[AReU] Fw: [amsat-bb] "Two Hundred Meters and Down," 2003 edition

Sat, 9 Aug 2003 21:28:08 -0400

Here is another look at the dangers to our frequency allocations.

73

Tony

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ray Soifer" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2003 8:10 PM
Subject: [amsat-bb] "Two Hundred Meters and Down," 2003 edition

> In 1912, Congress limited amateurs and other "private stations" to
> wavelengths below 200 meters (frequencies above 1.5 MHz), where they would
> not be able to cause damage to Naval and commercial stations operating
above
> 200 meters according to the prevailing technology of that era.
>
> In 2003, FCC has proposed to authorize BPL in the 2-80 MHz range, and
Wi-Fi
> at 5470-5725 MHz.  WRC-03 has allocated that band to Wi-Fi on a primary
> basis.  According to the Central States VHF Society, BPL emissions are
> likely to produce harmonics well into the UHF bands.  A similar result is
> likely for Wi-Fi at 2.4 and 5.4 GHz.
>
> Except for those amateurs lucky enough to live in rural areas, that would
> leave 160m, perhaps 23cm, and the upper microwave bands (perhaps 24 GHz
and
> above) as the only places U.S. amateurs can operate free from interference
> caused by the "national information infrastructure."  If you live outside
> the U.S., "this picture is coming to a theatre near you."
>
> There's an eerie similarity in that: "Top Band" was our principal refuge
in
> 1912 as well.  The difference is that short waves, 3.5-30 MHz plus VHF and
> lower UHF, open to amateurs then, will be functionally useless now if FCC
> has its way.
>
> What can you do about this?  Reply Comments in the BPL matter, ET Docket
> 03-104, are open through August 20th.  Comments in the 5 GHz Wi-Fi matter,
> ET Docket 03-122, are open through September 3rd, with Reply Comments open
> through September 23rd.
>
> For more information on how you can file comments or reply comments, go to
> http://www.arrl.org.
>
> 73,
>
> Ray, W2RS
> [email protected]
> [email protected]
>
>
> ----
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