The following information is courtesy of the International Amateur Radio Union Region 2:
According to preliminary information from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), this morning at 12:29 UTC, an earthquake measuring 7.2 degrees on the Richter scale occurred about 12 kilometres northeast (NE) of Saint-Louis du Sud and 33 kilometres to the east-northeast (ENE) of Les Cayes, Haiti.
This event was located at 18.352ºN and 73.4801W at a depth of 10 kilometres.
According to the reports of Mr. Jean-Robert Gaillard, HH2JR, President of the Radio Club of Haiti, there has been significant structural damage.
We request the IARU-R2 member societies to protect the following emergency frequencies in Haiti: 3750 kHz, 7150 kHz and 14330 kHz.
We will stay alert.
Carlos Alberto Santamaría González, CO2JC. EmCor IARU-R2.
As announced in The Canadian Amateur magazine, the RAC Band Planning Committee has completed the new proposed 2m band plan.
Radio Amateurs of Canada band planning committees coordinate the development of National Band Plans to provide guidance for the usage of the Canadian Amateur bands. These committees are made up of representatives from all regions of Canada.
The committees prepare interim band plans after consulting with Amateurs across the country. These plans not only take into account the wishes of Canadian Amateurs, but are also coordinated with band usage in other countries through membership in the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU).
The RAC Board of Directors extends thanks to the members of the RAC Band Planning Committee for undertaking the task of reviewing and updating the VHF and UHF band plans over the next year.
A draft of the band plans is provided below for final input before it is submitted to the RAC Board of Directors for approval. If you have any comments or suggestions please send them to Serge, Bertuzzo, VA3SB, RAC International Affairs Officer, at [email protected].
RAC Band Planning Committee
Chair: Al Penney, VO1NO
Members:
Bill Elliott, VE1MR
Don Falle, VE2DFO
Stuart Truba, VE2XX
Dana Shtun, VE3DS
Derek Hay, VE4HAY
Ken Oelke, VE6AFO
Skip MacAulay, VE6BGT
Ernest Clintberg, VE6EC
Don Moman, VE6JY
Mitchell Goodjohn, VE6SM
Grant Furnald, VE6TA
Ed Frazer, VE7EF
George Merchant, VE7GM
Dave Miller, VE7HR
Serge, Bertuzzo, VA3SB RAC International Affairs Officer [email protected]
Modes and Possible Uses (please see the Notes provided below)
144.000 –144.100
EME, Narrow Band Digital, CW, Weak Signal Modes. See Note 1 below.JT65 centred on 144.085 JA Window. See Note 2.
144.100 – 144.180
CW, SSB, Narrow Band Digital, EME, Weak Signal Modes. See Note 1.144.174 FT8, 144.144/144.150 MSK144 Meteor Scatter, 144.115 – 144.135 Digital EME centred on 144.125 MHz. See Note 2
144.180 – 144.265
CW, SSB, Narrow Band Digital, EME, Weak Signal and other Narrow Band Modes. See Note 1.Other modes with bandwidths less than 3 kHz, including FAX and SSTV.144.200 SSB and CW Calling Frequency. See Note 3.
144.265 – 144.270
No transmissions – Guard Band to protect Beacon Network.
144.270 – 144.300
Propagation Beacon Network Exclusive.Note that 144.300 is the IARU Region 1 Calling Frequency, and could be used for Trans-Atlantic Attempts.
144.300 – 144.310
No transmissions – Guard Band to protect Beacon Network.Note that 144.300 is the IARU Region 1 Calling Frequency, and could be used for Trans-Atlantic Attempts.
144.310 – 144.500
Wide Band Digital Modes (e.g.: Packet, APRS). See Note 1 and Note 4.144.340 – National ATV Voice Coordination Frequency FM.144.390 – National APRS Frequency. See Note 5.144.489 – National WSPR Frequency.
144.500 – 144.900
FM / Digital / Linear Repeater Inputs. See Note 6.
No transmissions. Guard Band to protect Satellite Sub-band.
145.800 – 146.000
Amateur Satellite Uplink / Downlink and ARISS Exclusive.
146.000 – 146.010
No transmissions. Guard Band to protect Satellite Sub-band.
146.010 – 146.370
FM / Digital / Linear Repeater Inputs. See Note 6.
146.400 – 146.595
FM Simplex. See Notes 9 and 10.146.520 – National FM Calling Frequency. See Note 3.
