10 Oct 2014

146-147MHz to full UK radio amateurs soon

Today, OFCOM announced that 146-147MHz will be temporarily released to full UK licencees from Oct 31st this year, by NoV.  Personally, I would have preferred other parts of the spectrum to have been released instead as 2m is never that busy, at least it is very quiet usually around here. If you  plan to operate 146-147MHz in the UK you will need to get an NoV via the RSGB. Note that this is temporary.

I wrote to OFCOM suggesting officially allowing UK amateurs access legally to sub 8.3kHz, re-releasing the 73kHz band and a new allocation around 40MHz (ideal for Es experiments). In OFCOM's release they say I asked for a new band at 400MHz. I did not.

3 comments:

G0FTD said...

I am not entirely happy with this OFCOM decision.

I live just outside of Canterbury in Kent, which will mean that I cannot
use the new band extension.

And yet OFCOM in their statement stated that the NoV will be restricted
to Full Licence holder only, because they know how to minimise interference.

Erm, in that case then I should be allowed to use the band extension then,
because I know damn well that if me and a few buddies use our handhelds
around town then the likelyhood of me causing QRM to someone over the channel
is HIGHLY unlikely !

And yet OFCOM have already taken the decision that because we live on the
south coast, we ARE likely to cause interference across the Channel.

Talk about a bunch conflicting ideas.

Anyone for Kenny Everett's Cupid Stunts ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLBW8L198GQ

Roger G3XBM said...

It seems odd to me they are doing this at all.


G0FTD said...

Agreed. It's a most unusual move in the whole world of
radio regulation, and totally out of character.

That makes me suspicious ;-)