[Amps] 220-222 MHz Band Was: FCC Denies Expert Linears' Request for Waiver of 15 dB Rule

[Bob Burns W9BU]

UPS intended to purchase amplitude compandered sideband (ACSB) equipment 
for use on the 220-222 MHz band, but development of the system faltered 
and I believe UPS lost interest in favor of other, more-proven technologies.

In UPS's place, the 220-222 MHz segment has now been allocated to the 
railroads for use in their Positive Train Control (PTC) project. PTC 
will establish communication between lineside base stations and moving 
trains all along the line. The intent is that PTC will prevent a train 
from running into territory where the train has no authority, e.g. past 
a red signal.

Congress mandated something like PTC after the collision between a 
Metrolink commuter train and a Union Pacific freight train. Accident 
investigators concluded that the commuter train ran past a red signal, 
possibly because the commuter train's engineer (who was killed in the 
accident) was distracted by sending and receiving text messages on his 
cellphone. Congress decided that any rail line carrying passenger trains 
or hazardous freight must have some form of PTC.

Unfortunately, like many Congressional mandates, no federal funding 
accompanied the new law. The railroads are spending billions of their 
own money on research, development, and installation of PTC. One 
deadline has already passed and was extended by Congress when the 
railroad companies threatened to bottleneck U.S. commerce by simply 
shutting down the railroads. Things seem to be moving along better now 
and, hopefully, the next deadline will be met. If you are in a position 
to observe a busy rail line, you may have noticed work being done on the 
signals and new radio antennas being installed at fixed lineside locations.

One of the interesting little hold-ups in the project has come from the 
FCC. The railroads are applying for licenses for their fixed and mobile 
installations, but the FCC has told them that they must gain approval 
from tribal authorities for any fixed installations on tribal lands. Out 
west, many of our rail lines go through tribal lands. There have been 
reports of tribal authorities being less than responsive with these 
approvals.

PTC has seen tons of delays. Some of these delays have been the 
railroads simply dragging their feet, some of these delays have stemmed 
from administrative issues, a lot of the delays have come from the 
technical side. Developing a reliable, fool-proof system that works with 
moving targets in harsh conditions across hundreds of miles is not a 
trivial pursuit.

Bob...


On 1/4/2017 3:11 PM, Shon Edwards wrote:
> Speaking of this, does anyone know what happened to that little piece of
> the 1.25 M band we lost a while ago 9220-222 MHz)?  I heard that it had
> been given to UPS, who subsequently just let it lie fallow -- didn't bother
> to use it at all.  And is still that way.  Can anyone confirm the truth or
> otherwise, to this statement?
>
> Thanks a bunch!
>
> Shon, K6QT
>