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IARU Region 1 Virtual General Conference closes / Recommandations and Appointments

October 17th, 2020 - IARU Region 1 Virtual General Conference closed yesterday afternoon. During the week, discussions on papers submitted by Member Societies, the Executive Committee and other parts of IARU resulted in some 50 Recommendations to the Final Plenary Meeting. Heads of national delegations considered and voted on the recommendations. The Final Plenary meeting also agreed some new appointments in the Region. Among others, Gaspar Miró, EA6AMM, has been appointed as the new coordinator of the IARUMS (“Intruder Watch”) of Region 1. He succeeds Peter Jost, HB9CET, who had taken over this position ad interim since the beginning of the year.

At times more than 70 people attended the meetings of the C4 Committee (HF). They covered topics such as the band plan, experimental operating modes and the work of the “Intruder Watch”. The voting results of the plenary session concerning the C4 Committee recommandations are as follows (in favor/against/abstentions):

NS20_C4_Rec_01 34÷0÷1 Approve IARUMS database application
NS20_C4_Rec_02 -/-/- skipped as covered by another later paper
NS20_C4_Rec_03 -/-/- skipped as covered by another later paper
NS20_C4_Rec_04 37÷0÷1 Remove 6 kHz bandwidth restriction in 29000 — 29510 kHz
NS20_C4_Rec_05 36÷0÷0 IARU R1 creates a simple one-page HF band plan graphic for use by MS
NS20_C4_Rec_06 39÷0÷0 Continue to share band planning discussions with R2 and R3 to align HF band plans
NS20_C4_Rec_07 39÷0÷0 Replace text in HF Managers Handbook on beacons between 1.8 and 10.15 MHz
NS20_C4_Rec_08 36÷0÷1 Designate 21125 – 21450 kHz for use by amateur satellites on non-excl. basis with >21400 kHz clearly preferred
NS20_C4_Rec_09 38÷0÷0 Operators should not use power than is necessary when using digital modes
NS20_C4_Rec_10 38÷1÷0 Continue to have segments of the HF bands to be reserved for CW exclusive operation 
NS20_C4_Rec_11 37÷0÷1 Encourage member societies to help build the KiwiSDR network / valuable tool for IARUMS / TDoA.

73 Tom Kamp DF5JL, C4 Chair

Russian-Ukrainian “Radio War” on 7055 kHz

May 19th, 2020 - Recently observed attempts to disrupt the other side in the Russian-Ukrainian radio war on 7055 kHz LSB with digital signals (PSK-8A) have partly led to the evasion of propaganda broadcasts on 7050 and 7060 kHz. This morning at about 0540 UT, loops with announcements were running there. As a result, this radio war, which has been raging there every day for years, is taking up more and more space in the 40‑m band, which is exclusively allocated to the amateur radio service.

(Sceenshot: DF5JL via Twente WebSDR)

Chinese Satellite with HF Transponder

Two new Chinese CAMSAT amateur radio satellites, CAS-7A and CAS-7C, are scheduled for launch on September 15. CAS-7A is a 27 kg microsat with a transponder for 15 m / 10 m and other features. The frequencies were planned in cooperation with IARU.

Both satellites will be placed in a 500 km sun-synchronous orbit with an inclination of 98° by the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Below is some data on the planned frequencies for CAS-7A. All transponders have a pass bandwidth of 30 kHz. In H/T mode the uplink is in the range of 2̶1̶ ̶2̶4̶5̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶2̶1̶ ̶2̶7̶5̶ ̶k̶H̶z 21 395 to 21 425 kHz and the downlink in the range of 29 435 to 29 465 kHz. The CW beacon transmits on 29 425 kHz.

The satellites remind a little bit of the former Soviet Iskra amateur radio satellites of the Ordschonikidze Aviation Institute in Moscow in the early 1980s. They also had their uplink in the 15-meter band and the downlink in the 10-meter band. They were mainly designed for radio amateurs of the former Eastern Bloc, most of whom had no equipment for higher amateur bands. Iskra 2 was also the first satellite ever launched from a space station — from Salyut 7 on 17 May 1982, and Iskra 2 burnt up about seven weeks later, on 9 July 1982.

