[ADXA] VP2VI 60 Meter CW

Mon Apr 14 17:32:00 EDT 2025

I gave up on 60M a long time ago.  It was the "center channel" thing that
got me.  I have a Yaesu rig that was the only one I could use on FT8.  It
operated only on pre-programmed frequencies on 60M.  I could not get it to
transmit on a legal frequency.  I don't remember well, but I think the
displayed frequency on 60 was the center of the 3 Khz audio channel rather
than the carrier frequency.  Maybe it was legal after all and I just didn't
understand why they showed the frequency that way.   I resorted to using a
Kenwood rig to listen to the transmitted signal from the Yaesu to see where
it really was.  The only reason for thinking about it was that I had worked
a VP6 on Pitcairn on every possible band/mode slot except 60M FT8 (and
maybe 75 SSB).  I gave up.

Also, I think the FCC allows digital and CW signals, but they must be right
in the center of the 3 Khz allocated channel.  FT8 doesn't normally work
that way, but people seem to spread out like normal.  Also, CW offsets mean
even that would be tricky.

I can operate there on SSB if needed for an emergency.  That's good enough
for me for now.

Dennis/RZ

On Mon, Apr 14, 2025 at 3:39 PM <w5znjoel at gmail.com> wrote:

> It is a bit confusing, Randy.
>
>
>
> The USA was the very first country to ever have a 5 MHz allocation for the
> amateur radio service. The ARRL worked very hard to make this happen back
> around 2001 to 2004. It was proposed as a secondary allocation to provide a
> “propagation bridge” between 80 and 40 meters for emergency communications
> efforts. The FCC was all on board but it took quite a bit of political
> maneuvering to get the by in from the NTIA (state dept and DoD) since they
> are the primary allocated service. We reached an agreement for five
> discreet fixed frequencies with a 100 W ERP power limit.
>
>
>
> The reason 60 meters is not accepted for DXCC credit is the original basis
> for the secondary allocation – emergency communications, not contesting or
> DX chasing! At that time, to allow such would have caused us to lose access
> to 5 MHz.
>
>
>
> After a while a few other countries thought our access to 5 MHz was was
> pretty slick so they petitioned their national regulator for a piece of the
> band, mirroring the USA frequencies. It became so popular a movement
> started within the ITU to allocate a slice of spectrum, not fixed
> frequencies, to the amateur service on a secondary basis. At WRC19 that
> became a reality, but not with a cost. It is a very narrow segment and a
> very low (almost QRP level) power restriction. By the way, the United
> States administration did NOT support this!! But the IARU had enough clot
> with other country administrations to push it through.
>
>
>
> Following the WRC19 allocation other countries petitioned their national
> regulator for access to the new spectrum and were granted. That is where
> the confusion on 60 meters began. Those countries could operate in the new
> segment but the USA’s regulator, the FCC, had not adopted the WRC19
> allocation so we were stuck. ARRL did their duty and petitioned the FCC for
> access to the new allocation and that is where the stalemate started. ARRL
> wanted access to the new allocation and to also retain access to the five
> fixed frequencies. FCC wanted to move amateur radio to the new allocation
> and drop the fix fixed frequencies (and the 100 W power level they had).
>
>
>
> That’s where we stand today, and when hams see hams in other countries
> operating in the new segment they don’t stop the confirm whether we have
> access or not.
>
>
>
> Hopefully something will happen at the FCC in the (near?) future!
>
>
>
> 73 Joel W5ZN
>
> www.w5zn.org
>
>
>
> *From:* adxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net <adxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net> *On
> Behalf Of *Randell Curtis, W5ZJ via ADXA
> *Sent:* Monday, April 14, 2025 11:08 AM
> *To:* w5znjoel at gmail.com
> *Cc:* adxa at mailman.qth.net
> *Subject:* Re: [ADXA] VP2VI 60 Meter CW
>
>
>
> Thanks so much! I would have definitely been one of the illegal ones if I
> hadn’t had difficulty with the plug into the Icom. Sometimes the Good Lord
> takes care of the ignorant.
>
>
>
> Randy/W5ZJ
>
> On Mon, 14 Apr, 2025 at 10:08 AM, w5znjoel at gmail.com <w5znjoel at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> To: adxa at mailman.qth.net
> Cc:
>
> Just a reminder to the ADXA folks about VP2VI and 60 meter CW. Last night
> when they were on CW, they were transmitting on a frequency NOT authorized
> for USA and lsning on a frequency NOT authorized in the USA to transmit on.
> There was a brief period where they did lsn on 5348 KHz where USA can
> transmit, but only for a very brief period.
>
>
>
> So, PLEASE do NOT transmit outside of the five discreet fixed frequencies
> authorized in the USA (like some USA stations were doing last night)! That
> is a clear FCC regulatory violation. Hopefully in the near future the FCC
> will authorize US hams access to the new 60 meter allocation authorized at
> WRC19, but the standoff now is the FCC wants to eliminate the five discreet
> channels to give us access to the 15 KHz or so bandwidth. The ARRL wants
> (and I fully support the ARRL position) is we should be granted access to
> the new allocation and retain the five discreet frequency channels.
>
>
>
> 73 Joel W5ZN
>
> www.w5zn.org
>
>
>
>
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