AG12
QST de W1AW  
ARRL Bulletin 12  ARLB012
>From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington CT  March 24, 2016
To all radio amateurs 

SB QST ARL ARLB012
ARLB012 ARRL HF Band Planning Committee Seeks Suggestions on IARU
Region 2 HF Band Plan

The ARRL Board of Directors' HF Band Planning Committee is inviting
input from the US Amateur Radio community regarding possible changes
to the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 2 Band Plan.
The band plan can be found on the web at,
www.iaru-r2.org/band-plan/ .

That band plan and other significant Amateur Radio spectrum issues
will be high on the agenda at this fall's IARU Region 2 General
Assembly in Chile. Leading up to that gathering, the ARRL and other
IARU member societies in the Americas will be seeking comments and
suggestions regarding the Region 2 HF Band Plan. The HF Band
Planning Committee will review the current plan, consider comments
from the US Amateur Radio community, and recommend any changes to
the ARRL Board for submission to IARU Region 2.

'The ARRL HF Band Planning Committee wants to stress that the IARU
Region 2 Band Plan is a voluntary guideline and does not supersede
FCC regulations related to spectrum usage,' Committee Chairman and
ARRL Second Vice President Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, noted. He also
pointed out two other issues for radio amateurs to consider.

* Most Region 2 countries outside the US do not have the sort of
detailed sub-band regulations contained in the FCC's Part 97. For
radio amateurs in these countries, the Region 2 Band Plan may serve
as the only source of guidance on spectrum usage.

* The designation of a calling frequency or band segment for a
particular purpose or mode in any IARU band plan does not convey any
special rights or exclusivity of use. On the other hand the absence
of a calling frequency or band segment associated with a particular
purpose or mode should not suggest that these have been overlooked
or are viewed negatively.

The Committee is urging US radio amateurs who are considering
suggesting revisions to the IARU Region 2 Band Plan first to study
the existing IARU Region 2 Band Plan. They then should formulate a
clear statement of any proposed changes, including a brief
explanation of why each particular change would benefit all IARU
Region 2 spectrum users. Participants should include name and call
sign. Submit input via e-mail by June 1, 2016 to,
[email protected] . Messages will be automatically acknowledged.

Radio amateurs licensed in Region 2 countries other than the US
should contact their own IARU member society for information on how
to participate in the band-planning process.  A list of societies
can be found on the web at, www.iaru-r2.org/directory/ .

The 19th IARU Region 2 General Assembly will take place in
mid-October in Vina del Mar, Chile. Held every 3 years, the Region 2
Conference is attended by delegations from IARU member societies in
throughout the Americas.