VP2M - Monserrat on 60m ?

The"Buddies in the Caribbean" mini-DXpedition group is off to VP2M (Montserrat) April 8-16th, 2012 with a new group of operators who have never experienced the "other side of a pileup"! We will have two of the new Elecraft KX3's (Ser#23 and #24) with us! We believe this will be the first DXpedition using the new KX3 radio!

Because of severe baggage limits on the Antigua to Monserrat flight (one bag under 50 lbs!), we will be limited to 100 watt or less low power radios and the Buddipole portable antenna systems. Yet our goal is to demonstrate "ultralite" dxpeditioning into magnificent "vista" locations, operating a field portable, battery-only KX3 radio with backpackable, lightweight antennas and most of all "having fun" on the "volcano isle".

The eight operators are: Budd/VP2MFF (W3FF), Guy/VP2MUN (N7UN), Paul/VP2MVO (KB9AVO), Larry/VP2MLR (W7DGP), Russ/VP2MQR (N7QR), Tom/VP2MTM (K2GSJ), and Chris/VP2MYZ (N2YYZ). There will be several Gingerbread Villa stations in operation on 160-10m using CW, SSB, and RTTY or PSK. At the same time, several teams will be battery-only, field portable either from Montserrat beaches or scenic mountain tops with the KX3 and signing callsign/p.

QSL via LoTW, eQSL,or mail to the operator’s home callsign (SASE required).

Posted by Guy, N7UN
http://www.n7un.com/

There is nothing promised about the 60m band but we should check the band for their operation... All depends to the local conditions and mountains scenario.

73 - Petr, OK1RP

Canada on 5MHz - by Paul, G4MWO

Hi Petr and Joe,

Canadian amateurs were allowed at the beginning of April 2012 by their regulator, Industry Canada, to apply for special interim 5 MHz/60m. development licences under the VX9 callsign series. This provides for the same facilities accorded to US licensees. Following discussions with the Canadian national amateur radio society, RAC - Radio Amateurs of Canada and the implementation of the US FCC new 60m rules in March 2012, Industry Canada is to issue a consultation notice for Canadian radio amateurs in the government Canada Gazette. At the conclusion of this process Industry Canada intends to make general availability of 5 MHz/60m frequencies to all Canadian amateurs. In the meantime they invite amateurs to apply for a special interim 5 MHz/60m developmental licence in order to have the opportunity of gaining early access to these frequencies. ( Source:- RAC Bulletin 2012-021E - Update on 60 Metres )

An amateur holding the Basic + (with Honours) or the Advanced Certificate will be eligible for licensing on these frequencies.

First to be licensed was Russ Hemphill, VE3FI with the special callsign VX9GHD. Russ commented in QRZ.com "This band is badly needed for Emergency Communications, when conditions on 40 and 80 are not suitable for transmitting or receiving traffic."

Look for Russ and other new Canadian 60m Developmental licensees on the usual spotter sites and/or the 60m page of the Reverse Beacon Network http://www.reversebeacon.net/dxsd1.php?f=163

Stephen Arkell, VE3SHA, wrote to his local Industry Canada field office and got an official reply as to what the status is and current Canadian amateur 60m/5 MHz regulations are. He kindly re-posted that in QRZ.com, so I've copied it and attached it as a Word doc as it's rather long. The main thing is, though, that it basically follows the US criteria.

73

Paul Gaskell, G4MWO

Editor, The 5 MHz Newsletter
http://tinyurl.com/7ylxz9z
(current edition)
G4MWO's Worldwide 5 MHz Amateur Allocations Chart
http://tinyurl.com/82rwq2b
UK GB2RS RSGB News Service 5 MHz Newsreader
Member of Original RSGB 5 MHz Team (2002)

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