NEWINGTON, CT, Aug 15, 2002--An amateur from Virginia has petitioned the FCC to set aside eight channels in the 70-cm band to permit visitors from Europe and the United Kingdom to use their Personal Mobile Radio (PMR 446) transceivers in the US. The recently authorized PMR 446 is similar to the US Family Radio Service. Dr Michael Trahos, KB4PGC, a physician from Alexandria, filed the petition last January, saying it would help to promote international goodwill.

THE FCC on August 8 designated the petition as RM-10521 and invited comments on the proposal within 30 days.

A General-class licensee, Trahos wants the FCC to amend its Amateur Service "and/or" Family Radio Service rules to allow "visiting/transient/tourist non-amateur non-United States resident foreign nationals" unlicensed access to certain frequencies between 446.0 and 446.1 MHz. He proposed to permit operation at up to 0.5 W PEP output. The ARRL band plan for 70 cm designates 446.0 MHz as a national calling channel. Other frequencies in the segment are for simplex or repeater use.

IN the US, government radiolocation services are primary and Amateur Radio is secondary on that portion of the 70-cm band.

IN his petition, Trahos said existing Part 97 Amateur Service rules precluding the use of PMR 446 radios in the US "are essentially unenforceable" and that granting his petition would have minimal impact on existing amateur operations. "As such, Amateur Radio community oppositions to this petition, though respected, would be misplaced and not in the international public interest or good will," he asserted.

AS of August 15, two comments had been filed on RM-10521by amateur licensees. Both opposed Trahos' petition, citing the potential for interference to amateur operations.

COMMENTS on RM-10521 are due by September 6 and may be filed via the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). To view the Trahos petition and filed comments, click on "Search for Filed Comments." To file comments, click on "Submit a Filing." Enter "RM-10521" (the ECFS is case-sensitive) in the "Proceeding" field of either form.