Loss of two meter simplex frequencies IMMINENT in Texas!

I'm going to preface this with the fact I own and operate a repeater, I have a lot of respect for several members of the VHF folks, they were very helpful, courteous and prompt in help gain assigned repeater pairs, etc. That said 98% of my operation is simplex and I am a firm believer in simplex operations and am the president of one of the largest simplex clubs in Texas. We have designed, built and tuned our stations to have the range and coverage so that we rarely if every use a repeater and when we do switch to our repeater it is normally mobil to mobil operations and even then it's rare.

As such I am firmly objecting to the attempted transfer of simplex freq to use for Repeaters Dstar or other wise. In my opinion there are more than enough available pairs out there. Pure and simple the VHF society needs to just take the time to clean house and clear out non-existant repeaters. This act would free up pairs for not only DStar but Analog repeaters as well.

I also am going to voice a concern I have that you are required to be a member to vote and put forth a vote. This attempted theft of simplex frequencies seems like one hell of a fund raiser to me requiring that we become members paying a fee to join to have a voice and a vote in this action that IMPACTS US ALL.

It is also my opinion that the VHF society is over stepping it's bounds and duties in the attempt to seize simplex freq for DStar.

I second the opinion that DStar repeater owners can stand in line like the rest of us, but there is no valid reason to make changes to a band plan that is NOT in the best interest of the Ham Radio Community and is a slap in the face to the Simplex operators in this great State.

I implore everyone that cares and wants to see this action stopped to take the time, put the meeting on your schedule and be there to put forth a solid HELL NO VOICE.

This is an ill conceived plan and benefits no one but a handful of DStar operators and is doing so at the sake of other operators.

There is no moral justification for this action and I for one will do all that I can to put a stop to this plan.

 

Yeah, like all of the 220 MHz band. Oh, wait...nobody makes radios for that band.... never mind...
(Though it WOULD be a good place to put digital....)

 

Several people make decent 220fm rigs and there are multiple manufactures of transverters to allow all modes on 220. If you are in and around the San Antonio area the Unusual Suspects operate on 223.500, there are about 19 local folks operating there.

Check out our web page: www.wx5us.us 2 Meter Simplex: 146.560/6 Meter Simplex: 50.130/ 1.25 Meter Simplex: 223.500

 

A poll has been posted here on qrz asking hams if they are for or against this. http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.ph...xas-VHF-FM-Society-poll-on-proposed-band-plan.

See everybody in Austin!

Aaron Scott
WX5VHF

 

On-line Simplex Users Poll Reopened

Hams of Texas,

The Texas VHF-FM Society has had a proposal to modify the Texas band plan since 2008. Details of the proposal can be found at an FAQ on our website at: Link to FAQ

To participate in the poll, please click this link:
Link to Simplex Users Poll Look at the blue menu bar in the left side of the window, and take both the “Digital Repeater Band Plan” and “Simplex Usage” polls shown in the left hand menu. Please note that the poll is only open to Texas hams.

The purpose of the poll is so that the membership will have data from all interested hams, including simplex users, when they vote on the proposal. We recognized this proposal has an effect on all hams of Texas, and we welcome your input. Last year we ran on on-line poll from Feb to October 2010 to understand the simplex usage around the state. Due to popular request, we are re-opening the same poll again.

If you are a licensed amateur who resides in the state of Texas, The Texas VHF-FM Society would like to hear from you. The Society has been coordinating digital repeaters on certain simplex frequencies on 2 meters in select areas of Texas. These provisional co-ordinations have been issued for the past three and a half years on an interim basis until such time as a formal band plan can be adopted.

Traditional repeater pairs in some major metropolitan areas are unavailable for coordination while there are a number of individuals and clubs who are expressing interest in putting digital technology on the air in these areas. To meet the demand, the Society proposes coordinating digital repeater systems on 2 meters as shown in the FAQ link above.

You are not required to register to take the poll. There is no fee or membership required to register your poll or comments.

