| |
DF5DP > IARU 19.07.96 03:08l 169 Lines 7065 Bytes #-10749 (0) @ WW
BID : 59E11_UO22
Read: DL1EEC GUEST DK3EL
Subj: Spoiling Oscar Bands
Path: DB0AAB<DB0KCP<OE9XPI<HB9EAS<HB9OS<HB9H<HB9OK<IW2FPO<IK2UUB<I2SIP<
IK2HDG<I4UKI<I4FP<IW4CRL<IW4CNQ<I0XNH<I0LCJ<IW0FEF<I8WYA<I8CWM<IW8PHV<
IW9CNZ<IW9EDP<9H1AX<N0RSE<ZL2TZE<ZL2TZE<ZL2WA<ZL2BAU<ZL2AHK
Sent: 960716/0116Z @:ZL2AHK.#73.NZL.OC #:15088 [Picton] $:59E11_UO22
From: DF5DP@ZL2AHK.#73.NZL.OC
To : IARU@WW
From: DF5DP
To: ALL
Subject: Spoiling OSCAR Bands
Keywords: IARU ARI Italy Sweden Tel-Aviv
----------------------------------------
To : ALL
From: DF5DP
Time: 144841UTC
Date: 15 Jul 1996
-----------------
Spoiling OSCAR Bands
--------------------
As the Swedish radio society SSA is going to claim a
segment of the 437-438 MHz satellite frequencies for
terrestrial links in the next IARU Region 1 Conference in
Tel Aviv later this year, I reviewed the situation in
Italy, where FM repeaters are known to operate in the 70
cm OSCAR band already.
I just bought a book published by the Italian ARI, "CQ
Europe" by IN3WWW, containing frequency tables of European
countries. In the "Italy" section of the book, there is
mentioned the Italian UHF standard repeater system: The
repeater output channels U0...U8 are extending from
435.200 MHz thru 435.400 MHz.
This repeater system is not mentioned in the official IARU
Region 1 rule book, the "VHF Managers' Handbook". Here the
segment 435...438 MHz is reserved for Satellite Service
ONLY and for ATV use under the provision, that the
Satellite Service has priority in the case of interference
between the Satellite Service and ATV. The various
repeater systems mentioned in the IARU book are all
outside the Satellite segment 435...438 MHz.
The Italian book however tells less than half of the
truth: The reality in Italy is even much worse. I
extracted files from the packet BBS network, which
contained listings of FM voice repeaters, transponders,
links, and digipeaters in Italy.
These listings show, that in Italy nearly the whole
satellite segment of the 70 cm band is occupied by
repeater outputs and similar stations. This occupation is
absolutely not restricted to 435.200...435.400 MHz. There
are outputs on 435.025, 435,075, 435.412, 435.425,
435.450, 435.625 MHz and so on too. The whole segment
435...436 MHz ist spoiled by terrestrial use. But that is
not all. There are outputs and links in the 437 MHz
region: e. g. 437.700 and 437.887 MHz.
BTW, there are also frequencies in the 23 cm Satellite
(uplink)
segment 1260...1270 MHz.
I also have a listing of the digipeater system in Italy.
There are digipeaters using: 435.000, 435.025, 435.125,
435.150, 435.225, 435.235, 435.525, 435.550, 435.575,
435.600, 435.625, 435.650, 435.625, 435.650, 435.700,
435.725, 435.750, 435.775, 435.800, 435.900, 435.950,
435.975 MHz, and 436.000, 436.025, 436.400, 436.710 MHz,
and 437.110, 437.1125, 437.1875, 437.6875, 437.700,
437.725, 437.750, 437.8625, 437.875, 437.950, and 437.9875
MHz.
So nearly the whole 70 cm satellite band is made unusable
at least for satellite uplinks. I think there is no need
to explain that the transmissions of these Italian
automatic stations will not stay within the boundaries of
Italy, but will affect any satellite, as long as Italy is
in its footprint. As far as Phase-3D is concerned, this
will lead to severe interference, as Italy will be in its
footprint nearly 50 % of the time, the sensitivity of its
uplink will most certainly cause the transmissions of the
Italian stations beeing heard on the transponder, and lots
of those stations will fall in the uplink passband of
Phase-3D. Our American Amsat friends will be supplied with
Italian repeater QRM on Phase-3D. (Remember: Phase-3D
Uplink: 435.300...435.550 MHz digital, 435.550...435.800
MHz analog. Keep in mimnd, that OSCARs need command
channels too.)
The Italian intrusion of automatic stations has been
either not known or kept secret to the international AMSAT
community by IARU Region 1. Now there is another IARU
Region 1 society crying for more occupation of frequencies
in the OSCAR segment. Where are we going to find
frequencies for satellite projects in the future? Where
are we going to put frequencies for wide-bandwidth
transmission modes of OSCARCs like highspeed digital
modes?
The item of action right now must be to reduce the chaos
imposed on the satellite bands from Italy, not to increase
the intrusion of non-satellite stations in even more
countries. Otherwise the problems of AMSAT groups will be
increased likewise, and the chaos problem will become
absolutely insoluble in the future.
There are two arguments, which are given by those people,
who want to put non-satellite amateur radio operations in
the satellite frequencies. The first one is the slogan
"use it or lose it (to other services)". This is a most
perverse argument. It is like a man saying "give your
money to me, otherwise a crude gangster will come, maybe
hurt you, and take it away". There is no better usage of
frequencies in terms of defending our bands against other
services than OSCAR operation. This is valid as quantity
is concerned, because the range of OSCAR operation covers
the whole world, and it shurely is valid as far as quality
is concerned.
The other argument of those guys is the problem to find
frequencies within a primary allocation. According to the
Italian book I mentioned above, in Italy there is only a
primary or exclusive allocation to the amateur service on
70 cm from 435...436 MHz. If the agument is, repeater
outputs are allowed in Italy only in an exclusive segment,
then it is curious, that there are also those in the
436...437 MHz region.
Addditionally there is an interdependence between these
frequencies beeing primary in most countries and the fact
that they are allocated to the Satellite Service. If the
OSCAR operations are virtually killed by non-satellite
applications, we likewise kill our strongest argument for
keeping these segments as primary. This would be
perversity number two.
In the same book you can see that e. g. Switzerland has a
primary allocation between 435...438 MHz only, too. But
the Swiss hams kept the satellite frequencies clear and
put their repeaters on the other frequencies.
It shurely is an easy way to avaid any dicussions and
negotiations with the national authority and simply put
everything on the OSCAR bands, because they are primary
allocations and there is no need for coordination with
other services. It is also an easy way to follow each and
every demand for repeaters if frequencies are scarce. But
be advised, that this does mean not less than killing the
Satellite Service on these frequencies.
Under all circumstances this deadly strategy must not be
enforced at the Tel Aviv Conference!
I believe the main problem is, that many VHF managers
within the IARU societies are not aware of the fact, that
every station in any country of the world, which transmits
in a frequency within the satellite bands, causes
consequences and problems for ALL countries in the world.
The usage of a frequency for an OSCAR is subject to an
"AND" condition: It requires a clear frequncy in the US
AND in Germany AND in Italy AND in Sweden AND in Japan
AND ... IN ALL COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD.
15-JUL-96
Norbert Notthoff, DF5DP @amsat.org
(DARC Satellite Coordinator)
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
