karn@mouton.UUCP (08/02/84)
I just heard yesterday that the FCC has assigned an RM number to a petition to allocate 216-222 mhz (including of course the bottom 2 mhz of the amateur band) to land mobile. This confirms speculation based on Robert Foosaner's (FCC Private Radio Bureau Chief) comments at the ARRL National Convention. Needless to say, this is a grave development. We NEED that spectrum, particularly for packet radio linking. There is nowhere else to go for the high speed FSK links that are being built right now. In particular, amateur satellite gateway stations NEED 220 mhz as all current and future satellites use all of the other VHF/UHF bands and the gateways have to operate in full duplex. It is becoming pretty clear that this attack is at least partially based on the rejection of no-code: the FCC considered no-code to be the amateur's "last chance" to populate the bottom part of the band. It is quite ironic that the ones who get hurt by this proposed change (the technically oriented packeteers) are mostly the ones who argued FOR a no-code license to increase technical experimentation. However, I suspect that very few of the vocal anti-no-code crowd ever used 220-222 mhz, or 420-430 mhz, or 1215-1240 mhz, or 2310-2380 mhz... Anyway, enough sermonizing. I strongly urge everyone to protest this move with the FCC as soon and as strenuously as possible, even if you don't use 220. If we don't all hang together as a group when one interest's spectrum is threatened, then before long we'll have lost much of everything. 73, Phil Karn, KA9Q
RICHARDSON@USC-ISIB.ARPA (08/07/84)
From: Lee Richardson <RICHARDSON@USC-ISIB.ARPA> There are TWO RMs: RM-4829 RM-4831 They both have a comment deadline of 29 August 1984. They both seek at least 220-222 mhz, one of them using the phrase "with haste"; evidently this is to be taken seriously, judging by the comment deadline (just 30 days after RM assignment). If you are interested in saving this band, you have three weeks to do so. /Lee Richardson W6RFK -------