Mickey, et al, I agree with Tom. There also are a couple of additional thoughts that come to mind in this discussion. After the initial batch of complaints (by the Board, CW ops and other hams) over the FCC ruling, the GLD has been unusually quiet on the topic. I don't recall receiving a single complaint during at least the past year. With the exception of a few stalwarts, my understanding is that CW nets in this Division are gradually fading away . . . unfortunately. This leads to the second of the thoughts which is that if anything, stirring the pot to expand the frequencies usable by nets would truly please only a few and could stir up the displeasure of many more. Included among these "more" could be those who continue to believe CW is an archaic mode that proves Amateur Radio is a thing of the past. Expansion of digital privileges would help counter this argument, but itself would probably create at least as much dissatisfaction among none-digi ops as it would satisfaction among the digi community. At least, this is my take from this Division. At least for now, I am ambivalent over the suggestion and would need to hear more before considering it more thoroughly. 73, Jim Jim Weaver, K8JE, Director ARRL Great Lakes Division 5065 Bethany Rd. Mason, OH 45040 E-mail: k8je@arrl.org, Tel.: 513-459-1661 ARRL - The national association for Amateur Radio -----Original Message----- From: Tom Frenaye [mailto:frenaye@pcnet.com] Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2010 10:20 AM To: arrl-odv Subject: [arrl-odv:18755] Re: Returning CW Nets and Digital Modes to 3600 - 3750 kHz At 10:08 AM 3/25/2010, Mickey Cox wrote:

The ham community is not ready to make wholesale changes in our regulations regarding modes/subbands, etc., but we might be successful in convincing enough folks to support opening up 100 or 150 kHz on 80, perhaps at least on a trial basis of two or three years.

Mickey - I don't think the holdup would be the ham community, it would be the FCC. It would be very unusual for them to re-examine an issue they decided less than five years ago, and especially unusual for them to reverse themselves, even though I agree that they made a bad mistake. I also think you'll find most Board members agree that it was badly handled by the FCC. So the question is really when do we go back and raise the question again - and for that I'd defer to Chris/Kay/Dave for their expertise. If we go too early, it will just push the time for possible change out another five or more years... Plus, as we learned even in the "simple" spread spectrum NPRM that just came out, we can ask for something that seems reasonable and the FCC will screw us... (I think K5UR trademarked that phrase. ) I wouldn't stir the pot in the amateur community unless we really think there is a path to success. Nothing worse than raising expectations and then looking impotent - which we are sometimes. -- Tom ===== e-mail: k1ki@arrl.org ARRL New England Division Director http://www.arrl.org/ Tom Frenaye, K1KI, P O Box J, West Suffield CT 06093 Phone: 860-668-5444