[RTTY] ARRL Bandwidth Proposal - FCC Invites Comments

[Jim Preston]

The FCC is inviting comments on the bandwidth proposal. Details are on 
the ARRL site at this url:

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/01/09/2/?nc=1

I suggest that every RTTY op take a close look at this, in particular 
the limitations on 500 Hz bandwidth. While this won't have much of an 
impact on day to day operations, it could have a major impact on 
contesting. Using the ARRL RTTY RU as an example, I would have lost for 
10 to almost 30 percent of my contacts depending on how the frequency 
chart is interpreted.

The bands were very crowded during the contest, and would have been more 
so if we had these rules in place.

The frequency charts are somewhat confusing. If the upper frequency for 
each bandwidth is enforced, then CW ops will lose frequency privileges 
as well.

This proposal looks like an attempt to keep RTTY away from CW, and also 
to expand the phone bands in some cases.

Check out the proposal and see what you think. Comments to the FCC are 
due Feb. 6.

73,

Jim N6VH