ARRL Board Adopts Modified Novice Band Refarming Plan

From the ARRL...



The ARRL Board of Directors has adopted a modified proposal to
refarm the Novice bands, now that the FCC no longer issues Novice
licenses. The Board met January 18-19 in Fort Worth, Texas.




The ARRL Novice Spectrum Study Committee had proposed allowing
Novice and Tech Plus (or Technician with Element 1 credit) licensees
to operate CW on General-class 80, 40, 15 and 10-meter CW segments
at up to 200 W output. The panel recommended refarming the current
Novice/Tech Plus CW subbands, in part to allow expansion of phone
allocations on 80, 40 and 15 meters.



The Board approved a modified plan that would leave in place or
slightly trim the amount of additional phone spectrum the committee
had recommended for 75 and 15 meters. The amended plan would drop
the US phone band to 3725 kHz on 75 meters but leave it at 21,200
kHz on 15 meters. The original plan called for dropping both by 25
kHz.



The 75-meter proposal would expand the phone band by 50 kHz for
Generals over the present allocation and by 25 kHz for Advanced and
Extra licensees. On 15 meters, Generals would get another 25 kHz of
phone spectrum, but phone privileges for Advanced and Extra class
operators would stay the same.



The Novice Spectrum Study Committee's original recommendations for
40 and 10 meters were accepted. The ARRL plans to propose the
modified refarming plan to the FCC later this year along with other
regulatory requests.



The Board also deferred until its July meeting a decision on whether
to cut ''Section News'' and contest ''line scores'' from QST and move
them to the ARRL Web site as part of an effort to stem ARRL
operating losses. Before deciding to relocate the QST content, the
Board said, it wants members to be ''aware of the reasons for the
proposed relocation and the enhanced capabilities available on the
Web site.'' The Board said it also wants to evaluate ''variations and
alternatives'' to the proposal.



The Board did decide to eliminate the minutes of its own
meetings--published as ''Moved and Seconded''--from QST. Minutes
already are posted on the ARRL Web site and will be made available
via alternative means to members lacking Internet access.



The Board also voted to accept several changes to the field
organization rules, as the Volunteer Resources Committee
recommended. According to the new rules, ''The Section Manager is
accountable for carrying out the duties of the office in accordance
with ARRL policies established by the Board of Directors and shall
act in the best interests of Amateur Radio.'' Section managers will
be proscribed from ''committing, obligating, or binding the League''
without review by the Field and Educational Services Manager and
approval of the ARRL president.



Among other changes, the revised rules will prohibit a section
manager removed from office for running in the next SM election
following removal. Anyone removed by action of the Executive
Committee would have to get that committee's consent to be eligible
to run again. The Executive Committee also will have the power to
cancel any field organization appointment ''whenever it appears to be
in the best interest of the ARRL to do so.''



The Board also modified the ARRL by-laws to say that anyone removed
from office by recall ''shall not be eligible to be a candidate for
director or vice director for three years following removal from
office.''



The Board further resolved to petition the FCC for reconsideration
in ET Docket 98-156, by comments in ET Docket 01-278, and ''by other
necessary means'' in order to elicit ''a clear statement from FCC
acknowledging the limit of its statutory jurisdiction to authorize
the manufacture and sale of unlicensed Part 15 devices.''



The Board resolved to extend the ARRL's ''most sincere condolences to
the families and friends of the radio amateurs who lost their lives
on September 11, 2001.'' The Board also commended and honored
amateurs ''who generously volunteered their time and expertise during
the rescue and recovery efforts on September 11 and thereafter.''



The Board holds its next meeting in July in Windsor, Connecticut.

[CLINTON1]

It makes more sence to bring back the novice, leave the technicians to digital uhf/vhf and then make them a novice when code is passed, and leave the bands alone. I see a trend over the last 10-15 years, toward non licensing like the CB people. You all have to admit it, its going thata way very quick, and I dont think ARRL really cares. When they cut back on their magazine, its the end in sight. I have seen it too many times with several companies, and I seriously believe they have cut off their nose to spite CW. Honor on the radio is gone. and so am I...come on, hate mail

Amazing... with all the issues hams currently face, and with all that money in membership dues, this is what the League is doing with their time and your money.</P>


The novice license no longer exists. The priveledges are only going to be around until the last Novice dies or upgrades, so why is the League talking about this like it's an actual concern?</P>


