FREQUENCY COORDINATION FOR AMATEUR RADIO
REPEATER AND AUXILIARY OPERATION IN NEW MEXICO
Policy and Procedures Established by the New Mexico Frequency Coordinating Committee
Revised and adopted March 1999
General:
If you plan to operate an amateur radio station as a repeater or in auxiliary operation (see definitions
below) in New Mexico, you should coordinate the frequencies for those operations with the New
Mexico Frequency Coordinating Committee. The purpose of frequency coordination is to prevent
interference between stations and to provide planning for efficient use of the spectrum in the future.
On April 21, 1986 the FCC adopted a Report and Order that amended Part 97 of the Federal
Regulations governing Amateur Radio Service. The amended rules place blame for interference
directly on uncoordinated stations. In effect, this creates an enforceable way for the FCC to remove
from operation any uncoordinated station that is causing a problem. Frequency coordination serves
your interests in protecting your investment in time and effort. It requires everyone's cooperation so
that the Coordinators have the information that they need to make intelligent recommendations for
frequency assignments.
The frequency coordination process must operate by a set of rules and procedures that everyone
understands. The current rules and procedures are set forth in this document. These procedures are
open to constructive criticism and change by the repeater owners and trustees in New Mexico. Keep
in mind that the Coordinators are serving in a voluntary capacity in good faith. They are not "repeater
police" and have no authority to prevent anyone from using any frequency for any purpose. The
NMFCC will, however, answer any inquiries from the FCC or other frequency coordinating services
requesting coordination information. Our purpose here is to prevent and resolve interference and
create an environment whereby amateurs can cooperate with one another as well as with other users
of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Definitions:
New Mexico Frequency Coordinating Committee (NMFCC): The NMFCC is recognized by the
Federal Communications Commission Part [97.201(C); 97.205 (C)] as the official source of
information regarding the coordination status for amateur stations in repeater and auxiliary operation
within the State of New Mexico. Originally started from the NM Cooperative Interference Committee,
the NMFCC now consists of three coordinators representing the northern, central, and southern parts
of NM. One coordinator serves as secretary.
Repeater Operation: Radio communication, other than auxiliary operation, for re-transmitting
automatically the radio signals of other amateur radio stations.
Auxiliary Operation: Radio communications for remotely controlling other amateur radio stations, for
automatically relaying the radio signals of other amateur radio stations in a system of stations, or for
intercommunicating with the other amateur radio stations in a system of amateur radio stations.
Examples of auxiliary operation include transmissions to the control receiver of a repeater, linking of
remote receiver audio to repeater transmitter, linking of two repeaters together, remote control
operation of HF, VHF, UHF, and other amateur radio base stations. Operations that are point-to-point
in nature facilitate communications between two designated points within a system of stations.
Coordinated station operation: The repeater or auxiliary operation of an amateur station for which the
transmitting and receiving frequencies have been implemented by the licensee in accordance with the
recommendation of a frequency coordinator.
Harmful Interference: Interference, which seriously degrades, obstructs, or repeatedly interrupts the
operation of a radio communication service.
Frequency Coordinators: An individual or organization recognized in a local or regional area by
amateur operators whose stations are eligible to engage in repeater or auxiliary operation. They
recommend frequencies and, where necessary, associated operation and technical parameters for
amateur repeater or auxiliary operation in order to avoid or minimize potential interference.
Policy:
New Mexico Frequency Coordinating Committee Policies and Procedures
1. The NMFCC shall consist of three licensed amateur radio operators serving as Frequency
Coordinators for the northern, central, and southern sections of New Mexico.
2. One of the coordinators shall serve as Secretary. The Secretary of the NMFCC will act as the
central coordinator of all data and correspondence for the coordination activity.
3. The NMFCC will recommend frequencies in accordance with Band Plans. Requests for
frequencies that do not conform to Band Plans are discouraged. After April 12, 1986 the
NMFCC will not coordinate "upside down pairs," "odd splits," and "off channel frequencies."
Waivers permitting the use of non Band Plan frequencies will be issued on a case-by-case
basis if justification can be given showing how the requested frequency would minimize or
prevent interference to existing amateur repeaters and other services. This policy is intended
to insure maximum utilization of the spectrums for the entire state of New Mexico. Repeaters
known to be in operation on not on Band Plan frequencies will be officially listed in the NMFCC
records as UNCOORDINATED for purposes of responding to inquiries by the FCC. This policy
does not apply to frequencies given coordination status prior to April 21, 1986.
