[AMRadio] More Radiolocation on 1900-2000

Sat Mar 8 14:02:58 EST 2003

We may be seeing more radiolocation signals in the 1900-2000 kHz segment. 
See the following ET Docket No. 02-16 REPORT AND ORDER. Thanks to WB6TZA and 
AA1K for bringing this to our attention. A few years ago there were 
half-dozen or so radiolocation beacons in the segment. One by one, they have 
fallen silent, and now the only remaining one is on 1953.3 kc/s, plus a very 
weak one sometimes heard on 1999, possibly located outside the USA.

While this docket deals primarily with HF broadcasting matters, it addresses 
the possible reallocation of new radiolocation stations to 1900-2000, and 
contains the latest table of HF allocations. The entire dockment in 
Micro$oft Word format may be viewed at:

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-03-39A1.doc

It is lengthy, but makes interesting reading in its entirety. The excerpts 
below deal with the reallocation of radiolocation stations still licensed to 
operate in the expanded AM band, and the possible impact on 1900-2000.

Before the
Federal Communications Commission
Washington, D.C. 20554

In the Matter of

Amendment of Parts 2, 73, 74, 80, 90, and 97 of the Commission’s Rules to 
Implement Decisions from World Radiocommunication Conferences Concerning 
Frequency Bands Below 28000 kHz

ET Docket No. 02-16REPORT AND ORDER

Adopted: February 25, 2003 Released: March 3, 2003

By the Commission:

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Paragraph
I. INTRODUCTION
II. DISCUSSION
A. International Broadcast Stations
B. AM Expanded Band
C. Continued Use of the Frequencies 26110 kHz, 26130 kHz, 26150 kHz, and 
26170 kHz by Broadcast Auxiliary Remote Pickup Stations
D. Maritime Services
E. Aeronautical Fixed Service
F. Amateur Service

APPENDIX B: FINAL RULES

I. INTRODUCTION

1. By this action, we are amending Parts 2, 73, 74, 80, 90, and 97 of our 
Rules to implement domestically various allocation decisions from 
International Telecommunication Union ("ITU") World Radiocommunication 
Conferences1 concerning the frequency bands below 28000 kilohertz ("kHz"). 
This proceeding was initiated on our own motion and in response to a request 
from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (“NTIA”) 
to implement international allocation changes that had not previously been 
addressed.

2. The most significant action taken here is the reallocation of several 
bands of high frequency ("HF") spectrum from the fixed and mobile services 
to the broadcasting service. Specifically, we are making an additional 1640 
kilohertz of spectrum available exclusively for use by international 
broadcast stations, with 850 kilohertz immediately available and the 
remainder available after a transition period that ends April 1, 2007. Until 
the completion of the transition period, fixed and mobile stations will be 
allowed to continue to operate on a primary basis; after that date, these 
stations will be allowed to continue to operate on the condition that 
"harmful interference" is not caused to the broadcasting service. … In 
addition, we are updating the Commission’s rules for international broadcast 
stations (Part 73, Subpart F) in order to add the new frequency bands and to 
otherwise conform to international regulations.

3. We are also making various minor amendments to the United States Table of 
Frequency Allocations ("U.S. Table") and to several of our service rules. 
First, we are clarifying the status of land mobile and radiolocation 
services operating in the AM Expanded Band (1605-1705 kHz), particularly, by 
removing service rules for allocations that are no longer available. We are 
also permitting stations in the Part 90 Industrial/Business Pool of the 
private land mobile service and radiolocation service that are assigned 
frequencies in the band 1605-1705 kHz to continue to operate until the end 
of their current license term on a non-interference basis ("NIB") to AM 
radio stations and travelers' information stations ("TIS"), without an 
opportunity for renewal... The actions herein will update our Rules for 
frequency bands below 28000 kHz so that they are more consistent with 
international regulations, update various rule parts to effect the 
allocation changes, and otherwise update rules that have not recently been 
reviewed. ONLY ONE COMMENT WAS FILED (emphasis ours), and it supported 
certain aspects of the Notice.

II. DISCUSSION

(snip paragraphs related to HF broadcasting)

B. AM Expanded Band

16. In 1983, the Commission began a process to improve and revitalize the AM 
broadcast radio service that included the expansion of its available 
frequencies from 535-1605 kHz to include the 1605-1705 kHz band (“AM 
Expanded Band”). At that time, the primary fixed, land mobile, maritime 
mobile, aeronautical radionavigation, and radiolocation allocations were 
deleted from the band 1605-1705 kHz. However, the service rules for these 
operations, which reference frequencies in this band, were inadvertently 
left in place. Therefore, in the Notice, the Commission proposed further 
changes to its Rules to clear the AM Expanded Band for broadcast operations.

17. Specifically, the Commission proposed to remove the frequency references 
to the band 1605-1705 kHz from Parts 74 and 90 of the Rules. In conjunction 
with this proposal, the Commission froze non-TIS mobile authorizations in 
this band. It also proposed to delete the secondary status radiolocation 
service from this band in the U.S. Table and remove related service rules 
from Part 90. While our Rules have allowed requests by radiolocation 
stations operating in the band 1605-1705 kHz to be relocated to the band 
1900-2000 kHz, two non-U.S. Government radiolocation licensees continue to 
operate in this lower spectrum. In the Notice, the Commission proposed to 
permit non-U.S. industrial/Business Pool mobile and radiolocation stations 
in this band to continue operation until the end of their current license 
term on a non-interference basis (“NIB”) to AM and TIS stations, without an 
opportunity for renewal. It also proposed a transition plan for Federal 
radiolocation operations in this band to protect AM radio and TIS reception. 
These proposals were intended to open the AM Expanded Band for increased 
domestic broadcast use, protect the technical integrity of the AM Expanded 
Band, and minimize the impact on services being removed from the band.