Please feel free to send your comments to our Secretary at secretary@txvhffm.org

 

Is this the same as a vote ?

 

A vote on the poll at the Society website IS NOT A REAL VOTE. It is a straw poll to show the Society were everyone stands. Please vote on the poll, but you need to show up in Austin to make a really vote.

Aaron Scott
WX5VHF

 

New simplex poll on QRZ. (The old one was taken down, it had problems)

Please re-vote on this poll. you must be signed in to QRZ to vote.



http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.ph...osed-Texas-VHF-FM-Society-two-meter-band-plan

 

New simplex poll on QRZ. (The old one was taken down, it had problems)

Please re-vote on this poll. you must be signed in to QRZ to vote.



http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.ph...osed-Texas-VHF-FM-Society-two-meter-band-plan

 

I came away from the San Antonio meeting with the Texas VHF Society very disappointed. First off, based on the wide range of comments, complaints, etc from hams around town on the air and via e-mail I expected a much greater turn out, the turn out was a major disappointment. People if we do not stand up and count, we are going to lose a chunk of our simplex freq and it was CLEARLY JUST A STARTING POINT.

First off, the Texas VHF Society reps stated they are trusties of the band based on ruling by the FCC. Well if they are trusties then they represent ALL HAM RADIO OPERATORS, not the special interest groups in Houston, etc. In a case that impacts all of Texas Hams, I think it is inexcusable that you have to pay to vote on an issue that impacts us. On this issue, if you have a Ham lic then you should have a vote. A select group should not be able to run roughshod over thousands of ham radio operators.

I went to this meeting yesterday thinking they were looking for input from ham radio operators around the state and that a solid voice could help make a difference. That is not what the meeting was about, it was to tell us what they planned and basically that we needed to LIVE WITH IT.

Multiple things about this band plan concern me.

#1: I feel we have enough repeater space laid out now, first thing that needs to be done before they go and take away freq from simplex operators {which out number 2 to 1 repeater users in Texas} is clean house and get rid of all the paper repeaters. It is inexcusable to talk about taking space away from simplex users when you have trash out there. CLEAN YOUR HOUSE FIRST.

#2: They are giving a slice of spectrum for special interest user. This allows digital repeater operators to move ahead in line of analog repeater operators who have been waiting for spectrum to open up and put up a repeater. Frankly there is NO reason to give these special interest operators priority ahead of analog repeater users or simplex repeater users. WHILE NOT ILLEGAL, IT SHOULD BE CRIMINAL. And they laughed when it was suggested that Icom was pushing this agenda. Yet look at history and look at what is happening. A very small select group is being driving to priority over all others.

#3: WHAT TRULY SET ME OFF, was when it was expressed to them that there are huge numbers of simplex groups around the state and some of them fall into the range of freq that wish to be stolen for digital use, They looked us in the eye and stated. THEY CAN TURN THE BIG DIAL TO A NEW FREQ.

THAT SENT THE MESSAGE LOUD AND CLEAR THAT THEY DO NOT GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THE THOUSANDS OF SIMPLEX USERS, THEY ONLY CARE ABOUT THE HANDFUL WHO PAY THEM.

THE TEXAS VHF SOCIETY IN MY OPINION ONLY REPRESENTS A SELECT GROUP OF TEXAS HAM RADIO OPERATORS AND IF YOU DO NOT PAY THEM, THEY DO NOT GIVE A #### ABOUT YOU OR YOUR OPINION.

THIS IS JUST A START IN FREQ GRAB AND ANYONE WHO ENJOYS HAM RADIO NEEDS TO STAND UP AND FIGHT BACK AGAINST THIS!

Use all of our resources...FCC, border state VHF Society and Hams, and spread the word.

The way this is happening, is wrong and we need to organize and work to stop and change the way things are run. THIS IS OUR HOBBY AND OUR FREQ NOT A SELECT FEW OF ELITIST.

