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Re: Topband: Overseas Allocations

To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: Overseas Allocations
From: "Donald Chester" <k4kyv@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 00:05:09 +0000
List-post: <mailto:topband@contesting.com>

If you think about 160M, it was historically the "bastard child" of Loran for
many years. Finally around 1980 we got the full band back and then, some
time later we got the upper band back at a full KW power level.


If you think that was progress at a snail's pace, consider this - BELGIUM
(ON) did not get 160M back until JANUARY 1, 1987!

Hungary came even later I think. That's hard to believe.

We STILL haven't got the full band back. Before WWII, the U.S. band was 1715-2000, with a cw subband from 1715-1800. For a brief period, the band was shifted to 1750-2050, a full 300 khz, but Pearl Harbor ended that, perhaps before anyone ever transmitted in the newly-allocated 2000-2050 segment.


Today, the spectrum between 1705 (the expanded AM BC band) and 1800 is occupied by Radiolocation, but in recent years the radiolocation activity has been dropping off. 1900-2000 is shared with radiolocation; there were a half dozen or so beacons in operation in the early 90's, but now there is only one station that is regularly heard (the one on about 1947 kHz). I suspect the advent of GPS is leading to the gradual demise of 160m radiolocation.

If radiolocation goes away, who will inherit the spectrum? Maybe the amateur community should begin lobbying for the return of 1715-1800 kHz!

Don K4KYV

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