18. We find that the public interest would be served by adopting the 
proposals for this band to provide additional cleared spectrum for the AM 
broadcast service to improve the technical integrity of the service and to 
remove conflicting regulations from our Rules. We also note that no 
commenting party addressed our proposals for the AM Expanded Band. As 
proposed in the Notice, we are removing obsolete service rules and frequency 
references for Parts 74 and 90 in this band in order to prevent incompatible 
frequency authorizations. We are
taking this action in follow-up to the Commission’s deletion of the land 
mobile allocation from the band 1605-1705 kHz in 1983, in which frequencies 
within this band were inadvertently left in place in Parts 74 and 90 of our 
Rules. Specifically, we are removing the frequencies 1606 kHz, 1622 kHz, and 
1646 kHz from Section 74.402(a)(1); the frequency 1630 kHz from Section 
90.20(c)(3); the frequencies 1614 kHz, 1628 kHz, 1652 kHz, 1676 kHz, and 
1700 kHz from Section 90.35(b)(3); and the band 1605-1705 kHz from Section 
90.263. Consistent with our action removing frequencies 1606 kHz, 1622 kHz, 
and 1646 kHz from Section 74.402(a)(1), we are also eliminating all 
references to those frequencies from Sections 74.402(a) and 74.402(e)(1) and 
Section 74.462(b). As proposed in the Notice, mobile TIS stations will 
continue to be authorized throughout the AM Expanded Band as specified in 
Part 90 and U.S. Government TIS stations operating on 1610 kHz will have 
primary status.

19. While there are currently no Public Safety or remote pickup licensees 
operating in the AM Expanded Band, four Industrial/Business Pool and two 
non-U.S. Government radiolocation licensees operate in this band. As 
proposed, we are permitting these currently licensed stations to continue to 
operate on a non-interference basis to AM radio and TIS stations, until the 
end of their current license term with no provision for renewal. If we 
determine that any of the stations in the Industrial/Business Pool or 
radiolocation service is causing interference to either an AM radio or TIS 
station, we will require that Industrial/Business or radiolocation station 
to immediately cease transmission. We find that there is sufficient 
alternative spectrum to meet the needs of licensees affected by this change 
and the Commission’s staff will work with those licensees to help them find 
suitable alternative channels if the licensee desires. Also, no application 
fee will be charged to licensees of affected stations that apply for a 
modification to obtain alternative channels before the end of their license 
term.

20. In order to protect the technical integrity of the AM Expanded Band, we 
are deleting from the U.S. Table the U.S. Government and non-U.S. Government 
secondary radiolocation allocation in the band 1605-1705 kHz. We find that 
these radiolocation operations can be relocated to the band 1900-2000 kHz 
without significant impact to current operations. Consistent with this 
action, we are removing the band 1605-1705 kHz from the Radiolocation 
Service Frequency Table in Section 90.103 of our Rules and deleting unneeded 
assignment limitations. Finally, we have had discussions with NTIA 
concerning the U.S. Government’s radiolocation assignments in the sub-band 
1615-1705 kHz. NTIA has agreed to relocate all U.S. Government stations 
currently operating in the AM Expanded Band. NTIA has also agreed to 
relocate all of these assignments within one year of the adoption date of 
this Report and Order. We are allowing these U.S. Government radiolocation 
stations to continue to operate during this one-year transition period on 
the condition that harmful interference is not caused to AM or TIS stations. 
Consistent with our agreement with NTIA, we are modifying footnote US238, as 
follows, to remove the secondary radiolocation allocation and allow U.S. 
Government radiolocation service to operate for one year:

US238 On the condition that harmful interference is not caused to the 
reception of AM broadcast stations or to travelers’ information stations, 
U.S. Government stations in the band 1615-1705 kHz may continue operations 
until February 25, 2004.

(snipped paragraphs relating to other services)

19. Section 90.103 is amended by revising the table in paragraph (b), by 
revising paragraph (c)(4), and by removing paragraphs (28) and (29).
§ 90.103 Radiolocation Service.
(b) Frequencies available. * * *
RADIOLOCATION SERVICE FREQUENCY TABLE
Frequency or Band Class of station(s) Limitation
Kilohertz
70 to 90……………………….. Radiolocation land or mobile 1
90 to 110……………………… Radiolocation land…………… 2
110 to 130…………………….. Radiolocation land or mobile 1
1705 to 1715………………….. ….do..………………………… 4, 5, 6
1715 to 1750………………….. ….do..………………………… 5, 6
1750 to 1800………………….. ….do..………………………… 5, 6, 7
* * *

(c) * * * * *
(4) The non-Federal Government radiolocation service in this band is on a 
secondary basis to stations in

the aeronautical radionavigation service operating on 1708 kHz.
* * * * *
(28) [Reserved]
(29) [Reserved]
* * * * *
20. Section 90.263 is amended by revising the third sentence to read as 
follows:
§ 90.263 Substitution of frequencies below 25 MHz.
* * * In such cases, a substitute frequency, if found to be available, may 
be assigned from the following

bands: 1705-1750 kHz, 2107-2170 kHz, 2194-2495 kHz, 2506-2850 kHz, 3155-3400 
kHz, or 4438-4650 kHz. * * *
* * * * *
PART 97--AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE
21. The authority citation for Part 97 continues to read as follows:
AUTHORITY: 48 Stat. 1066, 1082, as amended; 47 U.S.C. 154, 303. Interpret or 
apply 48 Stat. 1064-1068,

1081-1105, as amended; 47 U.S.C. 151-155, 301-609, unless otherwise noted.
22. Section 97.401 is amended by removing paragraph (b) and by redesignating 
paragraphs (c) and (d) as (b) and

(c), respectively.

(end of text)

Don K4KYV

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