SB QST @ ARL $ARLB012
ARLB012 Overwhelming response to Intruder Survey
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ARRL Bulletin 12 ARLB012
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT April 4, 2001
To all radio amateurs
SB QST ARL ARLB012
ARLB012 Overwhelming response to Intruder Survey
The response to ARRL's call last fall for reports of apparent
unlicensed operation on 10 and 12 meters has been ''overwhelming,''
according to Brennan Price, N4QX, administrator of the ARRL
Monitoring System. The survey last October 1-14 was initiated in
response to an increasing number of complaints from the amateur
community.
Price said that more than 400 separate reports, nearly all from
United States amateurs, detailed more than 1000 separate instances
of apparent unlicensed operation. An analysis suggests that nearly
half of the transmissions originated in the US. Of the remaining
reports, most appeared to document transmissions originating in
Latin America.
''The variety of languages, dialects and beam headings relating to
these transmissions clearly indicates that this is a worldwide
problem'' Price said. Surveys by monitoring-system administrators in
other IARU Region 2 countries confirm this conclusion, he said.
ARRL has shared its data with the FCC. Price points out that before
the Commission can take any action, an offending transmission must
be documented and its source found. ''Given the changeable nature of
10 and 12-meter propagation, especially at the top of the sunspot
cycle, this is not an easy task,'' Price said. He said the FCC cannot
make its sophisticated HF direction-finding facility available for
routine intruder-signal searches.
Price said the FCC relies on the Amateur Service to be self-policing
and has indicated that it is most likely to act in suspected
unlicensed operator situations when amateurs themselves document the
cases.
Price said active use of the bands by licensees is the best way to
discourage unlicensed operation.
''It is not easy or quick work, but it has been successfully done in
the past,'' he said.
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