The Spring Edition of The 5 MHz Newsletter by Paul, G4MWO available

Hi All,

The Spring Edition of The 5 MHz Newsletter has now been published and features information on the recent WRC-12 conference.

A subscription is not needed and the Newsletter can be freely read or downloaded from Google documents at

http://tinyurl.com/7ylxz9z

A paper copy can be obtained by sending an SASE large enough to take folded A4 to the Editor, G4MWO, who is QTHR and on QRZ.com.

A chart is also maintained of current Worldwide 5 MHz Amateur Allocations. This can be found at

http://tinyurl.com/82rwq2b

73,

Paul Gaskell, G4MWO

Editor, The 5 MHz Newsletter

Big thanks to Paul for great job !

73 - Petr, OK1RP

NTIA Clarifies Position on 60 Meter Digital Privileges

NTIA Clarifies Position on 60 Meter Digital Privileges

In response to requests for clarification from the ARRL, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has confirmed that it has no objection to the use of a broader range of data emissions by amateurs on the five 5 MHz frequencies on 60 meters. ARRL’s original understanding was that the NTIA preferred that the use of 2K80J2D emission be limited to Pactor III. The NTIA now says that that is not the case.

In an e-mail response to ARRL Cheif Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, Karl Nebbia, Associate Administrator of the NTIA Office of Spectrum Management, stated, “NTIA has no interest in limiting the types of emission used by the amateurs as long as the data emission does not exceed the 2.8 kHz bandwidth generated by the upper sideband transmitter.” Nebbia referred all further inquiries to the FCC, which “…sets the conditions for use of the five 5 MHz frequencies by the amateurs.”

The requirement of only one signal per channel remains, as well as the prohibition against automatic operation. The FCC continues to require that all digital transmissions be centered on the channel-center frequencies, which the Report and Order defines as being 1.5 kHz above the suppressed carrier frequency of a transceiver operated in the Upper Sideband (USB) mode. This is typically the frequency shown on the frequency display.

Channel USB Suppressed Carrier (kHz) Center (kHz)

1 5330.5 5332.0

2 5346.5 5348.0

3 5357.0 5358.5

4 5371.5 5373.0

5 5403.5 5405.0

The ARRL advises amateurs to operate with care when using digital modes in consideration of the fact that hams are secondary users on these frequencies. See the revised 60-Meter FAQ page on the ARRL Web, as well as the revised ARRL 60-Meter Recommended Practices document.

Thanks to W8GEX for sharing these information thru email.

73 - Petr, OK1RP

CW on the 60m band coming for US hams on 5th March 2012

Beginning on 5 March U.S. hams holding General class or higher licenses, may begin to use C.W. on the 60 meter band. Here is some guidance from the American Radio Relay League that specifically relates to C.W. operation:

CW operation must take place at the center of your chosen channel. This means that your transmitting frequency must be 1.5 kHz above the suppressed carrier frequency as specified in the FCC's Report and Order. Operating at strict channel-center frequencies may come as a disappointment to many, but cooperating with the NTIA is key to expanded privileges in the future.

The channel center frequencies are …

Channel 1: 5332.0 kHz
Channel 2: 5348.0 kHz
Channel 3: 5358.5 kHz
Channel 4: 5373.0 kHz
Channel 5: 5405.0 kHz

Consult your transceiver manual. Some transceivers transmit CW at the exact frequencies shown on their displays, but others offset the actual transmission frequency by a certain amount (for example, 600 Hz). If your manual is not clear on this point, contact the manufacturer. If youhave access to a frequency counter, this is an excellent tool for ensuring that your CW signal is on the channel center frequency.

Posted on FOC mailing list. More details about the new 60m regulations can be found on the ARRL's web site.

73 - Petr, OK1RP

New 5MHz NoV proposals Litmus Test (UK hams only)

New 5MHz NoV proposals Litmus Test

The problem that we would like to address is “how do we respond to the offer that has been made by the MoD”? This topic is open to all UK radio amateurs.

To answer this question there are two source documents to consider.

Response from MoD, Feb 2012 (1-page/79KB PDF)

Draft reply from RSGB (1-page/121KB PDF)

The latter document is the starting point for the “Litmus Test” discussion.

The Litmus Test will use a web discussion forum to seek views and thus develop this draft reply. Two people will chair/moderate the discussion in order to keep the threads on-topic and to maintain the list etiquette. People who start to discuss an off-topic issue will be asked to move it to elsewhere, and/or raise the issue with the RSGB through the Have your Say facility. The list discussion will go live on Thursday 1 March, and will run for a few weeks to see if a consensus can be reached.

