[Elecraft] Re: 80 m CW and Digital Operation: It's a new

[Dave Sergeant]

On 15 Oct 2006 at 4:02, N7RR wrote:

> The FCC Report and Order 06-149 has thrown us a curve by extending the 
> Amateur Extra Class phone band down to 3600 kHz (far more than the ARRL had 
> requested), meaning that practical CW and digital operations, which have had 
> lots of spectrum to play with on 80 m, will soon have to squeeze into the 
> bottom 100 kHz of the 80 m band.  We have to live with this new reality.  We 
> need to negotiate amongst ourselves so that our turf battles take place off 
> the air before Report and Order 06-149 takes effect.  We need to develop a 
> band plan which will serve all USA 80 m operators, and we need to start 
> immediately.  The band plan must not actually exclude CW stations from 
> operating anywhere from 3500 kHz to 4000 kHz.  For example, cross-mode 
> communications between CW stations and stations operating in other modes 
> must be recognized as legitimate.

(rest of long email deleted).

No responses from the USA yet, but I think we need to put this into 
the perspective of what happens in the rest of the world. In Europe 
we have long had only 300kHz for 80m (and no prospect of more) and a 
voluntary bandplan which restricts SSB to 3600-3800 (with CW allowed 
anywhere for cross mode QSOs). CW uses 3500-3580 or so with data 3580-
3600. See http://tinyurl.com/nqme4 for the RSGB/Region 1 bandplan. 
The dx window is 3500-3510 and a QRP slot at 3560. By tradition 
slower CW ops tend to work towards the top of the CW slot, as is the 
case on most bands. This bandplan works fine in Europe, and although 
there is some infringement of the CW/DATA split in contests it is 
never the problem it is on 40m.

I think Bruce's suggestions go far too far, there is no need to 
specify places for 'high speed' cw etc. There is absolutely no need 
to have 40kHz for data, that is far more than needed. The 3560 QRP 
slot is internationally used and any suggestion to move this should 
be resisted, as is also the use of 3525 as an FOC working frequency. 
The idea of different contest bandplans has been discussed at IARU 
Region 1 conferences (the so called 'elastic' bandplans) and 
dismissed as unworkable - bandplans will be infringed in contests 
whatever you do - make the slots bigger and the contest people will 
still exceed them.

If you adopted something similar to the Region 1 bandplan and leave 
users to find their own slots for various activities this should be 
adequate. Remember if you put too many conditions in the bandplan it 
will be impossible to enforce as nobody will know what is expected 
were.

73 Dave G3YMC

http://www.davesergeant.com