Threat to key part of 70cm ham radio band in Belgium

Threat to key part of 70cm ham radio band in Belgium

UBA report the Belgium Regulator BIPT is consulting on a proposal to restrict Amateur Radio access to 433.050 - 434.790 MHz in such a way that it will hardly be usable anymore

BIPT propose an outright ban on amateur Packet, ATV, DATV in that segment, and draconian restrictions on other modes such as FM which could be restricted to ultra low power - just 10 milliwatts - and a low TX duty cycle, just 30 seconds of TX time in 3 minutes.

The aim seems to be to protect license-exempt consumer short-range devices from interference. It appears BIPT considers car keys fobs, garage door remote controls, temperature sensors, lighting remote control, etc are of such importance that amateur operations must be dramatically curtailed.

The national Society, the UBA, point out that in the Royal Decree on private radio communications and the rights of use for fixed networks and networks with shared resources, Article 19 states: "The frequencies used by short [range] equipment and equipment using ultra-wideband technology are allocated on an ... unprotected basis..."
In other words: this equipment must not disturb us (primary users) and does not have any right to protection against eventual disruptions by us.

The UBA say it will naturally oppose this proposal with all its might.

The deadline for public responses to the consultation is June 17.

Read the UBA story in Google English at
http://tinyurl.com/BelgiumUBA

Read the full BIPT proposal
http://www.ibpt.be/public/files/nl/22510/Raadpleging_RAM_433.pdf


http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2018/june/threat-to-key-part-of-70cm-ham-radio-band-in-belgium.htm

 

Very sad news indeed.
But it does not come unexpected...considering the silence on the band for days without end. You loose what you do not use!

 

The information below is for anyone wishing to voice their opposition during the comment period...

From BIPT...
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But every radiomateur is free to respond in his own name. Objections to this proposal, preferably motivated, must be addressed to Mr. Philippe Appeldoorn, First Engineer Adviser. This must be done by e-mail to consultation.sg@bipt.be with subject "Consult-2018-B6". The deadline for submitting objections is Sunday, June 17, 2018.

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I've been telling folks for some time that most telecom and wireless fields regard amateur radio spectrum as 'place holders'.

If you don't USE it, you lose your place.

 

Royal Decree? Ya' mean like...straight down from "the throne?!?

Well, I sit "on a throne" too and this "Royal Decree" is about equal in every essence as my throne.

Excuse me while "I flush."

 

Good afternoon Chip!

 

Belgium is a constitutional monarchy.

 

Next they will want the EU to follow.

 

The 440 usage here isnt all that much . I'm surprised considering this is a semirural to urban area here.

 

And key fobs, garage door openers Etc...do WHAT for the people in times of disaster?
NOTHING!
Key fob door openers and garage door openers, baby monitors are considered R.F TRASH, as they should be...NOT 'worthy' of protection, especially since none are used for brief moments when unlocking a door, opening a garage door, or listening to the faint sounds of a baby over the speaker of a baby monitor that splatters RF all over the channel...

This IS draconian, and highly foolish!
Then again, YOUR public officials once again, looking out for YOUR BEST DI-INTEREST..to line their pockets with more of your money.

Any fool can defeat a 'foolproof' device...Just look at politicians!

 

I'm not very happy about this. This better not happen to the UK or other European countries. We all need to make use of all the VHF/UHF bands more! this includes more FM/SSB usage. simplex and FM repeaters! I'm not one of these people who have jumped on the DMR, C4FM, D-Star band wagon because simply i don't like Digital Voice and cheating the traditional values of Amateur Radio by 'working' other amateurs all over the world via the internet! That's not real radio! Get on HF!

Do not write off FM/SSB usage on the VHF/UHF bands!!

 

I am somewhat surprised that this has not come earlier.
In deregulated countries,the ITU Radio Regulations are mostly seen as "rounding posts" or at the most guidelines.

As amateur radio mostly is viewed as a nuisance by the Authorities here, it is a quite logical move to protect devices used in large numbers by the general public from emissions by radio amateurs that in their perspective contribute nothing but aggravation.

There is an ongoing lawsuit here in Sweden,where an amateur has appealed the Regulator's decision not to permit higher power levels than 100 mW in the 2400-2450MHz band due to the needs for protection of WiFi-services which are considered essential for everyday life.

The Regulator is quite confident of winning the lawsuit by referring to the Government spectrum policy, that once was explained at a spectrum management seminar by the Director General using the words "the needs of the few have to stand back for the needs of the many"

The upcoming general power reduction to 200W is another result of the negative view of radio amateurs.

73/
Karl-Arne
SM0AOM

 

I've yet to hear anyone on the 70cm band since I became licensed in January. As others have pointed out, use it or lose it.

 

There's more on 434 than baby monitors, key fobs, etc. Shipping containers, smart meters, and on and on... industrial users, in other words. These are the ones who want quiet spectral neighbors, and they're the ones with political clout.

 

I should point out that 70cm in the US is a secondary band for amateurs. The primary user(s) are the US military and federal govt. In areas near some military bases, such as Yuba City/Marysville, Ca., near Beale Air Force Base, amateurs have been thrown off 70cm to make way for military uses. In fact, ALL spectrum allocated to amateurs in the USA north of 2 meters, starting with 1.25m (220 Mhz), is allocated to amateurs on a SECONDARY basis, and we can be tossed off such at the whim of the FCC at the behest of primary users. Already, US amateurs have been pretty much thrown off 33cm (902-928 Mhz) in favor of industrial users such as smart meters.

Also, it should be noted that the original purpose of the "Technician" amateur license under the license structure overhaul of 1951 was as an experimental license for experimental operation on frequencies greater than 220 Mhz, which at the time was terra incognita to radio engineers. I have a copy of a 1965 ARRL publication that contains plans for a tube-based transceiver for 2m-a rather complicated rig. Prior to transistors and integrated circuits, use of most of the VHF/UHF spectrum was impractical for everybody except the military.

The limiting of amateurs to "worthless" radio spectrum that was instituted in the US after WW1-which at the time meant HF-still rules US govt policy. Remember, after the war the US Navy wanted to outlaw amateur radio entirely and keep the entire spectrum for itself. Had the navy won in Congress, most of the world would have followed in forbidding most if not all civilian uses of radio. We would still be sending messages by telegram and getting our news from daily newspapers.