Is 60m Within Our Grasp?

The ACMA website has a few nuggets if you go digging.......

Recently released on the ACMA website for public comment, the ACMA is currently seeking feedback on amateur access to the 5 MHz band in Australia. This is excellent news from our friends at ACMA given the amount of hams globally who will be chasing Australia for confirmation on 60m but with 15W EIRP, the DX will be challenging.

It is also an excellent band choice for general low power experimentation with even new digital modes like WSPR, FT8 etc and for inter continental communications around Australia and our close neighbours when 80m and 40m may be unsuitable that 60m is the better solution, especially for outback and remote emergency communications.

Currently WIA and WICEN have allocations within the 60m band which are designated for emergency communications and WIA news broadcasting. Comments on options for the possible use of the band 5351.5–5366.5 kHz by the amateur service on a secondary basis are invited.

Four options are identified, which explore differing degrees of segmented use, on a geographical and/or frequency block use:

Option 1: Australia-wide access to the whole band (5351.5–5366.5 kHz) but excluding Queensland and zones around existing transmitters.

Option 2: Australia-wide access to 5351.5–5365 kHz, that is, exclude the top 1.5 kHz to mitigate against most known sharing issues.

Option 3: Segmented and/or channelised use to mitigate against interference to existing services.

Option 4: No amateur use.

ACMA want to hear from all spectrum users as to which option they prefer.

The first three options provide for amateur access whereas the last option does not.
Any of the first three options are good but from a personal perspective I find Option 2 is my overall optimum choice for flexibility, maximizing band utilization with other international amateur radio allocations and minimizing any potential interference (if any) to only a select few licenced users. What do you think?

The WIA will be releasing a 60m consultation poll to the general Amateur radio community shortly for you to choose and record your preferred option which on completion will be submitted to ACMA for their perusal. The WIA poll, as always is open to all Radio Amateurs Australia wide, whether a WIA member or not as we all need the opportunity to collectively have our choices tabled to ACMA for their ultimate decision on the 60M Band usage for us.

Remember your single contribution, collectively with all the others, will make the difference. Read more at WIA website wia.org.au and make your submission (which can be as simple as a line saying which option you prefer):
It is important that you do send a submission whether via the WIA poll or directly to ACMA.

The Email Address to send to is: freqplan@acma.gov.au or click this Link

The full details of the ACMA submission request are avalable via this Link

Below is a template you can use to paste into your email submission which is editable for you to change options and add other comment if required.

Please make sure you remember include Option choice either Option 1, 2, 3 or 4, along with your name, address and callsign if appropriate.

TEMPLATE LETTER AS FOLLOWS

Date : (Todays Date)

Attention Chris Worley
Spectrum Planning Section
Australian Communications and Media Authority
PO Box 78
Belconnen ACT 2616

Re : Submission on the possible use of the 5351.5-5366.5 kHz band by the amateur service.

Thank you for the opportunity to lodge a submission on this topic,

I support amateur access to this segment. A 5 MHz allocation would permit low power communication and experimentation over some propagation paths at certain times that is not possible with existing 3.5 and 7 MHz bands.

I particularly favour Option 2 (or the option of your choice) as being the simplest and most workable arrangement with current users.

Radio amateurs already have experience with similar narrow allocations in the HF radio spectrum, such as the segment between 3776 kHz and 3800 kHz

Kind Regards
(Insert Your Name)
(Insert Your Callsign)
(Insert Your Address)

Page Last Updated: Thursday, 14 May 2020 at 19:06 hours by Robert Broomhead

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