SB QST @ ARRL $ARLB087
ARLB087 HF autocontrol plan
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 87  ARLB087
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  August 6, 1993
To all radio amateurs

The ARRL has asked the FCC to expand on a proposed rules change
regarding data communications on the HF bands.

In comments to the FCC filed July 30 responding to a petition filed
by the American Digital Radio Society (RM-8280), the ARRL asked that
amateur stations under automatic control be allowed to operate
outside the specific subbands proposed in an earlier ARRL proposal,
RM-8218.

Under the new proposal, stations operating outside the subbands
would be subject to three limitations: they must not be able to
initiate transmissions; they must be able to respond only to
interrogation by stations operated under local or remote control;
and they must be limited to a bandwidth of 500 Hz.

In RM-8218 the League had opposed automatic control on HF bands
except in specific subbands until a plan could be developed to
minimize interference to users of other modes.

But the ARRL board of directors, at its July, 1993 meeting,
considered a report by its Committee on Amateur Radio Digital
Communications, which suggested a way that semi-automatically
controlled data communications could be accommodated outside of the
restricted subbands.  The board agreed with the committee's
recommendation.

All interested parties will have an opportunity to comment if or
when the FCC issues a Notice of Proposed Rule Making.

More information on RM-8218 is in August QST, page 73.  More
information on the board's deliberations will appear in September
QST.
/EX