146.610 – 147.390
FM / Digital / Linear Repeater Outputs. See Note 6.
147.420 – 147.570
FM Simplex and Digital Hotspots using a 30 kHz raster. See Note 11 and Note 12.Note that Digital channels are interwoven between these FM Simplex channels.
147.435 – 147.585
Wide Band Digital. See Note 1 and Note 13.Note that these Digital channels are interwoven between the FM Simplex channels at 147.420 – 147.570.
147.600 – 147.990
FM / Digital / Linear Repeater inputs. See Note 6.
Notes for Proposed Two Metre (2m) Band Plan:
Note 1: Narrow Band Digital 2m modes are those with bandwidths of 3 kHz or less; for example, WSJT modes. Wide Band Digital 2m modes are those with bandwidths greater than 3 kHz but less than 30 kHz; for example, Packet.
Note 2: Consult with the WSJT community regarding frequencies for EME and Terrestrial operations as these change with modulation schemes.
Note 3: Once contact is established on a Calling Frequency, operators should QSY to another frequency. For 144.200 MHz it is generally down for CW, and up for SSB. For 146.520 MHz FM, it is to any other clear FM simplex channel.
Note 4: Seven frequencies on a 20 kHz channel raster: 144.37, 144.39, 144.41, 144.43, 144.45, 144.47 and 144.49. Occupancy is to occur only when available Digital frequencies within the sub-bands 144.9 – 145.1 MHz and 145.59 – 145.79 MHz are exhausted. Consult with your local digital coordination body regarding maximum ERP, Bandwidth and coverage area within this sub-band. Operation may occur on 144.31 MHz provided operating bandwidth and ERP do not cause harmful interference within the propagation beacon network sub-band.
Note 5: Consult with your local coordination body.
Note 6: Repeaters include FM, Digital (DMR, Fusion, DSTAR and related) and linear modes. Consult with your local coordination body for frequencies and modulation scheme allocations specific to your area, if available. Hotspots are not to be used on Repeater frequencies.
Note 7: Ten frequencies on a 20 kHz channel raster: 144.91, 144.93, 144.95, 144.97, 144.99, 145.01, 145.03, 145.05, 145.07 and 145.09. Consult with your local coordination body.
Note 8: Eleven frequencies on a 20 kHz channel raster: 145.59, 145.61, 145.63, 145.65, 145.67, 145.69, 145.71, 145.73, 145.75, 145.77 and 145.79 MHz. Consult with your local coordination body.
Note 9: The frequencies 146.40, 146.43 and 146.46 MHz continue to be used as repeater inputs in some areas. Consult with your local coordination body.
Note 10: Thirteen channels on a 15 kHz channel raster: 146.415, 146.430, 146.445, 146.460, 146.475, 146.490, 146.505, 146.520, 146.535, 146.550, 146.565, 146.580 and 146.595 MHz.
Note 11: Six channels on a 30 kHz channel raster, 147.420, 147.450, 147.480, 147.510, 147.540, 147.570 MHz.
Note 12: The use of Digital Hotspots is not recommended on 2m. If they are used however, maximum power output should not exceed 500 mW. Gain antennas should not be used. The control operator must monitor the Hotspot whenever it is operating.
Note 13: Six channels on a 30 kHz channel raster: 147.435, 147.465, 147.495, 147.525, 147.555 and 147.585 MHz. Consult your local coordination body for available frequencies, ERP and bandwidth.
Serge, Bertuzzo, VA3SB RAC International Affairs Officer [email protected]
The 144 – 146 MHz Amateur Radio segment has been removed from a French proposal to study spectrum additional for Aeronautical Mobile Service (AMS) applications. France had included the band, which comprises the entire 2 meter band in ITU Region 1, for consideration as a European Conference of Telecommunications and Postal Administrations (CEPT) position for World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19). Heading into a just-ended CEPT Conference Preparatory Group (CPG) meeting in Turkey this past week, France was holding firm on the proposal to have AMS share 144 – 146 MHz with Amateur Radio. The CPG meeting considered CEPT ECC positions on this and other issues for WRC-19.
The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) had called the French proposal for 144 – 146 MHz “unsound” and contended that sharing of the current amateur allocation with AMS radio systems would not be possible “without a significant likelihood of mutual interference.”
The French spectrum study proposal would have had to gain approval from at least 10 CEPT countries at the CPG meeting — with not more than 6 opposing — to appear on the agendas of WRC-19 and WRC-23, where a final decision would be made.
