The IARU Region 3 Newsletter Issue3/2002, September 2002 I thank the many member societies that responded to the letter from the Directors on the 7 MHz alignment requesting urgent discussion with your administration and seek their support. It shows how amateurs across many countries can work towards a common goal. Your spontaneous response has been a tremendous encouragement to the ongoing efforts to achieve harmonization of the 7 MHz band. K C Selvadurai 9V1UV Director IARU Region 3 WRC 2003. The venue for the Conference has been changed to Geneva, Switzerland. The dates remain the same, namely 9 June to 4 July 2003. Preparations are continuing at many levels. Within Region 3, the third Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) Conference Preparatory Group Meeting (APG) for the World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 was held in June 2002 in Bangkok, Thailand. Dr. David Wardlaw VK3ADW Vice President IARU and Park HL1IFM Director IARU Region 3, attended, with Chen Ping BA1HAM, Dr. Rhee HL1AQQ, S Sichan HS1BNP, R Gerrard HS0/G3NOM and Jay Oka JA1TRC as members of their country's delegation. Dr. David Wardlaw presented a document covering issues of interest to Radio Amateurs on the WRC-2003 Agenda. The IARU has reviewed the provisions of Article 25 and has prepared proposed revised text for this Article. He reported that IARU supports the draft Conference Preparatory Meeting (CPM) text on this revision. The IARU also seeks an alignment of the allocations to the amateur service at 7 MHz to obtain a common worldwide 300 kHz allocation to the service. The matter of concern to amateurs is the alignment of the 7 MHz band. The purpose of carrying out a realignment of the frequency allocations around 7 MHz is to remedy the long-standing difficulties experienced by the amateur service as a result of the changes made at the Atlantic City WARC in 1947. Historically until the 1938 Cairo Conference the band 7000-7300 kHz was allocated exclusively to the amateur service. Conditions in Europe and Asia lead to the reduction to 7000-7150 kHz in ITU Regions 1 and 3. A final reduction to 7000-7100 kHz took place at WARC-59. The Region 2 allocation remained unchanged at 7000-7300 kHz amateur exclusive. The usefulness of the allocations around 7 MHz for amateur worldwide links are limited because only 100 kHz of spectrum between 7000 and 7100 kHz is common to Region 2 and Regions 1 and 3. The 7100-7300 kHz band is allocated exclusively to the broadcasting service in Regions 1 and 3, and exclusively to the amateur service in Region 2. Given the large disparity in signal levels between the two services, broadcasting transmissions cause interference to the sensitive receivers used in the amateur service during periods of good propagation between Regions 2 and Regions 1 or 3. The degree of interference experienced in Region 2 varies with time-of-day, season, solar activity and distance from broadcasting stations in other regions. Regrettably, the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) representing the broadcasters of the region, resisted the IARU proposals. Amongst other comments, the ABU mentioned that 50% of the transmitters and many shortwave radio receivers may be out of their tuning range if there were to be a change in frequency allocation and there will also be a significant cost impact if broadcasters had to implement the proposed frequency shift. A discussion has since been held with ABU at their office in Kuala Lumpur. David Wardlaw VK3ADW Vice President IARU, K C Selvadurai 9V1UV Director Region 3 and Sangat Singh 9M2SS ex Region 3 Director, represented IARU. We now have a better understanding of the basis for ABU's position and the logical approach used to reach their conclusion. It appears that many HF broadcasting transmitters are old and unable to accommodate a frequency shift. A change to digital transmissions will require future transmitter replacement. The final decision is in the hands of administrations. Telecom Asia 2002 The next TELECOM Asia exhibition and Forum is planned for Hong Kong for six days 2nd to 7th December. Known as TELECOM Asia 2002, HARTS and your Directors plan to establish an exhibition display stand to promote IARU and Amateur Radio. The Forum is a timely opportunity before WRC-03 to promote the emergency communications capability of the Amateur Service. A paper "Recent trends and directions in Emergency Communications" will be presented by your IARU Region 3 Director Peter Naish VK2BPN on behalf of IARU Region 3. The paper reminds us all that disasters and the requirement for communications to aid in their relief continue unabated. Disasters are not confined to any particular region, country, territory or geographical area. The TELECOM 2002 Forum is also an opportunity to point out the many strengths of the Amateur Service. Radio amateurs are geographically dispersed. There may already be a radio amateur at the site from where emergency communications are needed. Radio amateurs are technically trained and qualified by passing an examination set by an administration. Radio amateurs are technically adept and can reconfigure their networks to meet changing needs. They can assist with both command-and-control and with health-and-welfare message traffic. Examples are given in the paper of disaster events in several Region 3 countries where amateur radio operators have given voluntary service using their skills and their own equipment to provide emergency communications for their communities. A recent statement describes the Amateur Service as: "an incredible national resource and the only truly fail-safe communication service on the planet earth." The paper explains why administrations should encourage and support a strong Amateur Service in their countries, and how changes to provisions in the ITU Radio Regulations under Agenda Item 1.7 of WRC-2003 could improve and enhance emergency communications. IARU Region 3 ARDF C'ships 2003 Planning is well underway for IARU Region 3 Amateur Radio Direction Finding Championships to be held next year at Ballarat a large provincial city in Victoria, Australia. It is to be hosted by the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) and will be held in the Ballarat area from Friday 28 November to Wednesday 3 December 2003. The Victorian ARDF Group which is organizing the event, said that it expected up to 100 participants from member societies in Region 3 including Japan, Korea, China, New Zealand, and Australia, as well as guest competitors from other IARU Regions are expected to attend. WIA Victoria is sponsoring this important event and assisting the organizing committee with financial backing. Chairman Fred Johnson Receives Queen's Birthday Honour: In recognition of his services to amateur radio in New Zealand, Fred Johnson, ZL2AMJ, Chairman/Director IARU Region 3, has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the Queen's Birthday and Golden Jubilee Honours 2002. Fred, a NZART Central Region Councillor and Administration Liaison Officer, has held many positions within NZART. Congratulations, Fred! Bob Denniston W0DX Silent Key A founding Director of IARU Region 3, Bob Denniston, VP2VI and W0DX, of Tortola, British Virgin Islands, died unexpectedly in his sleep May 12 or 13. He was 83. Denniston served as ARRL president from 1966 until 1972 and as International Amateur Radio Union president from 1966 until 1974. He attended the WIA Convention in 1968 when IARU Region 3 was set up and became a founding Director. Denniston was first licensed at the age of 13. He also was a founding member and on the executive committee of IARU Region 2. Denniston, then W4NNN, has been credited with being the "father of the modern Dxpedition." His strategy of visits to rare prefixes helped earn him a world record ARRL International DX Contest score in 1960 from VP1JH (now Belize). The Region 3 Web site Go to: http://www.iaru-r3.org/ Newsletter Editor: K C Selvadurai 9V1UV, Director IARU Region 3, 9v1uv@sarts.org.sg Publisher: The International Amateur Radio Union Region 3, P.O. Box 73, Toshima, Tokyo 170-8691, Japan. iaru-r3@jarl.or.jp Tel: +81 3 3944 3322 Fax: +81 3943 8282 The statements or opinions in this Newsletter do not, unless otherwise stated, necessarily reflect the views of IARU Region 3, the Directors or the Secretariat. Items from this Newsletter may be freely copied for publication by member societies of IARU