70cm IS DYING! IT NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT!!
 

Dear valued Ar-Gus Recipient and JKARC member,

I have taken the unusual step of pre-empting the next Ar-Gus to bring you this earth-shattering news. It simply can’t wait until the next edition.

Many of you will be aware that the lower 12 MHz of 70cm operation in Sydney has been suspended in anticipation of the radio requirements for the Olympic Games next year. This was an overnight, blanket reduction of an amateur band by 40% of the band plan.

Now, we have learnt that the 70cm band in Melbourne is threatened by a new licence schedule - "Low Interference Potential Devices" (or "LIPD"s for short) - which allows license-free transmitters to operate up to 25mW between 433.05 & 434.79 MHz. These wide-band devices have immense interference potential. The schedule virtually covers the entire input range of all 70cm repeaters.

One night last week, several amateurs including Bryan VK3YNG, Adam VK3HDF, Steve VK3TSW and Jack VK3WWW successfully foxhunted an offending device in a private home, which had rendered the repeater VK3RSE on 439.375 MHz totally useless. After building up enough courage to knock on the door at 22:15, our intrepid hounds explained the problem to the resident, who sympathetically agreed he was using a new pair of cordless headphones. When turned off, the repeater de-keyed and the interference disappeared immediately.

This scenario will become more and more common with time, unless we all lodge complaints in earnest. While the Amateur Service is "secondary" on 70cm, we must only give-way to the military, who are listed as the "primary" service. Certainly, we must not, and should not, tolerate interference from a tertiary service.

For the sake of 70cm, please read, sign and mail the attached letter of complaint to the Australian Communications Authority without delay. If you have already sent a letter of your own or one of Bryan’s, then well done and pass THIS on to an amateur who hasn’t yet done so.

Keep watching The Ar-Gus and FOXLIST for updates on this critical issue. Thankyou and happy UHF operation.
 
 

Ron VK3EHF
The John Knox Amateur Radio Club