Telecommunication regulators in The Netherlands have scaled back considerably the liberal 60-meter privileges announced for radio amateurs in that country just days after the conclusion of World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15). Since December 2015, amateurs in The Netherlands have had access to a 100-kHz wide amateur band at 5 MHz, with a maximum power of 100 W.
Category Archives: International
Cuba Institutes New Amateur Radio Regulations
Radio amateurs in Cuba are scrutinizing and debating the details of new Amateur Radio regulations for the island nation. The Cuban Ministry of Communications adopted the new regulatory scheme on February 28. International Amateur Radio Union Region 2 (IARU-R2) posted the new Amateur Radio Service regulations (in Spanish) as a PDF.
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“Mysterious Foghorn” is Chinese Over-the-Horizon Burst Radar
“We observed the mysterious foghorn on 7, 10, and 14 MHz,” the newsletter recounted. “This is a Chinese OTH radar, which is often jumping, and sounding like a foghorn.” The signal is frequency modulation on pulse (FMOP) with 66.66 sweeps-per-second bursts.
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Mexico Not Yet Extending Operating Permission to Non-Mexican Radio Amateurs
Broad changes in Mexico’s radiocommunication regulatory environment 2 years ago continue to hinder Amateur Radio licensing there and still do not provide reciprocal permission for non-Mexican radio amateurs to operate South of the Border. Mexico’s International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) member society the Federation of Mexican Radio Amateurs (FMRE) has been working with the new regulator, the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) to craft more Amateur Radio-friendly licensing procedures and regulations, and there has been a little positive movement. The new regulatory regime considers the radio spectrum as an exploitable resource, and all former Amateur Radio regulations have been deemed null and void. To help acquaint regulators with the nuances of Amateur Radio, all IFT administrative staff completed the United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI) Amateur Radio Administration Course last February, and this has yielded some positive results.
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FCC Updates Notice on Amateur Radio Operation in CEPT Countries
The FCC has updated its Public Notice on Amateur Radio operation in European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) countries that have adopted certain recommendations regarding the US. The updated notice, in English, German, and French, includes some additional countries where operation is permitted. Licensees operating in CEPT countries must have a copy of the Public Notice, proof of US citizenship, and evidence of an FCC Amateur Radio license grant. These must be shown to “proper authorities” upon request.
Subject to regulations in force in the country visited, a US citizen holding an FCC General, Advanced, or Amateur Extra Class Amateur Radio license grant “is authorized to utilize temporarily an Amateur Station in a [CEPT] country that has implemented certain recommendations with respect to the United States,” according to the notice.
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