From lmitchell at gmail.com  Thu Dec 11 08:29:23 2025
From: lmitchell at gmail.com (Lloyd Mitchell KO4L)
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2025 08:29:23 -0500
Subject: [OMIK] from OMIK member Ria's Ham Shack
Message-ID: <CAKCJ0as-V0yC4SikMTWL3pr=-X-T+93o9S71vWRH5QdnCR9rug@mail.gmail.com>

                                          Ria?s Ham Shack
<https://n2rj.substack.com/>
                                We have a new US ham band?!
<https://n2rj.substack.com/p/we-have-a-new-us-ham-band>
                                Yes, and no. Here's the breakdown.
<https://substack.com/@n2rj>
                                       Ria <https://substack.com/@n2rj>
                             Dec 10, 2025


The FCC has been busy lately, enacting numerous proposals, in particular
related to its ?in re: Delete, Delete, Delete
<https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-delete-nearly-400-outdated-wireless-rules-and-requirements>?
proposal to remove obsolete FCC rules.
<https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6K0E!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4daa0d4-242a-4318-9998-af6b7f7f31b0_250x250.png>

But you may have not learned about the FCC?s latest report and order
<https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-25-60A1.pdf> which dropped
yesterday, December 9. It is an omnibus rulemaking which covered a lot of
radio services, and incorporated a lot of the changes made by the ITU to
international radio regulations. The FCC still has discretion to enact
rules agreed to by the ITU, but for the most part they align with them.
They may be slow with it - such as when they finally removed the morse code
requirement - but they do get on with it. Eventually.
The details

What is this new band? It?s a worldwide 60 meter band allocation, from *5351.5
to 5366.5 kHz. *It is granted to the amateur service on a secondary basis,
with the US Federal Government as the primary user. This is a contiguous
allocation, with no channels, no weird rules about center frequencies, and
the same emissions previously allowed, which are phone, RTTY, data and
telegraphy (most commonly, Morse Code).

There is a limitation of *2.8kHz bandwidth maximum*, of which the stated
purpose is to allow sharing of the band by as many radio amateurs as
possible. And the biggest limitation of all is that this band will only
allow *15 watts EIRP, or 9.14 watts ERP*. So on this band, everybody is QRP.
[image: Billy Mays holding a ham radio and saying "wait, there's more!"]
<https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BbpB!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2ee1d18f-a61d-42f3-9c24-8a041326dad7_1536x1024.png>
We keep the channels

When we originally got the allocation, we got access to five channels.
These channels were originally allowed at 50 watts ERP, and later changed
to 100 watts ERP. The NTIA originally recommended that when we get the new
ITU recommended allocation, we lose access to those channels, and we get
only the contiguous new allocation.
[image: undefined]
<https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MhtR!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F70ce5e49-c671-42f0-bccb-497afa3b159f_860x220.png>

Thankfully, the FCC decided to give us a break. Not only did we get access
to the new contiguous allocation, but we also kept four of the five
channels *at 100 watts ERP*. The only one we ?lost? was channel 3, at
5357kHz, which is within the range of the new allocation, anyway. So we
didn?t really lose it, *we just have to now drop down to 15 watts EIRP* when
using it.

The 60 meter band is the *only *US amateur band to be strictly channelized.
Power levels are also regulated by Effective Radiated Power (ERP), not
Transmitter Power Output (TPO) as it has been for a long time. This means
that you must take into account the gain (or loss) of your antenna in
addition to the transmitter power output. This isn?t unique to this band,
by the way. Both of the amateur LF allocations, 630 meters and 2200 meters
are limited by ERP, with a whopping 1 watt of ERP being allowed under FCC
rules. So the new 60m band now joins the party, and it is interesting to
note that these relatively new allocations are limited in this way.
A long time coming

This proposal is about 10 years old, and it came out of WRC-15
<https://www.arrl.org/news/potential-15-khz-wide-60-meter-band-advances-at-wrc-15-but-far-from-a-done-deal>
-
yes, in 2015, which is 10 years ago at the time of this writing. I told you
that the FCC moves slowly! But at least we* finally* got it!
<https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hIFB!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F52e81374-0bea-4561-98d1-65a498dd74b4_2436x3456.jpeg>ITU
HQ in Geneva, (Yann, Wikimedia Commons - CC-BY-SA 2.0)

Several other countries have enacted rules giving access to this contiguous
allocation, and now the United States joins the party.
When? And is your radio ready?

This rule isn?t active, yet. It has to first be published in the Federal
Register, and then the rules will take effect 30 days after publication. In
my estimation this will give us a total timeline of about 2-3 months before
this new allocation is active.

Your radio will need to be updated or modified to use the new allocation.
Current radios only have the existing channels from the factory. You may
have to ?open up? your radio with a so-called ?MARS mod? which opens up
transmit outside of the existing amateur radio bands. Some radios
theoretically can be updated with just a software or firmware update. Since
many radios today are software defined, and have the 60 meter channels
already, and other countries already have the allocation, widening the
capability shouldn?t be too hard.

