ARRL Petitions to delete SS APC

Cut and Paste Comment for the FCC

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To: Federal Communications Commission
RE: RM-11325


I urge the Commission to reject this petition as filed by the ARRL. The Commission ruled previously that APC was required for Spread Spectrum Use. APC has been an important part of commercial spread spectrum applications where Automatic Power Control is proven to reduce interference.

Thank You.

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(Don't Forget to put your name on it)


Link:

http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/upload_v2.cgi

The number is RM-11325



This is a different Petition than the Bandwidth Petition rejected by Amateurs. This new petition basically asks for 2 things:

1. Remove Automatic Power Control (APC) from Spread Spectrum (SS) use.

2. Extend SS use down to 6meters. It is presently restricted to 70cm and above.

Why Vote Against The Petition?

1. APC is a part of SS use for commercial equipment and reduces power automatically to prevent interference.

2. The ARRL complained to the FCC that BPL applications using SS and APC at Part 15 power (milliwatts) was interfereing with Ham Radio. What will our own folks do if we allow 100w?

3. The request to include 2m and 6m reflects the creeping encroachment of wideband data toward HF. CQ Magazine author Don Rotolo is already suggesting (April '06 Issue) a 9kHz wide signal be allowed on HF in the voice bands for OFDM use. OFDM is a Spread Spectrum "mode". As you can see, the encroachment will continue.

4. Wideband Digital Users comprise 1% at best of all users and they will interfere with the other 99% if left unchecked.

Use the verbage above or make up your own, but please go to the FCC site and comment today. The comments now are 6 for the petition and only 4 against.

Update: 4/28/06

Due to your help, the opinion are running 22-6 against. If you have not commented please do!

 

A Linksys wrt54g wireless router with 802.11b/g operation. It will automatically control power output to keep an excellent connection, at least up to the maximum power allowed in the firmware. With an optional firmware replacement (e.g. DD-WRT) you can manually control the output level all the way up to 200mw. At this output level there is some question as to how long the unit will last.

The DD-WRT firmware is Linux based and gives SIGNIFICANT capabilities, up to and including VOIP and bandwidth management of users.

The VOIP application should be especially attractive to hams for use with emergency units.

I have not dug into the source code yet but I am sure access to the Eb and No information would be available since it would be needed for the unit to do its own power control.

That still leaves the Io piece of information to be determined.

I have yet to see anyone suggest a method for implementing Io management on a manual basis.

If you can't do it on a manual basis and you can't do it on an automatic basis, then isn't the proposal just asking for any interference migitation requirements to be removed for SS?

tim ab0wr

 

Comments filed.

IF the 1% can prove their method is better,not just different ,then we will all eventually adopt it;well,almost all.

Otherwise,and I think this more likely,let them emulate the RTTY ops.That is a mode with a small following even though rtty is more accurate than cw.Even with computers instead of big noisy green monsters rtty is still far behind cw (and voice).

Some people keep forgetting this IS a hobby.The ARRL's Segal in formulating the Amateur's Code plainly states that.
The current ARL digital elitists are so fixated on the future they refuse to learn from past lessons.

 

I'm all for new modes. Especially "niche" modes. Folks who worry about broad spectrum QRM should be ranting against BPM and leaky cable TV lines. As far as software defined radios are concerned, I am eagerly anticipating more development. Unfortunately, the GNU folks seem to have lost interest, which is typical of the Linux world in general in the way they get manic on one new thing and then drop it in search of yet another new thing (YANT).

So, until TenTec or Elecraft or others come out with a nice black box, I am not holding my breath on a user-friendly soft radio.

BTW I am a long-time 100% Linux user since 1999.

73's
Dave

 

Just what we need... more noise on the bands.

SS violates one of the basic tenets of Amateur Radio: Listen before you transmit to be sure you're not interfering with another amateur station. SS interferes with a whole bunch of stations indiscriminately.

And SS increases the noise level for all operators, regardless of mode.

SS is a very bad idea whose time will never come.