Jim - NN7K wrote in
. com:

To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB019
ARLB019 FCC releases long-awaited ''Omnibus''
Amateur Radio Report and Order

Ending a protracted waiting period, the FCC's
Report and Order in
the so-called ''Omnibus'' Amateur Radio
proceeding, WT Docket 04-140,
was adopted October 4 and released October 10,
2006. In it, the FCC
adopted nearly all of the proposed changes in the
Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking released back in 2004. The FCC has:

+ expanded the phone subbands in the 75 and 40
meter bands;

+ permitted auxiliary stations to transmit on
portions of the 2
meter band;

+ permitted the use of spread spectrum on 222-225 MHz;

+ permitted amateurs to retransmit communications
from the
International Space Station;

+ permitted amateur licensees to designate a
specific Amateur Radio
club to receive their call sign in memoriam;

+ prohibited an applicant from filing more than
one application for
a specific vanity call sign;

+ eliminated certain restrictions on equipment
manufacturers;

+ permitted Amateur Radio stations in Alaska and
surrounding waters
more flexibility in providing emergency
communications;

+ clarified that ''amateur stations may, at all
times and on all
frequencies authorized to the control operator,
make transmissions
necessary to meet essential communication needs
and to facilitate
relief actions'';

+ deleted the frequency bands and segments
specified for RACES
stations;

and

+ deleted the requirement for public announcement
of test locations
and times.

In addition, the FCC took several other
miscellaneous actions.

In ''refarming'' the frequencies currently
authorized to Novice and
Technician Plus licensees, the Commission
increased the voice
segments for General, Advanced and Amateur Extra
licensees.

On 75 meters, Generals will be able to use voice
from 3800-4000 kHz,
an increase of 50 kHz. Advanced class licensees
will be able to use
voice from 3700-4000, an increase of 75 kHz, and
Amateur Extras will
be able to use voice from 3600 to 4000 kHz, a
generous increase of
150 kHz.

On 40 meters, Advanced and Extra Class licensees
will be able to use
voice from 7125-7300 kHz, an increase of 25 kHz.
General class
licensees will be able to use voice on 7175-7300
kHz, an increase of
50 kHz.

On 15 meters, General class operators will have
phone privileges on
21275-21450 kHz, an increase of 25 kHz.

ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, expressed the
ARRL's gratitude
to the FCC Commissioners in a letter dated October
11: ''On behalf of
the ARRL and the Commission's licensees in the
Amateur Radio Service
I want to express appreciation for your release
yesterday of the
Report and Order in WT Docket 04-140 (FCC 06-149)
amending Part 97
of the Commission's Rules. The Commission's action
in clearing this
pending proceeding will assist the Amateur Radio
Service in meeting
its objectives, particularly with regard to
providing emergency and
public service communications.''

The changes will go into effect 30 days after the
R&O is published
in the Federal Register.
NNNN
/EX



It friggen figures the president of the ARRL would say that. They're only
interested in selling memberships, they're not interested in the quality of
the radio amateur. Ham radio can be like CB for all they care.

SC