[600MRG] 630 Meter Band Use

[John Langridge]

Hi Mark,

The original goal which still holds today was to separate wide band
modes from the weak signal modes as many of us are weak signal DXers.
WSPR is a fixed passband world wide and while it has gotten crowded
below where JT9 occurs  its worked very well in spite of the growing
pains.

Generally speaking, overflow has been to use above the WSPR passband
for digital mode over flow when the band was busy and signals were
good like last night.  In fact that happened as a number of stations
operated FT8 above the WSPR passband around 476.  There is phone
activity up at the top of the band from time to time and will likely
become even more of a reality going forward.

475 and down has been a very usable and active CW segment thus far but
it absolutely is advised when you stay below 475 lest you be steam
rolled by the JT QSO mode of the week.

So to summarize,

*there is digital mode activity above the WSPR pass band and its
commonly used in an overflow capacity
*the WSPR passband is fixed in location
*weak signal QSO modes  need separation from wide band mode.
*Generally speaking we seek to harmonize where activity is located to
make DX QSO's more likely as those regions have their own "recommended
operating locations"

My recommendation would be for you to setup lower in the band.  CW
activity is active all the way down to 472.2 some nights.  I tend to
hang out on 474.5 because like many others, I've operated there for a
number of years and it create a nice marker for digital modes to
signal where CW activity often is found so you dont find incursions at
the bottom of the band.

None of this is set in stone but if you begin making changes and
trying to move stuff around, you run a great risk of destabilizing the
whole thing for new operators coming on the band and having seen the
mess that this causes in the past, its probably best to avoid going
forward.  Otherwise you have everyone stepping on everyone because
there will be people out of the loop...

73 and nice to work you the other night.

John KB5NJD..



On 11/17/18, Mark McKeown <mmckeown at tde.com> wrote:
> After having been on 630 meters off an on for the last year it seems we
> could improve our use of the band.  The types of transmission seem to be CW
> and digital.  There is beginning to be enough activity that we could better
> use the spectrum we have.  CW is clustered around 474 KHz with digital just
> above 474 and QRMing is becoming a problem.  With 472 to 479 KHz available
> to us, why don't the digital transmissions move up to 475.5 KHz or above?
> It seems to me we are wasting the upper part of the band.  Any thoughts on
> this?
>
> Mark   W0PXM