I can't imagine a single person on the League's Board of whatever has ever listened to the novice CW subbands, because I've found they tend to be totally empty. Now there's a need to address expanding the space they already aren't using?</P>


How much money did it cost you, the dues-paying ARRL member, for these guys to gather in Newington, eat, drink, and discuss this dead issue?</P>


It's 2002... do you know where your section manager's attention is?</P>

[AC7RI]

While trimming waste is never a bad thing, I fail to see exactly what time and money was wasted here. All the ARRL did was put a poll up on their website, have a committee do a look over, then vote on this over a wide-ranging board meeting. Go to the ARRL website - they have the minutes up there and you'll see that this was just one of a few dozen things that they discussed.

I've found people on the Novice CW subbands all the time, by the way.

You know, I've been a Ham for awhile and I like the hobby. I got my ticket in 1992 as a Novice. Why is the Novice license getting squeezed? I have no interest in the Technician class license because if I wanted to talk across town, I simply would call someone on my cell phone. I still contend that the Novice license should remain the way it is. Don't screw with our band width, and don't let the Technician class on the HF bands.

And another thing, QST is not the ARRL's problem as far as revenues go. Cost cuts should be at the league management and not QST. I would like to peek at the ARRL books and find out who is on the payroll and where the expenditures are going.

QRZ runs a much better site than the ARRL and seems to have more to offer and it's free!

I know the "ARRL lobbies on our behalf" but from what I see, they're not lobbying on what the majority of the people in the hobby want they major license restructuring disaster (yes disaster!) when CW was eliminated, I don't find them very effective either.

HAM IS MEAT

[w8tvi]

I just can't get over people seem to read into a posting what they want it to say.

"CLINTON1" thinks that the ARRL wants No-code techs to have HF privileges; ka1zgc thinks that they are expanding the novice sub bands, and "Ham_is_Meat" thinks the same thing as "CLINTON1".
If any of them had bothered to actually read what the post said, they would have seen that "The ARRL Novice Spectrum Study Committee had proposed allowing Novice and Tech Plus (or Technician with Element 1 credit) licensees to operate CW on General-class 80, 40, 15 and 10-meter CW segments at up to 200 W output." Nowhere does it say No-Code Tech...

Come on people! READ!

[kc6ufe]

the novice and techplus band expansion is a non-argument, as these license class no longer exist except for those that already have them. For more priveledges they should just upgrade to general, as they already have code, and the written to general is not difficult. The real reason for this proposal is to expand the phone bands into the cw bands, with the other arguments just a smokescreen. There is no reason to do this as the portions of the bands being requested to be converted into phone are those areas where the commercial broadcasters have primary priveledges, and the additional power and ssb signals will just interefere even more. There is no reason to do this as there is plenty of band space except maybe on contest days.

[Midwest]

It is good seeing the League attempt to make the best use of the bands. The world has changed and so has the radio hobby. The proposals simply reflect the reality of the situation. Old time radio was good but it no longer exists off the CW bands. Rules no longer exclude people who are a bit too slow to master the language and technical aspects of radio. As the old timers die off, the vast majority of the hams of today are from the lower class. Considering that, the band use needs to be updated for them. Support the ARRL !!

[km5yl]

I think that it's obvious that nay people did't even read what happened at this meeting, nor do they really know what this is all about. One thing that was addressed was whether or not to keep the Section News and the contest results (both of which will be kept for the next six months). The refarming referred to expanding the voice portion of the bands by taking more from the novice cw portion (supposedly to relieve overcrowding). I was one of those 5000 hams who responded to the survey and I was against refarming of the novice portion of the cw subband,
simply for the fact that even though it is a bit underused, there are still those who go there, because they aren't comfortable on the *faster* portions of the band (of course, a good ham would slow down if he heard somone cq'ing at a much slower speed). Due to a modified plan submitted by my Division Director, K5UR

[km5yl]

Sorry folks, I have quite a few typos here (that's what I get for no having my glasses on!). To finish my statement. Due to a modified plan submitted by my division director, K5UR (way to go Rick!), the changes were pared down considerably.
So, how many of you actually answered the survey sent out by the ARRL?

[KE4MOB]

They didn't gather in Newington...they gathered in Fort Worth, TX. Jim Haynie lives over in Dallas. The next meeting will be in CT.



