11M is a funny thing. It's not really one thing and it's not really another.
--scott


Well, there are several different allocations there. There's the
infamous CB band, and various
forest ranger, mil and other such where the "freebanders" operate
illegally.

Robert Casey wrote:
Scott writes:

11M is a funny thing. It's not really one thing and it's not really another.

Well, there are several different allocations there. There's the
infamous CB band, and various
forest ranger, mil and other such where the "freebanders" operate
illegally.

Sad to say, the legitimate users of those latter bands are being driven
out by the FCC's refusal to do anything about the freebanders. God knows
that the auxiliary broadcast channels at 26 MHz are constantly being trashed.
I've had to move some government comms to 33 MHz where things are a bit
quieter.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Robert Casey wrote:
Scott writes:

11M is a funny thing. It's not really one thing and it's not really another.

Well, there are several different allocations there. There's the
infamous CB band, and various
forest ranger, mil and other such where the "freebanders" operate
illegally.

Sad to say, the legitimate users of those latter bands are being driven
out by the FCC's refusal to do anything about the freebanders. God knows
that the auxiliary broadcast channels at 26 MHz are constantly being trashed.
I've had to move some government comms to 33 MHz where things are a bit
quieter.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

The FCC recently rescinded the ban on power amps that work in the 11 meter
band. See the arrl web site for details...

Ron H.

"Dave Platt" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Richard Clark wrote:
Wouldn't that be illegal?

Hi OM,

Yes it would. It is against the law to sell Transmitters that are not
type-accepted for the band they are intended.

Quite right. Converting existing equipment to 11-meter use would
probably require individual certification of every unique piece or
type. Sure sounds expensive.

Issue 2: external power amplifiers are not allowed in the 11-meter
band... conversion of higher-powered UHF amps would not be legal.

Issue 3: equipment originally designed for UHF operation (1 meter and
shorter wavelengths) seems to me to be a less-than-wonderful choice
for conversion to 11-meter operation.

Issue 4: there's plenty of cheap 11-meter gear already on the market
(both legal-type-certificated, and outside-the-pale). Doesn't seem
like there'd be much of a [legal] market for converted UHF gear.

All in all, this idea sounds like a great way to lose lots of money,
and risk big fines and the loss of an amateur-radio license. As folks
may have noted, the FCC has recently raised their level of enforcement
against companies and individuals who have been playing loose-and-easy
with the rules about 11-meter operation and equipment sales.

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!

The FCC recently rescinded the ban on power amps that work in the 11 meter
band. See the arrl web site for details...

Ron H.

"Dave Platt" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Richard Clark wrote:
Wouldn't that be illegal?

Hi OM,

Yes it would. It is against the law to sell Transmitters that are not
type-accepted for the band they are intended.

Quite right. Converting existing equipment to 11-meter use would
probably require individual certification of every unique piece or
type. Sure sounds expensive.

Issue 2: external power amplifiers are not allowed in the 11-meter
band... conversion of higher-powered UHF amps would not be legal.

Issue 3: equipment originally designed for UHF operation (1 meter and
shorter wavelengths) seems to me to be a less-than-wonderful choice
for conversion to 11-meter operation.

Issue 4: there's plenty of cheap 11-meter gear already on the market
(both legal-type-certificated, and outside-the-pale). Doesn't seem
like there'd be much of a [legal] market for converted UHF gear.

All in all, this idea sounds like a great way to lose lots of money,
and risk big fines and the loss of an amateur-radio license. As folks
may have noted, the FCC has recently raised their level of enforcement
against companies and individuals who have been playing loose-and-easy
with the rules about 11-meter operation and equipment sales.

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!

In article Ym_gc.29718$0b4.40867@attbi_s51, Ron H wrote:

The FCC recently rescinded the ban on power amps that work in the 11 meter
band. See the arrl web site for details...

Not entirely accurate... at least, not yet.

They have proposed rescinding the Part 97 rule which places a whole
bunch of restrictions on the manufacture and sale of amplifiers which
can be used between 24 MHz and 35 MHz (the 10- and 12-meter amateur
bands, and the 11-meter CB band). This change has not actually been
enacted - they're inviting comments on whether it's a Good Idea or a
Bad Idea.

