[CQ-Contest] Fw: MMSN Petition

[John]

FROM RECENT IARU NEWSLETTER

There has been a movement in the last several years to try to identify
"centers of activity" frequencies across all three IARU regions that can
be used in disaster relief operations.  It has at times been difficult
to arrive at a consensus on what frequencies should be used.  The AC
noted that all three regions have now reached consensus on three global
Center of Activity (CoA) frequencies for use in the event of
emergencies: 14.300, 18.160 and 21.360 MHz.  When no emergency
operations are being conducted, these frequencies are open for normal
amateur usage.  However, GAREC-09 (more on GAREC later in this report)
calls upon IARU member-societies, among others, "whenever emergency
communications are being conducted on frequencies that propagate
internationally, to use any available real-time communications channels,
including but not limited to e-mail bulletins, web-sites, social
networking and DX-clusters to draw the attention of the largest possible
number of Amateur Radio operators to on-going emergency communications,
in order to avoid interference with emergency traffic."  It would be
helpful for each member-society to develop an effective method of
notifying amateurs within their own country of any such emergency
traffic being handled on the CoA frequencies, or elsewhere in the
amateur bands.

Which means: NO EXCLUSIVE USE BY MMSN ON 14.300 MHz UNLESS 
                      ACTUAL AN EMERGENCY EXISTS.
                      99% OF THE TIME THIS IS NOT THE CASE. THEREFORE
                      THEY NEED A REALITY CHECK AND SHARE THE FREQUENCY
                      WITH ALL RADIO AMATEURS WORLD-WIDE. 


Very happy contesting and Dxing,
73 and happy holidays
de John
VE7JZ