Heck, you think this is a waste...they haven't even touched on Advanced spectrum refarming yet.



You know, they keep saying to us "the ARRL is YOUR league". I think they need to add "as long as you agree with the board." It looks like from the other actions taken, the League wants yes-men and women in the field organization, not people who will represent the wishes of the section members. What's the point of even voting, if the successful candidate has to be "ordained" by HQ? The League is basically telling its members "Sit Down and Shut Up...we know what is best for ham radio."



But heck, what do I care? I burned my card four years ago...



Steve, KE4MOB

[N8FXH]

The lowering of only the general portion of 15 meters screws up using 21.275 to 21/3 for Dx for those of us who do not own amps...The pileups will only get worse ...this was a poor decision but overall the borad did fairly well.

[N8FXH]

If you quit it will definitely get worse...hang in and slow up the changes.

[WA4MJF]

Well, Steve, then worry about what the organizations you belong to are doin', not the ones that you don't belong to.

Actually, the ARRL has offered a comprehensive plan that affects all classes.

73 de Ronnie

[WA4MJF]

I think you mean Division Director.

Your Section SM runs the Field Services in
his/her Section. He/she (not the pervert
kind) has zero to do with decisions of the BoD,
except as any other member in votin' and
expressin' opinions to the Division Director.

73 de Ronnie

[wd8bil]

I beg to differ with you KC6UFE. The 75 meter phone band on any given nite is quite crowded. Listen between 3850 and 3900 and you'll soon see (hear) the mess. The heritage stations (AM) try to stay within a small portion (3870-3890) but are constantly qrm'ed (intentionally more times than not). With little activity on the cw subbands it only makes sense to make more room for the popular modes.
Besides, we're the ONLY country in the world that has MANDATED subbands. To tell the truth, I'd like to see all subband mandates eliminated.
But you know or government.....regulate regulate regulate !!!! It's called freedom.

Bud WD8BIL

[NE5U]

I answered mine.


I'm ok with the end result although I am one of those few that hang out in the 40m Novice section. Not because of speed, I would just like to help someone learn code. I've had a few CW QSO's there that were very satisfying. Nice and slow, well spaced code. EVERY time that I look the call up I find that the "Tech-plus" that I thought that I was talking to is a fellow Extra. Probably just trying to help someone too. As an Extra, I don't get quite as caught up in the band plan stink as some people do. Not that I think that they are wrong. I'm just saying that I never think about it. I have no need to.</P>


73</P>


Mike,
WM5LL

[kc6ufe]

ok, I will agree with you that the lower portion of the 75M band is crowded, but I think the problem is not one of not enough bandwidth, but as you also state, just one of intentional qrm by people who dont want to move up the band, as there is bandwidth up to 4.0Mhz, and it isnt crowded all the way up. every night all the time. There is room, people just settle in on a frequency and then stake a claim, and dont use good amateur practice. I will also agree with you that there is lots of unused bandwidth in the cw portion, which may be true or not, but I do not hear much cw work there from my qth. I would consider your argument from the point of view that the cw portion is underused instead of the point of view that the phone band is overused.
Maybe more of the phone users should just use cw, (just kidding).
kc6ufe
thanks for the comments and considerations, I appreciate a good honest difference of opinion.

[kc6ufe]

I was gonna join the arrl but didnt because they raised the dues and I think the price is too high.

[donaldl]

This is true the FCC will not issue this class of lic. but it is renewable. what about the ARRL going to bat for them
and get them grand fathered to Tech plus.

[kc6ufe]

why not just pass the test and upgrade, its about as easy as tying your shoe.

[NB3O]

OK, if you really want a peek at the books, go to http://www.kr4uq.org/ARRL_Tax_Returns/arrl_tax_returns.html to see the unedited returns. 73

[K7WHB]

The ARRL action does away with the identified Novice spectrum for the very reasons you cite and allows those currently holding that class license to continue to exercise the privledges granted by their license over a slightly larger piece of the band. In the mean time, other licensees get a little more spectrum to use for SSB. Nobody's really hurt and General, Advanced and Extra licensees gain some.

[W1DEC]

If it's proposed to re-allocate part(s) of a band should not the proper term be re-allocate or revise? We aren't raising hogs on the air are we?