SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX006
ARLX006 Radio Amateurs in Canada to Get New 100 Watt 5 MHz
Allocation
ZCZC AX06
QST de W1AW
Special Bulletin 6 ARLX006
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT April 17, 2018
To all radio amateurs
SB SPCL ARL ARLX006
ARLX006 Radio Amateurs in Canada to Get New 100 Watt 5 MHz
Allocation
Radio Amateurs in Canada are poised to join those in several other
nations around the world who have access to a new 60-meter band,
5351.5 - 5366.5 kHz, as agreed upon at World Radiocommunication
Conference 2015 (WRC-15), but with a maximum power of 100 watts
effective radiated power (ERP). The updated Canadian Table of
Frequency Allocations includes the new allocation, although radio
amateurs have not yet been authorized to use it. This updated table
can be found on the web at,
http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf10759.html .
Canada's radio amateurs will also retain the four Amateur Radio
channels that do not fall within the new allocation. These have been
authorized under a footnote to the Table since 2014, permitting
phone, data, and CW at a maximum occupied bandwidth of 2.8 kHz. The
60-meter allocation and spot frequencies are on a secondary,
non-interference basis.
In January 2017, ARRL asked the FCC to allocate a new, secondary
contiguous band at 5 MHz to the Amateur Service, while also
retaining four of the current five 60-meter channels and current
operating rules, including the 100 watt PEP ERP limit. The federal
government is the primary user of the 5 MHz spectrum in the US. The
FCC has yet to act on ARRL's petition.
Canada's regulatory agency, the Department of Innovation, Science
and Economic Development Canada (ISED) last August proposed to adopt
WRC-15 decisions that included the 15 kHz Amateur Radio allocation.
The proposed revisions to the Table would retain the original five 5
MHz spot frequencies with a maximum of 100 watts ERP, but restrict
the new 15 kHz allocation to just 15 watts EIRP, as agreed to at
WRC-15, accommodating the concerns of a few countries over possible
interference to their domestic communications.
"Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) noted in its response to the
proposed changes that there had been no reports of interference from
Amateur Radio operations on the existing five 60-meter spot
frequencies following their use in Canada since 2014 and in the USA
for even longer," RAC President Glenn MacDonell, VE3XRA, said.
"Further, the rationale for allocating the spot frequencies had been
based on the value of 60 meters for emergency communication, and the
low power limit adopted at WRC-15 would seriously limit this use."
MacDonnell said comments from the Radio Advisory Board of Canada (of
which RAC is a member organization), the Ottawa Valley Mobile Radio
Club, the Marconi Radio Club of Newfoundland, and several individual
radio amateurs also recommended 100 watts.
"The new allocation will be more effective and manageable for
domestic SSB communications, and consistent with the existing use of
the band on the five spot frequencies now enjoyed by Canadian
amateurs," MacDonnell said.
ISED typically authorizes the use of new allocations via a revised
document RBR-4 - Standards for the Operation of Radio Stations in
the Amateur Radio Service. "Radio Amateurs of Canada will be urging
ISED to authorize the new 15 kHz segment as soon as possible,"
MacDonell said.
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