4. Band Plans will not be changed without written agreement by a majority of the repeater
trustees, in the state of New Mexico, which operate repeaters in that band.
5. In the case where applicants request frequencies already in use, Coordinators will assess the
technical feasibility of co-channel existence based on transmitter power, location, terrain,
physical separation, receiver sensitivity, antennas, and other factors. Even if conditions appear
to permit co-channel use of a frequency, Coordinators will notify existing users of the
application and request comments and concurrence of the Coordinator's assessment.
6. There will be no verbal coordination. No coordination action will be initiated by the NMFCC
without a signed application form on file with the Secretary.
7. Applicants should not consider their frequency request approved just because they have filled
out a form and mailed it in. The coordination is not official until the applicant receives written
notification from the Secretary.
8. Coordination is nullified by changing the physical location of equipment or by increasing the
Effective Radiated Power. There is a maximum time of one year, from the date of approval,
for the Trustee/Owner to get the frequency in operation. The frequency must not be out of
service for more than one year. In these cases, the trustee must re-apply for the frequency.
The intent is to keep the data required for the coordination process current and accurate so
that potential interference can be avoided and fair allocations of all frequencies can be
maintained.
9. Any repeater or auxiliary use of frequencies that comes to the attention of the NMFCC which
have not been coordinated will be recorded in official records as "un-coordinated."
10. The NMFCC will consider complaints of interference. In general, the amateur community will
be best served if we can iron out our problems internally before bringing in the FCC. If there
are objections to an applicant's request for a particular frequency or if there are interference
problems that arise with new installations, the NMFCC will consider such objections and
complaints if they are based on firm evidence, are documented, and have sound technical
merit. The NMFCC will make recommendations to all users in an attempt to reduce or
eliminate the interference.
11. If approved frequencies are not used in a reasonable time (one year), and there is demand for
those frequencies, the NMFCC has the prerogative to reassign those frequencies to another
applicant. In this event, the original applicant will be notified that the frequencies are no longer
coordinated for his use.
12. The policies stated here are formulated by the NMFCC based on inputs from repeater owners,
trustees, and users. These policies will change from time to time, but the repeater trustees
may not necessarily be notified of such changes.
Procedures:
1. Obtain the current frequency coordination forms (revised 3/99), from your area coordinator or
the NMFCC secretary. You can obtain Forms 1 and 2 from the web site:
http://www.qsl.net/~nmfcc or you may submit the form electronically from the same web site.
You should submit only one Form 1 (the main form) for each of your sites. If you operate more
than one transmitter and one receiver at a given site, attach a Supplementary Data Sheet
(Form 2) for each additional transmitter and receiver.
2. Fill out the forms completely. In selecting frequencies use the published band plans as a
guide. Talk with your area Coordinator. Tell him your plans and what you would like. He may
be able to recommend some frequencies that you can put on the application. Also keep in
mind that some bands are shared with Federal Government users, in those cases there are
some restrictions, and we, as amateurs, are secondary users and may be preempted. Consult
the FCC Part 97 Rule Book for details.
3. Applicants for new frequencies will be required to provide a photocopy of the Trustee's
Amateur Radio Operator's License, if the call sign of Trustee does not appear in the FCC Data
Base.
4. Mail the completed application (and other applicable information) to the Secretary and Data
Base Manager:
Bill Kauffman W5YEJ
1625 36th St., SE
Rio Rancho, NM 87124-1719
(505)892 0042
5. The Secretary will coordinate the application with your area Coordinator. If the application
involves overlap coverage with neighboring state(s), the Secretary will coordinate the
frequency with Coordinator of the state(s) and request comment and concurrence with the
frequency.
6. The Coordinator will examine the application for potential interference situations and may
require additional information in order to approve the application. Upon approval (not
necessarily for the frequencies requested) the Coordinator will notify the Secretary who will
send written notice of approval to the applicant.
Coordinators:
Northern
Robert E. Cowan K5QIN
1240 Sioux
Los Alamos, NM 87544-2830
E-mail Bob Cowan K5QIN
Southern
Charlie Brown N9RU
713 W Spruce #16
Deming, NM 88030
E-mail Charlie Brown N9RU
Thursday, April 25, 2002