It was with mixed emotions that I read today's latest news on the ARRL Web site stating the FCC had released its large “Ominibus” Amateur Radio Docket 04-140.
Now cutting through all the many things the order includes, let's get to one of the biggest changes: The report includes the “refarming” of the former Novice CW subbands.
On 75 meters, the lower edge of the US phone band will move from 3750 down to 3600. On 40, the low end of the band moves from 7150 to 7125.
I know that change is good, but it still saddens me to see the Novice CW subband wiped out on 80 meters. All the CW and digital activity will be crammed into 100 khz of space at the bottom end of the band. I know this is likely plenty of room, but still, the Novice CW subband holds a special place for me, particularly on 80 meters.
Of course I come from the era when you didn't dare stray outside the Novice subband if you were a General licensee who couldn't “run with the big dogs” elsewhere on the band. The real pros run 20-30 wpm, and the Novice subband is where you could usually find a QSO at a speed you could copy.
Even after the code speed requirement was dropped to 5 wpm, I still felt sheepish moving into the General or Extra CW subbands if my CW wasn't “up to par.” I love CW, but I'm no 20 wpm Extra.
In 30 days following the publication of the report, it appears the 80 Meter Novice subband ceases to exist. I've spent many a winter night there, as well as quite a few SKNs. 80 is my favorite CW band, particularly in the winter. I hope living with the resulting phone band expansion doesn't take away from my enjoyment of CW on 80.
I'm not really happy about the 40 meter expansion either, as at night, the only areas you could easily squeeze in a CW contact was around 7.140 MHz. The shortwave BC stations filled most of the rest of the Novice subband.
I might write a letter to QST along this same line. There's a group of hams who populate the Novice subband, and enjoy it — particularly when (like last night) a CW newbie shows up struggling to make a contact.
This fellow in Calhoun, Georgia, was calling CQ at a very, very slow pace. I copied the mail a bit, and heard some jerk come back to him at about 25 wpm. The guy couldn't copy him obviously, and he sent back “QRS QRS” … the ham who called him left the frequency. I felt bad for the Georgia ham, he was struggling to get a CQ out … a newcomer to CW.
I was impressed that he was persistent enough to send another CQ. I answered him at the same speed he was sending. He was new to CW, but I had figured that out from the lack of abbreviations and protocol. Not that I'm complaining, I was privileged to have a chance to encourage a new ham on CW.
We had a nice QSO. At such a slow speed (slower than 5 wpm), it took a while. But that's ok, I just didn't want one of his first CW expeirences to be limited to the jerk who called him at high speed.
That's about all for now, I'm getting out of here.
73 es CUL … de KY4Z … dit dit