The purpose of the experiments is to gain low frequency experience in anticipation that the FCC may allocate Amateur spectrum at 136 kHz. The transmissions will be carried out from twelve sites in Northern Virginia. The callsign used will be WA2XTF.
A serious effort by several Dutch radio amateurs to work as many other ultra Low Frequency stations as possible has resulted in QSO's between PA2NJN and several stations in the United Kingdom and Europe. This, on a frequency of 136 kHz using a kite antenna.
The original test was scheduled for November 14th. Plans called for using a kite borne 900 foot long wire antenna, but that day produced no wind. However, the following Saturday, November 21st, provided enough wind to loft the wire to about 80 degrees, nearly vertical.
The group used a loop antenna and an "active antenna" for receiving, but Nico Nienhuis, PA2NJN, reports that once the transmitting antenna was in the air, they were unable to receive. The transmitter output power was 150 watts. Stations worked included G3KEV, G3YXM, G4GVC, ON6ND and ON6UX. PA2NJN also got reception reports from several European listeners, including France, Germany, Sweden, Scotland, and Italy. The best DX was a listener report from IK5ZPV in Italy, a distance of 1095 km away.
The VK LF Band
Meanwhile, Australia's radio regulatory agency says that it is more receptive to a request from the Wireless Institute of Australia that a low frequency band be allocated to radio amateurs. Up until now, radio amateurs wanting to experiment on that part of the spectrum needed to take out a Scientific License. The agency says that it is aware of that Low Frequency allocations are being made overseas, and it will be looking at the CEPT European allocation of 135.7 to 137.8 kHz. The FCC is also considering Low Frequency access by hams here in the USA.
IN older news:
FCC assigns RM number to ARRL petition: The FCC has assigned a rulemaking petition ("RM") number to the League's petition for low-frequency allocations at 136 kHz and 160-190 kHz. The number is RM-9404.
Those commenting on the petition should refer to this number when filing comments with the FCC. Among those commenting to date is Texas Instruments, which markets RF identification products such as the Mobil SpeedPass that operate in the 121-134.2 kHz range.
ARRL Proposes new VLF Privileges!
2000 METERS AND UP? ARRL PETITIONS FOR LF BANDS
The ARRL has petitioned the FCC to create two low-frequency Amateur Radio allocations at 136 kHz and at 160 kHz. "These allocations will permit experimentation with equipment, antennas, and propagation phenomena in a small segment of the radio spectrum that has not been available to the Amateur Service for many years," the League's petition declared. The petition was filed with the FCC October 22.
Specifically, the League has proposed permitting CW, SSB, RTTY/data, and image emissions for amateurs in a 2.1-kHz "sliver band" from 135.7 to 137.8 kHz and in a 30-kHz segment from 160 to 190 kHz. The 135.7 to 137.8 kHz band adheres to the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) band plan.
The ARRL has proposed allowing a transmitter output in both LF segments of 200 W PEP, but in no case greater than 2 W EIRP (effective isotropic radiated power). The League's petition points out that poor antenna efficiencies and ground-loss characteristics likely would keep EIRPs at less than 1 W. The two bands would be available to General and higher licensees.
Unlicensed experimenters--some of them hams--currently operate on LF in the US under the FCC's Part 15 rules. These limit transmitter input power to 1 W and impose substantial restrictions on the size of the antenna. The proposed allocations "will provide the only low-frequency allocation for amateur use and will accommodate more flexible experimentation than is permitted under current Part 15 regulations," the League's filing said.
Hams would be secondary to the Fixed and Maritime Mobile services in the 136-kHz allocation, and secondary to the Fixed Service in the 160-190 kHz band. The League said its engineering surveys suggest that hams could operate in the two segments without causing problems to power line carrier (PLC) systems already active in that vicinity or to government assignments. Unallocated, Part 15 PLC systems are used by electric utilities to send control signals, data and voice.
Calculations included with the League's filing demonstrate how inefficient even relatively large radiators can be on LF (136 kHz is approximately 2205 meters). For example, at 200 W TPO (transmitter power output) and a 200 foot vertical radiator, efficiency is only in the range of 1%, yielding up to 2 W EIRP. A more practical setup--200 W TPO into a 100-foot vertical radiator (efficiency of 0.2%) would yield an EIRP of between 100 and 400 mW.
Several countries throughout the world already enjoy LF allocations. These include New Zealand, Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland, and several European nations.
The article "Exploring 136 kHz" by Peter Dodd, G3LDO, appears in the November 1998 issue of QST. It discusses practical equipment and an antenna system for the allocation. Dodd also is the editor of the LF Experimenter's Source Book (2nd ed) published by the RSGB and available from the ARRL for $14. Order Item 7148. Visit ARRLWeb, http://www.arrl.org/catalog for details or call, toll-free, 888-277-5289.
A special CW LF operation from the Netherlands is scheduled for November 14 at 0900 UTC at 136.5 kHz using the call sign PA2NJN (see In Brief item, "Netherlands LF test" below). The operation will run 150 W to a wire antenna, tethered to a kite at about 920 feet in the air.
A copy of the full ARRL petition PDF file is available on ARRL's web site, at http://www.arrl.org/announce/lf-pet.pdf.
There is also a Plain Text Version
Regarding 73 kHz
On 29th April 1996, the British government announced that UK radio amateurs could use the band 71.6 - 74.4 kHz.
The impetus came from amateurs who want to experiment with LF communications through rock into caves. Activity is not limited to cave communications, however, and any Class A licensee will be able to use up to 1 Watt ERP with any suitable mode.
These Web pages were written in the days following this announcement, but have not recently been updated.
For now, they are kept here as reference material only. The FCC in the U.S. is apparently mulling over the idea
of allowing more privileges at160-190 kHz. As news comes out about further expansion of VLF
operating privileges in various countries I will try to add them here
- Brian Carling, AF4K.
© 1996, 1997 Richard Lamont, 1998 Brian Carling, 1998-99
