[Boatanchors] [AMRadio] Fasten your seatbelts - here we go for another ARRL ride

[Glen Zook]

Actually, repeaters are not allowed below 29.5 MHz and in the following segments:

50.0 MHz to 51.0 MHz
144.0 MHz to 144.5 MHz
145.5 MHz to 146.0 MHz
222.0 MHz to 222.150 MHz
431.0 MHz to 433.0 MHz
435.0 MHz to 438.0 MHz

This per 47 CFR Part 97 Section 97.205 (b).  This includes both the transmitting and receiving frequencies.

The FCC has also said that repeaters using D-Star and other digital modes are definitely considered to be repeaters and therefore must adhere to the regulations concerning forbidden frequencies.  The argument presented by users of the digital phone modes was that there is a slight delay between the reception of the signal and the retransmission and therefore the station was not "technically" a repeater.  However, the FCC did not "buy that" and declared that digial phone repeaters fall under the same regulations as analog repeaters.

Glen, K9STH

Website:  http://k9sth.com


--- On Thu, 9/24/09, manualman <manualman at juno.com> wrote:

The proposal study seems to focus on the VHF/UHF FM repeaters (currently 15 or 20kHz channel spacing - based on 70's and 80's design criteria) and moving to narrowband channel spacing (12 kHz or less). Since more and more narrowband equipment is coming into service these days, and things like D-STAR are growing fast, new repeaters can't fit into the current band criteria and are setting up shop outside the designated repeater sub-bands. there is nothing in the current rules to keep them from moving into the band areas that are currently occupied by SSB and AM phone operation. Hence the study to see what could be done, if anything, to possibly restructure the current FM repeater sub-bands to lower the channel spacing and thus keeping the FM repeater digital whatever out of the current "other modes" parts of our present VHF/UHF phone sections.