The AM Forum

from arrl

"

Still to be resolved are three controversial aspects of the Proceeding:

Expansion of the 75 meter phone band all the way down to 3600 kHz (thus reducing the privileges of General, Advanced and Amateur Extra class licensees, who had RTTY/data privileges in the 80 meter band, and CW privileges of General and Advanced class licensees)

The elimination of J2D emissions, data sent by modulating an SSB transmitter, of more than 500 Hz bandwidth. This will make PACTOR III at full capability illegal. Other digital modes effectively rendered illegal below 30 MHz include Olivia and MT63 (when operated at bandwidths greater than 500 Hz), 1200-baud packet, Q15X25 and Clover 2000.

The elimination of access to the automatic control RTTY/data subband at 3620-3635 kHz.

The ARRL Board is discussing the possibility of a petition to reconsider several items in the R&O.

This all sounds absurd, rumors and propaganda.  The time to change the R&O is past, published, done deal.  Or does Dave Sumner think he's running the federal government now?

From this week's ARRL Letter.  The emphasis is mine:

==> AMATEUR RADIO "OMNIBUS" RULES CHANGES TO GO INTO EFFECT DECEMBER 15

A little over a month after the Federal Communications Commission released
the Report and Order (R&O) in the so-called "Omnibus" Amateur Radio
proceeding, WT Docket 04-140 (FCC 06-149) to the public, a revised version
appeared November 15 in the Federal Register
<http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.go
v/2006/pdf/E6-19189.pdf>. The changes in the R&O will take effect Friday,
December 15, at 12:01 AM EST, 30 days after its publication.

As expected, the Report & Order clarified two items that had raised some
concerns when it was first released last month: That the 80/75 meter band
split applies to all three IARU Regions, and that FCC licensees in Region 2,
which includes North America, can continue to use RTTY/data emissions in the
7.075-7.100 MHz band.

Still to be resolved are three controversial aspects of the Proceeding:

* Expansion of the 75 meter phone band all the way down to 3600 kHz (thus
reducing the privileges of General, Advanced and Amateur Extra class
licensees, who had RTTY/data privileges in the 80 meter band, and CW
privileges of General and Advanced class licensees)

* The elimination of J2D emissions, data sent by modulating an SSB
transmitter, of more than 500 Hz bandwidth. This will make PACTOR III at
full capability illegal. Other digital modes effectively rendered illegal
below 30 MHz include Olivia and MT63 (when operated at bandwidths greater
than 500 Hz), 1200-baud packet, Q15X25 and Clover 2000.

* The elimination of access to the automatic control RTTY/data subband at
3620-3635 kHz.

The ARRL Board is discussing the possibility of a petition to reconsider
several items in the R&O.

ARRL Regulatory Information Specialist Dan Henderson, N1ND, commented: "The
release of the R&O in the Federal Register has started the countdown clock.
We are all looking forward to being able to use the refarmed frequencies
starting on December 15. We are still anxiously awaiting the release of the
Report and Order for 05-235, the Morse Code Proceeding. We are hopeful that
the Commission will   be able to move on that petition and address the
outstanding issues in the Omnibus R&O soon."

For more information, see the band chart
<http://www2.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/wt04-140/Hambands3_color.pdf> and
the Frequently Asked Questions on WT Docket No. 04-140
<http://www2.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/wt04-140/faq.html>. Both have been
updated to reflect the R&O as it was published in the Federal Register.

In the past the FCC has rarely acted favorably on Petitions for Reconsideration, unless new issues were raised.  The League's stated objections are not new issues.  Those are recycling the same arguments  they have been using all along against expansion of the phone bands beyond the 25 kHz they proposed in their original petition.  Remember, regulatory agencies like the FCC consider their wisdom to be infinite, and to reverse a recently-made decision based on arguments or whining they have already heard during the original proceeding, would make it look like they made a wrong decision - by definition, an impossibility.

From the ARRL Web Site, dated 11/22/06:

"In the recently released R&O 04-140 -- the "Omnibus" rules changes affecting the Amateur Radio Service -- the FCC inadvertently limited J2D emissions to 500 Hz bandwidth. We are happy to report that the FCC is working on an erratum to correct the J2D error. While nothing is certain until the erratum is actually released, it is fair to say that the FCC recognizes the problem and intends to fix it prior to the December 15 effective date of the new rules."

Not sure what this is going to mean to 80 meters. Will they allow J2D emissions greater than 500 Hz to the CW, RTTY, data section (3500 to 3600) or will they allow J2D emissions greater than 500 Hz to the CW, phone, image section (the rest of the band). If the latter, the phone band will  have some strange sounding signals.

. . . . we will then have a "legal"; proprietary, third party traffic carrying, doesn't listen before transmitting, "wideband" (danger, danger, Will Robinson), mode used a small group of ops to avoid paying for an existing commercial service. . . .

The silver lining. . . AM sure looks nice by comparison. . .we just need to run 375W carrier at all times. . . to maintain communication . .

As for the phone band . . . IMO the FCC is unlikely to change the ruling.

Better still... 750 watts carrier.

Hey!
That gives me an idea about a future version of incentive licensing.

TRANSMITTER IN USE               ALLOWED OUTPUT
          Ricebox                                 100 W PEP
        Homebrew                               5 KW PEP