As far as antennas go, your existing 60m antenna will work, and even some
antennas like an inverted L for 160m will also work on 60 meters.
In conclusion

This is the kind of news I like to report on. It?s nice to gain some
spectrum rather than lose it. And I will be using this band, perhaps with
Morse Code or maybe some digital modes.

Will you use this band? How will you use it? Comment below!
*(Lloyd adds: Subscribe to Ria's YouTube below to comment)*

*And of course, just down the band, listen to our show at 5050kHz on Sunday
nights 11PM ET on WRMI Legends Shortwave.*

*Want great ham radio video content?* Subscribe to Ria?s Hamshack
<http://youtube.com/@n2rj> on YouTube.

73, N2RJ

--
Lloyd M. Mitchell (KO4L)
lmitchell at gmail.com

From lmitchell at gmail.com  Thu Dec 11 08:43:54 2025
From: lmitchell at gmail.com (Lloyd Mitchell KO4L)
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2025 08:43:54 -0500
Subject: [OMIK] My Last Email Apoligies
Message-ID: <CAKCJ0avch4dVXF6qpwkfbGz5c4GQ8a+Aa9bx2bfQDqcSkjOuyg@mail.gmail.com>

Well that email did not translate well.  I apologize to you and to Ria.

Ria's latest blog is here
https://n2rj.substack.com/p/we-have-a-new-us-ham-band

Ria's YouTube channel  https://www.youtube.com/@n2rj

Listen to her radio show 11PM ET Sundays on WRMI 5050kHz or on
WRMILegends.com

-- 
Lloyd M. Mitchell (KO4L)
lmitchell at gmail.co <lmitchell at gmail.com>

From court_smith at hotmail.com  Sun Dec 21 20:40:00 2025
From: court_smith at hotmail.com (Courtney Smith)
Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2025 01:40:00 +0000
Subject: [OMIK] Upcoming online amateur radio license courses
Message-ID: <DM6PR02MB671640A7BC47003943D41B8B84B4A@DM6PR02MB6716.namprd02.prod.outlook.com>

Below are three upcoming online amateur radio license classes.  There are a flexible option for those that are comfortable taking online courses.   OMIK and myself are not affiliated with these courses.

&&&&&

The W4EEY Training Team announces two new Ham Radio classes starting in January. These will be held online using Zoom. No travel needed! The classes are free and open to all, but registration is required to participate on Zoom (and class size will be limited to 40 students).

For beginners, a Technician Class will be held starting on Wednesday, January 14, from 6:30 to 8:30pm Eastern Time. The class will meet weekly on Wednesday nights for ten weeks. The class is based on the ARRL Ham Radio License Manual for Technicians, Fifth Edition.

For those wanting to upgrade to General, a class will be held starting on Tuesday, January 13, from 6:30 to 8:30pm Eastern Time. The class will meet weekly on Tuesday nights for eleven weeks. The class is based on the ARRL General Class License Manual, Tenth Edition.

Both classes will also be streamed live to the W4EEY YouTube channel and will be available for later viewing.

To register for either class please contact Gary, W4EEY at the email w4eey at arrl.net

&&&&&



&&&&&

A free, weekly, live, Amateur Radio Extra Class Licensing course on Zoom will begin on Thursday, January 15, 2026, and will run through Thursday, March 26.  There will be 11 sessions.  The three-hour sessions will start at 6:30 PM Eastern Time and will also be recorded.  These are the classes that we have been holding for years sponsored by the Amateur Radio Club of the National Electronics Museum.


Note:  Attendees should hold (or be studying for) the General Class Amateur Radio License.


Please publicize this with anyone that you think would be interested.  Those wishing to sign up should email roland.anders at comcast.net.

&&&&&&

From lmitchell at gmail.com  Mon Dec 29 16:17:48 2025
From: lmitchell at gmail.com (Lloyd Mitchell KO4L)
Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2025 16:17:48 -0500
Subject: [OMIK] Fwd: [Ham-Antennas] That NanoVNA can do a lot of things.
In-Reply-To: <e3vw.1767027076471137761.aiWx@groups.io>
References: <e3vw.1767027076471137761.aiWx@groups.io>
Message-ID: <CAKCJ0avi7KwNnNr6=9e-vRjz14ZPdiXYszfh5GhpQE0Exh81WA@mail.gmail.com>

I found a  little blog post on how to use the NanoVNA, from simple things
like measuring the SWR of an antenna, to measuring the complex permeability
of a ferrite core.  IF you are curious, the post is here:
https://squashpractice.com/2025/12/27/using-the-nanovna-for-antenna-and-component-measurements/
 --
Lloyd M. Mitchell (KO4L)
lmitchell at gmail.com

From court_smith at hotmail.com  Wed Dec 31 23:24:58 2025
From: court_smith at hotmail.com (Courtney Smith)
Date: Thu, 1 Jan 2026 04:24:58 +0000
Subject: [OMIK] Free online ham radio magazine
Message-ID: <DM6PR02MB671628FE5655B2D34384356284BAA@DM6PR02MB6716.namprd02.prod.outlook.com>

I learned of this from another club. Online magazine named SWR.

https://fliphtml5.com/site/85123127/index.html



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