Amateur Radio Gets Secondary MF Allocation

[Pete, WA2CWA]

From the ARRL web site, 2/14/12 - Happy Valentine's Day

Delegates attending the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12) have approved a new 7-kilohertz-wide secondary allocation between 472-479 kHz for the Amateur Radio Service. Agenda Item 1.23 had both its first and second readings in Plenary Session on Tuesday, February 14; to become part of the ITU’s Radio Regulations, each Agenda Item must be read twice in Plenary Session. While the Final Acts will be signed on Friday, February 17 at the close of the Conference, the new allocation will not take effect until it is entered into the Radio Regulations. No date has been set for this, but it is unlikely to be earlier than January 1, 2013. In any case, no amateur can use the band until his or her national regulations are revised to implement the allocation....

For the rest of the story, go here: http://www.arrl.org/news/amateur-radio-gets-secondary-mf-allocation-at-wrc-12


See 4U1ITU / 4U1WRC live on the Internet: http://156.106.208.76/view/viewer_index.shtml?id=577

[AF9J]

Hmmmmm, I wonder how long it'll take for the US to open it to amateurs.  With that narrow of a band, I assume that the digital modes will probably predominate.  CW might be possible (IF narrow filters are used), but for all we know, it might end up being like the 136 kHz band over in Europe - very narrowband, very slow baud rate digital modes. 

[Bill, KD0HG]

You would be amazed at what 5 watts ERP CW can do on those frequencies..Even during the day. Except for during thunderstorm season.

632 meter band..Thousand foot 1/2 wave dipole.. 500 foot 1/4 wave vertical..Hope the digital doesn't run off the CW.