We Need A Bandwidth-Based Frequency Plan for the next decade of Amateur Radio... a plan that is Mode-Independent.
Digital Modulation and Processing is
the Future
Digital modulation and processing
is changing the way we communicate and coexist in the HF frequency spectrum.
With the multitude of new digital and analog modulation schemes, including
digital voice, there are compelling reasons to integrate voice, CW, data,
image, and keyboarding "modes". Hams want the freedom to use existing and
future technology to simultaneously keyboard, exchange multimedia or email
files, and talk by voice with each other on the same frequency... something
our present rules prevent on HF.
The rapid advancement
of modulation methods are making many new ways of communication possible
that were only dreamed of in the past.
Please consider the future of amateur
radio over the next 10 years.
We have the HF spectrum
capacity to handle the increased traffic if we manage it efficiently, but
our old frequency plans for the bands are not up to the job. We need a
major overhaul to distribute the spectrum equitably and evenly, without
enormous gaps of little activity, and traffic-jams of QRM.
Bandwidth-Based HF Frequency Plan for USA.
Mode is No Longer a Valid Definition
Due to digital communication
technology changes, the old definitions of what a "mode" is are now blurred
beyond recognition. Existing band/mode rules are stifling creativity. The
bandwidth-based plan allows any mode on any frequency, according to the
emission bandwidth. For instance, when the technology advances to transmit
voice within a 500Hz bandwidth, it will not be necessary to re-write the
rules for it.
Are we to continue to advance the state-of-the-art?
Will we be called upon to provide emergency
and disaster communications?
One example of how our present plan stifles communication is by keeping USA amateurs segregated and actually preventing us from communicating efficiently with the rest of the world on the 40 and 80/75 meter bands. Hams want to be able to communicate via voice internationally on the 40m and 80m ham bands without cumbersome split bands, which makes each QSO consume twice the necessary bandwidth.
Emergency Preparedness
As we have seen in the past
with the great participation of Technician class operators in ARES and
other emergency preparedness, when it comes to emergency operations, license
class-ism barriers need to disappear in favor of providing essential communications.
For regional emergency communications,
HF voice access to the NVIS bands (160m, 75m, 60m, 40m, and 30m) is necessary
to establish workable networks.
10 years From Now, 30% of All USA Hams
Will Be Novice Operators
Under the new ARRL proposed
license restructuring plan, the number of amateur radio operators on HF
will increase dramatically. This is good. We need it to preserve our frequency
allocations and encourage operators to continue to renew their licenses.
We will see a vast increase in the number of new Novice operators. The
new Novices will be valuable emergency communicators, so we need to make
some room in a wide variety of our bands for us to communicate with them,
especially on the band segments which are commonly utilized for emergency
nets. However, Novice operation should not be allowed on the more sensitive
HF amateur bands which are shared with other communications services, 60
meters and 30 meters.
30 Meter Voice Is Needed
In some of the larger states
of the USA, the 30 meter band is the only daytime HF band which can support
state-wide low power NVIS voice communications at mid-day. This is an important
asset for emergency response at the state level which needs to be expanded
to enable seamless and simultaneous QSO of voice and data (the primary
mediums for emergency comms).
Would you like to decrease the QRM you
are experiencing in the popular HF bands?
We need to expand use into
parts of our HF bands that are nearly dormant... such as the bottom 50%
of the 80 meter band, the middle of the 40m band, and sections of 15 meters.
By encouraging wider bandwidths throughout 10 meters, we can help defend
it better against pirates, and at the same time make it available for experimental
signal types and time-multiplexed digital retransmitters (digiboosters).
73---Bonnie KQ6XA
If we are to continue to advance amateur radio into the future, we need Mode Flexibility. Otherwise, we will be faced with the need to be constantly generating new proposals to the FCC to accomodate new technology. The simplest and best way to solve this problem is to divide the HF bands according to emission bandwidth for better distribution of spectrum activity. This will not only encourage new research and development in modulation techniques, but it will help amateurs to communicate with each other by breaking down the frequency/mode/band barriers which have confounded us on some bands for the past 40+ years.
Emission Bandwidths for HF Expansion
By the use of several standard
emission bandwidths: 500Hz, 3kHz, and 10kHz, we can fit many more QSOs
into our HF bands. Modern HF radios with brickwall filters enable us to
fit more signals in the same band. Under the thumb of our olde 20th century
mode-based frequency bands, many parts of our HF bands are dormant, while
other parts of the same band are packed to the brim. It is not efficient,
and we need to make use of all the available spectrum to both accommodate
the traffic and to distribute activity so that amateurs maintain valuable
spectrum. Use it or lose it. By allowing any mode with <500Hz bandwidth
throughout the entire band, and allowing 80% of the band to be used by
<3kHz bandwidth signals, we not only expand within our useful spectrum,
but we increase our ability to pioneer new modulation methods and communicate
internationally. By devoting parts of our largest and least-used HF bands
to 10kHz bandwidth, we make space for experimental signal types, wideband
SSB, AM, FM, digital voice, time-division-multiplex, wideband digital voice,
OFDM, email, high resolution images, high definition television, and simultaneous
multimedia.
Do you want to experiment using new
interesting modulation methods?
USA is undisputedly the
most prolific country in the world for inventions and new technology. Top
of the heap. We traditionally profess to be the fountain of freedom for
the world. Yet, antiquated amateur radio restrictions in USA keep us in
a technology jail, held back by the bars of arcane rules.
Do you want to communicate more freely
with amateur operators in other countries and regions?
Bandwidth-based rules and
bandplans are already established in many countries around the world, including
Canada.
Please consider supporting a change
to a Bandwidth-Based Frequency Plan.
And while you are at it...
tell a friend about it. Talk about it on the air. Talk with your ARRL representative
or director. Print this chart (below) and discuss it at your next ham club
meeting!