They have _not_ proposed making any change to the Part 95 rules, which
currently make it illegal to actually _use_ any such amplifier with an
11-meter (CB) transmitter.

So - if their proposed rule change is adopted, it'll be easier for
amateurs to buy amps that can be used on 10 and 12 meters.
General-purpose HF-band amplifier designs will probably be revised, to
"open them up" to the higher frequencies.

It will still remain illegal to use any such amplifier on the 11-meter
CB band.

Whether this illegality will stop anyone... well, that's another
question entirely!

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!

In article Ym_gc.29718$0b4.40867@attbi_s51, Ron H wrote:

The FCC recently rescinded the ban on power amps that work in the 11 meter
band. See the arrl web site for details...

Not entirely accurate... at least, not yet.

They have proposed rescinding the Part 97 rule which places a whole
bunch of restrictions on the manufacture and sale of amplifiers which
can be used between 24 MHz and 35 MHz (the 10- and 12-meter amateur
bands, and the 11-meter CB band). This change has not actually been
enacted - they're inviting comments on whether it's a Good Idea or a
Bad Idea.

They have _not_ proposed making any change to the Part 95 rules, which
currently make it illegal to actually _use_ any such amplifier with an
11-meter (CB) transmitter.

So - if their proposed rule change is adopted, it'll be easier for
amateurs to buy amps that can be used on 10 and 12 meters.
General-purpose HF-band amplifier designs will probably be revised, to
"open them up" to the higher frequencies.

It will still remain illegal to use any such amplifier on the 11-meter
CB band.

Whether this illegality will stop anyone... well, that's another
question entirely!

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!

Dave Platt wrote:

They have proposed rescinding the Part 97 rule which places a whole
bunch of restrictions on the manufacture and sale of amplifiers which
can be used between 24 MHz and 35 MHz (the 10- and 12-meter amateur
bands, and the 11-meter CB band). This change has not actually been
enacted - they're inviting comments on whether it's a Good Idea or a
Bad Idea.

I'm feeling it's a good idea. It's a good idea first of all because it
will now make it legal to sell a lot of those military surplus wideband
DC-to-daylight amplifier systems.

And it's a good idea secondly, because the CB crowd already has bootleg
linears and there is already a substantial underground selling the things.
If it's legal, maybe at least more of those guys will be using clean
linear amps that aren't bandsplatter machines. If the FCC can't stop
the sale, they can at least try to reduce the sale of the worst amps out
there.

They have _not_ proposed making any change to the Part 95 rules, which
currently make it illegal to actually _use_ any such amplifier with an
11-meter (CB) transmitter.

So - if their proposed rule change is adopted, it'll be easier for
amateurs to buy amps that can be used on 10 and 12 meters.
General-purpose HF-band amplifier designs will probably be revised, to
"open them up" to the higher frequencies.

This is a good idea.

It will still remain illegal to use any such amplifier on the 11-meter
CB band.

This is also a good idea. It might be nice if it were enforced, but we
can't have everything.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Dave Platt wrote:

They have proposed rescinding the Part 97 rule which places a whole
bunch of restrictions on the manufacture and sale of amplifiers which
can be used between 24 MHz and 35 MHz (the 10- and 12-meter amateur
bands, and the 11-meter CB band). This change has not actually been
enacted - they're inviting comments on whether it's a Good Idea or a
Bad Idea.

I'm feeling it's a good idea. It's a good idea first of all because it
will now make it legal to sell a lot of those military surplus wideband
DC-to-daylight amplifier systems.

And it's a good idea secondly, because the CB crowd already has bootleg
linears and there is already a substantial underground selling the things.
If it's legal, maybe at least more of those guys will be using clean
linear amps that aren't bandsplatter machines. If the FCC can't stop
the sale, they can at least try to reduce the sale of the worst amps out
there.

They have _not_ proposed making any change to the Part 95 rules, which
currently make it illegal to actually _use_ any such amplifier with an
11-meter (CB) transmitter.

So - if their proposed rule change is adopted, it'll be easier for
amateurs to buy amps that can be used on 10 and 12 meters.
General-purpose HF-band amplifier designs will probably be revised, to
"open them up" to the higher frequencies.

This is a good idea.

It will still remain illegal to use any such amplifier on the 11-meter
CB band.

This is also a good idea. It might be nice if it were enforced, but we
can't have everything.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."