Friday, February 08, 2013

IARU Region 2 seeks input on HF Band Plan

The ARRL reports that the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 2 conference will be held later this year in Mexico. The Region 2 conference -- held every three years -- is attended by delegations from the national Amateur Radio societies in the western hemisphere that are members of the IARU. The ARRL is the IARU Member Society for the US.

One of the topics on the conference agenda will be the Region 2 HF band plan. This band plan is "harmonized" with -- spectrum management-speak for "very similar to" -- the IARU Region 1 and Region 3 band plans. Many hams in the US may not know there is such a thing as a Region 2 band plan. Other American hams have heard of it but may not know how -- if at all -- this band plan affects them.

Here are important facts for American hams to keep in mind:

IARU band plans are voluntary guidelines. They do not have the force of FCC regulations. For radio amateurs in the US, IARU band plans are informational, not regulations.

It would be inappropriate to incorporate Region 2 band plans into the FCC rules, and the ARRL has no plan to petition the FCC to do so.

Most other countries do not have the detailed sub-band regulations that are in Part 97 of the FCC rules. For radio amateurs in those countries, IARU band plans may offer the only guidance on frequency usage.


(Source : Southgate Amateur Radio News)

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