Will we now get a DXCC-award for 60m? I have 148 entities worked and confirmed so it would be very nice adding a 11:th band for DXCC!
I agree on the DXCC award. At first 30m QSOs didn't count for ARRL awards, but then they changed and developed 30m awards and endorsements. 73 John AF5CC
15 watts certainly is qrp in the average HF ops book, in fact anything in ham radio HF related under 500 watts is qrp. Life's way to short to make the poor ham on the other end of the radio link have to struggle to pull a pitiful, weak, watery ham signal out of the noise.
In the USA, 66 to 72MHz is allocated to television channel 4. 72 to 76MHz is an ISM band (industrial, scientific, medical).
The easiest way to do this is ask AI to collect all the past and implemented 'best practices' info and ask it to suggest several scenarios, say 3, that would be within that realm for the new 60m band(s). That way you capture the wisdom of past efforts and folks who had decades of experience-- but may no longer be around. I think you will be surprised. And as always, assume AI is wrong and push it to review/remove conflation. 73 Chip W1YW
Never mind. Just did it on chatgpt. AI did not just copy web based opinion... ------------------------------------------------------ How this differs from “just copying the web” Most online band plans will: Pick a popular FT8 frequency and a voice calling frequency Copy existing non-U.S. practice, and Stop there The proposal above explicitly: Reserves a coherent CW / ultra-narrow experimental block at the low edge (5351.5–5355), which many “crowd-sourced” plans ignore. Constrains digital to a mid-band block (5355–5360) so it cannot silently spread and choke off voice / CW. Treats the 15 kHz as a scarce utility with explicit roles for each part, not just “put FT8 here, voice there.” Integrates the legacy 100 W channels in a complementary role (structured, higher-power operations) instead of just treating them as more “spots.” Builds in emergency, training, and etiquette norms, not just frequency maps. If you’d like, next step I can: Turn this into a one-page “club handout” or “section-level voluntary 60m band plan” PDF, Or adapt it specifically for your region (e.g., known ARES frequencies, existing nets) so it meshes with what your local hams already do. You said: SUmmarize this to half the length ChatGPT said: Here is a clean, ~50%-length summary of the proposed voluntary 60 m best-practice plan: 1. Principles 15 kHz is tiny → plan must prevent mode sprawl. Prioritize narrow modes; keep SSB predictable. Respect secondary status and 15 W EIRP in the new band. Maintain emergency usefulness and simple, intuitive layout. 2. Voluntary Band Plan for 5351.5–5366.5 kHz Zone A: CW & ultra-narrow digital (5351.5–5355.0) CW and experimental low-rate modes. Suggested spots: 5352.0 (CW), 5353.5 (ultra-narrow digi). Zone B: Digital modes (5355.0–5360.0) FT8, FT4, JS8Call, Olivia, PSK31. Suggested centers: 5357.0 FT8, 5358.5 JS8Call. Goal: contain digital activity so it doesn’t expand across all 15 kHz. Zone C: SSB voice & mixed (5360.0–5366.5) Main SSB area; keep signals clean and ≤2.8 kHz. Suggested centers: 5362.0 voice calling, 5365.0 controlled/emcomm use. 3. Operating Best Practices Protect primary users: QSY immediately if federal activity is suspected. Power discipline: honestly limit to 15 W EIRP in the new band. Spectral hygiene: clean SSB, narrow digi, avoid overdrive. Etiquette: listen first, announce nets, keep QSOs short during busy periods. Emergency readiness: treat 5362 kHz (or local choice) as a quick “go-to” SSB spot. 4. Using the Four Legacy Channels (5332, 5348, 5373, 5405 kHz) Retain 100 W ERP; ideal for structured and regional operations. Suggested roles: 5332 – EMCOMM / coordination 5348 – digital traffic 5373 – inter-state SSB nets 5405 – nighttime wide-area coordination When not in scheduled use, channels revert to general use—but nets and EMCOMM take precedence.
Here is AI's proposed 'Club Handout' SUmmary-- Voluntary 60 m Operating Guide (U.S.) – Club Handout FCC Rules Summary: New allocation: 5351.5–5366.5 kHz (secondary). Power: 15 W EIRP (≈9.15 W ERP) in the new band; 100 W ERP on four legacy channels (5332, 5348, 5373, 5405). Emission bandwidth: ≤ 2.8 kHz. License: General or higher. No mandatory sub-bands or channelization. 1. Voluntary Band Plan for 5351.5–5366.5 kHz (15 kHz total) Zone A – CW & Ultra-Narrow Digital 5351.5–5355.0 kHz CW, QRSS, weak-signal experiments. Suggested spots: 5352.0 CW, 5353.5 narrow digital. Zone B – Digital Modes 5355.0–5360.0 kHz FT8, FT4, JS8Call, PSK31, Olivia. Suggested centers: 5357.0 FT8, 5358.5 JS8Call. Goal: keep digital modes contained and predictable. Zone C – SSB Voice & Mixed Use 5360.0–5366.5 kHz USB voice, nets, quick traffic. Suggested centers: 5362.0 SSB calling, 5365.0 controlled/emcomm use. Keep audio tight to avoid edge creep. 2. Best Operating Practices Protect primary users: If unusual signals appear, QSY immediately. Use real 15 W EIRP: calculate antenna gain + feedline loss; don’t guess. Good signal hygiene: Clean SSB (≈2.4 kHz), avoid splatter; keep digital within set windows. Listen before transmitting—space is limited; hidden QSOs are easy to wipe out. Announce nets clearly (“Is this frequency in use?”). Keep QSOs brief during busy conditions. 3. Legacy 60 m Channels (100 W ERP) 5332, 5348, 5373, 5405 kHz Suggested roles: 5332 – EMCOMM / regional coordination 5348 – digital traffic (≤2.8 kHz modes only) 5373 – SSB nets / inter-state coordination 5405 – nighttime working channel, wide-area nets General guidance: Give priority to scheduled nets and EMCOMM activity. When idle, channels are open for general use (SSB or digital). Keep operating professional and concise. 4. Quick Reference Summary CW/Ultra-narrow: 5351.5–5355 Digital: 5355–5360 SSB: 5360–5366.5 Voice calling: ~5362 Legacy channels (100 W ERP): 5332 / 5348 / 5373 / 5405
It is an odd little band, but enjoyable when there is activity. I think because of the channelization it's easy to pass through the five channels a couple times pretty quick, and if nothing is heard people just move on. I'm guilty of that as well. I do think the newfound agility should help spark some interest. The majority of my contacts on 60 have been park activators, mixed with a few net check-ins and some brief conversations as well. My current temporary antenna isn't great on 60 meters, so once I put something back up with better capability I'll be more active there again.
