[RTTY] 160 Band Plan/RTTY On 160

[Joe Subich, W4TV]

You are so far off the truth about 160 meter history that you might
as well be writing fiction.

There have been multiple efforts to define a CW/SSB split to 160
going back to immediately after the LORAN segmentation and power
limits were eliminated in 1979 or 1980 ... I was one of those who
proposed that the Commission "rationalize" 160 meters and bring it
into conformance with the rest of the, then current practices on the
other MF and HF allocations.

In those days the "DX Window" was 1825 to 1830 and data modes were
specifically not permitted on 160.  The "DX Window" migrated up to
1830 - 1835 to relieve pressure on other CW activities below 1830
over some years as many of the non-US countries received additional
160 meter allocations (1810 to 1830 or 1810 to 1850 was very common
in much of the world).

The impetus to the current "bandplan" was the attempt by several
anti-CW digital mode individuals to set up camp with MFSK on 1838
- right in the middle of the most heavily used CW spectrum.  The
committee that recommended the current bandplan hardly consists
" of a very small group of 1 x 2 callsign hams with gigantic runaway
egos that insist that they are omniscient by virtue of their license
class, ARRL DXCC entity totals and electrical engineering backgrounds,
anal retentives!"

In fact, the committee consisted of three ARRL Directors or Vice-
Directors, one staff member (Member Services Manager) and two of
the most experienced 160 operators in the US.

Oh by the way ... the bandplan says: 1800 - 20000 CW

There is nothing that says "CW is prohibited below 1810."  If, after
extensive monitoring in multiple areas of the US by several experienced
operators, ARRL believed it was best to move W1AW to 1807.5 it should
have done so.  It should STILL DO SO as activity lower in the band is
much less that between 1815 and 1840.

73,

    ... Joe, W4TV


> -----Original Message-----
> From: rtty-bounces at contesting.com
> [mailto:rtty-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Thomas Giella KN4LF
> Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2006 11:12 AM
> To: a RTTY COL eList
> Subject: [RTTY] 160 Band Plan/RTTY On 160
>
>
> It was real nice to see all of the RTTY activity on 1808 kc
> +/- yesterday evening. There is already quite a bit of PSK,
> MFSK and OLIVIA MFSK activity between 1800-1810 kc. We appear
> invisible to most due to the low power used and I hope the
> activity continues as the more the merrier.
>
> As far as 160 meter band plans the CW mode only on 160 meters
> DX community attempted to have the Gentleman's Agreement
> 1830-1835 kc CW and 1840-1850 SSB DX windows reaffirmed in
> 2001 via the ARRL 160 Meter Ad Hoc Committee. However in the
> end that didn't happen so there is now no official DX windows
> on 160 meters. They didn't like the end result of the new
> band plan so tried to get the DX windows codified into 46 CFR
> Part 97 via FCC rulemaking but failed there too.
>
> The alleged powerful politics people consist of a very small
> group of 1 x 2 callsign hams with gigantic runaway egos that
> insist that they are omniscient by virtue of their license
> class, ARRL DXCC entity totals and electrical engineering
> backgrounds, anal retentives! They have repeatedly attempted
> to create their own private playground gated community on 160
> meters but fortunately have failed in every attempt.
>
> This group was behind the pressure placed upon W1AW to QSY
> off of 1817.500 kc.
>
> I notice the 160 meter bandplan does not even mention any DX window
> at all. Between this glaring omission and the 40 meter RTTY DX
> calling frequency fiasco, one can only wonder what's going on at
> headquarters. I suspect some powerful politics but I have no personal
> knowledge.
>
> For some additional detail on the ARRL bandplan, see "The Considerate
> Operator's  Frequency Guide" at
> http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/conop.html
>
> 73, Bill W6WRT
>
> --... ...--,
> Thomas F. Giella, KN4LF
> Lakeland, FL, USA
> Grid Square EL97AW
> kn4lf at arrl.net
>
> Proof Of God Through Science:
> http://www.cosmicfingerprints.com/audio/newevidence.htm
> KN4LF Amateur & SWL Radio History: http://www.kn4lf.com
> KN4LF 160 Meter Propagation Theory Notes:
> http://www.kn4lf.com/kn4lf8.htm
>
>
>