[RTTY] FW:ARRL response: ALE Sounding. What is it and how does it work? (LONG!)
George Henry
ka3hsw at earthlink.net
Thu Jan 10 17:00:53 EST 2008
Here is the reply from Chuck Skolaut at the ARRL.... looks like we'll have to get an official FCC ruling on it.
George, KA3HSW
-----Forwarded Message-----
>From: "Skolaut, Chuck K0BOG" <cskolaut at arrl.org>
>Sent: Jan 10, 2008 3:45 PM
>To: ka3hsw at earthlink.net
>Subject: FW: FW: [illinoisdigitalham] ALE Sounding. What is it and how does it work?
>
>
>George,
>
>This really is a rules interpretation that will have to come from the official source - the FCC. Any opinion on our part would likely tend to confuse the issue.
>
>73,
>
>Chuck Skolaut, KØBOG
>Field & Regulatory Correspondent
>ARRL - The national association for Amateur Radio
>860 594 0239
>cskolaut at arrl.org
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: George Henry [mailto:ka3hsw at earthlink.net]
>Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 5:28 PM
>To: Skolaut, Chuck K0BOG
>Subject: Re: FW: [illinoisdigitalham] ALE Sounding. What is it and how does it work?
>
>Understood. I was asking for your opinion, as someone knowledgeable in regulatory matters, as to whether these specific transmissions met the criteria to be permissible or not. Ms. Crystal is claiming that they do, while I do not see any way that they fit the list you give below, nor any other permissible one-way transmission listed anywhere else in Part 97.
>
>
>George Henry, KA3HSW
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>>From: "Skolaut, Chuck K0BOG" <cskolaut at arrl.org>
>>Sent: Jan 9, 2008 3:52 PM
>>To: ka3hsw at earthlink.net
>>Subject: FW: [illinoisdigitalham] ALE Sounding. What is it and how does it work?
>>
>>
>>George,
>>
>>Regarding one way transmissions, Part 97.111(b) permits the following:
>>
>>
>>
>>(1) Brief transmissions necessary to make adjustments to the station;
>>
>>(2) Brief transmissions necessary to establishing two-way
>>communications with other stations;
>>
>>(3) Telecommand;
>>
>>(4) Transmissions necessary to providing emergency communications;
>>
>>(5) Transmissions necessary to assisting persons learning, or improving
>>proficiency in, the international Morse code;
>>
>>(6) Transmissions necessary to disseminate information bulletins;
>>
>>(7) Transmissions of telemetry.
>>
>>73,
>>
>>Chuck Skolaut, KØBOG
>>Field & Regulatory Correspondent
>>ARRL - The national association for Amateur Radio 860 594 0239
>>cskolaut at arrl.org
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: George Henry [mailto:ka3hsw at earthlink.net]
>>Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 10:57 AM
>>To: k0bog at arrl.net
>>Subject: Fw: [illinoisdigitalham] ALE Sounding. What is it and how does it work?
>>
>>
>>Chuck:
>>
>>The following is, in my opinion, a rather creative explanation of ALE (Automatic Link Establishment) "sounding" by Bonnie Crystal, KQ6XA, in response to my posting the opinion that these "soundings" were illegal automated beaconing by ALE stations.
>>
>>I would appreciate your opinion on this. I have inserted comments below where I feel her explanation runs afoul of Part 97.
>>
>>
>>
>>Thank you.
>>
>>George Henry, KA3HSW
>>ARRL 0001155357
>>
>>
>>-----Forwarded Message-----
>>>From: expeditionradio <expeditionradio at yahoo.com>
>>>Sent: Jan 8, 2008 5:34 PM
>>>To: illinoisdigitalham at yahoogroups.com
>>>Subject: [illinoisdigitalham] ALE Sounding. What is it and how does it work?
>>>
>>>Here is some info about ALE sounding and how it works.
>>>
>>>What is an ALE sounding?
>>>In ham radio, ALE sounding is simply a station ID.
>>>Only the callsign is sent, example "This is AA1BB".
>>>Sounding is ALE jargon for "Station ID".
>>>
>>
>>Sure sounds like a beacon to me....
>>
>>
>>>What is the purpose of ALE sounding?
>>>The ID is transmitted for the purpose of establishing and maintaining
>>>communications with other stations and to meet the station
>>>identification requirements of ham radio rules and regulations.
>>>Sounding may also be part of a selective calling process.
