[CW] Re: Last chance to comment on Phone expansion

[Donald Chester]

At the FCC Forum this year at Dayton, Bill Cross and Riley Hollingsworth 
commented on the subjects of voluntary band plans vs. government sanctioned 
subbands, and specific bandwidth limits for various modes of emission.  A 
Q-A session followed with questions and comments from the audience.

The message I got was that the FCC is not interested in micromanaging (their 
words) amateur radio.  They basically want to allocate us the spectrum and 
let it be up to us to work out our own band plans.  On the subject of the 
proposed new 5 mHz band, their speeches were overtly sympathetic to ARRL's 
suggestion that all modes be allowed on all frequencies, just as on 160.  
They went on to say that Mr. Powell, the newly-appointed chairman, is 
advocating a policy of minimal regulation for all services.

As an alternative to government sanctioned subbands, voluntary bandplans can 
be given teeth in the same manner as repeater coordination on VHF/UHF.  Part 
97 states that amateur operators must follow "good engineering and amateur 
practice".  Un-coordinated repeaters are "licensed" to operate on any 
frequency they choose within the bands, but the FCC has cited operators for 
interference to coordinated repeaters.  Nevertheless, the last time I 
checked I don't recall finding any mention of repeater coordination whatever 
in Part 97.

Riley and Co. are more interested in going after jammers and unlicensed 
pirates than enforcing our internal affairs.  We may have to get used to 
cooperating with each other and working out our own band plans, using the 
FCC as a last resort.  If stations operate outside the agreed-on bandplans 
without causing actual interference, we will just have to get used to their 
being there from time to time. If it can be documented that they are causing 
harmful interference to operation within the band plan, as in the case of 
those SSB jerks who deliberately sat on 1825, the Commission already has the 
teeth to go after them.

Recall that before Riley came on the scene, the local SSB group COULD HAVE 
set right down on 14,010 with impunity, presently existing legal subbands 
notwithstanding.

Don, K4KYV



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