IARU Resolution 17-1, posted today, calls on IARU Member Societies to remember the policy of not holding contests in the bands that amateurs have access to on a secondary basis, and in the bands that are narrow in their spectrum. There bands include:
- 135.7 – 137.8 kHz
- 472 – 479 kHz
- 5,351.5 – 5,366.5 kHz
- 10.1 – 10.15 MHz
- 18.068 – 18.168 MHz
- 24.890 – 24.990 MHz
IARU R2 strongly encourages all radio amateurs to observe the respective regional band plans for these and all other amateur allocations.
I’m not sure of the reason behind this resolution. I haven’t heard of any contests on these bands. Have you?
Rob w4zng says
The closest I’ve seen is the RaDAR Challenge – but they make the distinction that it’s a “challenge” not a “contest.” A vanishingly small distinction insofar as I can see, but it’s also a vanishingly small event. Here’s a link to the rules: http://radarops.co.za/index.php/radar-rules/ Starting this year, the rules have added the WARC bands. The main point of the challenge is to rapidly set up, make five contacts, break down, move a specified distance, wash/rinse/repeat for four hours. With operations like that, it’s not likely to jam up bands the way some larger contests do.
Chuck K4RGN says
30MDG (30 Meters Digital Group) has an annual event called the 30 Meter Multi Mode Weekend, but they are careful to characterize it as not a contest. Says their website, “Events sanctioned by 30MDG are solely for the purpose of band activity promotion. As 10 Mhz (30 Meters) is a WARC band, we do NOT encourage nor permit any form of
contesting from, nor by our Members on this band.”