All posts by va7mpg

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US MAY CHANGE 60M BAND

The following was received from the ARRL

ARRL Bulletin 6  ARLB006
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  April 28, 2023
To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB006
ARLB006 ARRL Advocates for Radio Amateurs as FCC Proposes Changes to
60-Meter Band

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is seeking comments
about changing the secondary allocation available to radio amateurs
on 60 meters. The FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)
on April 21, 2023, that deals with the band. In a prior petition,
ARRL, The National Association for Amateur Radio, urged protecting
the existing use of the band by amateurs when adding a new
allocation adopted internationally.

Currently, radio amateurs in the US have access to five discrete
channels on a secondary basis: 5332 kHz, 5348 kHz, 5358.5 kHz, 5373
kHz, and 5405 kHz. Users of these channels are limited to an
effective radiated power (ERP) of 100 W PEP.

The FCC proposes to allocate 15 kHz of contiguous bandwidth between
5351.5 – 5366.5 kHz on a secondary basis with a maximum power of 15
W EIRP (equivalent to 9.15 W ERP). This allocation was adopted at
the 2015 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15).

The federal government is the primary user of the 5 MHz spectrum.
The government’s manager of spectrum use, the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), has
expressed support for implementing the allocation as adopted at
WRC-15. Doing so would result in amateurs losing access to four of
the five discrete channels, and power limits would be reduced from
100 W ERP to 9.15 W ERP. However, it would provide access to a new
contiguous 15 kHz band that includes one of the current five
channels.

In 2017, ARRL petitioned the FCC to keep the four 60-meter channels
that fall outside the new band, as well as the current operating
rules, including the 100 W PEP ERP limit.

The ARRL petition stated, “Such implementation will allow radio
amateurs engaged in emergency and disaster relief communications,
and especially those between the United States and the Caribbean
basin, to more reliably, more flexibly, and more capably conduct
those communications.”

ARRL said that years of amateur radio experience using the five
discrete channels have shown that amateurs can coexist with primary
users at 5 MHz while complying with the regulations established for
their use. The petition also stated, “Neither ARRL, nor, apparently,
NTIA, is aware of a single reported instance of interference to a
federal user by a radio amateur operating at 5 MHz to date.”

In the NPRM, the FCC recognizes that Canada has already adopted
60-meter allocations and related rules that align with those
proposed by ARRL. The Commission wrote, “Finally, we note that
Canada has essentially implemented the same rules as ARRL has
requested.”  The NPRM can be found online at, https://www.fcc.gov/ .

The FCC proposed to allocate the 15 kHz bandwidth but stopped short
of making a proposal on whether the existing channels should remain
allocated to amateur radio and what the power limitations should be.
They requested comments on their proposal and the related channel
and power issues.

Comments will be due 60 days after the NPRM is published in the
Federal Register, which is expected within the next two weeks.
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/EX

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COMOX VALLEY HAM SWAP MEET APRIL 16 2023

5 Reasons to Attend the Comox Valley Ham Swap & Flea Market

  1. Save $$ – lots of bargains & low prices mean great deals
  2. Discover new & vintage items to improve your radio experience
  3. Meet new friends – and re-discover old friends
  4. You could win a door prize (including $50 gift certificates!)
  5. Best of all – you’ll have fun!

 

When: Sunday, April 16, Vendor Set up 8:30; Public 10 am – 1 pm

Where: Merville Hall (yellow building), 1245 Fenwick Rd at Hwy 19A. (just 15 min. North of Courtenay on the old highway).    FREE PARKING!

Admission: $5

GREAT DOOR PRIZES!     (COMMERCIAL VENDORS WELCOME!)

FOOD TRUCK! – THE MUNCH ROOM (Coffee & MUCH more!)

TABLES ARE SELLING FAST – DON’T MISS THIS EVENT!

RESERVE YOUR TABLE TODAY! ONLY $20 (6’ table), 

HELPER $5

Contact Brian / VE7RD / sells795@telus.net

Not much stuff to sell?  Share a table with a friend!