COVID-19

March 19th, 2020 - Tom DF5JL, HF Manager of IARU region 1, says in view of the present COVID-19 measures in some countries: “Amateur radio offers the chance to keep up contacts despite all restrictions of the public life and also to make new ones, across all borders”. 

However, observing the bands also plays a special role for him: “Only if amateur radio can continue to assert itself against other interests with regard to frequency requirements will we be able to provide the space needed to think scientifically, plan technically and shape the future socially. This is the essence of amateur radio.”

Photo credit: Leonora Kamp

UK 5 MHz beacon to close

February 16th, 2020 - It has been announced that the 5 MHz (60m) beacon GB3WES at Westmorland IO84qn on 5.290 MHz will close down on March 11, 2020, when its Notice of Variation (NoV) expires.

The beacon entered service on October 30, 2004. At the time it was one of a chain of three UK 5 MHz propagation research beacons, the others being GB3RAL in Oxfordshire and GB3ORK in Orkney.

After GB3WES closes only GB3ORK will remain.

Source GB3WES site — http://​gb3wes​.g3wgv​.com/ (via Southgate Amateur Radio News)

France: 60m Allocation

February 13th, 2020 — Since today the French YLs/OM are officially allowed to operate on 60m. The frequency 5351,5 to 5366,5 kHz is allocated secondarily to amateur radio stations in Regions 1 and 2 with a maximum radiated power of 15 W (EIRP).

New 10 Meter Beacon activated in PA

January 4th, 2020 — In the Netherlands, a new 10 m beacon on 28.254kHz has been put into operation. The callsign is PI7BXM, and the following text is transmitted in CW: “VVV PI7BXM JO21WF”. The beacon is operating with a power of about 1.5 Watt (TX: CRT-6900N) from Baexem between Roermond and Weert in Midden-Limburg. As antenna a Lambda‑½ vertical antenna is used. OP Hans, PD1AHM, is happy to receive reports via logbook on ➡ qrz​.com/​d​b​/​P​I​7​BXM.

This short video clip gives you an impression of the beacon
➡ http://86.87.71.22/files/PI7BXM_1.mp4

Over-the-Horizon Radars Causing Widespread Interference on 40 Meters 

Dec. 19th, 2019 – Over-the-horizon (OTH) radars continue to plague various amateur radio bands. Those operating on exclusive ham radio allocations have been complaining for years, but military systems have a blanket waiver to use amateur radio frequencies. The latest edition of the International Amateur Radio Union Monitoring System (IARUMS) newsletter reports that a radar in northern Iran — likely military — has been operating 40 meters (6978 – 7022 kHz). Several Russian and Chinese OTH radars have become mainstays in the ham bands. While these sort of signals are operating on exclusive amateur radio allocations, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Convention essentially gives military stations free reign in the spectrum. Article 48 says, “Member States retain their entire freedom with regard to military radio installations.” 

Member states are countries that have agreed to follow the Convention, and that is not a given. The Convention goes on to say, however, “Nevertheless, these installations must, so far as possible, observe statutory provisions relative to giving assistance in case of distress and to the measures to be taken to prevent harmful interference, and the provisions of the Administrative Regulations concerning the types of emission and the frequencies to be used, according to the nature of the service performed by such installations.”

According to IARUMS, the Iranian OTH radar was centered on 7000 kHz using amplitude modulation on pulse (AMOP) at 81 sweeps per second. Recordings of military transmissions are available on the ➡ SIGIDWIKI signal identification site.

The South African Amateur Radio League (SARL) News reported this week that radio amateurs in Europe and South America have reported major interference from Russian OTH radar stations on several parts of 40 meters — with 12 kHz-wide signals. The radar transmissions have been heard on 7064, 7109, 7170, and 7190 kHz.

Several European IARU member-societies have already sent complaints to their respective telecommunications regulators. 

OTHER NEWS IN 2019

Print This Page Updated on October 17, 2020

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