Per the subject. I was having a look at the band plans for EI (your mileage may vary depending on where you live of course), and noticed there is a band plan for 8m and also 5m.
Just wondered if anyone used them? Have you had any luck? Preferred mode(s)?
Thinking of cobbling something together (badly) and giving the aul 8 and 5 meter bands a quick tickle.
Here’s the band plan for EI if anyone is interested. Scroll to the bottom of the document for 8m and 5m.
I had never heard of these bands in G-land. Makes me wonder what other bands there are around the world that are obscure to us. I’d heard of 1.25m in North America, but that’s all that comes to mind.
I found one snippet of evidence of someone actually using the 8 meter band.
There’s mention of it in Wireless World magazine…dated July 20th 1927.
It’s on Page 79 (Page 135 of this rather mammoth PDF scan of the mag, save yourselves the endless scrolling as it’s a whopper document):
https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Wireless-World/20s/Wireless-World-1927-07.pdf
I’ll have a look on QRZ and see if anyone else has used it for a QSO in the last near-100 years since. 
EDIT: Interesting. The feature says that the two lads were running portable QRP rigs around 4w on 8m. Problem is they were doing their activation on July 17th and the magazine was published July 20th. Should’ve advertised the event beforehand no? - I notice they were running through the Autumn, I’ll let them off so! 
Imagine hauling a ‘portable’ radio up the back arse of nowhere for SOTA or POTA in 1927, they must have hired a biplane to airlift it up there!
Even worse, if band conditions were poor that day, imagine the disappointment. I wonder did they make any QSO’s? EDIT 2: Their callsigns were 6TA and 6LL. I wonder if they kept logbooks anywhere and if they have surivived? I’d love to see!
I remember reading and thinking of doing something with the 8m band. This is the article I read. looks quite a complicated way via an N.O.V. from OFCOM and its not a free one???
https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/8m-band
Nice link, interesting stuff thank you! Seeing as we’re allowed to use 8 and 5 in EI, it may as well be tried out I guess!
Looking at the band plans it looks fairly welcoming for CW and SSTV. I can’t find an 8m antenna build though. Could you chuck something in a random wire calculator, toss an unun in to the mix and see what occurs?
EDIT:
Took this from Wikipedia. Looks like Ireland has a very generous slice of the 8 meter band compared to elsewhere. Can’t find anything about 5 meters yet. I know a few folks like to give 4 meters a tickle now and again iirc?
Slovenia - 40.660–40.700 MHz - 40 kHz of spectrum allocated for beacons
South Africa ZS 40.675–40.685 MHz - 10 kHz of spectrum allocated
Slovenia - 40.660–40.700 MHz - 40 kHz allocated to the amateur service
Ireland - 40.000–45.000 MHz - 5 MHz of the low VHF spectrum allocated to Irish radio amateurs.
Belgium - 40.660–40.690 MHz - 30 kHz allocated to class A radio amateurs
Spain - 40.650–40.750 MHz - 100 kHz allocated to the amateur service for a period of 18 months (2024)
Italy - 40.660–40.700 MHz - 40 kHz allocated to the amateur service up to December 31 2024
There is some info from the RSGB here on the status in the UK:
https://rsgb.org/main/blog/spectrum-forum-posts-overview/spectrum-forum-papers-consultations/2022/03/31/40mhz-in-the-uk/
It also gets a mention every now and then in Radcom.
Looks like RSGB is implying 8 meters won’t see the light of day for amateurs in the UK any time soon alas. 
Just found some decent EI reporting on 8m between EI and WK. Interesting reading:
I doubt we can expect these EI bands to be made available in the UK any time soon. Looking at Ofcom’s on-line Frequency Allocation Table for the UK:
EI’s 8m band (40-45MHz) “All frequency permissions are reserved exclusively for Defence use except where assignments for Civil use are agreed with Ofcom”
EI’s 5m band (54-69.99MHz)
54-68MHz “Allocation rests with Ofcom for Met Office use. Frequencies in this Allocation are exclusively assigned for civilian use except where permissions for military use are agreed with the Ministry of Defence”
The FAT says 68-70MHz is allocated to Amateur Services, which is news to me [an error I think, as the UK 4m band is 70.0-70.5MHz and 70.5-71.5MHz for Full Licensees by NoV ].
