Amateur Radio Newsline

from Edition #1021 - 03/07/97
The following two articles are reprinted from:

Amateur Radio NewsLine
c/o Andy Jarema-N6TCQ
P.O.Box 660937
Arcadia, CA
91066

RADIO AMATEURS CANADA VS. LITTLE LEO

    And the ARRL is not the only ham radio national society taking a tough line against band sharing with the Little LEO satellite industry.  Radio Amateurs of Canada is warning hams north of the border not to be taken in by what it believes might be a divide and conquer strategy by that industry.

   On February 22, Radio Amateurs Canada issued an advisory to all clubs saying that representatives of large telecom corporations were approaching Amateur Radio clubs.  This, to explain how it would be feasible for the Little LEO and hams to share spectrum in the 146, 220 and 440 MHZ bands.

   But the Canadian ham club that's at the focus of the flap says RAC is wrong.  The Kitchener- Waterloo Amateur Radio Club says that it extended the invitation to a representative of ORBCOMM Canada to speak at an April 7 meeting, not the other way around.  The club says it wants to learn more about the way current LEO satellites are already sharing public safety and commercial frequencies.  Using its Web page the club defends its invitation to ORBCOMM as an open-minded effort to get all the facts.

   But in the advisory signed by RAC President Farrell Hopwood, VE7RD, the society leaves no room for compromise with the Kitchener-Waterloo club or anyone else.  It says that a club's broad-minded reception of industry speakers could be turned against hams.  RAC says that after talking to ham radio groups the Little LEO industry could then approach the government claiming it consulted with hams across the country who greeted them warmly and did not disagree with their ideas.

   Radio Amateurs Canada adds that it will do everything it can to dissuade government and industry from forcing hams to share bands.  It calls the Little LEO band sharing idea an ill- conceived program that is loaded with problems for amateurs and the public.

(Via Radio Amateurs Canada)



                          LITTLE LEO VS. THE ARRL

   The battle between ham radio and the Little Low Earth Orbiting Satellite
Industry has escalated. This with the American Radio Relay League having
drawn a proverbial line in the sand and daring the Little LEO industry to
cross it.

   Setting the tone is one high ranking ARRL official well known to
Newsline listeners. Speaking at the Leagues recent Great Lakes Convention
in Cincinnati Ohio, First Vice President Steve Mendelsohn, W2ML, was very
blunt in saying that this is literally a fight for the survival of ham
radio as we know it today:


   "This is the fight, we are fighting for 2 meters, 220, and 450.  And its
a vary real fight. There is no presentation I can make.  There is no
comment that I can make to you that is more important than an understanding
that the league board, the leagues staff and all the senior officials out
in the field know that this is not a joke,  This isn't a drill.  This is
the real thing. The fight for VHF and low UHF is on.  And is on right now
with the Little LEO crowd."  Mendelsohn


   From what Vice President Mendelsohn and other ARRL spokespersons are
saying, the League appears to have taken the position that there is not
even any room for discussion of possible band sharing with the Little LEO
satellite industry.  The society seems to be saying that its either them or
us who will have the 2 meter, 1 and 1/4 and 70 centimeter bands and its
definitely not going to be the Little LEO's.

(Via Amateur News Weekly and Newsline)

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