Did I say that? Did I even imply that? What I want is just the elimination of the 5358 to 5362 gap, with the rest staying as is, though ultimately it would be nice to have a band similar to that enjoyed by LA and OZ!
There are plenty of British stations using 5.358 - 5.362 MHz. They can be heard there on an almost daily basis, especially on JT65 mode. The main offenders are stations with callsigns that indicate they have been around for long enough to know much better!
By such careless operating, they are jeopardising their own licences … and worse, they are jeopardising the existing 5 MHz privileges for all of us. It seems they are tempted out of band to answer CQ calls from stations on the continent who are licensed to use the pan-European 15-watt allocation. Some are well out-of-band; others have just part of their signals extending above 5.358 MHz.
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
Yes, Walt, I’ve heard them, too. The frustrating thing is that I value my licence too much to call those of them on SSB and tell them that they are out of band!
Hi Brian,
Am I right in thinking there is a common frequency between the current UK channels and the WRC 15 band 5354 KHz for (upper sideband)SSB and 5366-5366.5KHz for narrow band digital data modes but no overlap within the WRC bandplan for CW? Perhaps 5357-5358 KHz could be used for CW interworking between WRC15 and UK frequencies?
73 Ed.
Ed, CW is valid EVERYWHERE in all bandplans in all jurisdictions.
Only if you are dumb enough to use your own callsign. Use Ed’s callsign to tell them to move as he is licenced to use the bits they aren’t! 
What is about these people that they cannot use split ops? They’re so desperate for DX on a new band that they do all this rubbish.
US stations have called using splits for years in contests so that they work Europeans who don’t have access above 7200kcs. There’s no problem for anyone to TX in the bits they can use and listen in the bits they can’t TX in. It just requires a modicum of clue to arrange in advance.
It certainly seems to crop up everwhere on 5 megs! Sometimes its a ruddy nuisance…
I think the problem with split is that the called station (for us the activator) has to be prepared to look for split calls.
Anyone using a band with such a diverse set of allocations who isn’t out calling “CQ blah blah” then later “CQ blah blah listening some other frequency” so they can work all the possible paths is being short-sighted.
This really isn’t rocket science you know.
The current segments in the UK are 5.354 - 5.358 and 5.362 - 5.3745. These are in the all modes section of the IARU bandplan (5MHz - Radio Society of Great Britain - Main Site : Radio Society of Great Britain – Main Site)
Maybe it isn’t rocket science, but there is a lot of band to tune to cover all the possibilities, an activator may well decide that after running through his pile-up, his time could be used more profitably by a QSY to another band. I mean, its like some of your recent activations where you stuck to CW rather than plugging in the mic and checking for possible SSB callers!
Just trying to find somewhere, where CW would be protected from the 2.7KHz SSB signals - I have re-read the bandplan and as you say it says all modes, but then continues the description with USB voice for the middle section, which is why I read that as the Voice section. I suspect CW is NOT welcomed between 5366 and 5366,5, which is reserved for weak signal work with a maximum bandwidth of 20Hz…
It’ll be interesting how many CW QSOs manage to work under the SSB signals between 5354 and 5365.9999.
In any case the overlap between UK and WRC plans is 5354 KHz, so that’s going to get busy!!
Ed.
quote=“DD5LP, post:50, topic:14307”]
where CW would be protected from the 2.7KHz SSB signals
[/quote]
LOL. It’s not really a problem. Narrow filters in the radio and narrower filters in the brain fixes it.
LOLx2 You’d understand should you ever try. It’s irritating but, TBH, not difficult to practitioners of the art. Of course if the SSB is really loud it’s harder. Better if it’s not there of course.
Its just as bad if not worse the other way around - as I found today trying to copy a weak SSB signal under a strong PA station sending endless CW CQs! My notch filter isn’t deep enough!
I set out for a winter activation today on 60m, the experience was not a pleasant one. I am not talking about the WX. My set came up on 5354kHz which I used previously as that frequency aligns with the UK allocation. 5354 allowed for pleasant SOTA contacts, even down to noise level.
