According to information I recieved in email today, there is a petition before the FCC that will negatively impact digital modes on the HF bands by limiting emissions to 1.5 KHz.
We have until Jan 1 2008 to respond.
Here is the "cover sheet" for the partition:
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/r...ent=6519820340
Please read RM-11392 . and make comments to the FCC. Here are the steps.
Read the 1st part of the partition:
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/r...ent=6519008574
RM-11392 part 1
Read the second part:
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/r...ent=6519008575
RM-11392 part 2.
Use this web interface to enter your comments:
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/upload_v2.cgi
For your convenience, respectful but negative comments follow, you may cut and paste them into the comment box of the above form.
1. I oppose the RM-11392 petition!
2. The RM-11392 petition is very bad for the Amateur Radio Service.
3. The RM-11392 petition seeks to destroy digital data technology
advancement in the Amateur Radio Service.
4. The RM-11392 petition's proposed 1.5kHz bandwidth limit on data
emission is too narrow for established international standard
transmissions and equipment bandwidths used by the Amateur Radio Service.
5. The RM-11392 petition is an attempt to kill innovation, technology
advancement, and emergency data communications in the Amateur Radio
Service. Please do not let this happen.
6. The FCC Amateur Radio Service's automatically controlled data
sub-bands are already too narrow for the huge volume of traffic that
runs on them. If a limit of 1.5kHz bandwidth is applied, it will
severely hamper the ability of amateur radio operators to share these
small band segments efficiently through rapid data methods.
7. There is a huge installed base of Amateur Radio Equipment, and
millions of dollars of monetary investment by thousands of Amateur
Radio Operators that use HF digital data systems with more than 1.5kHz
bandwidths. This investment by FCC-licensed operators would be taken
away or rendered useless if the objectives of the RM-11392 petition
were to be adopted.
8. Several of the primary established HF emergency communications
networks currently in service and utilized by thousands of Amateur
Radio Operators in USA would be totally eliminated or hobbled if the
objectives of the RM-11392 peteition were to be adopted.
9. The Amateur Radio Service relies upon international communications
standards. Many of the present digital data communications standards
require bandwidths in excess of 1.5kHz. The normal amateur radio
service bandwidth limit by governments of other countries is 6kHz.
10. Thousands of licensed Amateur Radio Operators would be
disenfranchised if the objectives of RM-11392 were to be adopted.
11. The RM-11392 peteition is comparitively similar to an Analog
Cellular Phone service entity trying to eliminate newer Digital
Cellular Phone service. The fact is, Amateur Radio is now using faster
time-multiplexing digital methods to enable more stations to
efficiently use the same frequency channels simultaneously or in rapid
succession. These time division techniques require at least 3kHz of
bandwidth.
12. RM-11392 peteition has not presented a compelling need to change
the rules for Automatically Controlled Data Stations on the HF bands.