Having designed ALE systems over 20 years ago and having been involved
in the early testing and deployment FED-STD-1045 ALE systems on
commercial HF circuits I have a bit of experience here.
The soundings are NOT simply station IDs. They are sent so that other
scanning ALE stations can keep track of who all they can hear at any
given time. Replies are not received from these soundings. So
essentially they constitute propagation beacons. They are indeed
one-way transmissions.
73,
Doug, K4DSP
On Jan 11, 2008 10:52 AM, George Henry <ka3hsw@earthlink.net> wrote:
> Have to disagree with you on the soundings, Andy... re-read Bonnie's
> explanation of what soundings are and how they work: her very first point
> says "... ALE sounding is simply a station ID. No other text is sent."
> Later she specifially states "Sounding is not CQ. If you want to call CQ,
> use the HFL or QRZ netcall." If it's not sent to a specific station or with
> the intent of establishing 2-way communication *at that moment*, it's an
> illegal one-way transmission. I believe this also constitutes automatic
> beaconing, despite what Bonnie claims (her claim that they are not one-way
> transmissions is absurd), and automatic beacons are prohibited below 10
> meters. Third, Bonnie defines ALE as a message-forwarding system, and
> automatic control of a digital station is prohibited UNLESS the station is 1)
> responding to interrogation and 2) transmitting with a bandwidth of less
> that 500 Hz. The only thing that soundings actually do is establish a heard
> list at other ALE station
s,
> unless someone happens to be holding traffic for the sounding station, at
> which time it will respond with a link request. However, since the station
> holding the traffic actually initiates the connection, and not in response to
> a connect request or interrogation, it's almost certainly illegal automatic
> control of a digital station.
>
> To summarize, I believe that automatic ALE soundings are 1) prohibited
> one-way transmissions; 2) illegal automated beaconing below 10 meters, and;
> 3) illegal automatic control of a digital station.
>
>
> At any rate, the ARRL has forwarded my inquiry to the FCC for a rules
> interpretation, so we should know for sure soon.
>
> 73,
>
> George, KA3HSW
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------
>
> On Thursday, January 10, 2008 you wrote:
>
>
> As you know Jack, the fact that RATTS has been active since 1948 is
> irrelevant, anyone is free to use the frequency , even a ham setting
> up their new net. NOT very friendly, but perfectly legal.
>
>
> ALE , as in the variety used for "soundings" , is no different than
> other modes. The sounding is essentially a CQ or QRZ message. ALE
> software makes better use of the 10-12 second transmission that other
> modes, but it is just another station saying "I'm around, anyone want
> to play".
>
> Where ALE is someone controversial is the fact that the brief
> "soundings" can appear to be without a "QRL?" check . This is not
> entirely true since some ALE software has an ability to prevent an ALE
> transmission if another signal is detected. It is not always done,
> just like many RTTY contesters or RTTY DXpeditions. This is
> understandably frustrating. Your offending signal may be a PACTOR
> BBS, if it is active for more than 10-seconds it is unlikely to be an
> ALE sounding. The frequency does match a known ALE channel though/
>
> Andy K3UK
>
>
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