[CW] 500 KHz- MAKE IT AN AMATEUR BAND, CW ONLY, SOON!! STOP WASTING TIME AND SPECTRUM !

[David J. Ring, Jr.]

Sherril,

The statements about the 500 kHz "memorial park" came from Sylvester 
Föcking, ex radio officer on board German
ships, Rolf Marschner, ex radio officer on board German ships
Hans Polak, ex radio officer on board Dutch ships and
Scheveningenradio who were the (as they call themselves) initiators of the 
book "Sparks what's going on?" http://gacw.no-ip.org/sparks.html

Also making the "rounds" is the reply of Finbar O'Conner who works at Malin 
Head Radio / EJM in Ireland.

Here is his email to me:

This message is getting the run of the mail lists, but since Finbar
is a member of this list, he probably would like to see the
circulation.  For my part, I am forwarding it onward to the USA 600
meter research group (shmrg).

The message below was received from Lionel 2U0GSY "Lionel Roithmeir"
<roith at guernsey.net> who is a member of the
marinecomms at yahoogroups.com list.


73

DR

David J. Ring, Jr., N1EA
Green Harbor, MA 02041

Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 23:40:30 +0100
From: "Lionel Roithmeir" <roith at guernsey.net>
Subject: 500 KHz

Hi all,

a copy of a posting from NDB List which may be of some interest.

There has been a number of postings regarding the possible use of
frequencies near 500 khz for use as an Amateur Radio band. I would
like to add some views of my own.

As a matter of fact I was the last person to key the 500 Khz
transmitters at Malin Head Radio, sending the final CQ de EJM on the
31st December 1988. The same night that PCH closed down from Holland
on 500 khz.

This range of frequencies provide wonderful opportunites for long
distant transmission and reception, even using relatively low power.


Considering the way Amateur Radio has developed over the last few
years, with the end of Morse requirements etc etc, I think those who
feel edgy about the possible use of near 500 khz frequencies may find
in fact, that just like 136 khz, there are very few operators who
will be willing to go to the effort to put a signal on the air and
those more recently licenced may not even be able to operate there
due to not having developed the skill to use Morse code.

I have a deep respect for the History of 500 khz and am quite
familiar with past events. It was a terrific distress frequency and I
am sad that it has all ended. However one has to accept what is
reality. It's all over, ended, finished. Never to return.

The objection to the use on the actual frequency of 500 khz is
understandable but I don't accept this reasoning. I would rather see
it being used and continue as a Morse frequency than become an
everlasting minute of silence , to no purpose.

On a more practical note, the use of 500 khz today is rather
questionable anyway. TV timebase and computer use has all but ruined
500 khz for reception in almost 100 per cent of cases. I know from
experience whilst I tried to record the last 8 or 9 years of actual
500 khz use before close down. It was a nightmare trying to find a
quiet spot to make recording. I eventually resorted to setting
everything up in a field away from all the electronic noises
generated on 500 khz. You can imagine how impractical all that was,
but I did manage severa

Considering the experience I gained on 136 khz for almost 3 years, I
think the small segments proposed should be wide enough and should
not prove a problem in use. The developments in Amateur radio use and
technology perhaps means we may in fact be chasing a very small
number of users and a general area of the radio spectrum vacated by
commercial beacons etc to other more modern systems will provide even
more segments for use by experimenters.

I hope this new band is activated as soon as possible. I will be one
of the first to apply for a licence. I will have no trouble putting a
signal out "on-air". Just think we could have a whole new area of
chasing moderate to weak signals, hopefully from all over Europe.
Wonderful.

Finbar O'Connor EI0CF and EJM

Marine Radio Officer for 36 years, 29 years at Malin Head Radio/EJM
( Still serving).

Note : Please post on the above to those groups who may be interested in 
this subject.




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sherrill Watkins" <Sherrill.Watkins at dgs.virginia.gov>
To: "uranito" <lu1dz at yahoo.com.ar>
Cc: "Sherrill Watkins" <Sherrill.Watkins at dgs.virginia.gov>; 
<cw at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, October 22, 2004 1:26 PM
Subject: [CW] 500 KHz- MAKE IT AN AMATEUR BAND, CW ONLY,SOON!! STOP WASTING 
TIME AND SPECTRUM !


Dear Mr. Urnaito: Thank you for your email post on the CW reflector. While I
can most certainly sympathize with your keen feelings and opinions regarding
500 KHZ, considering its history and usage, I STRONGLY DISAGREE with your
conclusions as they are based on emotion, not logic. Also, I cannot follow
your reasoning; how does one make a "memorial" of any radio frequency?? All
radio frequencies belong to the people for their best use and the commercial
world no longer deems it to its interest to use the medium wave frequencies.
As we know, they used a BAND of the medium wave, not just 500 KHZ. 
Therefore,
it is most imperative that this medium wave band be returned to the people
for their use and by far the best way to do this is to create a world wide
amateur radio allocation at that medium wave band. I also believe that it
should be CW ONLY. Radio frequencies are not "privileged" frequencies for 
the
sole and exclusive right of any particular or select group. The commercial
services used 500 KHZ for only about 85 years. It was amateurs that used
medium wave before it was allocated to the marine commercial use several
years, approx. 1915, after the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. By making it
an amateur medium wave band, the former shipboard and shore operators could
then use the frequency again as amateur radio operators! This would be great
news! Come on! Instead of feeling depressed about a by-gone era of which 
they
are no longer a part, lets start using it as amateur radio operators with CW
and have fun! Life is too short to worry. (For those few commerical 
operators
in China, let them move to the low end of HF or VHF.) -73- Sherrill W. 
k4own.




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