5 MHz NoV proposals Litmus Test (Link to Forum to go live 29 February)

Orig. posted here: http://www.rsgb.org/consultations/new-five-mhz-nov-proposals.php

73 - Petr, OK1RP

The 60m band plan update

ARRL's webpage has a news item linking to our 60 M Recommended
Practices document. The article's URL is

http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-publishes-new-guidelines-for-60-meters

We'd be glad if you publicize this and post a link to it. Due to work
and vacation schedules this didn't get publicized quite as soon as
we'd hoped but it's still more than a week in advance of the new
privileges. The folks that are itching to get on probably already
have a handle on the technical issues, for the most part.

Approval of the document came just in time for a two-page article in
April QST. The article has a "friendlier" style that the raw document,
and should be arriving in mailboxes not long after the implementation
date for the R&O.

MANY THANKS for your suggestions, and your interest in 60 Meters.

73 Bruce K0BJ

Thanks to Joe, W8GEX for forwarding an email from Bruce, K0BJ.

73 - Petr, OK1RP

WRC-12 Day 24, 15 February 2012 – New Agenda Item

RSGB site 5MHz band WRC news:

To be correct, early morning on the 16th… the final reading of Resolution COM6/12 was approved at 03.20 this morning, 04.20 Geneva time. Nine hours after the evening session of Plenary started, the final addition of one preposition finalised the wording of the 5MHz future agenda item. The Resolution is reproduced here in full.

Resolution COM6/12 (WRC‑12)

Possible allocation to the amateur service on a secondary basis at around 5300kHz

The World Radiocommunication Conference (Geneva, 2012),

considering

a) that amateur stations are regularly used for emergency radiocommunications in the event of hurricanes, typhoons, floods, fires, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and other disaster situations;

b) that Recommendation ITU‑R M.1042‑3, on disaster communications in the amateur and amateur-satellite services, encourages the development of such services capable of providing radiocommunications in the event of natural disasters, and recommends that their networks be robust, flexible and independent of other telecommunication services and capable of operating from emergency power;

c) that communications in the HF bands allocated to the amateur service play a major role in work to mitigate catastrophes and in the delivery of communications in support of relief operations in areas where the telecommunication infrastructure is weak or has collapsed;

d) that the various frequency bands allocated to the amateur service are contained in the Table of Frequency Allocations in Article 5 of the Radio Regulations,

recognizing

a) that radiocommunication in the HF bands is dependent on propagation factors, with the result that frequencies in different bands have to be used to maintain stable communication for a relatively sustained period of time, with frequency changes in the case of communications with different correspondents located at very different distances;

b) that it is essential that, in all cases, the maximum usable frequency (MUF) should not be excessively far from the next band allocated to the amateur service, so as to permit the setting up of communications in this band using typical amateur service antennas and power levels;

c) that, in the current allocations to the amateur service in the HF bands, there is a significant jump, which causes many problems in terms of communication when the MUF falls below 7MHz and the lowest usable frequency (LUF) is above 4MHz, with the result that amateur stations would need to be able to access spectrum at around 5MHz in order to fulfil their communication functions, particularly when they are engaged in providing emergency communications in response to disaster situations,

noting

a) that the band 5250-5450kHz is allocated to the fixed and mobile services, except aeronautical mobile, on a primary basis;

b) that an allocation of an appropriate amount of spectrum, not necessarily contiguous, to the amateur service at around 5300kHz would be adequate to better satisfy its needs associated with use for providing communications in disaster situations and during relief operations;

c) that the band 10100-10150kHz is already allocated to the fixed service on a primary basis and to the amateur service on a secondary basis, and that effective use of both services has been possible,

resolves to invite WRC‑15

to consider, based on the results of the ITU‑R studies referred to in invites ITU‑R below, the possibility of making an allocation of an appropriate amount of spectrum, not necessarily contiguous, to the amateur service on a secondary basis within the band 5250-5450kHz,

invites ITU‑R

1. to study spectrum requirements for a secondary allocation to the amateur service within the band 5250-5450kHz;

2. to carry out sharing studies on the impact to other services currently allocated in the band referred to in invites ITU‑R 1 and in the adjacent bands;

3. to complete studies in time for WRC‑15.

73 - Petr, OK1RP

WRC-12 Day 22, 13th February 2012 – 4th and final week

The actual news about our 5MHz band allocation from WRC-12 see below:

During the afternoon session of COM 6 the draft agenda for WRC-15 and the preliminary draft agenda for WRC-18 was approved and sent to the Plenary session. With the exception of the UAE, who reserved their position, there were no objections to the amateur service proposal for a 5MHz allocation. The evening session dealt with the approval of the Resolutions associated with each agenda item.

73 - Petr, OK1RP