WIA Seek New Ham Radio Allocations
/The Wireless Institute of Australia is seeking new amateur radio spectrum at 70 MHz, 918 MHz and extensions to the 80 and 160m bands
Promoting the additional access, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH comments that access to variety of frequency bands throughout the radiofrequency spectrum is at the heart of amateur radio and allows for the opportunity to explore, learn and experiment.
Australian amateurs are awaiting access to a to new allocation in the 60m band, and are also seeking access at 70Mhz, to coincide with Europe and Africa.
From the reported experience of European and African amateurs, the local and long-distance propagation experienced on 70 MHz has both similarities AND differences compared with the six metre and two metre amateur bands.
The WIA’s are also proposing a new band at 918-926 MHz, preferably aligned with – or overlapping – amateur allocations in other countries. New Zealand and the USA and Canada have allocations in what is named the 33 centimetre band. In the USA and Canada, it covers 902 to 928 MHz. It is shared with short-range industrial data communications devices, RFID and the like. In New Zealand, our ZL brothers & sisters have access to 921 to 928 MHz.
In Australia, 915-928 MHz has many claimants, including defence and short-range industrial type networks similar to the USA. We share bands in the microwave spectrum with industrial – scientific – medical applications and the proposal is to mirror this in the 900 MHz – or 33 centimetre – band.
At the other end of the spectrum, the WIA is seeking to EXTEND the 160 metre and 80 metre bands. It is noted that use of the medium frequency spectrum above our current 160 metre band has declined, hence the WIA is seeking to obtain a wider band. We note that the ZLs 160 metre band covers 1800 to 1950 kHz.
The WIA is also seeking a little more spectrum on the 80 metre band above 3700 kHz.
WIA - http://www.wia.org.au/
