[AMRadio] On to 1715!

[Bill Smith]

So true!  I for one was not aware we are still working with a "shortened
band."  There is a strong digital signal at about 2000 on the west coast,
just as there is just above 4000.  It is presumably military, goes 24-7.
The expanded commercial broadcast band goes up to 1700 (I think), but what
is between 1700 and 1800?

73 de Bill, AB6MT
billsmith at ispwest.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Donald Chester" <k4kyv at hotmail.com>
To: <amradio at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, March 29, 2002 8:24 AM
Subject: [AMRadio] On to 1715!


>
>
> As one of the hardy souls who helped perpetuate amateur interest in 160 by
> actively using the band during the early 1960's, the recent debate over
band
> plans got me thinking...
>
> When I first got on top band in 1960, amateurs shared with the LORAN
> radionavigation system, a WWII relic that happened to get placed in our
band
> during the wartime shut-down.  We faced severe frequency and power
> restrictions that varied according to geographical location. At my
locality
> we were allowed 200 watts input daytime and 50 watts night, on 1800-1825
> kHz.  Western states were allowed 1975-2000 with similar restrictions.
For
> a while, power was cut even further, to 100 watts day, 25 watts night.
Some
> localities had no 160M privileges at all.  There was little interest in
the
> band, and very little encouragement for amateurs to use it.  I  recall
many
> commercially  built rigs advertised as "all-band, 80 through 10 metres".
>
> Lately I have been hearing that because of the global positioning
satellite
> system, the radiolocation service that operates in the vicinity of 160M is
> expected be phased out within the next five years. They presently occupy
> 1700-1800 kHz, share 1900-2000 with amateurs, and maintain some
allocations
> above 2000 kHz.  What will happen to those frequencies if radiolocation in
> this part of the spectrum is eventually discontinued?
>
> Prior to WWII, the amateur allocation was 1715-2000 kHz, with 1715-1800 cw
> only.  How many of today's hams are aware that, for a brief period, 160M
was
> fully 300 kHz wide?  Just before WWII, 1715-1750 was withdrawn and
> reallocated to another service, but amateurs were given 50 kHz above 2000
to
> compensate for the loss.  The band extended from 1750 to 2050 kHz,
> exclusively amateur!  Unfortunately, Pearl Harbor was attacked shortly
> thereafter, and amateurs were shut down altogether before they could enjoy
> the privilege.  From that date, it took us over 40 years to regain 160M as
a
> full-fledged amateur band.  These historical facts are well documented in
> QST and other amateur radio publications of that era, but most present-day
> topband enthusiasts are unaware that we still don't have our entire
orginal
> pre-war allocation.
>
> If radiolocation is indeed phased out in the near future, who will gain
> their present-day allocations?  I hear very little traffic between 2000
kHz
> and WWV on 2500 kHz, leaving the impression that there is not a tremendous
> demand for frequencies in this part of the spectrum from anyone other than
> the likes of WWCR and Brother Stair.  Perhaps it's not too early for the
> amateur community to begin a serious lobbying effort to get the rest of
our
> band back.
>
> Don, K4KYV
>
>
>
>
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