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