Topband: RM 11305/11306

[Michael Tope]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Rauch" <w8ji at contesting.com>

> 1.) Everyone hears everyone else's signal clearly and
> understands it regardless of mode
> 2.) Absolutely everyone, and that means 100% of the
> operators, has good manners and respect for every other mode
> or operation
> 3.) Everyone understands how wide they are, and how their
> signals affect other people's receivers, and operates with
> that in mind
> 4.) The bands are so crowded we can't fit everyone in a
> given regulated mode slot

I think you can argue that under most conditions #4 doesn't
apply. Contests are the only exception. As to whether we
want to upset the apple cart just for the sake of making more
room on 20 meter phone during CQ WW SSB is a good
question. Probably not. It would be nice if there were a way
to make it work, but I haven't been able to figure out a good
way to make it work.  The best solution would be more overall
spectrum, but that probably isn't going to happen. 

 
>> KHz. The only way to make it work would be to put some
>> teeth into the voluntary bandplans. The national societies
>> would set the bandplans, but FCC could step in a rule in
>> the event that one of the aforementioned miscreants was
>> thumbing his or her nose at everyone by doing something
>> troublesome just for the sake of being a jerk.
> 
>>From 26.5 to 28MHz you can hear full deregulation at work.
> Anyone can do nearly anything. The only thing that separates
> 1.8 MHz from that band are regulations that are enforceable
> and that people fear. It isn't what we think should work
> that matters, it is what happens in the real world that
> matters.

Read what I said, Tom. I wasn't advocating total 
deregulation. I was thinking more along the lines of pushing 
the actual spectrum boundary allocation authority down to the 
national societies. This would be along the lines of the VEC 
program. License exams are adminstered by the VECs, but 
the FCC still maintains authority to set aside a license. You
have to have regulatory teeth somewhere to deal with the 
unruly 1%. 
 
> How are those deregulated utilities working Mike? 

If you look into that you find that in the case of the electric 
utilities (at least here in California) they weren't really 
deregulated. They were re-regulated with a set of absurd 
rules drawn up by the electric utility lobby which they knew 
were gameable :):) 

> Why would
> radio be any different? We better get the FCC to do
> something sensible, or none of will be enjoying 160 when the
> no-code hits.
> 

As long as the FCC is willing to revisit mode segmentation 
boundaries periodically (say every 5 years) to keep up with
how things are evolving, then I agree that mandatory regulation 
is the best solution. 

73, Mike W4EF...............................