IARU-R1 VHF Handbook Vet Vers Version 9.01 March 2021 ion 8.12 IARU-R1 The content of this Handbook is the property of the International Amateur Radio Union, Region 1. Copying and publication of the content, or parts thereof, is allowed for non-commercial purposes provided the source of information is quoted. Contact information Website: http://www.iaru-r1.org/index.php/vhfuhsshf Newsletters: http://www.iaru- r1.org/index.php/documents/Documents/Newsletters/VHF-Newsletters/ Wiki http://iaruwiki.oevsv.at Contest robot http://iaru.oevsv.at/v_upld/prg_list.php VHF Handbook 9.00 1/180 IARU-R1 Oostende, 17 March 2021 Dear YL and OM, The Handbook consists of 5 PARTS who are covering all aspects of the VHF community: • PART 1: IARU-R1 VHF& up Organisation • PART 2: Bandplanning • PART 3: Contesting • PART 4: Technical and operational references • PART 5: archive This handbook is updated with the new VHF contest dates and rules and some typo’s in the rest of the handbook. Those changes are highlighted in yellow. The recommendations made during this Virtual General conference are highlighted in turquoise 73 de Jacques, ON4AVJ Secretary VHF+ committee (C5) IARU-R1 VHF Handbook 9.00 2/180 IARU-R1 CONTENT PART 1: IARU-1 VHF & UP ORGANISATION ORGANISATION 17 Constitution of the IARU Region 1 VHF/UHF/Microwaves Committee 17 In the Constitution: 17 In the Bye-laws: 17 Terms of reference of the IARU Region 1 VHF/UHF/Microwaves Committee 18 Tasks of IARU R-1 and its VHF/UHF/µWave Committee 19 Microwave managers Sub-committee 20 Coordinators of the VHF/UHF/Microwaves Committee 21 VHF Contest Coordinator 21 Satellite coordinator 21 Beacon coordinator 21 Propagations coordinators 21 Records coordinator 21 Repeater coordinator 21 IARU R-1 Executive Committee 21 Actual IARU-R1 VHF/UHF/SHF Chairman, Co-ordinators and co-workers 22 National VHF managers 23 Microwave managers 25 Note. 25 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VHF MANAGERS 26 Actions needed to protect the 23cm band in WRC 2023(VGC 2020) 26 Protect our amateur bands(Landshut 2017) 26 General 26 24 and 47 GHz band 26 Millimetre bands 26 50 MHz Band 27 Defending the bands from 1 GHz to 10 GHz (Vienna 2019) 27 Introduction 27 Actions 27 Licenced share access (LSA) 27 Band activity survey 28 Proper use of amateur frequencies (Cavtat 2008) 28 Satellite frequency coordination (Cavtat 2008) 28 VHF Handbook 9.00 3/180 IARU-R1 145MHz for satellite downlinks (Cavtat 2008) 28 Multi-Band beacon clusters (Cavtat 2008) 28 3400-3410MHz allocation 28 Contest Log exchange 28 DX code of conduct (Varna 2014) 29 TV Repeater Transmissions (Varna 2014) 29 Remote Controlled Operation (Varna 2014) 29 Information about repeaters 29 IARU R-1 AND IARU SATELLITE COORDINATION 30 ITU Notification Requirements for Amateur Satellites 30 Background 30 Procedure 30 IARU-AC 89-3 concerning amateur satellite usage 31 Terms of reference of the IARU satellite adviser 32 General: 32 Function 32 Appointment: 32 Tasks: 32 Terms of reference of the IARU AMSAT satellite frequency coordinator 33 General 33 Function 33 Appointment 33 Tasks 33 RELEVANT IARU REGION-1 RECOMMENDATIONS 34 Recommendation CT08_C5_Rec01 34 Recommendation CT08_C5_Rec02 34 Recommendation CT08_C5_Rec22 34 Recommendation CT08_C5_Rec25 34 Recommendation CT08_C5_Rec37 34 IARU-R1 REPEATER COORDINATION 35 Coordination of repeater activities 35 Repeater coordination: coverage presentation 36 Introduction 36 General rules for operating via repeaters 36 