> Chris KW6H wrote: > Some prefer to change this situation (I'm one of them: I prefer that > the stay be granted, and that automatic data stations remain legal > betwen 3.620 and 3.635), but there is no basis for a claim that > the rules do not say what in fact they plainly do say. > > The terms "semiautomatic" and "fully automatic" are mere shorthand: > that those terms do not appear in the regs is not germane to the > discussion. >
I agree with you, Chris, and hope that the stay is granted by FCC and/or the petition to fix the self-contradiction in FCC rules is heard soon. Actually though, it really is relevant to talk about what FCC considers "automatic", since the FCC calls the whole category simply "automatically controlled digital stations", and there don't seem to be any FCC rules for "semi-automatically controlled stations". It is one thing to use ham jargon, and another to talk about FCC rules. Many hams are confused with the mix of ham jargon and FCC terminology, and some are intentionally fueling that confusion by spreading misinformation that "automatic stations are being banned from 80 meters". They seem to think their flurry of such rumors will voodoo some automatic station operators off the air :) But, no matter how much one says a lie, it doesn't make it true (except in politics). As for the FCC rules "plainly do say", that has recently become clouded by their self-contradictions. The effect of one part of the automatic category on 80 meters being presently in limbo due to FCC's rule error is quite relevant for all of us. There will still be automatic stations on 80 meters a week from now, but unless FCC issues the stay... texting, data, nets, CW, image, and automatically controlled stations will be all packed together like sardines into the same <3600kHz subband. The automatic stations trying to throughput high speed data will need to transmit for much longer time durations in this jam-packed subband due to the limitations in speed. When this happens, it is much more likely that all operators will increase transmitter power... QRO... It sure looks like we are going to have more fun than a barrel of monkeys! 73---Bonnie KQ6XA
