ARRL Executive Committee Okays Revised Band Plans for 80/75, 40 and 15

NEWINGTON, CT, Dec 14, 2006 -- The ARRL Executive Committee approved revised band plans for 80/75, 40, and 15 meters developed and recommended by the League's Band Planning Committee. ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, says the Band Planning Committee "did a commendable job" stepping into the breach caused by the FCC's unexpected 80/75 meter decision in the so-called "omnibus" Report and Order (R&O) in WT Docket 04-140.

"In the case of 80/75 meters, it is an interim plan subject to change if the FCC acts favorably on our Petition for Reconsideration," Sumner said. The omnibus R&O moved the lower edge of the Amateur Extra 75-meter phone band to 3600 kHz effective December 15. This week the League asked the FCC to rectify an "unintended consequence" of that expansion by moving the dividing line between the narrowband and wideband segments of 80/75 meters to 3635 kHz.

ARRL Vice President and Band Planning Committee chair Rick Roderick, K5UR, says his panel considered members' input in developing the changes the committee recommended. He notes that the Committee has received nearly 900 comments.

The charts below reflect the current band plan as well as the changes that will become effective with the omnibus R&O on Friday, December 15, at 12:01 AM EST.

75/80 Meters	Current Band Plan	New Band Plan
3.590	RTTY DX	RTTY/Data DX
3.580-3.620	RTTY	3.570-3.600: RTTY/Data
3.620-3.635	Packet	Delete
3.790-3.800	DX Window	No change
3.845	SSTV	No change
3.885	AM calling frequency	No change
40 Meters	Current Band Plan	New Band Plan
7.040	RTTY DX	RTTY/Data DX
7.080-7.100	RTTY	7.080-7.125: RTTY/Data
7.171	SSTV	No change
7.290	AM calling frequency	No change
15 Meters	Current Band Plan	New Band Plan
21.070-21.100	RTTY	21.070-21.110: RTTY/Data
21.100-21.110	Packet	21.070-21.110: RTTY/Data
21.340	SSTV	No change

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