Topband: ARRL Bandwidth petition

[Howard Teller]

Jim,

I can't work 160m because I don't have room for a 160m antenna in my attic, so it does not affect my operations on 160m, but as I read it, the ARRL proposed petition eliminates *all* restrictions on automatic and so-called "semi-automatic" Pactor mailboxes that used to be confined to narrow sub-bands (which never did include 160m, and were not allowed everywhere else if the bandwidth exceeded 500 Hz). 

This means that the proposed petition permits the *entire* 160m band to be used for "semi-automatic" Pactor-III robots (2.4KHz wide), without limitation.

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. 

ARRL 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

>Jim Monahan K1PX at msn.com 
Wed Aug 25 19:17:27 EDT 2004 

The ARRL is soliciting comments on consideration of regulating subbands by bandwidth
rather than by mode. 

It appears that this is to include the HF bands, as indicated below, but there is no mention
of 160 meters.

While at least a couple of people, including me, wrote to all of the Directors before the July BOD
meetings, there isn't any indication that this became part of the process.

Perhaps more people writing to their Director, and responding to this solicitation, will highlight
and focus some attention in this area.

73, Jim, K1PX