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>1) Simply putting your callsign out there on an automated messaging system does not appear to be a "transmission necessary for establishing two-way communications" if there is no intent to establish such two-way communications AT THAT MOMENT. I maintain that the sole purpose of an ALE sounding is to establish a "heard" list at other stations for possible FUTURE connections. While it may FACILITATE establishing two-way communications at some future time, it is definitely not NECESSARY for doing so. 2) If two-way communications are NOT in progress, there is no station identification requirement to be met. Ergo, the station ID is simply a beacon transmission. 3) Sounding as "part of a selective calling process" is illogical: if you are calling someone, you send a connect request to that station. If they are calling you, they send a connect request. Sounding is in no way "necessary" to that process.
>>
>>
>>>How does ALE fit in the various ham radio rules?
>>>How ALE sounding is applied to the different rules of various
>>>countries depends upon that country. Under USA's FCC rules, ALE
>>>sounding is a station ID and a communication.
>>>
>>
>>
>>It is a station ID when none is required, and definitely NOT a "communication" if there is no intended recipient. Isn't this EXACTLY why the Commission ruled that repeaters may not transmit regular ID's irrespective of usage?
>>
>>
>>>ALE sounding is not "beaconing".
>>>ALE stations are not sending one-way transmissions like a beacon does.
>>>All the ALE stations are transmitting and receiving communications
>>>with all the other ALE stations in communication with each other.
>>>
>>
>>
>>This simply defies all logic... the soundings are most definitely one-way transmissions. There is no response to a sounding, and therefore no two-way communications, unless another station is holding traffic for the station that transmits the sounding.
>
>
>
>>
>>
>>>What frequencies are soundings used by hams?
>>>In ham-friendly ALE, part of the guidelines for repetitive soundings
>>>is to transmit on "pilot channels".
>>>Pilot channels are ALE jargon for a designated calling frequency,
>>>usually only one channel per band. The pilot channels are within a
>>>segment of the HF bands that are designated for automatic operation by
>>>the national bandplans or the IARU Region bandplans, depending upon
>>>which applies.
>>>
>>>Ham Radio ALE Pilot Channel Frequencies
>>>
>>>Freq kHz SSB INTERNATIONAL REGION - AREA 3596.0 USB NORTH AMERICA -
>>>SOUTH AMERICA 3617.0 USB EUROPE-AFRICA-RUSSIA-MIDEAST 3626.0 USB ASIA
>>>- AUS - NZ - PACIFIC
>>>7040.5 USB EUROPE-AFRICA-RUSSIA-MIDEAST-S.AMERICA
>>>7102.0 USB NORTH AMERICA - PACIFIC - ATLANTIC
>>>7185.5 USB AUSTRALIA
>>>10145.5 USB GLOBAL
>>>14109.5 USB GLOBAL
>>>18106.0 USB GLOBAL
>>>18117.5 USB EUROPE-AFRICA-RUSSIA-MIDEAST 21096.0 USB GLOBAL 21116.0
>>>USB EUROPE-AFRICA-RUSSIA-MIDEAST 24926.0 USB GLOBAL 28146.0 USB GLOBAL
>>>28312.5 USB EUROPE-AFRICA-RUSSIA-MIDEAST
>>>
>>>Amateur Radio Global High Frequency Network (HFN) The Amateur Radio
>>>Global ALE High Frequency Network is a group of volunteer operators
>>>who have automatically controlled data stations on the ALE Pilot
>>>Channels.
>>>These are known as HFN Pilot Stations, and they provide interconnect
>>>texting services and HF-to-HF Relay services.
>>>The long term objective is to be interoperable with as many different
>>>types of systems as possible. The primary purpose of the HFN is to
>>>provide emergency and disaster relief 24/7/365 communications. When
>>>not in use for the primary purpose, hams may access any of the HFN
>>>stations for normal use. Another secondary aspect of the HFN stations
>>>is that they provide a continuous feed to the internet, reporting all
>>>other ALE stations they receive. This includes soundings and all other
>>>types of ALE calls. These reports get logged into a permanent
>>>database, and are visible on "ALE Channel ZERO".
>>>http://hflink.net/qso
>>>
>>
>>Please do take a look at the "ALE Activity Now" display on that website, and tell me how all those "station ID" transmissions can be considered anything other than automatic beacons.
>>
>>
>>>Many other ham radio ALE operators are transmitting soundings on the
>>>ALE pilot channels. The more operators who are active on ALE, the
>>>better everyone is able to connect with each other.
