[CQ-Contest] W4ZV's comments on FCC complaint

[Bill Coleman]

On 10/8/01 8:11 PM, Bill Tippett at btippett at alum.mit.edu wrote:

>I do hope all will follow the ARRL 160 Bandplan and restrict SSB to
>frequencies on 1843 and above in the coming contest season.  Disregard it
>at your own risk but "forewarned is forearmed".  I felt it was important to
>bring these comments by the FCC to the attention of all contesters and was
>certainly not trying to single out anyone in particular.

Bill,

I think it is a grave mistake to look at the ARRL bandplan as having the 
force of regulation. As I read the FCC regulations, SSB operation is 
permitted from 1800-1843 kHz. So, emitting SSB signals in this spectrum 
is not, by itself, a violation of the FCC rules.

The issue at hand that the FCC is enforcing is willful interference. Now, 
far be it for someone pushing the agenda that 1800-1843 is supposed to be 
CW-only to make claims of willful interference to those who happen to 
operate some SSB in this spectrum....

That said, if you really want the bandplan to work -- and I think it 
could -- then there's a big education process that has to take place. DX 
stations have to listen above 1843 kHz -- both for US stations calling 
CQ, and US stations trying to answer their CQs. 

For a contest like CQWW, the control is really in the hands of the DX 
stations. If a DX station is loud and calling CQ on 1830 kHz simplex -- 
are you saying I should ignore him because he isn't following the 
bandplan? 

Heck, 1830 kHz may be a good frequency for him. He may not even have 
allocations above 1843 kHz. 

I do think that perhaps it would be poor form for US stations to call CQ 
below 1843 kHz, but I think it is likely to happen. Again, the DX 
stations are the key. If they aren't listening above 1843 kHz, then what 
is a US station supposed to do?

Again, all this realising that 1800-1843 is perfectly legal for SSB 
emissions, at least as the regulations are today, and many DX stations do 
not have allocations above 1840 or 1850 kHz.

Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
            -- Wilbur Wright, 1901


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