ACMA Reviews Licence Equivalency Table

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Visiting Amateurs and overseas Amateurs who are residents in Australia are granted an Australian licence based on their overseas qualification in accordance with the 'Table of Equivalent Qualifications and Licences', which is published on the ACMA website.

Previously, a holder of a US General Class operator licence was generally granted an Australian Advanced Licence.

The ACMA has advised the WIA that the equivalency of a US General Class operator licence to an Australian Advanced amateur licence is now under review.

Applications for Advanced amateur licences, or for transfers of such licences, received by the ACMA after 26 April 2017, and applications for amateur certificates of proficiency or callsign recommendations received by the WIA after 26 April 2017, made on the basis of the equivalence of a US General Class operator licence to an Australian Advanced amateur licence, may be affected by the outcomes of this review.

Any person considering making such an application is invited to make submissions to the ACMA on whether a US General Class operator licence ought to continue to be treated as equivalent to an Australian Advanced amateur licence.

Amended Table - http://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2017/20170427-1/index.php

Temporary 4m Allocation for Germany

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From Tuesday 16th May 2017, the German Regulator has issued an announcement that allows German Full licensees to operate any mode up to 12.5KHz wide between 70.150 - 70.180 at up to 25w ERP in horizontal polarisation from their registered home location (no portable or mobile operation allowed).

Full station log information to be kept for ALL transmissions made, including tests with no contacts. Log is also to contain all the usual items plus beam direction.

This is a limited allocation similar to the one issues in 2014 and 2015 and ends on 31st August 2017. The time period corresponds with the Sporadic E season on the band, so it is expected that those squares in Germany will be sought after by 4m stations around Europe.

Announcement - http://tinyurl.com/BNetza-70MHz-2017

New MF and LF US Bands Not Available Yet

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The new 630-meter and 2200-meter bands are not yet available for Amateur Radio use. The effective date of the recent FCC Report and Order (R&O) granting these allocations has not yet been determined, and until the start date has been set, it is not legal under an Amateur Radio license to transmit on either band.

The fact that the new rules contain a new information-collection requirement - notification of operation to the United Telecoms Council (UTC) - complicates the matter of determining an effective date. According to the FCC R&O, the Office of Management and Budget (under the Paperwork Reduction Act) must first approve the information-collection requirements in Part 97.303(g)(2), which must be in place before radio amateurs can use the new bands.

Once that happens, the FCC will publish a notice in The Federal Register "announcing such approval and the relevant effective date."

ARRL will announce the UTC notification procedures and the effective date to use these new bands as soon as these are known.

R&O - (pdf format) - https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-17-33A1.pdf