On July 28, 2022, our regulator – Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) – updated “RBR-4 – Standards for the Operation of Radio Stations in the Amateur Radio Service”. This update gave Amateurs in Canada two new bands: 472-479 kHz (630 metres) and 5351.5-5366.5 kHz in the 60 metre band. The information provided below is about the 60 metre Amateur band and offers advice on the best way to ensure you stay within the rules on this very unusual band. Two New Bands for Canadian Amateurs (rac.ca) You can see the new RBR-4 at: https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf10650.html 60m Amateur Radio Band Channels English: The 60 metre Amateur band is available to anyone holding an Advanced certificate, or anyone holding a Basic with Honours or Basic with 5 wpm Morse Code qualification. Sixty metres is not available to those with a Basic certificate only. For Amateurs in Canada, we have four fixed frequencies on which we may operate plus a new 15 kHz-wide band. On all of these frequencies, Amateur Radio is a secondary service. That means we may operate freely on these frequencies, but we may not cause harmful interference to non-Amateur operations. We are the junior service on these frequencies and we have to give way to the senior users. One important limitation is that Canadian Amateurs may not use emissions that are more than 2.8 kHz-wide on any part of the 5 MHz band. That means that CW, SSB and narrow-bandwidth digital modes are all allowed. AM, FM and other wide-band modes are not allowed on this band because they all require more that 2.8 kHz of bandwidth. Staying on the Correct Frequency If you are operating on CW, you may set your transceiver to any of these frequencies: 5332 kHz exactly 5348 kHz exactly 5351.5 to 5366.5 kHz – you may freely move around within this narrow 15 kHz-wide band 5373 kHz exactly 5405 kHz exactly If you are using SSB, please remember that the convention is to use Upper Sideband (USB) on 5 MHz. If you are using digital modes, such as FT8, you also use the USB mode on your transceiver. When using USB voice or any digital mode, please set your transceiver to any of these frequencies: 5330.5 kHz exactly 5346.5 kHz exactly 5351.5 to 5363.7 kHz – you may freely move around within this narrow 15 kHz-wide band 5371.5 kHz exactly 5403.5 kHz exactly Note: Digital mode activity, including FT-8, is centred on 5357 kHz. That is the frequency to which you set your transceiver while using USB to transmit digital data. Many countries have different or additional frequency assignments for Amateurs. You are allowed to listen on other frequencies for Amateurs, but you may only transmit on those frequencies authorized for Amateurs in Canada. Transmitting on one frequency and listening on another is called “working split”. “Working split” is quite common on 60 metres, especially on CW. How much power? Amateurs in Canada are limited to running 100 watts ERP – that is 100 watts radiated from a dipole antenna. If your antenna has more gain than a dipole, you must reduce your power accordingly to stay within the limit. We have an unusually generous power limit in Canada. Most countries limit Amateurs to running 15 watts EIRP – that is 15 watts into an isotropic radiator. There are a few countries that have more generous power limits and also some that allow no operation on 60 metres whatsoever. In Canada, but what about abroad? Everything you have read until now applies only if you are operating in Canada. If you operate on 60 metres while visiting another country, you must check their regulations to see on what frequencies and with how much power you may transmit. In some countries, you may not be allowed to operate on 60 metres at all. When visiting the United States, their regulations limit you to five fixed frequencies: On CW: 5332, 5348, 5358.5, 5373 and 5405 kHz exactly On SSB or digital modes: 5330.5, 5346.5, 5357, 5371.5 and 5403.5 kHz exactly In all cases, you are limited to 100 watts ERP, just as in Canada. If you are on a ship at sea in international waters or in airspace outside the territorial limits of any country, you may operate only from 5351.5 kHz to 5366.5 kHz, and only with a maximum power of 15 watts EIRP. Once you enter the territorial waters or airspace of another country, their rules apply. Make sure you are properly authorized to operate in that country.
I suspect that if they introduce a 60m award, one of the rules will be that it's for contacts made after a certain date. It'd make DXCC Challenge a little bit easier.
