SB QST @ ARL $ARLB022
ARLB022 ARRL Expresses Concerns About Ham Radio Impact of 70-cm Changes

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ARRL Bulletin 22  ARLB022
From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington CT  February 24, 2003
To all radio amateurs 

SB QST ARL ARLB022
ARLB022 ARRL Expresses Concerns About Ham Radio Impact of 70-cm Changes

The ARRL said two FCC-proposed actions could negatively affect
Amateur Radio in comments filed in ET Docket 02-305. One would
substantially expand the geographical area of power limitations on
70 cm. The other would deploy National Weather Service wind-profiler
radars in the 448-450 MHz segment.

In a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) late last fall, the FCC
proposed on behalf of the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (NTIA) to vastly increase the size of the
geographical area in New Mexico and western Texas where amateurs in
the 70 cm band would be limited to 50 W PEP to protect military
radiolocation service operations.
 
The proposed region has 67 affected repeaters. ARRL said the
proposed area is ''in most respects far beyond line-of-sight paths to
any military facilities.''

The ARRL asked the FCC and NTIA to cooperatively evaluate the
restriction, which could also affect weak-signal operations, to
determine whether it is overly broad.

Concerning the wind profilers, the League said it had understood
that the National Weather Service, which operates the radars, would
notify ARRL of their locations as selected. ''Ideally,'' the League
said, ''since the amateur repeaters are incumbent in the band now,
the National Weather Service should select sites that minimize the
effect on those repeaters.''
 
The complete text of the ARRL's comments is available on the FCC Web
site.
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