It looks highly likely that amateurs in the UK will get access to this additional slice of the 2m band later this summer. When it comes I shall no doubt use it, but feel spectrum elsewhere would have been much more useful for self-training in radio science.
Silly boy! I forgot - we only use ready-made black boxes on 2m and very few amateurs have the least idea how they work. Self training is a nonsense these days. Oh and of course the revised UK 2m band plan will still have no space for AM people trying to self-train. Sorry, but I fail to see how another 1MHz at 2m will really benefit any real radio amateurs, just even more space for black box operators?
I know I should be grateful for another whole 1MHz to use, but I really cannot get excited about this at all when the current 2m band is vastly under-used. Even in contests there is still plenty of space for all.
Personally I'd like easy access below 8.3kHz, access again around 73kHz and a new 100kHz slot around 40MHz. Sadly all unlikely. WRC-2015 may grant us a contiguous international 60m band and that could be useful.
UPDATE 24.3.14 1845z: looks like the allocation may be temporary and only available by NOV. See http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/vhf-143-169mhz/summary
Hi Roger,
ReplyDeleteI quite agree with you and am surprised we have been given an extra 1MHz at a time when VHF PMR licences are now becoming so hard to get, especially around London, for which there is great demand. I rarely hear any local chats on 2m now and I sorely miss the long AM chats I used to have on 160m. We seem to have lost 500Khz as well, I never even got a chance to try that band.
Hope your health continues to improve, you certainly seem to be busy these days.
73 Ken G4APB
Ken
ReplyDeleteYou seem to have missed the 472-479KHz allocation available from 1 Jan 2013 with a NoV. That's 7Khz instead of the old 3KHz at 500KHz.
Although people are requesting more PMR simplex channels I cannot see how this adds up when you can multi task channels through community or trunked services. Allocating single channels in London or other major conurbations is madness, poor coverage and channel reuse issues make simplex a very poor way of using spectral space.
As a one-time user of community and then band 3 services we moved to cell phones to get lower costs, greatly improved service area and no waiting/ setting up issues. You can also get hold of people when they are out of the cab too!
Alan G8LCO
PS You seem to be doing very well Roger!
Still mending Alan,and all too slowly.
ReplyDeleteSecondary, with some geographical restrictions !
ReplyDeleteMeans that us down on the south coast are gonna
lose out to the frogs, who will say Non! as
usual ;-)
73 de Andy