[BCVHFA] FCC Delays SSB and AM Change

[Carl Morgan]

From: http://www.arrl.org/?artid=8829

FCC Delays SSB and AM Change (Apr 1, 2009) -- The 
FCC announced April 1 that the scheduled 
mandatory changeover of SSB and AM HF voice 
communications in the Amateur Radio Service has 
been delayed for one year; originally scheduled 
to begin April 1, 2009, the new changes will now 
take effect April 1, 2010. Under the plan, 
originally approved by Congress during the 
Clinton Administration, all Amateur Radio voice 
communication in the HF spectrum (3-30 MHz) will 
adopt digital voice technologies, reducing the 
bandwidth of typical QSOs from an average of 2.4 
kHz to an average of 1.5 kHz. No particular 
protocol is specified -- amateurs can use any 
method they desire as long as it is digital. 
During the transition period, 20 meter nets have 
been assigned temporary frequencies in the 10 
meter band for their analog (SSB or AM) 
operations; they have also temporarily been 
allowed to use up to 10 kW due to limited 
propagation on that band. Note that 160 meters is 
not included in this changeover, as it -- being 
below 3 MHz -- is an MF, rather than an HF band. 
As previously announced by ARRL, QSLs for 10 
meter contacts using the temporarily authorized 
higher power will not count toward DXCC. For more 
information, please see http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/04/01/FCC_Delay

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