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THE AM BULLETIN BOARD => The ARRL Forum => Topic started by: Pete, WA2CWA on August 14, 2014, 01:43:30 PM



Title: ARRL July Committee Reports Available-Important Information - Future Activities
Post by: Pete, WA2CWA on August 14, 2014, 01:43:30 PM
I would urge you all to read through some of these Committee Reports to get a feel for activities, proposals, ideas, etc. being discussed around the various ARRL BoD Committee tables.
http://www.arrl.org/committee-reports#2014

As an example from the "Band Planning Committee":
"1. There is substantial support for segmentation of HF bands in some manner such as bandwidth (narrow band and wide band), various modes, automated transmissions, etc. Numerous comments recommended that wide band digital signals be placed in a separate area of the bands in order to provide separation from interference to CW/RTTY signals (narrow band). Some commenters suggested that wide band digital be placed in the upper portion of the existing phone bands, which would place wide band digital transmissions in similar occupied bandwidth as phone."

Further
"4. There is a desire to reallocate the lower portion of 80 meters phone band (3600-3650 kHz). Several commenters observed that the FCC’s action in 2006 to reduce the 80 meter RTTY/data band from 250 kHz to 100 kHz and to limit access to 3600-3700 kHz only to Amateur Extra Class licensees has created significant and unnecessary difficulties for CW, RTTY, and data operators and has left 3600-3700 kHz underutilized. Suggestions for restoring some of the lost RTTY/data band ranged from 25 to 100 kHz with 50 kHz being the most frequently mentioned. The Committee will recommend as part of its strawman proposals for members’ consideration that the boundary between the 80 meter RTTY/data band and the 75 meter phone/image band be changed from 3600 kHz to 3650 kHz. Of course, this would require FCC rulemaking."

As an ARRL member, if you have issues and concerns, or want some additional clarification on information posted in the various Committee Reports, I would suggest contacting your Division Director, Vice-Director, or specific Committee Chairperson. If you're a non-member, you can do what is normally done, i.e. P&M into the wind.


Title: Re: ARRL July Committee Reports Available-Important Information - Future Activities
Post by: W1ITT on August 15, 2014, 05:37:03 PM
This is a can of worms no matter what side one takes.  Back in the 1960s, the League got itself into a pickle with "incentive licensing".  The problem was that they supported taking spectrum away from people who had had access to it for many years, and parceled it out based on the hierarchy of license class.  The Extras and the Class A guys liked it mostly, but the Generals felt badly burned.  Many League members declined to renew and there was hate and discontent.
In this case, we have only had the expanded phone allocations for less than a decade, but I guarantee that people will be upset to have it summarily rescinded and reallocated to different modes and licensees.  Reallocation will fix a problem for the digital/rtty crowd, but the blame will be fixed upon the League for bringing it forward in the first place.  At less than 25% of US ham membership, the League will be going out on a long skinny limb with this.  It'll take more than a group hug to get over it if it goes through.
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