I appreciate it says “all mode” but nothing as unpleasant as having to hear multi-tone digi signals in the audio passband. No CW-ID was transmitted. It went on-and-on, I guess just pressing F1 key.
On ON-013 I managed 10 stations, on ON-011 I went QRT after just 6. Sorry for anyone trying but it was impossible to hear you due to the digi signal(s) QRM near 5354.
73, Phil ON4TA
Might not be amateur Phil. Could be a primary user of the frequency leaving something idling to keep the channel clear. The old RTTY news services did that all the time… I spent ages as a youngster with an AR88 / CV89A tuned on TASS or TANJUG with a TTY15 waiting to print the “news”. Most of the time it was page after page of " RYRYRYRYR TASS". Still you could leave the audio on low and know it was RYing from the sound and jump over and hit the switch when it switched to real stuff. Was that really 40+ years ago…
Yes, I called you a few times but had little hope with that noise going on!
There was an item on the RSGB news page about this last month.
http://rsgb.org/main/blog/news/gb2rs/headlines/2016/11/04/warning-over-out-of-band-signals/
Peter G1FOA
JT65 digital mode is much more economical in spectrum occupancy than SSB. A single JT65 signal is only 180 Hz wide, so you can fit an awful lot of these transmissions into the 2.7 kHz bandwidth of a typical SSB signal. AM is even worse … but don’t get me started on that!
Live and let live.
In the UK, there is no requirement to send a CW ID when using digital modes. Not many people these days are capable of reading a CW ID anyway.
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
Just saw this on Southgate News:
Seán, EI7CD IRTS/ ComReg Liaison Officer announced on Thursday 22nd December 2016 that Irish regulator ComReg has released the new WRC-15 60m allocation.
So welcome Ireland to WRC15 60 metres band !!
Important:
This allocation does not affect the availability of the existing channels centred on 5280, 5300, 5332, 5348, 5400 and 5405 kHz. Special authorisation is still required for these channels at an annual licence fee of €30.
So perhaps Ofcom will do the same for the UK? i.e. add the WRC15 band to the existing UK frequencies?
And NOW … AUSTRALIA
Well not quite yet as WIA Director Roger Harrison VK2ZRH states in the latest WIA broadcast.
Although the updated Australian Radiofrequency Spectrum Plan commences on the first of January - the Australian Communications and Media Authority has many T’s to cross and many I’s to dot before use of the new 60 metre Amateur band at 5.3 megahertz can start in Australia.
Previously it was thought that given the current commercial usage of the frequencies it would be some time before Amateur Radio could get access, even on a secondary basis, well with the publication of the ACMAs 2017 spectrum plan, it seems that access should be coming the VK amateurs way in 2017!
Ed.
Update: The ACMA site has only the 2013 version - the latest version of the document (not yet implemented) is at https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2016L02001 and contains the following Amateur 60 metre allocation listing:
It is interesting that in a second associated document located at:https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2016L02001/Explanatory%20Statement/Text
that it states:
ATTACHMENT A - Description of the Australian Radiofrequency Spectrum Plan 2017
.
.
.
Section 2 - Commencement
Section 2 provides for the commencement of the Spectrum Plan 2017 on 1 January 2017.
So the original intention was to implement on January 1st it appears - but has had some delays.
Full document downloads are available her: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2016L02001/Download
FYI: Footnote 133B is the one from WRC15 as follows:
1 Like
Add to the list Kazakhstan:
(From Southgate News) -
On the 22nd of December 2016, the amateur radio service in Kazakhstan has been allocated the 5351.5 - 5366.5 kHz band (60m) on the secondary basis. Power level not clear.
And Czech Republic retains 60m as in 2016 (also from Southgate News):
Petr, OK1RP tells us - 60m band for 2017 with no changes, from Czech Telecommunication Institute (CTU).