[RTTY] ARRL Bandwidth Petition

[Howard Teller]

As I read the ARRL proposal, the *Entire" 160m band can be blanketed by automated Pactor-III robots of 2400 Hz width, without limitation. Can anybody show me where this is incorrect?

Current rules:

§97.221 Automatically controlled digital station.
(a) This rule section does not apply to an auxiliary station, a beacon station, a repeater station, an earth station, a space station, or a space telecommand station. 

(b) A station may be automatically controlled while transmitting a RTTY or data emission on the 6 m or shorter wavelength bands, and on the 28.120-28.189 MHz, 24.925-24.930 MHz, 21.090-21.100 MHz, 18.105-18.110 MHz, 14.0950-14.0995 MHz, 14.1005-14.112 MHz, 10.140-10.150 MHz, 7.100-7.105 MHz, or 3.620-3.635 MHz segments. 

(c) A station may be automatically controlled while transmitting a RTTY or data emission on any other frequency authorized for such emission types provided that: 


  (1) The station is responding to interrogation by a station under local or remote control; and 
  (2) No transmission from the automatically controlled station occupies a bandwidth of more than 500 Hz. 
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ARRL proposed petition:

§ 97.221 Automatically controlled stations transmitting RTTY or data emissions. 
 
(b) A station may be automatically controlled while transmitting a RTTY or data 
emission on 10 m or shorter wavelength bands. 
(c) On 160 through 12 meters, a station transmitting a RTTY or data emission may 
operate under automatic control except it is not permitted to initiate a 
communication. 
(1) Deleted. 
(2) Deleted. 

>From the table of frequencies in the petition:

(e) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, a station may transmit any emission on any frequency authorized to the control operator subject to the following bandwidth limitations: 
      Wavelength band Frequencies authorized Maximum bandwidth Standards 
      See §97.307(f) paragraph: 
      
       160 m               Entire band                  3 kHz                     (1) (2) 

73, Skip KH6TY