Current COVID rules will apply

Please share with your colleagues / membership / newsletter / organization.

Presented by the Comox Valley Amateur Radio Club

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W1AW SPRING/ SUMMER SCHEDULE FOR 2023

The following has been received from the ARRL

ST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 4  ARLB004
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  March 13, 2023
To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB004
ARLB004 W1AW 2023 Spring/Summer Operating Schedule

Morning Schedule:

Time                  Mode     Days
——————-   —-     ———
1300 UTC (9 AM EDT)   CWs      Wed, Fri
1300 UTC (9 AM EDT)   CWf      Tue, Thu

Daily Visitor Operating Hours:

1400 UTC to 1945 UTC – (10 AM to 3:45 PM EDT)

Afternoon/Evening Schedule:

2000 UTC (4 PM EDT)     CWf      Mon, Wed, Fri
2000  ”      ”          CWs      Tue, Thu
2100  ”  (5 PM EDT)     CWb      Daily
2200  ”  (6 PM EDT)     DIGITAL  Daily
2300  ”  (7 PM EDT)     CWs      Mon, Wed, Fri
2300  ”      ”          CWf      Tue, Thu
0000  ”  (8 PM EDT)     CWb      Daily
0100  ”  (9 PM EDT)     DIGITAL  Daily
0145  ”  (9:45 PM EDT)  VOICE    Daily
0200  ”  (10 PM EDT)    CWf      Mon, Wed, Fri
0200  ”      ”          CWs      Tue, Thu
0300  ”  (11 PM EDT)    CWb      Daily

Frequencies (MHz)
—————–
CW: 1.8025 3.5815 7.0475 14.0475 18.0975 21.0675 28.0675 50.350 147.555
DIGITAL: – 3.5975 7.095 14.095 18.1025 21.095 28.095 50.350 147.555
VOICE: 1.855 3.990 7.290 14.290 18.160 21.390 28.590 50.350 147.555

Notes:

CWs = Morse Code practice (slow) = 5, 7.5, 10, 13 and 15 WPM
CWf = Morse Code practice (fast) = 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 13 and 10 WPM
CWb = Morse Code Bulletins = 18 WPM

CW frequencies include code practices, Qualifying Runs and CW
bulletins.

DIGITAL = BAUDOT (45.45 baud), BPSK31 and MFSK16 in a revolving schedule.

Code practice texts are from QST, and the source of each practice is
given at the beginning of each practice and at the beginning of
alternate speeds.

On Tuesdays and Fridays at 2230 UTC (6:30 PM EDT), Keplerian
Elements for active amateur satellites are sent on the regular
digital frequencies.

A DX bulletin replaces or is added to the regular bulletins between
0000 UTC (8 PM EDT) Thursdays and 0000 UTC (8 PM EDT) Fridays.

Audio from W1AW’s CW code practices, and CW/digital/phone bulletins is available using EchoLink via the W1AW Conference Server named “W1AWBDCT.”  The monthly W1AW Qualifying Runs are presented here as well.  The CW/digital/phone audio is sent in real-time and runs concurrently with W1AW’s regular transmission schedule.

All users who connect to the conference server are muted.  Please
note that any questions or comments about this server should not be sent via the “Text” window in EchoLink. Please direct any questions or comments to w1aw@arrl.org .

In a communications emergency, monitor W1AW for special bulletins as follows: Voice on the hour, Digital at 15 minutes past the hour, and CW on the half hour.

FCC licensed amateurs may operate the station from 1400 UTC to 1945 UTC (10 AM to 3:45 PM EDT) Monday through Friday.  Be sure to bring  a reference copy of your current FCC amateur radio license.

The weekly W1AW and monthly West Coast Qualifying Runs are sent on the normal CW frequencies used for both code practice and bulletin transmissions.  West Coast Qualifying Run stations may also use 3590 kHz.

NNNN
/EX