Band 135.7 – 137.8 kHz Now Available to Advanced Licensees Who Apply

After an exchange of letters, the ACMA has advised the WIA that any amateur holding an Advanced licence may now apply to ACMA for a variation of their licence to allow operation on a secondary basis in the band 135.7 – 137.8 kHz.

Amateur operation in that band is subject to a maximum radiated power of 1 Watt (e.i.r.p.).

Application for a variation of licence to allow use on the new LF band should be made on ACMA form R057 (downloadable from the ACMA website) to the Licensing, Allocations and Information Section, National Licensing and Allocation Branch, PO Box 78, Belconnen, ACT 2616 accompanied by the ACMA fee of $41.

ACMA amended the Australian Radiofrequency Spectrum Plan in January to allow amateur operation on this LF band, allocated to the amateur service at the ITU’s WRC in 2007, but has not yet amended the Amateur LCD or the Visiting Amateurs Class Licence to allow operation due, it says, to a lack of resources, and does not see itself being able to further progress the matter before the end of the current year.

The WIA suggested that as each Advanced amateur licence became due for renewal the necessary additional condition could be included in the licence as it was renewed, but again ACMA has advised that this would involve additional resources better applied in other directions.

However, ACMA will include the necessary conditions as a variation to each Advanced licensee who applies for a variation of his or her licence to allow operation on this band.

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