Defending 70cm - What you can do to help:

Here are some suggestions other amateurs have made on how to help deal with the problem.

Set up your own simplex frequency on 433.750 to 434.225MHz
Instead of using a HF or VHF frequency to rag chew, set up one on UHF and use it frequently. Set up a local net or run cross band contacts across town. There are a literally thousands of these low power transmitters operational already around 433.92MHz. The receivers in these systems are relatively broad. Users of these devices will quickly learn that they are unreliable. Use omni-directional antennas and as much power as possible (to assure noise free communication). Check that you are not operating on the input of a repeater in your area. Novice licensees can also use these frequencies.

When mobile, use a UHF instead of VHF repeater.
UHF repeaters and radios do not suffer from intermod problems from paging transmitters. You can drive around town without having to put up with your radio "erupting" with paging noises. When transmitting, use as much power as possible (to ensure good audio quality - of course!)

Set up a packet station on 433.750 to 434.225MHz.
Make sure you use a lot of altitude, and that the TNC beacons regularly so that others know you are there. If you don't want to run a PC, thats OK. Most packet TNC's have a mailbox function that can happily greet anyone who wants to say hello while your PC is switched off.

Regularly Petition your local or Federal office of the ACA
Paper piles in the ACA will start to get noticed. If enough of us submit complaints we can reverse this decision. There are more than 17,000 registered amateur licensees in Australia. The ACA collects more than 0.8 Million dollars from us every year. Don’t hide behind excuses like "but we are a secondary user", its license free TERTIARY users that are the biggest threat at the moment. If they win, then commercial operators are sure to follow. Consider those who have put in much effort to give us the repeaters we use on this band and support them!!

These are your frequencies. You pay to use them. If you do nothing you are punishing those who have worked so hard to create the hobby we enjoy today.

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