At the moment, I am trying to drum up local support (near JO02DG) for some very low power WSPR tests in the 8m ISM band.
Following a recent email from OFCOM, it is my view that anybody in the UK may use the 8m ISM band without a licence for beacons as long as they meet IR 2030. This allows 10mW ERP. At first sight, this seems very low, but with WSPR this could well be spotted across Europe from the UK.
These local tests could indicate what might be possible.
Of course, I would much prefer a tiny, digital only, amateur allocation at 8m.
UPDATE 1228z: Interestingly, the majority of my 10m WSPR spots today would have been possible at 10mW ERP assuming the local noise floor permitted.
UPDATE 1630z: Several locals have offered help with my upcoming 8m WSPR tests. The tests should take place very soon, probably next week.
UPDATE 1636z: Of course access to the ISM bands does not have to be just 8m: here in the UK as long as long as IR 2030 is met many ISM bands could be used for beacons legally without a licence is my interpretation. ISM rules vary with countries and I am not a legal expert, so you will have to check yourself.
6 comments:
Hello Roger, This is a very nice experiment. As a low power enthusiast, I think that it must be possible with a few milliwatts.
I wonder if one should use his callsign outside the HAM bands. We can not use our call with CB on 27 MHz. 73, Bert
I think it will depend on the rules in any particular country. In the UK, callsigns are not needed at all, so I think it is OK to use my amateur call or anything I like!
Using any kind of callsign is a bad idea.
I don't know who XY3SEXY is.
Was it a bad decode?
I know G3XBM. It is unique.
Your callsign only applies to a HAM Radio Frequency.
You can put your callsign on your tee shirt, a car's tag/plate, on an aircraft if it meets the rules.
I can call my son/daughter G3XBM.
I can be the CEO of my company G3XBM, (G3processor Extreme Business Machines)
A callsign can just be data in a transmission.
Hi Rupert - as far as I know, any (or no) callsign is acceptable in the UK on the ISM bands. Clearly operation under ISM rules means the G3XBM callsign is NOT amateur radio, but NOT illegal in the UK I believe. As any operation would, most probably be WSPR or FT8,I would be inclined to use my amateur callsign accompanied by my QTH locator.
Exactly Roger.
G3XBM has legal meaning on an amateur radio frequency and on other frequencies it is just a name.
It is just data.
But it is a unique identifier that I can backtrack if you use it on ISM.
Why Bert can't say PA1B as a handle on a CB radio, but can make up anything he likes like 'Superham', makes no sense to me.
Now here is a different issue.
License free bands are intended for short range transmissions.
What is the definition of short range?
If you setup a WSPR station running 10 mW on a license free band it is clear that your intent/hope is to be heard in a different country.
This is not short range anymore, like sitting in your car and pushing a license free device to automatically open a garage door.
If hundreds of people start doing this, governments probably will say "stop doing this, this is not short range."
This is specifically why I asked OFCOM about beaconing on ISM bands. I agree there is a danger of this ("this is not short range"), but at 10mW ERP they clearly do not expect undue interference as it meets IR 2030. It is only likely that those with weak signal capabilities would be able to make use of such beacons.
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