Also at the CEPT meeting, at the insistence of the European Commission, a WRC-23 agenda item was considered necessary to address world-wide protection of Regional Navigational Satellite Systems (RNSS) from amateur emissions in the 23 centimeter band, 1240 – 1300 MHz. Delegates agreed to a draft WRC Resolution that stresses the importance of the band to the Amateur Service and explicitly excludes the removal of existing allocations as part of the proposed agenda item. The issue stems from reported incidents of interference to the Galileo GPS E6 signal on 1278.750 MHz.
Other Amateur Radio-related issues addressed at the CEPT CPG included:
Agreement to a European Common Proposal (ECP) on allocating 50 – 52 MHz to the Amateur Service in Region 1 (Europe, Africa, and the Middle East) on a secondary basis, with a footnote listing those countries where the Amateur Service will have a primary allocation in the band 50 – 50.5 MHz (WRC-19 Agenda Item 1.1).
Agreement to an ECP on spectrum to be considered for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT), which does not now include the primary Amateur Radio band at 47 – 47.2 GHz (WRC Agenda Item 1.13).
Agreement to an ECP that retains the current regulatory position in the 5725 – 5850 MHz band that includes secondary Amateur Radio and Amateur Satellite allocations (WRC Agenda Item 1.16).
No change to an already agreed upon CEPT position on wireless power transmission (WRC Agenda item 9.1.6). This calls for no change in the Radio Regulations to address the question of operating frequency for wireless power transmission for electric vehicle charging (WPT-EV), but leaves open the question of spurious emissions from WPT-EV.
IARU Region 1 President Don Beattie, G3BJ, said that the IARU team at Ankara — the only representatives of the Amateur Service at the meeting — had presented clear and convincing arguments for Amateur Radio positions and that he was pleased that regulators had recognized the strength of the amateur case. He expressed his thanks to everyone who contributed to the outcome at CPG.
CEPT is one of the six regional telecommunications organizations but viewed as the most influential. The issues now move to WRC-19 in Egypt this fall for final resolution. IARU will be represented at the international gathering, which gets under way in late October.
Representatives of International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) member-societies in Europe are advising restraint in the wake of a proposal to consider the allocation of 146 – 148 MHz to the Aeronautical Mobile Service (AMS) at World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23). France recently raised the prospect during a European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) meeting in Prague, held in advance of WRC-19. A WRC-19 agenda item would call for studying a range of frequencies for AMS applications, including 144 – 146 MHz, and a decision could be made at WRC-23.
The French draft resolution seeks studies of possible new AMS primary allocations in several bands in the range from 144 MHz to 22.2 GHz on a primary basis, “while ensuring the protection of existing services in those bands and, as appropriate, adjacent bands, and not constraining future development of these services.”
The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) released a statement this week, in part pointing that as proposed, the French resolution “is not an eviction or re-allocation of amateurs, but nonetheless is unwelcome and presents significant challenges. Unlike some other bands where amateurs do share, aeronautical applications are amongst the most difficult due to the altitudes and long free-space distances involved.”
Any consideration to allocate additional services in a band that’s already allocated on a primary basis to an incumbent service — Amateur Radio, in this case — must begin with a sharing/compatibility study. The IARU has expressed “grave concern” to any proposal that would include 144 – 146 MHz in a WRC agenda item and has pledged to make every effort to fully protect Amateur Radio interests and seek the support of regulators.
At the Prague meeting, only Germany opposed the proposal, which has been carried forward to the higher-level CEPT Conference Preparatory Group (CPG) meeting in August. Support from at least 10 CEPT administrations and fewer than six in opposition would move the issue forward as a CEPT resolution, making it highly likely that it would appear on the agendas of WRC-19 and WRC-23.
In a post to the Moon-Net news group, Deutscher (German) Amateur Radio Club (DARC) Frequency Manager Bernd Mischlewski, DF2ZC, stressed the importance that Amateur Radio speak with a single voice and asked the Amateur Radio community to refrain from contacting individual administrations or the EU.
“This would weaken our position and take away power and vigor from the systematic approach by IARU and country Amateur Radio societies,” Mischlewski said. “This particularly applies [to] online petitions.” One frantic petition that’s collecting both signatures and donations calls on hams to “Stop the 2 Meter Band (144 – 146 MHz) being taken away from Radio Amateurs,” which is not what the draft French resolution would do. Mischlewski speculated that the primary reason for the scant opposition at Prague was the revised French proposal’s last-minute arrival. “Consequently, most other European countries had no time for internal discussions, let alone formulating their position,” Mischlewski said.
