ARRL Band Chart 8_5 X 11 Color 2017.pdf

[N4ESS]

The attachment to this email is the new band plan revised by the ARRL on
9/22/2017.

 

Remember to stay informed and operate in the portion of a band applicable to
your license class privileges.  

 

When using SSB remember to stay off the edge of the band.  SSB signals are
considered to be 3 KHz wide and that must be considered when operation near
a band edge.

 

The below listed article by Duane Traver, WV2B, gives and excellent
explanation of where you need to be and why you need to be there.

 

Remember to visit the ARRL WCF page for up to date information about your
section.  http://arrlwcf.org/

 

 

Rich Kennedy - N4ESS

ARRL WCF Section

Public Information Coordinator

 

Email: n4ess at tampabay.rr.com

 

Cell: 813-240-5614

 

 

 

 

The Band Edge- How Close is Too Close?

By Duane Traver, WV2B

It was a situation heard all too often. In fact, it can be heard almost
every contest. A DX station calls "CQ Contest" on 14349 KHz. Strings of US
stations answer and exchange the contest exchange. But in addition another
voice can be heard.

Besides the stations exchanging contest reports another voice rings out-
"You're out of band stupid, don't you know the rules." Some contesters are
bewildered, doesn't the band go to 14350? Others are argumentative- I am not
out of band, they contend.

Obviously the mystery voice is not handling things in a proper manner. After
all, if the stations he is condemning are out of band so is he. In addition,
he is not identifying his transmissions. But why do these arguments keep
erupting? Does this guy know what he's talking about?

The Rule

If the band goes to 14350 KHz, then contesters can just set their dials to
that frequency and operate- right? Wrong! The crux of the matter is found in
FCC rule 97.307, which reads in part: "Emissions resulting from modulation
must be confined to the band or segment available to the control operator."

What must be taken into consideration is the fact that the frequency
displayed on the radio's digital display is the carrier frequency. A
suppressed-carrier single-sideband signal is considered to be 3 KHz wide.
So, for an USB signal to be confined to the 20 Meter Amateur band, the
frequency displayed on the transceivers digital dial should not be higher
than 14347. That may even be too close unless the transmitted signal is
attenuated by at least 40 dB at 3 KHz. Of course, the same goes for a LSB
signal transmitted near the lower end of a band or segment. Please see
illustrations A and B below for help visualizing the situation.

               USB Signal 
            ^^^^^^^^^^^^
I--------I--------I
347   14350   353

  A. USB signal transmitted with dial frequency of 14350 KHz.

LSB Signal              
^^^^^^^^^^               
I---------I--------I
147      7150       153 

B. LSB signal transmitted with dial frequency of 7150 KHz.

So, the fellow telling all the contesters that they were out of band was
right! But, is it a big problem? Obviously more education is needed on this
particular rule. In the 2001 ARRL DX phone contest one Dx station was heard
running US stations on 14349 KHz. in excess of 5 hours straight with a
steady stream of US callers. Most were Extra class licensees.

Although certainly the majority of these callers didn't realize they were
violating an FCC rule, the action could result in an FCC warning, ARRL OO
notice, or perhaps an argument from a frustrated fellow contester as
mentioned at the outset of this article. Since all contesters who submit a
log sign a statement that they have followed their country's Amateur
regulations they should be willing to take this rule into consideration and
modifying their operation as needed.

In addition, contesting ethics are involved. What if a station finds a clear
running frequency by operating too close to the band edge, while his
competitor perhaps fails to find a run frequency out of respect for this
regulation? Or what if a multiplier is counted by working a station calling
too close, while other stations don't get the multiplier because they want
to obey the rules? Perhaps such situations are part of what causes our
mystery stations to vent their frustrations.

I hope you find this article of help in your contesting efforts. Further
information about this particular FCC rule can be found on page 4-34 of the
ARRL's "FCC Rule Book." See you in the contests. 

 

 

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