>>>
>>
>>
>>Huh????? The fact that "everybody is doing it" somehow make it okay to do???
>>
>>
>>
>>>The Ham Radio ALE Guidelines are included below in this message. You
>>>can get more info about ALE and sounding on the web at:
>>>http://www.hflink.com/sounding/
>>>
>>>73---Bonnie KQ6XA
>>>
>>>HAM RADIO SOUNDING INFORMATION
>>>
>>>What is Sounding?
>>>In Amateur Radio ALE, a sounding is simply a 10 second ALE
>>>transmission of your callsign (station identification). A sounding is
>>>different from a beacon because the ALE station uses 2 way
>>>communications; and the ALE sounding transmission is part of a
>>>selective calling process for calling and actively maintaining
>>>communication with other stations in the global ham radio ALE net and
>>>individually.
>>>
>>
>>
>>Again, this explanation simply defies logic. There is no two-way
>>communication involved in sounding
>>
>>
>>
>>>Why are Soundings Used?
>>>The reception and communication through soundings enables other ALE
>>>stations to know which frequencies or bands your station is active on.
>>>When you first turn on your transceiver, you can send some soundings
>>>so that other stations will copy your transmissions, and then may
>>>selectively call you on the best channel, using the minimum number of
>>>call attempts. The scanning ALE receiver listens to the soundings of
>>>other stations each time they are heard and stores them in memory with
>>>channels and times.
>>>
>>
>>
>>If done manually to poll for any held traffic, I would agree that this would be legal. However, when done automatically and at regular intervals, it would appear to be a prohibited one-way transmission.
>>
>>
>>>How Are Soundings Transmitted?
>>>Soundings can be manually transmitted, or set by the operator to
>>>transmit repetitive soundings every hour. Usually, if repetitive
>>>soundings are set, when the ALE controller or radio is first turned on
>>>then there is a delay of a few minutes before the first soundings are
>>>transmitted.
>>>
>>>Ham-Friendly ALE Soundings
>>>In the ham radio ALE network, there are Pilot Stations in different
>>>areas of the world that send soundings 24/7. This system transmits
>>>sounding only on the Pilot Channels in the automatic station
>>>sub-bands, and this strategy forms part of the basis of ham-friendly ALE.
>>>
>>>ALE Sounding Guidelines for Amateur Radio
>>>
>>>1. As an Amateur Radio Operator, you are responsible for all
>>>transmissions of your station.
>>>
>>>2. Before sending soundings, or any transmission, listen carefully to
>>>all your transmitting channels with your receiver. Avoid interference.
>>>
>>>3. Sounding is not CQ. If you want to call CQ, use the HFL or QRZ netcall.
>>>
>>
>>***********************************************************************
>>*****************************************
>>This statement alone would appear to negate all of Bonnie's other arguments... if it's not a CQ, and it doesn't appear to meet the definition of any of the other permitted one-way transmissions, it's illegal.
>>***********************************************************************
>>*****************************************
>>
>>>4. Manual or attended soundings may be transmitted on any ALE channel.
>>>
>>>5. For repetitive sounding, program your ALE to sound only on the
>>>designated Pilot Channels marked PILOT in the Amateur Radio ALE
>>>Channel List, for your IARU/ITU Region, and within your license. There
>>>is one Pilot Channel per ham band in each Region.
>>>
>>>6. Program your ALE controller to use TWS Sound if possible. Using TWS
>>>Sound increases the efficiency of ALE nets. Please DO NOT use This Is
>>>Sound (TIS) on the ham bands.
>>>
>>>7. The optimum duration of a sounding transmission is approximately 10
>>>to 15 seconds. Test and verify your sounding transmission duration
>>>with your watch. A sounding transmission should NEVER be longer than
>>>30 seconds!
>>>
>>>8. The optimum repetitive sounding on a channel is about once every 60
>>>minutes. Please DO NOT sound repetitively on a channel more than 2
>>>times per hour.
>>>
>>>9. The optimum scan rate is 1 or 2 channels per second. If you scan
>>>more than 10 channels, use 2 channels per second.
>>>
>>>10. Check your transmitter operation and antenna system SWR regularly
>>>on every channel in your scan group!
>>>
>>>11. Take care in programming your ALE controller (software) and
>>>transceiver. Test it carefully and verify it for proper operation on a
>>>dummy load before connecting your antenna.
>>>
>>>12. Use the Polite or Voice Detect or Busy Detect feature of your ALE.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>
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