With the support of regulatory experts among its member-societies, IARU “is intensively working on executing their influence within the current process and trying to keep the 2-meter band as it is now,” Mischlewski said. He pointed out that funding for these activities comes from IARU member-societies. “So, those who left their country’s Amateur Radio society should perhaps reconsider their decision,” he added. “Without the commitment and the funds, the Amateur Radio community would have little influence in that process, let alone could be present at the relevant meetings.”
RSGB VHF Manager John Regnault, G4SWX, in a related Moon-Net post, said the flood of “fake news” on the issue propagated via social media and online petitions does not help Amateur Radio’s position.
“All IARU member societies have been briefed on a common position and messages for Amateur Radio,” Regnault said. “This message is not helped by the many wrong messages abounding on social media. IARU represents Amateur Radio in the various CEPT forums and ITU, and [it] will fight to maintain the best position it can for Amateur Radio. Progress will be slow, but I am hopeful that, in the end we will get a good result.”
ARRL – Following a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake and tsunami in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, on September 28, members of International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) member-society ORARI and other volunteers have been providing emergency communication for community and government interests. The quake and tsunami destroyed the city of Palu, completely cutting power and telephone connections, as well as the cellular communication infrastructure.
New IARU Region 3 Disaster Communication Coordinator Dani Halim, YB2TJV, said Amateur Radio operators in Indonesia immediately responded to the unfolding disaster, establishing an emergency net on 7.110 MHz. Amateur Radio volunteers from other regions also pitched in to support radio communication for emergency news on 7.110 MHz and 7.065 MHz. ORARI has asked that radio amateurs not involved in the emergency response avoid those frequencies. ORARI also activated the LAPAN-ORARI IO-86 satellite as a back-up communication channel. Some radio amateurs with mobile stations have traveled to the affected region to help.
According to Budi Santoso, YF1AR, on Java Island, the local Palu ORARI representative Ronny Korompot, YB8PR, was among the first contacted. Through his mobile station, he reported on conditions and the response, including evacuations. Sutrisno Sofingi, YB8NT, was also heard on 7.110 MHz using an emergency station he assembled at the disaster site. He said Amateur Radio was the only available communication with the outside world.
Amateur Radio also has assisted government agencies following severe damage to the telecommunication infrastructure. Hams operating on 2 meters were communicating information on which roads were open to allow traffic from the outside.
Halim reported that communication was established from the Luwuk Disaster Management Agency some 430 miles from the earthquake’s epicenter to obtain information on landslides and blocked roads and highways.
Salmin Sahidin, YB8IBD, in Southeast Sulawesi has been live streaming audio of the activity on 7.110 MHz via his Facebook page.
The earthquake and subsequent tsunami has claimed upward of 900 lives and caused widespread devastation. Some victims have been reported to be trapped in the debris. The Indonesian National Disaster Mitigation Agency has told news media that, in addition to communication, heavy equipment for rescue operations is limited. — Thanks to IARU Region 3 and Budi Santoso, YF1AR
The Administrative Council (AC) of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) held its annual in-person meeting on September 8 and 9, 2018 in Seoul, Republic of Korea, immediately prior to the IARU Region 3 Conference. The AC is responsible for the policy and management of the IARU and consists of the three IARU international officers and two representatives from each of the three IARU regional organizations.
With the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) now little more than a year away, the efforts of two dozen IARU volunteers to defend Amateur Radio’s frequency allocations against commercial pressures and to seek worldwide harmonization of the 50-54 MHz band are reaching a critical stage. Coordination of this team is an ongoing task leading up to the ITU Conference Preparatory Meeting in Geneva in February 2019 and to WRC-19 itself in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt, in October and November. The work involves presenting the IARU positions on the WRC-19 agenda items to national administrations through the IARU member-societies and actively participating in the ongoing preparations being done in regional telecommunications organizations and the ITU Radiocommunication Sector. The potential for crippling levels of interference to radiocommunications from High Power Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) for electric vehicles is high on the list of concerns.
With these challenges in mind the AC reviewed its strategic plan to develop support for Amateur spectrum allocations and approved the action plan for implementation during the remainder of 2018 and 2019. To resource the plan, the IARU budget for the years 2019-2021 was reviewed and adopted. The budget is based upon anticipated financial contributions from the IARU International Secretariat (IS) and the three regional organizations and reflects ongoing efforts to minimize expenses while maintaining the essential activities for achievement of the plan.