 

Shouldn't the ARRL be the one making any new band plans instead of a state based organization, so at least we'd all be on the same page? All of our band plans are made by the ARRL and not on a state level by another organization, so why should this be any different? What will happen if hams residing near the state line in neighboring states interfere with the new band plan here - frivolous law suits? Vice versa? D-Star maybe coming to two meters no mater how we feel but it's gaining any status to our frequencies should be done the way other band plans have been done.
I feel a letter to the FCC asking that the ARRL create a national sub band instead of each state doing it would be more appropriate, then let the state organizations coordinate repeater frequency assignments after the ARRL creates a sub band. Radio waves do not respect political boundaries.

 

This is clearly another instance of a self-appointed body changing it's charter in a self-serving fashion and appointing themselves the "saviors" of the 2 meter band. As if the only mode of operation on 2 meters is to hang out on a repeater and now it will be to hang out on a digital repeater that uses a technologically proprietary format.
The world is a safer place due to folks like this. "If you want to register an opinion in "our" sandbox you need to pay "our" dues." It does not matter that what "we" do is of no interest to you. If you want to vote on our associations decisions that will affect all 2 meter operations in Texas then you need to join us.

Paying dues to these folks is like a tacit form of approval for whatever wacky scheme they come up with.

I live in "4 land" but spend a great deal of my time in Texas on business. Do I now need to apply for an amateur radio visa when I cross the border as a loyalty oath that I will follow the Texas repeater association's decisions on where I can talk simplex? What if I am in Shreveport Louisiana? Is there a protective boundary around Texas that keeps the signals from other states from bleeding over into Texas? How about if I am in Beaumont and want to talk to someone in Lake Charles LA? Should I follow the ARRL bandplan or the Texas repeater association idea of what I can talk on?

 

There actually IS an FCC mandated subband for repeaters. It goes from 144.5 to 145.5 and from 146.0 to 148.0. There is no subband for simplex. They can operate wherever, as long as they don't interfere. The FCC has granted local coordinators the ability to coordinate repeaters in these subbands. The coordinators don't have much power over simplex users, other than to say where the repeaters are coordinated, and to ask simplex users to honor that. Simplex users can do what they want, however. My gut feeling is that there is plenty of room for everyone. Some simplex users may have to move frequencies. Is that so hard, really? The repeaters are confined to certain band restrictions, simplex users are not. Simplex users can easily spin the dial to another spot, a place where repeaters are not allowed, and carry on forever knowing that repeaters will not be able to invade their domain. Does that make sense? Or is it better to say, "I've been on 146.49 for 30 years, I'll be damned if I'm moving!" That seems to be the attitude of the simplex users here.

Joe

 

Personally I don't feel that a ham should have to belong to any association, club, group or whatever in order to have a vote in policy making such as this one but I do realize and accept that it does cost money to operate organizations such as the ARRL, Texas VHF society, etc that do some of the needed evils.
What I really find wrong with this proposal is that a ham has to be physically present at the meeting in order to vote instead of the vote being taken by mail in ballot or electronically. A trip to Austin for me is 450 miles round trip, I live on a fixed income - that's $80 of gasoline if you figure in wear and tear $247! The further you get from Austin the more expensive it gets, what about all of the hams who live in El Paso - a 1300 mile round trip!! Then there's the dues to be paid to join when one gets there. This is an outright taking of a resource by a group representing a certain special interest that will take some of every ham's FCC allocated frequencies to start. I can't afford to go to Austin to vote due to other financial obligations that come first, I wonder how far will this go when more folks are wanting to put more dead D-Star repeaters on the air. 2 meters operations existed long before repeaters, but defective policy making decisions such as this one may be the death of 2 meters. I urge everyone who feels they will be adversely affected by this to write the FCC & ARRL.

 

I don't mind moving but I don't feel the way this is being decided is correct and who will say enough when more dead repeater frequency pairs are wanted and a few more simplex freqs taken? What's wrong with mail in ballots besides the fact that there will be some votes against that the Society would most likely prefer to not have to count?