Bandplans aside, the ITU Radio Regulations indicate that there are some
pretty severe regulatory restrictions in Region 1 on the use of 160M by
amateurs. I wonder how real the need for these is, particularly as
LORAN is phasing out.
Footnote 5.100 of the ITU allocation table is perplexing to me. It says:
" In Region 1, the authorization to use the band 1 810-1 830 kHz by the
amateur service in countries situated totally or partially north of 40°
N shall be given only after consultation with the countries mentioned in
Nos. 5.98 and 5.99 to define the necessary steps to be taken to prevent
harmful interference between amateur stations and stations of other
services operating in accordance with Nos. 5.98 and 5.99."
Why 40 degrees north? It takes little imagination to see that this
consultation requirement imposes a very substantial drag on efforts to
free up 160-meter frequencies for ham use, because there are a lot of
countries listed in those footnotes, and they are truly a motley group.
"5.98 Alternative allocation: in Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Congo (Rep. of the), Denmark,
Egypt, Eritrea, Spain, Ethiopia, the Russian Federation, Georgia,
Greece, Italy, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Lithuania, Moldova, the Syrian Arab
Republic, Kyrgyzstan, Somalia, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Turkey
and Ukraine, the band 1 810-1 830 kHz is allocated to the fixed and
mobile, except aeronautical mobile, services on a primary
basis. (WRC-03)
5.99 Additional allocation: in Saudi Arabia, Austria, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Iraq, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Uzbekistan, Slovakia,
Romania, Serbia and Montenegro. Slovenia, Chad, and Togo, the band
1 810-1 830 kHz is also allocated to the fixed and mobile, except
aeronautical mobile, services on a primary basis. (WRC-03)"
--
73, Pete N4ZR
The World Contest Station Database, updated daily at www.conteststations.com
The Reverse Beacon Network at http://reversebeacon.net, blog at
reversebeacon.blogspot.com
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UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
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