[SFDXA] Southeastern Division Survey Question

Thu Jun 26 11:21:32 EDT 2014

Sebastian, I agree with you! My NO vote contains these comments:

 From KE4PT
REGARDING:
"Proposal: Create a 10 KHz Technician Digital Subband with a limit of 200 watts 
in the 80m, 40m, and 15m bands. Digital modes would be limited to RTTY and PSK. 
The subbands would be 3.600-3.610 KHz (moving the bottom of the Extra phone band 
to 3.610 KHz), 7.115-7.125 KHz, and 21.190-21.200 KHz. This mirrors the bands 
and power levels where Technicians already have CW privileges (Technicians 
already have digital privileges on 10m at 200w)."

Do Not Do this, Please.
The upgrade path from Tech to General is not that steep. That is the best path 
to get HF digital privileges.
There was a time when ONLY Morse code speed separated Techs and Generals. Today 
with no Morse
testing perhaps your proposal should be to merge the two licenses again, not 
create more boundaries
in the spectrum. Simplify! Don't add to the complexity. Rather than your 
proposal, seek to combine the
Tech and General as it once was.

If we are to keep the Extra class as the highest license layer, then leave the 
Extra Class sub bands alone.
Once again, the path from Tech to General to Extra Class is NOT that steep 
either since Morse is no longer
tested!

About modes: "RTTY" has a much broader and different meaning to the FCC, IARU, 
and the World, than
what many USA hams understand it to be, and to what you imply in the proposal. 
You probably mean
"direct printing keyboard modes".  The FCC term "RTTY" already includes whet 
hams use as PSK-31, and include
what hams implements as as "all PSK modes", and "USA Amateur-RTTY", which is 
narrowly defined as
(45.45 baud 170 Hz separation 2-FSK using 5-bit Baudot with 1-start and 1 to 2 
stop bits). There are
many other "direct printing keyboard RTTY modes". Your implied restriction is 
VERY arbitrary and adds to needless
complexity in the rules.

The various digi modes, including PSK31 and JT65 and JT9 have voluntarily carved 
out "watering holes"
because these modes operate with RECEIVERS using a rather wide contiguous band 
(xx.070 to xx.074 for PSK,
and xx.076 to xx.080 for JTx, for example; decoding multiple stations 
simultaneously), although any one
TRANSMISSION is very very narrow band. Introducing additional bandwidth slivers 
would dilute and isolate
the Tech operator population, to the detriment of the hobby.

Again: seek to combine the Tech/General license like it once was. That is the 
correct answer.

With very best regards,
Kai Siwiak, KE4PT

On 6/26/2014 10:29 AM, Sebastian, W4AS wrote:
> I also voted No.  I don’t think this proposal was well thought out.
>
> 1. This cannot be called a “Technician Digital Subband” while specifically authorizing only RTTY & PSK in those segments;
>
> 2. There are several more efficient digital modes available now, and there will be more in the future;
>
> 3. Why impact other licensees by changing their allocations?
>
> 4. I also do not understand how granting additional privileges will result in “an enticement to upgrade to General and beyond.”.
>
> 73 de Sebastian, W4AS
>
>
>
> On Jun 26, 2014, at 12:45 AM, Mickey Baker <n4mb at arrl.net> wrote:
>
>> I replied with a No vote, not in principle, but in details of the proposal.
>> Here's why:
>>
>> *1. 10kHz is too small for an allocation. *
>> There are a few Extra-only 25kHz segments, currently the smallest unique
>> allocation. We would allocate the weakest technical license class the
>> smallest divisions of all? Would they be cautious or aware enough to fit
>> their entire signal in a crowded 10kHz segment? I would support 25kHz
>> segment*s, starting *AFTER* the extra band...*
>>
>> *2. Extra - keep the lower 25.*
>> There's a lot going on in the Extra cw segment. Generally, this is a
>> "quiet" place where DX can pop up and have a conversation with a US ham,
>> and the US ham can readily work some dx.  Extras don't get much for the
>> much more difficult license exam, taking this much spectum away to give to
>> Techs won't be popular. Keep the lower 25 and allocate a frequency closer
>> to what's currently used.
>>
>> *3. IARU Bandplan compliance*
>> Before we float this change, we need to make sure the international
>> agencies are in agreement and that the proposed changes don't violate any
>> agreements.
>>
>> 4. Terms, definitions and legalese.
>> RTTY and PSK? Don't think you're going to be able to get what you want
>> without opening the door to a wide variety of modes.
>>
>> 5. Incentive for Technicians to upgrade to General is mitigated.
>> "Why upgrade, I have all the frequencies that I need now."
>>
>> 6. Technical skill is needed to operate an HF station, particularly digital
>> modes.
>> At almost any time, you'll see various quality of signals on the popular
>> digital frequencies. Some are great, some have compression or
>> overmodulation artifacts that cause interference. The barrier to entry with
>> the current Technician exam is very low and does not require training in
>> techniques that would avoid this interference.
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> Mickey N4MB
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Jun 25, 2014 at 3:11 PM, Bill <bmarx at bellsouth.net> wrote:
>>
>>> With the July Board Meeting a little less than a month away, Vice
>>> Director Mike Lee and I are busy getting ready. While in Birmingham a
>>> few months ago for the Hamfest, a member explained an idea that he had.
>>> I've discussed the idea with other Board members and have come up with a
>>> potential motion to present to the Board in July. In deciding whether to
>>> bring the motion to the Board, I want to solicit input from the
>>> membership.
>>>
>>> In the days when the Technician written exam was the same as the
>>> General, with 5 wpm CW versus 13 wpm separating them, Novices and
>>> Technicians worked CW in the Novice subbands, polishing their operating
>>> skills and listening to all of the great DX out of reach in the General
>>> subbands—especially on 20m. This provided both a training grounds for
>>> new licensees and an enticement to upgrade to General and beyond.
>>>
>>> The idea of the proposal is to try to recapture the motivation for
>>> upgrading and advancing within our hobby that previously existed
>>> through the Novice Sub-bands.
>>>
>>> Proposal:
>>>
>>> Create a 10 KHz Technician Digital Subband with a limit of 200 watts in
>>> the 80m, 40m, and 15m bands. Digital modes would be limited to RTTY and
>>> PSK. The subbands would be 3.600-3.610 KHz (moving the bottom of the
>>> Extra phone band to 3.610 KHz), 7.115-7.125 KHz, and 21.190-21.200 KHz.
>>> This mirrors the bands and power levels where Technicians already have
>>> CW privileges (Technicians already have digital privileges on 10m at
>>> 200w).
>>>
>>> This would take a rule change by the FCC.
>>>
>>> Request:
>>>
>>> If you support the idea, send an email before 7/5/2014 to
>>> yes at arrlse.org that includes your callsign in the body of the email.
>>>
>>> If you oppose the idea, send an email before 7/5/2014 to no at arrlse.org
>>> that includes your callsign in the body of the email.
>>>
>>> Please only send one email and share this information with as many
>>> amateurs as possible.
>>>
>>> Thanks & 73, de K4AC
>>>
>>> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> ARRL Southeastern Division
>>> Director: Doug Rehman, K4AC
>>> k4ac at arrl.org
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