| May, 2007 |  |
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RSGB & IARU Respond to 10GHz Auction
RSGB and IARU Region-1 are continuing their defence of the
10GHz band. Their responses to the latest Ofcom consultation on the
Spectrum auction can be found on the Ofcom website at http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/10-40GHz/responses/
The RSGB & IARU responses are the second formal submission on this
topic and continues the joint effort in conjunction with affiliated
societies including AMSAT-UK, the UK Microwave Group and the British
Amateur Television Group BATC. Ofcom plans would have potentially
serious consequences for innovative developments by the Amateur
Satellite Service.
Amateur Radio Full Licensees --
Special Research Permits in the region of 501 kHz
Ofcom has decided to permit a limited number of Amateur Radio Full licensees to operate under a Special Research Permit between 501 and 504 kHz for a 12 month period commencing from 1 March 2007.
This follows representations made by the Radio Society of Great Britain and negotiations with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Special Research Permits under a Notice of Variation to the Licence may be made available to holders of Full Amateur Licences on a case by case basis to applicants who can demonstrate a genuine interest in experimentation at these frequencies and provide adequate supporting documentation for assessment.
Due to the usage of the spectrum around 500 kHz, applicants should pay special attention to demonstrating technical and operational competence in terms of transmitting within the frequency and Effective Radiated Power (e.r.p.) parameters agreed with Ofcom. Previous experience at 73 kHz as well as 136 kHz will be considered desirable in this respect to ensure adequate steps are taken to limit any potential interference.
Ofcom will monitor any interference reports with a view to limiting numbers in the use of the band if necessary. In general, considerably lower e.r.p. levels than that permitted in the 136 kHz band are likely to be favourable and this will only be permitted where it can be demonstrated that increased powers are necessary for research. On no account will an e.r.p. level of greater than – 10 dBW be permitted under any circumstance.
ARRL 500 kHz Experiment Logs Thousands of Activity Hours
Experiment Coordinator Fritz Raab, W1FR, reports that a total of 16 participating stations have been active on the air since the experiment got under way in late 2006. The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology granted the WD2XSH experimental license to the ARRL last September. Raab says the low-frequency investigation has demonstrated ground-wave communication at distances of 100 miles in New England, in the Gulf Coast states and in Colorado.
The K7RA Solar Update (Apr 13, 2007)
So far this month we’ve observed nine days in a row with zero sunspots, and all of our reporting week — April 5 through 11 — falls within this string of inactive solar days. As noted last week, comparing that week’s average sunspot number (12.9) to this week’s (0) doesn’t mean much when activity is so low at the bottom of this sunspot cycle. Based on predicted smoothed sunspot numbers, if this month and the next are truly the solar minimum, we should probably see several weeks in a row with no sunspots. This should cheer those hoping for more activity and a return to worldwide propagation on 10 and 15, because recent observation shows the rise of any solar cycle is more rapid than its decline and, most important, the decline of the previous cycle.
| May, 2007 | |
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