Welcome to Tropical band

To most people the phrase "tropical bands" bring a pretty clear picture to mind - a bunch of shirtless guys playing calypso music. But to experienced shortwave DXers those two little words express the most challenging and enjoyable part of the radio hobby. The phrase kindles memories of a DXer's best catches and favorite QSLs, of exotic stations, music and of early morning listening sessions. (Don Moore)
I like the "Tropical band" name for new 60m allocation. (OK1RP)

Effective from 1st Jan 2017 please paper QSL via OM-bureau only.


Monday, November 23, 2015

WRC-15 Day-13, A New Band…!

Hi,

Lucky 13! – for the amateur service, as Agenda Item 1.4 (5 MHz) passed the final two readings without any comment whatsoever.

Although the 15kHz that has been agreed at ITU level is a very small international allocation, this is the first new allocation to the amateur services at HF since the WARC of 1979.

73
Colin, G3PSM


Posted:
http://rsgb.org/main/blog/news/2015/11/20/wrc-15-day-13-a-new-band/



73 - Petr, OK1RP
.../-.-

Thursday, November 12, 2015

WRC-15 Day-7

Hi,

Agenda Item 1.4 (5 MHz): Two steps forward and one step back might be a polite description of progress on Tuesday regarding 5 MHz and the consideration of permitted power. Some administrations are insisting on the use of tight eirp limits.

We have already overrun the schedule allowed for the sub-working group discussions and the real threat of a No Change position exists if we do not reach a consensus. At the moment there are three major administrations resisting any allocation at 5 MHz.

Several administrations allowing amateur activity at 5 MHz have already indicated that their current arrangements will continue under RR 4.4.

73
Colin, G3PSM

Posted:
http://rsgb.org/main/blog/news/2015/11/11/wrc-15-day-7/


73 - Petr, OK1RP
.../-.-

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Dutch 5MHz QSOs - RSGB Front Page News

Hi,

Several Dutch stations have appeared on the 5MHz band in the erroneous assumption that 5MHz has become available in The Netherlands.

It isn’t, and won’t be until the middle of November at the earliest. The confusion arose in the way the law is applied in The Netherlands.
 
Following the announcement, the radio amateur frequency tables have to be officially adjusted and published and this has not happened yet.

Until that time, any contacts with Dutch stations on 5MHz are not, in fact, legitimate.

Posted:
Front Page News, GB2RS Headlines

It is confirming what I reported in preview post regarding the PA permits on 60m band so need to wait...


73 - Petr, OK1RP
.../-.- 

WRC-15 Day-5, End of Week-1

Hi,

Agenda Item 1.4 (5 MHz): Some progress was made during the course of the Friday morning session. The various African organizations agreed to merge their proposal resulting in a proposal of 100 Watts between 5350-5400 kHz which will be considered alongside other proposals. 

Unfortunately other administrations are refusing to move from their position for a far smaller allocation or even NoC (No Change). As a consequence the meetings scheduled for Saturday morning have been cancelled pending feedback from various administrations back home.

73
Colin, HB9/G3PSM

Posted:
http://rsgb.org/main/blog/news/2015/11/07/wrc-15-day-5/


73 - Petr, OK1RP
.../-.-

Friday, November 6, 2015

WRC-15 Day-4

Hi,

Agenda Item 1.4 (5 MHz) continues to occupy the time of the IARU and national society delegates attending.

Intensive debate centred around the amount of spectrum required and power limitations, with a very wide divergence of views – the former ranging from 15 to 100 kHz, the latter between 0.1W and 200 Watts (as well as those who oppose any allocation at all).

Needless to say discussions continue, with weekend working a real possibility.

There has been little progress with other agenda items of interest to the amateur services but we continue to monitor the situation.

73 - Colin, HB9/G3PSM

Posted:
http://rsgb.org/main/blog/news/2015/11/06/wrc-15-day-4/


It looks like very hard job in Geneve and unfortunatelly we should not expect so much according to the current discussion development...


73 - Petr, OK1RP
.../-.-

Thursday, November 5, 2015

PA - Neetherland on 60m soon... ?

Hi,

it seems that after some local technical issues the authorization is about two weeks from now:

http://www.agentschaptelecom.nl/actueel/nieuws/2015/5-mhz-band-binnenkort-ook-voor-radiozendamateurs-met-een-f-registratie

The same band allocation 5350 - 5450 kHz as it is proposed for WRC-15 is prepared.

