BIG CHANGES coming to the 60 meter #hamradio band?

I really hate spring allergy season...

Ria; I always enjoy your “short and to the point” videos. Thanks for the information

Hello Ria, I'm pleased the YouTube algorithm recommended your channel to me. Sorry to hear the FCC is trying to take us off these frequencies. I was always under the impression that one of the reasons we were given those frequencies was to allow Hams to "interface" directly with the US Government on this set of channels for emergency purposes during times of crisis. This does not make any sense at all to remove us from an emergency management perspective. There aren't a great deal of hams down there and we are channelized. As secondary users to boot. Fifteen watts is pretty puny amount of power down there. Sounds like we need to start writing to our representatives to explain what exactly is going on and have them (our representatives) make NTIA cease and decist. Furthermore I would like to add that there is a community of hams that like to restore and operate military surplus HF transceivers on these channels . The fact that its done on USB/SSB is desirable as many of the vintage military SSB radios operate on USB only. The default sideband for Government users is also upper sideband. As a general principal I believe as hams we should always challenge the FCC whenever they attempt to take away our allocations. Its no secret that the commercial users are always hungry for spectrum space and the FCC seems to be a willing accomplice to turn a quick buck; although that is not the case in this instance. Does anyone know who is the individual at NTIA that is pushing this???

Oh great, one of the absolutely best bands we have. During the horrible times at solar minimum just a short couple years back that never seemed to end, I got very active on the 60m band. I managed to work and confirm all states in a couple weeks, and I now have 80 countries confirmed... All operating on only one of those channels 5.357 on FT8... Have a blast when we get a nice opening and good DX is on the band... as far as continents go I seem to only be missing Asia... Probably due to the time I'm operating, or they might be restricted over there... I don't mind getting new spectrum, but develop a mental issue with loss of perfectly good spectrum and would hate to see us losing additional power if they cut the existing channels back to 15w... I know most of the YLRL gals haven't even tried 60m...and so many of the active hams also don't even bother with 60 only because they haven't a clue as to how good it is... I lived through the time 160m had extreme day and night power limitations that were different state to state, before finally getting 1500W... What a glorious day... and even a better day when they flipped off the big switch on LORAN A stations that littered the band. Same deal different frequencies... It would be nice if we had the wide channels many of the countries have down there... But I'm just pleased as punch with my little 2.8khz of the one channel, but would cry over the loss of the other channels too. Erika K0DD

Thanks! You are my go-to person for regulatory rules.

We have both the channels and the continuous spectrum up here north of the border at full 100w ERP. I unfortunately haven't made time to get on 60m SSB in a while. 73 VE3GKT

Keep us up to date Ria. Thanks so much for all you do. 73 Joe

Wow! Thank you! Great information. This is the kind of reporting that “news services” lack - fact-based, without agenda except to inform, and the ideas of the “reporter” expressed as such. Please keep it up.

Worked lots of NA on 60M both on data and SSB, We have the channels here in Ireland 🇮🇪

Interesting. In the Netherlands we had a continue allocation 5350-5450 KHz with 100W allowed all mode in 2015. A year later we had to move to the WRC-15 allocation with 15W. Overall most of the DX/QSOs are playing on 5357 KHz FT8. 15W is enough for NVIS and DX contacts on that mode. The real challenge is to receive stations since many are suffering from PLC and Solarpanel noise on that band. Most interesting contact on 60m was with a /AM which flew above France in 2015. Something that would not be possible now since /AM stations are not allowed by the WRC-15 rules on 60m.

Nice! Just luckily found you channel.

The existing allotment provides for interoperability between ARS and SHARES, MARS, and other government stations. Stations can make contacts by voice and then pass digital traffic, including PACTOR III.IV without changing frequencies. There is a problem with FT8 stations using a channel as secondary users interfering with "government" stations because the FT8 stations do not copy voice traffic.

I think it’s a grab from the cell phone companies for more spectrum for their cellular first responder broad spectrum networks. Like AT&T’s “FirstNet” monopoly administered by a federal agency. T-Mobile and Verizon are trying to create their own first responder to compete against the government run monopoly. The proposed 9.15 Watt limit seems likely for the cell phone companies as more compatible with adjacent frequencies in the 60 meter band.

I always thought that the 5 M/C's emergency channels were really more an Alaskan thing. Great video Ria, shared with my ham club in the UK.

We really need the 100W EIRP to be useful for emergency communications. 60M is useful when MUF is too low for 40M and 80M D Layer absorption is too high during the daylight hours.

Here in VK (Australia) we’ve been denied access to the 60m section, the reasons given were that that area of the spectrum 1. Is used throughout the neighbouring pacific island countries for critical communications, 2. There are over 300 commercial mobile communications licenses active in that segment, and 3. Defence are users in that area and have more than enough interference (from most likely Asian users) already, without potential interference from 20000 Amateurs… and 4. There are no amateur transceivers that are currently approved to transmit on 60m frequencies… So, Australian Amateurs may never gain access

Been a regular on 60m for some time. In the UK, we initally had to apply for an NoV to operate on 60m. From 2015, we got 11 "bandlets" and are allowed 100W ERP (with some restrictions). I have seen amateur activity steadily increase over the years. One annoying aspect is that different countries have different allocations/restrictions. I do hope USA hams get a good 60m deal going forward. It would be good to log some more USA-UK contacts.

Thanks for this information. Hmmm thinking....thinking. I guess I can understand why NTIA would want Hams off 60m, what I don't understand is why only 9W on the allocated 60m portion? The military is also getting more into HF comms again, so that will put pressure on spectrum.

It would be nice to have both with specific scope and purpose for each (channels and continuous), but that might seem greedy.

The 60m channels in the US as they stand now are the link between the military and hams. It's good thing in that hams can use their callsigns and MARS can use their callsigns in the same allocation. This allows for communication from civillian to military about information in times of emergency. It's definitely needed and should not be gotten rid of. The power use should also stay the same to allow NVIS communications within the regions. As far as the new band it can be added.