The current IARU Spectrum Requirements document includes the following about 500 kHz: A band around 500 kHz<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> The amateur service requires a worldwide, secondary allocation in the vicinity of 500 kHz. The frequency 500 kHz has been allocated to the maritime mobile service for distress and safety since the beginning of ITU spectrum allocations. Technological advances such as the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) have rendered the 500 kHz channel obsolete. Thus it is timely to consider an allocation to the amateur service. This part of the spectrum is interesting to radio amateurs because of its unique propagation properties, which include both ground wave and sky wave modes. Its properties are sufficiently different from those of LF and the 160-meter band. The band of interest is 495-505 kHz and/or adjacent spectrum in the bands 415-495 kHz and 505-525 kHz. We have filed an experimental license application on behalf of a group of amateur experimenters who want to investigate propagation around 500 kHz and are awaiting clearance by the federal government agencies. Dave K1ZZ -----Original Message----- From: n5ok@arrl.org [mailto:n5ok.ok@att.net] Sent: Monday, March 27, 2006 10:07 AM To: arrl-odv Subject: [arrl-odv:13940] A Spectrum Marker for 500 Kilocycles GM All, I received the following e-mail and my first thought was a Haynieism, "We don't have a dog in this fight". However, I thought I would bounce it off the group for your thoughts. Coy ------------- Hello Mr. Day and Dr. Woolweaver, I read with interest this article on a proposal from the 'Maritime Radio Historical Society' to turn 500 KHz into a 'Memorial Frequency'. http://www.rwonline.com/reference-room/special-report/2006.03.29-07_rwf_500_... <http://www.rwonline.com/reference-room/special-report/2006.03.29-07_rwf_500_khz_2.shtml> 2.shtml While I sympathize with the aims of the Society (my Pop was a Naval CW op in WW2), I think their purposes could be served at least as well by having a shared allocation between these historic marine radio projects and the amateur radio service. I would like to suggest that the ARRL advocate a CW-only, shared allocation in the vicinity of 500 KHz, with the amateur service as second ary users. Cross-service QSOs between the historic maritime stations and amateur operators should be allowed in a similar way to the cross-service contacts that are allowed during the Military-to-Amateur Cross Band Communications Test that are held each May. 500 KHz should be a "contest-free" zone similar to the WARC bands. The population of amateur radio CW enthusiasts would be a natural group from which operators could be drawn to keep the museum shore stations going long into the future. What amateur CW operator wouldn't love the opportunity to tap out some dits and dahs at KPH or WCC, or just have a QSO with these stations? If 500 KHz is set aside as a "Memorial Frequency", it will fall silent most of the year except for the MRHS annual "Night of Nights" event. 73 Scott W5ESE -- ARRL West Gulf Division Director Coy Day, N5OK 20685 SW 29th St Union City, OK 73090 n5ok@arrl.org 405-483-5632