[AMRadio] Comments on the 160m FCC proposal have started rolling in

[Donald Chester]

The deadline is the 25th of this month.  Just a few more days left.

At first, the response from the amateur community was a little slow, but 
comments are beginning to come in now, especially the past few days. 
Nothing from ARRL yet, but I am sure they will submit something before 
the deadline.

Click this link to view all comments submitted so far. To view each one, 
click on the little blue button to the left of the name, with the ¡  in 
the middle.   http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/proceeding/view?name=12-338

Here is a link to what I submitted to the FCC. 
http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view?id=6017162926
I tried to cover all bases. That might give you some ideas, but I would 
recommend using your own wording and putting on your own spin, and add 
anything else you can think of that I might have missed.

Some of the comments basically just say "I am for the proposal". Those 
are worthwhile, at least as "votes" for the proposed changes, but it is 
probably more effective to compose well-thought-out original remarks. I 
am hoping there will be so little interest in this band by current 
Radiolocation interests that maybe no-one will even bother to submit any 
comments in opposition to the FCC's proposal.  That should clinch the 
deal: the FCC took the initiative and made the proposal, dozens of 
comments came in from the amateur community all in support, and no-one 
filed any comments  opposing the plan. One thing I fear could happen is 
that one or more of the companies that provide(d) radiolocation 
equipment or services, or the NTIA, will at the last moment file claims 
that this would be contrary to national security or some other nonsense, 
as they did to quash the original 60m proposal that would have created a 
real ham band like 17m and 12m.

This notice covers a number of issues that have nothing to do with 160m. 
In fact, most of it doesn't even have anything to do with amateur radio, 
so you will find comments addressing unrelated matters. But many if not 
most of the comments submitted so far do address the 160m issue.

To read the original FCC 160m proposal, click this link and then scroll 
down the PDF to paragraph 20 on page 11. 
http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view?id=6017137896

Here's how to file comments to the FCC: 
http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/userManual/ecfsmanual.jsp

We don't want the FCC to have the impression that only a few hams care 
about maintaining and preserving this band.