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Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2007 08:19:50 +0100
From: John Pumford-Green <gm4slv@sighthound.demon.co.uk>
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Subject: Re: LF: Re: 500 Permit Allocation conditions / Beacon reports
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On Wed, 1 Aug 2007 00:05:47 +0100
"James Moritz" <james.moritz@btopenworld.com> wrote:


> I support wholeheartedly G3NYK's opinion re the 500kHz allocation - I
> have been becoming increasingly baffled by the arguments about band
> plans, about which mode not to use, and the supposed congestion on
> 500kHz.


I'm drawn to the band from a sense of nostalgia for the way it was used
in the past and would dearly love to be able to use this area of
spectrum as a CW paradise, thereby keeping it free of
commercial users/broadcasting and available for marine radio "museum
stations" and also to provide a corpus of available amateur stations
already installed and profficient in morse operation on MF in case of
emergency.

Imagine slipping the phones on and tapping out one simple CQ on a
designated "calling" channel (say 500kHz dead) and getting a
reponse "GM4SLV de GM4XXX QSW 503r5" "R up" "up ee" "ee". 

Oh happy days...

At the moment though this isn't operating method isn't wholly feasible
due to the ERP restrictions and the "Experimental" nature of the
allocation. 

Hopefully this is a temporary phase that will lead to wider spectrum,
greater power and more general availability.

Random CW QSOs may be very (ARE!!) enjoyable, and add much to each
stations' own knowledge but I don't think they can gather enough
data about the vagaries of weak signal propagation in the short time
period we've been given by OFCOM. 

I think beacons (CW or QRSS) are a necessary evil unless we can
guarantee plenty of CW QSOs over the full 24 hour period.

Also though, as Dave 'YMC correctly states = the research goes beyond
"how far can you get"... 

One of the outcomes for me has been a great deal of the old
"self-tuition in radio telegraphy" that used to be at the heart of the
amateur licence. I've learned an enourmous amount about a totally new
area of radio just getting this far, building a TX (and another better
one waiting to come on the air, antenna design with a mathematical
approach to estimate efficiency and the tuning/loading
needed...etc...etc.. 

I hope to have many, many more CW contacts and continue my education.

Real CW contacts should be at the heart of 500 and something to be
striven for. They are (especially from remote parts) though "the icing
on the cake". Other modes may have to be employed to test and improve
ones installation and knowledge of conditions on this "band".

I didn't get to hear the "bedlam" yesterday as the weather was too poor
up here to erect my new antenna so I'm QRT until a suitable break in
the weather arrives, but I'd have thought that a few days where as many
possible signals are present to enable receiving tests at a remote
location would be a perfect example of "special research".

The ex-Radio Officers who desire to preserve 500 as a "museum"
frequency are increasingly aware that they need a critical mass of
users to keep it out of the clutches of business & government money
grabbers. Only the large numbers of capable amateurs who can, and will
continue to, use CW morse telegraphy, will fill this need. The
professionals aren't being replaced with new morse operators and will
eventually all be gone ;-( 

We will be able to replace them and even provide manpower to activate
any historic coastal radio ostations that are preserved as museums in
the future.

Outside the "midlands & south" - and I count everything south of the
Tyne as "midlands & south" - just look at a real map with a ruler and
see where the geographical middle is! - there is a paucity of activity
and what there is is well spread - GW in the west to GM(..GZ!?) in the
north and not much in between.

As for band plans...that seems to have blown out of all proportion!

I'd have thought a simple 

=========================================
continuous beacons: up at the top
live contacts : down the bottom and
anything else: find a free frequency 
=========================================

No need to go to town!

Cheers,

John