The IARU Constitution and Administrative Council policies define the process for filling the positions of IARU President and Vice President for five-year terms. Member-societies and the three IARU regional organizations are invited to participate in identifying qualified candidates for consideration in a consultative process between the AC and the member-society acting as the International Secretariat (IS), currently the ARRL. This process for the terms of office beginning on May 9, 2019 was initiated at the 2017 meeting of the AC and completed at the 2018 meeting. ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, formally reported that there was consensus that the incumbent President Tim Ellam, VE6SH, and Vice President Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, should be nominated for an additional term. These nominations will be submitted to the IARU member-societies for ratification by mail vote.
Looking to the future, the AC recognized the importance and urgency of succession planning and assigned it an immediate and high priority. Individuals with the qualifications, skills, and willingness to fill volunteer technical and leadership positions must be identified on an ongoing basis in order to maintain the availability of essential personnel resources. Training must be provided so that the volunteer team can function effectively in a rapidly changing regulatory environment.
The growth of Amateur Radio, especially how to attract young people, is a common concern of IARU member-societies. The AC will set out to identify those barriers to growth that the IARU can assist member-societies to address and will encourage member-societies to share successful strategies for growth with one another.
The AC noted with pleasure that considerable progress has been made to develop consistent branding across the IARU and its three regional organizations and thanked the team that has been working on a common design for the four websites. The design was agreed and plans are underway for implementation in the coming months.
The IARU policy on QSL bureaus has been under review for several years. While the IARU QSL bureau system continues to be important for many member-societies and individual Amateurs, escalating expenses represent a growing financial burden for others. Unwanted and undeliverable QSL cards are increasingly recognized as an environmental concern. Possible amendments to the policy continue to be developed for consideration.
In addition to the ITU Radiocommunication Sector the IARU is engaged with the Development Sector, particularly with regard to emergency communication. Additional areas of continuing activity that represent significant effort by volunteer coordinators, advisors, and others include Amateur satellite frequency coordination, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), and the International Beacon Project. Reports from these coordinators and advisors were received with thanks. The AC agreed to maintain its modest annual financial support of the Beacon Project.
The AC noted the actions taken by the IS and the regions to address the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union and agreed to review its implications on an ongoing basis.
After consideration of several possible alternatives the theme for World Amateur Radio Day, April 18, 2019, was confirmed as “Celebrating Amateur Radio’s Contribution to Society”.
Attending the meeting were IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA; Vice President Ole Garpestad, LA2RR; Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ; regional representatives Don Beattie, G3BJ, Hans Blondeel Timmerman, PB2T, Reinaldo Leandro, YV5AM, Ramón Santoyo, XE1KK, Gopal Madhavan, VU2GMN, and Peter Young, VK3MV. Present as observers were regional executive committee members Jay Bellows, K0QB, Ken Yamamoto, JA1CJP, and Don Wallace, ZL2TLL.
The next in-person meeting of the AC is scheduled to be held immediately prior to the IARU Region 2 Conference in Lima, Peru at the end of September 2019. Virtual AC meetings will be held by teleconference as required.
IARU – As Radio Amateurs in Indonesia respond for the second time to an Earthquake in the Lombok area, please take care to avoid causing QRM to their activities on 7.110MHz and emergency activities on satellite IO-86.
The second powerful earthquake inthe area killed at least 98 people and seriously injured more than 200 others. The electricity supply in the area is disrupted and the ORARI of West Nusa Tenggara Region led by YB9KA and YB9GV have taken action to cover areas with no cellular coverage including taking battery supplies to affected repeaters. At the moment four repeaters are operating in the disaster area with ORARI HQ asking their Bali Island Region (the closest area) to provide further repeater support for use by emergency communications in Lombok.
ORARI HQ has also issued an official request to the nearest region, to help with both logistics and personnel to Lombok, and designating a National Frequency for the Lombok Earthquake at 7.110 MHz for HF, VHF on 145.500 MHz Simplex and 147.000 MHz Duplex, and also to activate ORARI Satellite LAPAN IO-86, to assist with communication.
The Central Java Region of the Indonesian Search And Rescue Council has sent a group of rescuers and vehicles, lead by YB2QC the Operation and Technical Head of ORARI to join the National Rescue Operation in Lombok and ORARI Jakarta is also arranging the delivery of logistical assistance to Lombok.
