[ADXA] Shame of US Radio Amateurs - 60 Meters

[w5zn at w5zn.org]

Greetings ADXA Folks,

7Q7RU appeared on 60 meters FT8 last night with a nice signal and 
several USA stations are in their log. Normally, this would be a good 
thing however last night was an embarrassment and a shame for amateur 
radio in the United States. Why? Because 7Q7RU was operating on 5354 KHz 
and that is NOT a frequency authorized for use in the USA. I don't know 
if 7Q7RU is aware of this or not, nor do I know if they are even allowed 
to operate from Malawi on 5357 KHz which is where US radio amateurs can 
operate FT8. I was monitoring 5354 KHz and the first two stations I saw 
calling are, to be blunt, stations who do not care about the FCC rules 
and in fact don't care about any rules as one of those stations was 
disqualified from the DXCC program some years ago.

Sadly, the good followed the bad and eventually a number of other US 
hams began calling on 5354 KHz and the ones I saw calling should have 
known better. I was in an email exchange with a buddy of mine down in 
south Texas about it and sadly even he, after a while, said "to hell 
with it, everyone else is calling so I'm going to as well". I told him 
that wasn't the case because I wasn't calling and did not intend to 
unless they move up to 5357 KHz.

So what makes this particularly egregious? This is a shared band. 
Amateur radio is not a primary authorized user on 60 meters. Now, you 
may say "well, I don't hear anyone else there so the primary user's must 
not be using it". That is an extremely flawed position because the band 
is in fact used by the United States government and they are watching 
us!

Allow me to give a little background. As I have stated before, the 
United States was the first country in the world to obtain authorization 
to use 5 MHz. I was ARRL First Vice President at the time and Jim 
Haynie, W5JBP, was ARRL President. The FCC came on board with allowing 
amateur radio use rather quickly however the National Telecommunications 
and Information Administration (NTIA), the Executive Branch agency that 
is principally responsible for advising the President on 
telecommunications and information policy issues, was staunchly opposed 
to it due to ongoing use by government. The process drug on for several 
years and finally we were able to obtain the five discreet frequency 
channels with the power limit we have today.

Now, you are also aware that during the World Radio Communication 
conference in 2015 (WRC-15) that amateur radio obtain a small allocation 
at 5 MHz which the United States has not yet adopted. We are not allowed 
to use the new WRC15 allocation until the FCC authorizes it. Let me give 
you a bit more "inside info". ARRL was the driving force within IARU at 
WRC-15 to make this happen but the United States government refused, on 
several occasions, to sponsor the agenda proposal or to support it. 
Guess which IARU society was able to convince their government to 
sponsor the item and get it on the agenda.....CUBA! Yea that's right, 
our own government wouldn't support the effort.

Now, think about this for a second. The United States government did not 
want radio amateurs on 5 MHz. They were opposed to a 5 MHz allocation 
for the amateur radio service at WRC15. They still have NOT adopted the 
WRC15 allocation at 5 MHz so now amateur radio operators in the USA are 
giving the US government a good reason to NOT do so! And to top it off 
it is not a bunch of unruly CB operators who obtain an amateur radio 
license doing this.....it is a group of well season Morse examined Extra 
Class DX'ers doing so!

Shame on them. The 5 MHz amateur allocation in the United States could 
well be in jeopardy.

So, is there any good news in all of this? Yes there is and ADXA folks 
are to be commended. We refrained from the temptation to violate the 
amateur radio rules. I did not see any of you calling. That takes a good 
bit of will power and also shows the integrity each of you have as a 
radio amateur, and DX'er and an ADXA member.

Keep it up, ADXA !!!

73 Joel W5ZN
ADXA President

p.s. 60 meter contacts are not allowed for any DXCC credit so you really 
didn't miss anything!!!