[Lf] Part 5

[Steve Dove]

Hi Andre', Kristjan,

As far as I'm aware, there've been a couple of Part 5 'ham-like' activities focussed  on the 
500kHz MF area.  

A guy in Colorado got a licence for a 480kHz beacon a couple of years ago;  dunno if 
that's still on;  probably died of boredom.  The other was a bit more ambitious, being a 
multi-station licence (twenty-odd, maybe more) calling themselves the Six Hundred Metre 
Radio Group, or 'SHMRG' for long.  They were initially granted a number of MF 
frequencies including 480kHz and a couple at LF, and there was much rejoicing in old-
tyme radio-land until the US Coastguard found out what the FCC had done, turned all 
kinds of purple and got all but a (fairly wide) allocation at 166.5kHz revoked.

To date there have only been (I believe) two of those stations make any noise there at 
all, with one guy down in Louisiana still valiantly beaconing.  The wind well and truly got 
taken out of their sails.

As much in righteous indignation at the FCC's recent stunning decision as anything, there 
has been huffing and puffing lately in Lowfer-world about possibly getting a mass Part 5 
application together.  Since communication with 'other services' is apparently not a typical 
feature of Part 5, and international communication an almost certain no-no, it is a bit 
difficult to see what advantage there would be;  essentially just doing the same things, 
but louder.  That said, I'll certainly sign up if it takes shape.  I need a good laugh, and 
high-power LF with the fireworks attendant might be worth a few.

        Cheers,

                Steve


5/19/2003 3:32:28 PM, Andre Kesteloot <andre.kesteloot at verizon.net> wrote:

>
>Kristjan Ragnarson wrote:
>
>> Now that the 136 khz idea is down the scupper, why not try to get 
>> possession of
>>
>> the old merchant marine MF band (400-515 khz)? Since CW at sea is no 
>> longer a fact,
>>
>> that band should be up for grabs (considering that the NDB's are also 
>> a dying breed).
>>
>> As an ex-merchant marine RO, I can attest to the fact that this band 
>> is more than
>>
>> able to be used for trans-Atlantic and other DX use. Also, there 
>> should be lots of
>>
>> commercial (MacKay & RMCA, et. al.) gear on the scrap heaps of seaports.
>>
>Hello Kristjan,
>Indeed transmitting on 500 kHz would be very attractive, with better 
>antenna efficiency etc.  I understand there is at least one US Ham who 
>has obtained a Part 15 license to transmit (beacon) on that band. As you 
>know, however, a Part 15 license cannot be used to communicate with 
>other hams.
>If US hams could get use of a sliver of that band, it would still mean 
>that --in order to achieve transatlantic DX--  European hams (or 
>Australians etc) would also need to get permission to operate on that 
>band. This could take a while !
>73
>André N4ICK
>
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