[Icom] Amateur Radio, Audio, and RF levels - 14.178 - Revisited

[icom@mailman.qth.net]

Group,

I have long been of the opinion that much too much time has been spent by 
some hams in a quest for hi-fi SSB transmitted audio. Seems there are others 
who share that opinion . . . For different reasons even.

You can make up your own mind as to whether these folks are pioneers who are 
simply "pushing the envelope" or whether they are out of bounds just as those 
who exceed legal power levels are.

Regards,

Bill


From the April 18, 2003 ARRL Letter (The American Radio Relay League):

==>"ENHANCED SSB" BANDWIDTHS "EXTREMELY INCONSIDERATE," FCC SAYS

The FCC has sent advisory notices to four enthusiasts of what's become
known as "enhanced SSB"--the practice of engineering transmitted
single-sideband audio to approach broadcast quality. Letters went out
earlier this month to amateurs in Illinois, Florida and New Jersey who are
aficionados of enhanced SSB, also known as "upper wideband" and "lower
wideband."

"The Commission has received numerous complaints regarding the operation
of your station," FCC Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth wrote Paul
Christensen, W9AC, John Anning, NU9N, Anthony Latin, W4NSG, and Sareno
Salerno, W2ONV, on April 3. Hollingsworth said complaints to the FCC
alleged that the bandwidths of the stations' enhanced SSB emissions were
"wider than necessary and contrary to good engineering practice."

"Wideband overly-processed audio, especially when coupled with the high
intermodulation levels of certain amplifiers, results in the use of
bandwidths extremely inconsiderate of other operators," Hollingsworth
said. Such transmissions may violate FCC rules and may be at odds with
what Hollingsworth described as "the expectation that the Amateur Service
be largely self-regulated."

Occupying more bandwidth than necessary in a heavily used amateur band,
Hollingsworth wrote, not only could generate ill will among operators but
lead to petitions asking the FCC to establish bandwidth limits for amateur
emissions. At present, the FCC imposes no specific bandwidth limits on
various amateur modes.

Hollingsworth cited 307(a) of the Amateur Service rules that requires
the signal of an amateur station not occupy "more bandwidth than necessary
for the information rate and emission type being transmitted, in
accordance with good amateur practice." Some amateurs have complained that
enhanced SSB signals can take up 8 kHz or more of spectrum, cause splatter
and unnecessarily interfere with other stations.

"The Amateur Service is not a substitute for the Broadcast Service,"
Hollingsworth said, "and the frequencies allocated to the Amateur Service
were not allocated for a 'broadcast quality' audio emission or sound."
Hollingsworth suggested the enhanced SSBers operate when the bands are
less busy or on bands that are not heavily used.

The many complaints the FCC has been getting--20 or so per week--leads to
the conclusion that the stations' enhanced SSB operation is having "a
negative impact" on the Amateur Service, Hollingsworth said. He requested
that the four amateurs "fully review the rules" and make sure their
stations conform to them.