Radio Amateurs To See Reallocation Of Portions Of Microwave Band

Agreed: we will lose more spectrum moving ahead. But that 's AHEAD. We have input on shaping that future and controlling what gets removed from Part 97 allocations..

What works best against others' NEEDS is extant USE.

If we use certain bands the amount of spectrum taken away will be inverse to our use.

Look, you guys are doing a great job of using our microwave spectrum. Truly. But you are a select few! The problem isn't the existing users (of these Part 97 allocations), its finding paths to bring new (ham) users to the table on these bands, and populating them.

That's not a problem anyone should lay on the existing (ham) user base at microwave in any major way. It's a problem we ALL have and ALL have to figure out, very very soon.

We are on the same side.

73
Chip W1YW

 

The FCC auction for the next band up at 3550 to 3650 MHz (CBRS) just concluded today. $4.6B for 70 MHz.

https://auctiondata.fcc.gov/public/projects/auction105

 

..and we have all known (if we looked) about the auction for a very long time

None of that spectrum had Part 97 allocation previously. So I am not sure of your point.

73
Chip W1YW

 

Removal of secondary, non-federal allocations from the 3.3-3.55 GHz band still in play.

https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-366748A1.pdf

 

I saw this coming years ago, and in 2011 wrote a proposal/plea for help from the ARRL, to help promote this band (use it or lose it).
But all them ol codgers seem to care about was the contesting in the CW portion of HF. whoo peeeeeee
No vision in Connecticut.... One of the MANY reasons I gave up on them and quit wasting my money on dues.

I do wonder when those of us with gear running 3460-3500 will have to take it all down?
Its a quiet -105db noise floor up there, pushing 100MB/s+ of data over many miles.

 

This will be a great test of the ARRL's ability to preserve spectrum. Until 3300 to 3450 MHz is actually reallocated, we should have access to it.

I'm pretty sure Ubiquiti gear can be moved below 3450 MHz.

 

"The future of Ham radio" what...as a talk-fest? The opportunity was lost post ww11 to demand forever the HF bands and some VHF for the service rendered. Commercialisation saw Ham Radio largely turn into jabber-jabber ...plug together , get comfortable and start talking, demanding "hi-fi' audio instead of simply good-for-commnications audio. The princesses began seeing ham experimentation not as personal electronic achievement and comprehension but as commercial set comparisons. Tradition eroded...though some American Hams did and do great historical renovations and attended auctions to try to save old gear from the tip. Others do brillliant engineering and some still work with component level and discrete component gear.

In the '60's the VHF enthusiasts deluded themselves that HF was for old fogies...the bright ones, the modernists, the 'progressives' were into restricted calls on VHF and later UHF. They were so competent they coldn't learn Morse and anyway, it was beneath them..."old stuff". There was a rush into Amateur TV and repeaters, ultimately utilising cast off commercial gear. Then it went the way of CB radio...a sort of alternative telephone service, once banned on Ham-bands. Dominantly today it is binary mode...boring boring boring...and equally boring computer control. A sort of distraction and mental exercise using modern, usually unrepairable at component level gear.

The way forward is to work on HF and ULF using conventional modes and returning to Ham traditions including promotion of Morse. Fortunately there are still some really smart Hams around and there are also sets which continue to fascinate us, the BC-348's Commands, ART-13's HRO, TCS, and a string of gear back into the 1930's which have the aura of Amateur radio tradition which has lasted 80/90 years. Yes they were 'commercial' but they are component level repairable and not binary. Unfortunately the HF bands also are misused by some and invaded by others...particularly marine users; they do however offer a different kind of fraternity to VHF/UHF. Perhaps they will not last the present older generation but purporting that C-B VHF/UHF is Ham radio is a sad substitute.

 

No it is not the way forward. That's just dumb. If Morse was so compelling your idea would have worked some time in the last 50 years.

But it didn't. And it won't.

Sorry, those days are over.

Do it yourself, with a few buddies. Enjoy your time together.

 

Sorry to be somewhat cryptic here, however, I am still in the best career 'field' ever and cannot comment directly on 3.x GHz.
Did not someone just talk to Congress about spectrum? (Google)
FCC website has so many Part 5 entries all across the spectrum; all of it is at risk.

As for amateur spectrum above 'HF', most is 'borrowed'; amateurs do not have station classes nor assignments which means something in my career field.

Some 'HF' is already lawfully encroached upon (sounders and the like).

So....just a passing suggestion -
If you love the hobby and really want to protect 'HAM' spectrum.....whether you like them or NOT....contribute to the ARRL Spectrum Defense Fund. I have in the past and I will in the future.

Which spectrum to protect in an order of priority, we probably could not agree to disagree. But make suggestions, and follow WRC/WARC discussions if you have time.

Well, I stirred it up enough...carry on.

Not sarcasm (really)
Very Respectfully,
OBM

 

Much more information in this Fact Sheet and proposed NPRM. Looks like the FCC is open to a two stage sunsetting of the band (although for interference protection, it could be 3300 to 3400 MHz instead of 3300 to 3450 MHz).

https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-366780A1.pdf