The writing is on the wall, 2m and 70cm analog has been quiet for years and now it'll go the way of the dodo. Money talks, spectrum is big business. SSB is dieing too on HF. Everyone is on FT8, if we're not careful, that will be taken too.
Yah, but is HF spectrum big business? Other than that high-frequency trading tick-tock thing, I haven't noticed anyone clamoring for more bandwidth at 7 MHz.
Oh the mess the French appear to desire starting once again! 2M is HEAVILY used across the U.S, not to mention Mexico, our HAMSATS, and data links for APRS. A resounding NO! WE ARE NOT MOVING, WE WILL NOT COMPLY! WE WILL NOT STOP USING 144-146 just because the 'French' have a buggy itch to scratch today! Here's an idea, how about the French PAY EVERY REPEATER/FREQUENCY USER $10,000.00 to vacate? How about they pay AMSAT five times that to shut off their hamsats that have 2M capability! STOP BOWING, START FIGHTING...ENOUGH with this submissive crap! If our government sides with these loonies, then the fight is on! WE THE PEOPLE MAKE THE RULES! OUR EMPLOYEES ACT ON OUR DEMANDS! WE DO NOT BOW DOWN TO THE HIRED HELP...NO MORE!!
Yet again, ANYTHING to make money from, who cares who these retards step on, as long as there is money to be made, so be it. Jamming will become a sport!
Personally I don’t think we’re in that much danger of loosing 2m. From the proposal...... ”Study possible new allocations to the aeronautical mobile service on a primary basis in the following bands: 144-146 MHz, 5000-5010 MHz and 15.4-15.7 GHz, while ensuring the protection of existing services in those bands and, as appropriate, adjacent bands, and not constraining future development of these services.” So existing users will be protected. At worst we may end up sharing part of the band which could be problematic to say the least. Just think of all the 100’s of 1000’s of 2m rigs out there, not to mention the repeaters, beacons and satellites that would become obsolete overnight. Just can’t see it happening to be honest. JMO
Howzabout we drop the humongous band segments now partitioned to unused repeaters, and re-allocate them to something people are using these days?
Perhaps the French are doing it to get an exciting title in there History Book. Oh, hang on. Their history book is pretty much empty. Oh well. “Patron. Another Pernod SVP”
No doubt. If usage of 2m doesn't expand very significantly from current levels, then eventually the amateur portion will be pared back to 1 Mhz of bandwidth or less - maybe not because of France, but because it's a precious resource that someone will want to use. "We don't wanna change," "I'm gonna go rogue," and other angry barstool eruptions aren't going to stop this. Only using the bands, will.
Considering the lack of activity on the 2m/70cm bands, no one should be surprised that governments would seek to reallocate them to the highest bidder. Use it or lose it.
Well put... Interfering transmissions, especially on aviation bands, will result in prison time. Shine LASER st an aircraft and watch what happens. The same principal applies. Taking an illegal approach to anything is ALWAYS a very bad idea. I don't like giving up 32 meters either, but, criminal acts never solve anything. There is an old adage. "Use it or loose it." That certainly applies in this case. Two meters is underused to the point that in my area, it's rare to hear a 2 meter QSO. Twenty years ago, that wasn't the case. I believe that cell phone use has replaced two meters. Twenty years ago I had a big, expensive, bag phone that cost me a small fortune to purchase and another small fortune to use. Now, just like dick Tracy, you can communicate with a watch. Many states are outlawing cell phone and ham radio use while driving. Every two meter radio I own (except for the ubiquitous Baofeng) is more than twenty five years old. John K4AGO
They already have. The ones that are still operable in my area are silent because of non-use. Back in the day I reported many traffic accidents via two meters and the phone patch. Now I am retired but traffic accidents are reported via cell phone. Repeaters don't even have phone patches any more. I reported a hit and run in 1996 through the repeater and the phone patch. Everyone in our local club was listening on two meters. (The Greensboro Police caught the guy too.) Now, the only traffic on that same repeater is it's self identification every ten minutes. John K4AGO
