80 m CW and Digital Operation: It's a new ballgame!

[Bruce Prior-2]

The FCC Report and Order 06-149 has thrown us a curve by extending the
Amateur Extra Class phone band down to 3600 kHz (far more than the ARRL had
requested), meaning that practical CW and digital operations, which have had
lots of spectrum to play with on 80 m, will soon have to squeeze into the
bottom 100 kHz of the 80 m band.  We have to live with this new reality.  We
need to negotiate amongst ourselves so that our turf battles take place off
the air before Report and Order 06-149 takes effect.  We need to develop a
band plan which will serve all USA 80 m operators, and we need to start
immediately.  The band plan must not actually exclude CW stations from
operating anywhere from 3500 kHz to 4000 kHz.  For example, cross-mode
communications between CW stations and stations operating in other modes
must be recognized as legitimate.

Here are the major issues as I see them:

1) On CW and digital contesting weekends, everywhere from 3500 kHz to 3600
kHz will be dominated by USA contesters unless contest sponsors decide to
limit 80 m operations by USA stations to a substantial, but limited, portion
of that 100 kHz AND to enforce those limits by disqualifying USA contesters
who stray outside of them.  Major contest sponsors like ARRL, CQ Amateur
Radio, JARL, RSGB and RAC need to consult with one another immediately and
come up with a common proposal.
2) A CW DX window needs to be designated and respected by USA operators
seven days a week, and most especially during contest weekends.
3) CW nets whose schedules include weekend operation need to be protected
from both CW and digital contesting.
4) Digital net managers need to decide whether or not they want protection
during digital contest weekends.  For example, PSK-31 operations typically
center on 3580.15 kHz in the 80 m band.  Do the operators who manage PSK-31
nets want to accommodate fixed-frequency stations?  If so, then they either
will have to accept crowding during digital contest periods, or in effect
exclude fixed-frequency PSK-31 stations from participating in those
contests.  This proposal assumes that they will tolerate disruption of their
nets during digital contest weekends.
5) Specialized groups like QRPers and FISTS need calling frequencies.  They
now occupy the vicinity of:
a. QRP: 3560 kHz
b. FISTS: 3528 kHz
Even though those frequencies are below 3600 kHz, I think it is important
that those groups not insist on retaining those frequencies, but agree to be
part of the negotiations which will produce a comprehensive 80 m CW band
plan which will accommodate their interests.
6) Many 80 m CW nets which now operate above 3600 kHz will have to relocate
below the phone band.  Because of reduced total spectrum, some nets which
currently operate below 3600 kHz will need to relocate as part of a new band
plan.  Some Canadian and Latin American CW nets will also best be served by
changing frequency.  I think that it will work much better if all CW nets in
ITU/IARU Region 2 operate outside of the contesting and digital sub-bands.
7) Digital operators are important users of the 3500 kHz to 3600 kHz segment
of the 80 m band.  Since some digital operators will have little or no CW
skills, and since few CW operators are able to decode digital transmissions
while operating CW, digital and CW operations must be accommodated and be
confined to specific portions of the band.  This is an especially important
consideration when priority or emergency traffic is being passed on CW and
digital traffic-net frequencies.

I think our first step is to think through how much spectrum is needed by
the various groups.  Almost all 80 m operators currently using the 3500 kHz
to 3600 kHz spectrum will need to prepare for a shift in operating
frequencies.  Yes, that includes QRPers like me who will have to buy new
crystals for rock-bound 80 m CW rigs!  Very likely my Rock-Mite 80, which
now operates in the vicinity of 3560 kHz, will have to be modified to
operate near a new QRP calling frequency.  Similarly, fixed-frequency
digital transceivers may have to be modified.  We all need to ask for a
piece of the pie without demanding that our piece will be the exact
frequencies which we now habitually occupy.

In order to get the discussion going, let me offer a spectrum allocation
proposal:

CW DX window:  5 kHz [protected from all contesting]
CW contesting:  60 kHz
Digital contesting:  40 kHz
Digital nets:  5 kHz [whether protected from digital contesting or not needs
to be decided by digital net managers]
Digital ragchewing:  15 kHz
High-speed CW (say, 30 WPM and faster) ragchewing: 20 kHz
High-speed CW nets:  5 kHz [protected from all contesting]
Slow-to-medium-speed CW ragchewing: 60 kHz
Slow-to-medium-speed CW nets: 15 kHz [partially shared with specialized
groups]
Specialized group operations like FISTS, QRP and perhaps County Hunters:  5
kHz [shared with slow-to-medium-speed CW nets]

Obviously, that already adds up to considerably more that 100 kHz.  Here are
some possible solutions:

Digital and CW contesting spectra can overlap, since they are confined
mostly to particular weekends.  This may require rescheduling of some
contests.  Operating events like Field Day which include all modes will have
to allocate their operations so that 80 m CW and digital operations take
place on different parts of the band.

The DX window can occupy the very bottom of the 80 m band.  Some high-speed
nets, including the higher levels of the National Traffic System, could meet
in the Extra Class portion of the 80 m band.  High-speed CW ragchewing and
some of the CW and digital contesting spectrum also can operate below 3525
kHz.

Here is one way in which this spectrum allocation could play out:

DX window:  3500 kHz to 3505 kHz
High-speed CW ragchewing:  3505 kHz to 3525 kHz
High-speed CW nets:  3505 kHz to 3510 kHz
CW contesting:  3510 kHz to 3570 kHz
Digital contesting:  3520 kHz to 3550 kHz and 3575 kHz to 3585 kHz
Slow-to-medium-speed CW ragchewing:  3525 kHz to 3570 kHz and 3585 kHz to
3600 kHz
Slow-to-medium-speed CW nets: 3585 kHz to 3600 kHz
Digital ragchewing:  3570 kHz to 3585 kHz
Digital nets:  3578 kHz to 3583 kHz
Specialized CW groups: 3590 kHz to 3595 kHz

If the 80 m CW QRP calling frequency remained at 3560 kHz, it would get
overwhelmed during CW contest weekends, so a move to 3592 kHz would be wise,
and a new 80 m FISTS frequency could be 3594 kHz.

Let the discussion and negotiations begin!  Please, let's do our very best
to sort this out before FCC Report and Order 06-149 becomes effective.

73, Bruce Prior N7RR
853 Alder Street
Blaine, WA  98230-8030
360-332-6046


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