[ADXA] Shame of US Radio Amateurs - 60 Meters

Wed Nov 18 11:11:50 EST 2020

George - 

Good point about "split" operation. If 7Q7RU had been listening on 5357
and USA stations calling there, but copying 7Q on 5354 that would have
been perfectly fine. In fact, there were a few USA stations calling 7Q
on 57 in hopes they were lsning on 57 but sadly they were not. 

A couple other points, if you don't believe a country can withdraw their
5 MHz amateur radio allocation take a look at New Zealand. They just
did! Hams had access there until a couple of weeks ago then it was
pulled. 

Also, the convincing reason ARRL used to gain our 5 MHz allocation was
specifically for emergency communications in order to bridge the
propagation gap between 80 meters and 40 meters. That argument worked
with NTIA eventually but actions by USA radio amateurs like we saw last
night could eventually unravel things for us! 

73 Joel W5ZN 

On 2020-11-18 09:03, WB5JJJ wrote:

> I watched some of that, but did not participate and wondered just how many were really OM's or just the new kids on the block that didn't have their thinking caps on.  However, if the US Hams transmitted on 5357 and listened on 5354, they might have been lucky.  Kinda like working Japan before they allowed normal 160m operations on 1840 recently.   
> 
> I have removed all 60m frequencies from my FT8 system and stopped working stations on there as of 1 January 2020.  Maybe if the ARRL allows WAS and DXCC there, I'll get back.  But I was a bit scared of the strict requirements on that band, so I've stepped away from it.   
> 
> 73's
> 
> George - WB5JJJ 
> 
> 4 
> 
> On Wed, Nov 18, 2020 at 9:42 AM <w5zn at w5zn.org> wrote: 
> 
>> 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!!!
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