Hi Matt, this has been covered in most of the AR news broadcasts and podcasts over the last week.
A French commercial entity made an amendment to a document that was discussed at the WRC2019 preparation meeting last week in Prague. The Aeronautical services are looking for extra frequencies for their non-critical - monitoring devices like remote cameras and drones. The document, which is a proposal to add an agenda item be discussed at WRC2023 (not 2019) already had two microwave bands listed and 144-146 MHz was added prior to the Prague meeting.
Despite IARU objection, the agenda item proposal has NOT been thrown out in Prague but will go on to the next meeting later this year.
The IARU has asked for calm and will be fighting the proposal. With satellites using 145.8 to 146 MHz, I can’t see how this would be possible to fully implement in any case. The proposal would be to make Amateur Radio a secondary user on the band with the aeronautical services being the primary user. In region one, I believe 144-146 MHz is the ONLY band above 30MHz where Amateur Radio is the primary user.
This needs to be watched but any implementation (which would have to be approved by the local regulator as well as the ITU) could only happen after 2023.
Even though the petition is incorrect in saying that we would lose the 2m band and by only accepting UK Post codes, restricts it’s coverage, I have signed it.
73 Ed.
P.S. listen to this week’s AR Newsline for the latest update.
Hi Matt,
There are quiote a few broadcasts and Podcasts about Amateur radio.
If you have an Android Smartphone, the easiest option is to download the free version of an App called “Ham Radio Podcasts” as he has most of the major ones selectable in the app.
If you want to listen on your PC, then two of the UK angled ones URLs are:
and gb2rs.podbean.com (which is the RSGB News Bulliten, that you may hear on repeaters on a Sunday).
As Jonathan has said US/International news AR Newsline is at URL arnewsline.org
Unfortunately the petition is very badly written. Not only can they not spell “amateur” but it is worded to suggest that signing it supports giving the aeronautical service access to the amateur band. I won’t be signing it.
Assuming this re-allocation will be rejected by the wise at some point in the future might be a little optimistic. Just look around at recent events to see unexpected outcomes despite infinite wisdom to the contrary.
Should we be lobbying our respective league/society (i.e RSGB) to voice our concern and expectation that they should be vigorously attempting to ensure a rejection?
Seems like someone’s kids figured out that if they lobby the government, they will be able to find a whole lot of used equipment really cheap - once its made useless to the owners hihi. In all sincerity, I am quite surprised it would even be legal to fly remote control toys beyond line of sight in a European country - that isn’t even legal in the states to my knowledge - in part due to privacy concerns, fire, injury/liability. Here in the states we have had partial decapitations at public parks (inside line of sight envelope!) If a 5 pound chunk of lithium falls out of the sky and sets my house on fire, or is penetrated by a twig upon meeting terra firma in a woodland…an inevitability…goodbye nature.
As a pilot, I just can’t see what legitimate purpose this might serve. At any rate, I guess that’s the way people are now. Rob peter to pay paul - I would suggest the petitioners save up their allowances and aggregate to buy out and tear down the hundreds of millions of euros of equipment and infrastructure erected!
I wish you guys luck, that is the most patently ridiculous thing I have seen in quite a while. I’m actually quite surprised at how good it looks - I thought it would be written in crayon. Seems corollary to the FCC changing it’s mind about operator privileges every few months - but hey, that’s another diatribe for another day! I am sure you can count on the ARRL’s media arm lending it’s support to preserve your rights. I hope this clear prescription for disaster fails, or France will be losing the most important radio service for the preservation of life and property. I guess when an emergency does strike, the survivors can use the bandwidth to film the aftermath and post it to youtube when the internet comes back on instead of, I don’t know - helping their neighbors…
Might have to get a surplus M61 sea whiz to defend my QTH’s airspace! Definitely hedge bets, I’ll send my rubles to the ARRL just in case. That 4 MC of bandwidth isn’t going anywhere in the states - we are far more likely to see an iridium solution or cellular.
Wait…It just struck me - we are looking at this the wrong way. THINK OF ALL THAT FREE STUFF FLYING DIRECTLY OVER OUR HEADS!!! MEACONING!! Question: Could this be misconstrued as air piracy…
Actually French 2m band seems to be clear even in Paris.
Anyone monitoring 2m in Japan understands such a proposal is foolish here immediately. Controlling drone on 2m is highly improbable.
ARS in eastern Region1 can contact with Japanese 2m stations using AMSAT or Es propagation now.
I could hear almost no signal on 2m band elsewhere across France compared with
the busy crowd in Japan.
The idea an allocated band must be utilized is probable.
So, the band should be preferably used much more by amateur radio.
Otherwise French proposal will be repeated in the future.
Such a proposal will not possibly be delivered in Region3.
73, Jun
You’re right! There should be more activity on the 2m band.
But if the 2m falls away in the CEPT states, it also has a massive impact on other parts of the world.
e.g. It eliminates a huge number of customers for 2m products. How will the companies react?
Yes, I’,m afraid of direct or indirect influence from Region1.
In Japan, 2m band is crowded with amateur radio and actually under cover stations.
So the band is not completely controlled.
That’s why ‘Aeronautical Service’ on the band is extremely dangerous trial here.
This might be one of solutions, hi.
73, Jun
Nobody pays any attention to petitions … especially petitions as badly worded as this one. What next? Should we take to the streets and have a demonstration, or a popular uprising? LOL!
It is a far better procedure to make representations to your national amateur radio organisation (DARC, REF, RSGB, etc) and ask them to ensure that our case is taken up via the IARU. That is the correct method to make progress with frequency allocation issues.
The UK government pays some attention to petitions on its own petition site, sometimes, sort-of. But for the rest, who knows…
There might also be merit in writing to your representative at national government level, in case they’re in a position to apply pressure on your national regulator.