Thanks to Larry, K5RK


73 - Petr, OK1RP
.../-.-

WRC-15 Day-3

Hi,

Mainly a day of frustrations for all concerned, but slow progress was made with Agenda Item 1.4 (5 MHz).

The proposal from CITEL, representing a number of American States, was reduced to align with the CEPT proposal for 100 kHz, while the Arab Spectrum Management Group also agreed Group also agreed to increase their proposal from 15 kHz to 50 kHz.

On the negative side, the No Change administrations held fast in their positions and indications are that this will not change in the immediate future.

Tomorrow it might be necessary to raise the agenda item to the next level of Working Group 4 to achieve further progress.

Posted:
http://rsgb.org/main/blog/category/news/special-focus/wrc-15/


73 - Petr, OK1RP
.../-.-

WRC-15 has started by Nov-2-15...

Hi,

Colin Thomas G3PSM is attending as part of the UK Delegation. IARU observers are also present and are under no illusions regarding the challenge ahead.

The conference opened on Monday Nov-2 and will run until Nov-27. Overall 3,800 delegates, an increase of 1,000 over WRC-12, representing 162 administrations and 136 organisations are registered for this 4 week conference.

Day 1: This was spent with the usual courtesies being exchanged and the organisation of the conference being confirmed.
  • Agenda Item 1.4 (5 MHz) will be considered in Committee 4, Sub-Working Group 4B1.
  • Agenda Item 1.18 (77 GHz) will be discussed in Sub-Working Group 4A3 and
  • Agenda Item 10 (Future Agenda Items) in Committee 6.
Committee 4 is chaired by Martin Fenton from Ofcom

Day 2: The real work starts…

Posted:
http://rsgb.org/main/blog/news/special-focus/wrc-15/2015/11/03/wrc-15-day-12-colin-sets-the-scene/

We should keep all fingers crossed.

Latest news and updates can be found here:
http://rsgb.org/main/blog/category/news/special-focus/wrc-15/


73 - Petr, OK1RP
.../-.-

IARU gears up for the WRC-15 by Jim, VK3PC

IARU gears up for the WRC-15

Delegations are heading to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Radiocommunications Conference, and there will be a strong team from the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). The ITU conference is in Geneva, Switzerland on November 2 to 27. In a book the ITU describes WRC-15 as a new landmark for the radiocommunication world and the use of satellites.
 
The ITU has acknowledged the close cooperation it has with the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) - founded in Paris 1925, and the recognised spokesman for the Amateur Radio community. Delegates will consider several items of interest to the Amateur Service and the Amateur Satellite Service.

The WRC-15 agenda includes Item 1.4, which has the possibility of allocating an appropriate amount of spectrum to the Amateur Service on a secondary basis within the band 5250-5450 kHz.

The IARU describes the potential new band as being “a high priority for the amateur service”, but is not over-confident of getting the new secondary allocation, as there is some opposition.

The IARU-team has 18 members and includes Dale Hughes VK1DSH, partly funded by the WIA and IARU. About 10 of them are with their WRC-15 country-based delegation.
As co-lead are the IARU President Tim Ellam VE6SH and Vice-President Ole Garpestad LA2RR.

Tim VE6SH said there had been enormous preparation by the IARU, and its member societies, which includes being active at numerous preparatory meetings held throughout the world.
He said the IARU team will make their best effort for a possible allocation to Amateur Service near 5 MHz, and watch other developments that may impinge on the Amateur Service and Amateur Satellite Service.

On the 5 MHz band proposal, before the WRC-15 several major countries, including Canada, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, view a wide allocation as too generous.
Tim VE6SH said there had been enormous preparation by the IARU, and its member societies, which includes being active at numerous preparatory meetings held throughout the world. The IARU will host a function on November 10 with all at the WRC-15 being invited to attend.

It will also have an emergency communications display trailer on November 8-14, with IARU International Coordinator for Emergency Communications, Hans Zimmermann HB9AQS.
The trailer-mounted display will have equipment showing the voice, text and image mode capabilities for emergency communications, plus a mobile antenna.

Specialist German club 'Notfunk Deutschland' (Emergency Radio Germany), in agreement with the IARU Member Society, Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC), will have posters and other material provided by it and several IARU member societies.

Hans HB9AQS, with help of the three IARU regional emergency communication coordinators, has produced a single page in various languages as a hand-out at the display.

Jim Linton VK3PC

Original posted: http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2015/october/iaru_gears_up_for_the_wrc15.htm