Topband: Followup on the 1915kHz radar signal

[Paul Hudson]

This might appear Canadian but it is US technology and US patents and it
would be a small step to see it on US soil next.

Paul, VE3TA


On Mon, Dec 15, 2014 at 7:23 PM, Donald Chester <k4kyv at hotmail.com>
wrote:From:

Roger D Johnson <n1rj at roadrunner.com>

> I believe 1900 to 2000 kHz is shared with radiolocation in the US also.

> I'm just thankful it's not on 1815!!

> 73, Roger


That's correct. But the FCC has proposed to discontinue the radiolocation
allocation in that frequency range, and return the entire band to amateurs
as primary users, in an omnibus NPRM released two years ago. They said that
at the time, there were no current licensees for 160m radiolocation in the
FCC data base. Apparently, GPS has pretty well rendered MW roadiolocation
obsolete, and use of the service is all but discontinued. Back in the 1980s
and 90s there were a number of beacons operating in our band, and
radiolocation interests expressed the intent to keep on expanding the
service and threatened to eventually push us out, since the amateur
allocation that part of the band is only on a secondary basis. The
frequencies between the AMBC band and 160m used to be packed solid with
beacons; now they are all gone and that spectrum is devoid of signals, and
beacons are no longer heard in our band except for a few weak unlicensed
fishnet buoys that can be heard sending out weak
 CW signals. Even those are of questionable legal status.

At the time, the amateur community didn't pay much attention to the
proposal, which was announced on the ARRL website. Most hams seemed to
think it was much ado about nothing, since there weren't any radiolocation
beacons left in our band anyway.

I said back then that we should have flooded tthe FCC with comments in
favour, since as long as we remain in secondary status, some new technology
could come along any day and seek to operate in the top half of the band
under the guise of "radiolocation". Apparently this is exactly the case
with the Canadian radar system. Let's hope this radar system doesn't gain
favour in the USA.

Even if they aren't operating in the vicinity of 1815, this would be a dire
threat to users in this part of the band, if hams are ever displaced from
the top end. Activity now in the top end would have to be re-accommodated
somewhere below 1900, greatly increasing congestion all the way down to
1800, hampering CW operation as well as weak-signal reception in the
so-called "DX window".

Don k4kyv