On 21 Jun 2010 at 1:23, mal hamilton wrote:

> I am only quoting how the band has been used since the beginning ie this
> is how it evolved. The band has been 100% CW and QRSCW until recently.
> This band was not intended for spread spectrum modes to suit appliance
> operators. I do not recall any discussion about a RSGB band plan and the
> RSGB is but a small player in the world wide context. I would like to
> know who discussed and implemented this plan since I was never consulted
> and being a consistant user since the band was first licensed to radio
> amateurs. My last count was over 30 countries worked on normal CW world
> wide. I shall be using the band in the traditional way and work DX on
> any frequency where it appears in the CW mode. g3kev . 
> 

Firstly the band plan is the IARU Region 1 bandplan, reissued by the 
RSGB to include local differences on frequencies above 430MHz. The 
136kHz bandplan was agreed by the IARU and is the same in all Region 1 
countries. At one time it was published as a 'suggested operating 
allocation' rather than a rigid bandplan but that seems to have been 
changed.

I know you have been on this reflector for many years. The bandplan has 
been discussed here extensively (and fiercely) in the early days of 
136kHz around the turn of the millenium and I could certainly dig out 
some reference emails from my archive. There was a strong feeling to 
keep the lower part of the band exclusive to CW apart from the small 
area just above 135.8 to be used for transatlantic QRSS tests. I 
believe PSK was used on the band at one time. Whether there is a need 
to increase the current data area is open to debate, but the current 
bandplan is exactly what was agreed by this reflector.

If you don't remember those discussions Mal I am afraid your memory is 
beginning to fade.

73 Dave G3YMC

http://www.davesergeant.com