08-27-2001, 05:10 PM
N4INU writes:
The World Administrative Radio Conference is scheduled to occur in Caracas, Venezuela in 2003. W5YI has categorized six items on the agenda that are planned to be emphasized:
<ul>
(A) Administrations are to continue to verify both technical and operational qualifictions of RadioAmateurs.
(B) Maintaining the non-commercial nature of Amateur Services, including amateur satellites.
(C) Specific provisions to recognize the role of disaster communications in the Amateur Radio Service.
(D) Possible elimination of prohibition against transmission of international communications on behalf of third parties.
(E) Removal of prohibition against radioamateur communications regardless of objections expressed by the administration of either of the countries between whom the communications are made.
(F) Elimination of provisions that merely and redundantly repeat regulations that generally apply to all radio services.
[/list]
So what is the likely outcome of all this?
Item (A) directs attention to Article S25-- with one paragraph therein stipulating the International Morse Code requirement for all administrations (nations) allowing radioamateur use of RF spectrum in the low bands (less than 30 MHz [or 10m]). It is WIDELY agreed by those well familiar with international radioamateur matters that the elimination of the CW requirement is a foregone conclusion. Great and heated controversy on this matter should prove no great surprise. It is difficult to determine exactly how our representative, the ARRL, plans to approach this matter. Articles in QST are not completely clear on this matter (although it is VERY clear that these articles have a very thick layer of political prudence-- they want to ensure a united front by the amateur population and do not want to fracture the commitment of that community (and quite rightly so).
But what does the amateur community believe with regard to CW? There are polls here on QRZ.COM that show that amateurs believe that CW should REMAIN a requirement for access to frequencies under 30 MHz by a factor of over 2 to 1!! And one of the polls also shows that amateurs believe 2 to 1 that the RF spectrum should indeed be divided into digital and voice segments so as to minimize intermodal interference!! It is not clear what our representatives at the ARRL plan to recommend at WRC-2003. On the basis of the poll results here at QRZ.COM there does not appear to be any substantial basis for ARRL's extremely cautious, careful, and discrete approach to this matter. The ARRL is our representative to WRC-2003. Is it practicable or worthwhile to let them know what we think?
Comments very welcome (either way!!) ...73 de N4INU...
The World Administrative Radio Conference is scheduled to occur in Caracas, Venezuela in 2003. W5YI has categorized six items on the agenda that are planned to be emphasized:
<ul>
(A) Administrations are to continue to verify both technical and operational qualifictions of RadioAmateurs.
(B) Maintaining the non-commercial nature of Amateur Services, including amateur satellites.
(C) Specific provisions to recognize the role of disaster communications in the Amateur Radio Service.
(D) Possible elimination of prohibition against transmission of international communications on behalf of third parties.
(E) Removal of prohibition against radioamateur communications regardless of objections expressed by the administration of either of the countries between whom the communications are made.
(F) Elimination of provisions that merely and redundantly repeat regulations that generally apply to all radio services.
[/list]
So what is the likely outcome of all this?
Item (A) directs attention to Article S25-- with one paragraph therein stipulating the International Morse Code requirement for all administrations (nations) allowing radioamateur use of RF spectrum in the low bands (less than 30 MHz [or 10m]). It is WIDELY agreed by those well familiar with international radioamateur matters that the elimination of the CW requirement is a foregone conclusion. Great and heated controversy on this matter should prove no great surprise. It is difficult to determine exactly how our representative, the ARRL, plans to approach this matter. Articles in QST are not completely clear on this matter (although it is VERY clear that these articles have a very thick layer of political prudence-- they want to ensure a united front by the amateur population and do not want to fracture the commitment of that community (and quite rightly so).
But what does the amateur community believe with regard to CW? There are polls here on QRZ.COM that show that amateurs believe that CW should REMAIN a requirement for access to frequencies under 30 MHz by a factor of over 2 to 1!! And one of the polls also shows that amateurs believe 2 to 1 that the RF spectrum should indeed be divided into digital and voice segments so as to minimize intermodal interference!! It is not clear what our representatives at the ARRL plan to recommend at WRC-2003. On the basis of the poll results here at QRZ.COM there does not appear to be any substantial basis for ARRL's extremely cautious, careful, and discrete approach to this matter. The ARRL is our representative to WRC-2003. Is it practicable or worthwhile to let them know what we think?
Comments very welcome (either way!!) ...73 de N4INU...