to take the most protected segment from SSB operation swapping the allocation of Time Sync Data to 7040~7055kHz, for example 7040kHz. This principle to allocate lower side to “Time Synch Data” is proposed on 80m. I understand the allocation rule to prioritize the current allocation explained in the letter saying “ a global narrowband conversational modes (e.g., PSK) segment between 7040 and 7044 kHz in alignment with existing Region 1 arrangements” but that is not future looking and does not convince for me. Thus, I wish to hear from the audience of this forum whether it is painful enough for us to move WSJT i.e. FT-8 segment to 7040~7055kHz and I must refrain from proposing to IARU R3 at this moment. Any comments (from Region 1 especially) ? Regards, take de JA5AEA Windows の <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> メール から送信
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