Just flipped through a bit more of that Wireless World magazine from 1927.
Couple of interesting bits there. The POTA activation photo and that fella’s new motor. Very snazzy. First, the woman who treats her radio akin to a dog license.
Then you’ve a bloke that got nicked for robbery on the basis of his radio likeness. Then there’s this curious looking antenna.
Anyone fancy building a Perfex? According to the magazine they were the 1927 equivalent of a Sky Dish rash. On every gaf in the country!
Also found a French advert for a Perfex antenna. Looks like a lampshade stuck on your roof. I’d love to see someone build and test one!
I smell a SOTA challenge event brewing… 
Name: 8 is Gr8 Super SOTA Challenge
Rules:
Activate a summit using only the 8 meter band. Usual SOTA rules apply. The price of shares can go down as well as up. Subject to the world’s favourite band, Status Quo.
Award: Usual SOTA activation and chase points handed out.
Bonus Round 1:
Activate or Chase using a Perfex antenna only (mobile or at your QTH) = 8 jillion bonus points.
Bonus Round 2:
Make a YouTube video of the activation to the music of It Bites - Calling All The Heroes = Enter a prize draw to win a date at Burger King with Stefan Dennis or Maria Whittaker.
So. Who’s going to give it a try? 
Hmm. My FT817ND is opened, I wonder if it would have sufficient sensitivity to SWL on those bands. 4m is out, it is too close to the first IF at 68.33MHz and I think there may be an IF trap. I could knock up simple dipoles in a couple of hours if my stores can yield up suitable plugs, or use crocodile clips to make extensions for my foldable 2m dipole. Watch this space.
There seems to be a solid case for including those bands in the SOTA logging software…
I need to find a low VHF radio now. Not sure if there is a list of them. Just something dirt cheap for 8m. We have the most generous 8m allowance here in EI so I’m going to give an 8m SOTA attempt some proper thought.
I was watching a video there about 8m in the USA and it looks very interesting, just the band in general. The prop potential looks immense. There is some absolutely bezerk DX windows as well, according to an EI blog. Windows of 15,000km+, trans-Pacific etc.
I only found 2 videos about the 8 meter band on YouTube. Has anyone done an 8m SOTA activation yet? If not, who will be the first to do it!?
Where’s Anneka Rice and her helicopter? She loves a challenge!
…I downloaded that historical wireless world; what a great read. Very interesting adverts and articles of knowledge for 1927; fantastic.
Thanks.
Geoff vk3sq
I notice that there are supposed to be UK beacons on 40.05 and 60.05, and an OZ beacon on 40.071, those give me initial targets. I just tried the 817 with my doublet and tuner, the noise level is high, about S8, and no beacons heard. I’ll work on it tomorrow.
Have you confirmed that operation in the 6 countries that have amateur allocations at 40MHz allows operation away from the home address?
I can’t find anything that states specifics on operation.Just the band plan info. I might run it by the IRTS and see what the official word is for EI.
Far as I can gather, in EI you are good to go. Not sure about anywhere else though, sorry.
There’s a few 8m SSB QSO’s on YouTube on the EI2IP channel, worth a look. Frequencies are right at the bottom end of the 8 meter spectrum.
Have a look at the August 1927 issue of Wireless World, it has the results of that 8 meter QRP activation from July 1927!
I can’t find a single (modern) word on that Perfex antenna alas. Anyone going to make one?
EDIT:
Looks like a possible CHOTA - or a Church Radio Live Broadcast on 8m here:
Doesn’t seem to be an unreasonable question. We have several churches in EI that still broadcast services live on 2m and (i think) 70cm.
A quick Google suggests you should be OK in Ireland but here in the UK access to the 8m band is only via an Innovation & Trials licence - which from memory costs about £50. There won’t be many SOTA stations following that route but the PSK Reporter Map suggests there could be opportunities further afield although most likely only digital.
Currently my 817 will happliy tune the 8m band but refuses to go up as far as the 5m band, although it is “opened” it stops at 54MHz. At present I am thinking in terms of a full wave loop for the 8m band and will worry about the 5m band later - one problem at a time! I’m thinking that it may be possible to set up cross band skeds via this thread at a later date?
And that licence specifically precludes “operational use” i.e. having QSOs.