Recommended methods to prepare coverage map 36 IARU-R1 BEACON COORDINATION 37 VHF Handbook 9.00 4/180 IARU-R1 IARU R1 beacons: a guide to good practice 37 Coordination procedure 37 Local Beacons: 37 Transmission mode 37 Frequency spacing 37 Transatlantic beacon project 38 Synchronised 50 MHz Beacon Project (Varna 2014) 39 Introduction 39 50 MHz synchronised not transmitting in their timeslot 39 IARU-R1 CERTIFICATES AND MEDALS 40 DB6NT 40 S53MV 40 National VHF/UHF/µWaves awards and certificates 41 Note 41 PART 2: IARU-1 VHF & UP BANDPLAN IARU REGION 1 BANDPLANS 43 Introduction 43 General 43 European table of frequency allocations 43 50 – 54 MHz Band plan 44 Notes: bandplan 45 Footnotes: 45 Usage Notes 45 70.0 – 70.5 MHz Band plan 46 Notes: BANDPLAN 46 Notes: Usage 46 144 – 146 MHz Bandplan 47 Notes: BANDPLAN 48 Notes: Usage 49 National usage notes 49 430 – 440 MHz 50 Notes: BANDPLAN 52 Notes: Usage 52 National usage notes 53 1.5.4 DATV AND EXPERIMENTAL DATA USAGE IN THE 436-438 MHZ BAND (VGC 2020) 53 1200 – 1300 MHz Bandplan 54 Notes: BANDPLAN 55 VHF Handbook 9.00 5/180 IARU-R1 Notes: Usage 56 2300 – 2450 MHz Bandplan 57 Notes: BANDPLAN 57 3400 -3475 MHz 58 Notes: BANDPLAN 58 5650 – 5850 MHz Bandplan 59 Notes: BANDPLAN 59 10.000 – 10.500 GHz Bandplan 60 Notes: BANDPLAN 60 24.000 – 24250 GHz Bandplan 61 Notes: BANDPLAN 61 47.000 – 47.200 GHz Bandplan 62 75.500 – 81.500 GHz Bandplan 63 Notes: BANDPLAN 63 122.250 – 123.000 GHz Bandplan 64 134.000 – 141.000 GHz Bandplan 65 Notes: BANDPLAN 65 241.000 – 250.000 GHz Bandplan 66 Notes: BANDPLAN 66 Additional Band plans 67 Table 1 Irish 40–44 MHz (8 metre) Band Plan for Amateur Service 67 Table 2 Irish 54.0–69.9 MHz (5 metre) Band Plan for Amateur Service 69 MANAGING FREQUENCY ALLOCATIONS & BAND PLANNING 70 Introduction to VHF/UHF/µWaves bands and bandplans 70 Amateur and Amateur Satellite Service frequency allocations above 30 MHz 70 IARU-R1 Bandplanning: principles 70 Basis 70 Remarks on the practical implementation 71 Coordination process: 72 Some definitions 72 ITU and WRC Frequency Allocations Process 73 List of Regional Telecommunications Organisations (RTOs) 73 Channel designation system for VHF/UHF FM channels 74 Principle 74 Examples 74 Notes: 74 VHF Handbook 9.00 6/180 IARU-R1 PART 2: IARU-1 VHF & UP CONTESTING RULES IARU R1 50/70 MHZ, 145 MHZ AND UHF/µW CONTESTS 76 Objective 76 Definitions 76 Conditions for entrants 76 Date of contests 77 Contest sections 77 50 MHz Contest: 77 70 MHz Contest: 77 145 MHz contest: 77 435 MHz Band: 77 1.3 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 3.4 GHz, 5.7 GHz, 10 GHz bands and for the Millimetre group (the combined group of amateur bands above 10 GHz): 77 Operating 77 Contacts 78 Acceptable examples when using a secondary method: 78 Unacceptable examples when using a secondary method: 78 Definition for a valid contest QSO: 78 Type of emission 78 Contest exchanges 78 CW, SSB or FM/PM modes 78 MGM modes 79 Scoring 79 50 and 70 MHz CW/SSB only, 145 MHz and UHF/Microwave Contests 79 50 and 70 MHz MGM Contests 79 Entries 80 50 and 70 MHz CW/SSB only, 145 MHz and UHF/Microwave Contests 80 50 and 70 MHz MGM Contests 80 Stations eligible to win a prize 81 Judging of entries 81 Awards 81 Section winners: 81 Overall winners for UHF/Microwave contest: 81 Millimetre group 81 RULES IARU REGION I ATV CONTEST 82 Goal 82 VHF Handbook 9.00 7/180 IARU-R1 Terms and Definitions 82 Responsibilities 83 Contest 83 PROCEDURE FOR ORGANISING IARU-R1 1 VHF/UHF/µWAVE CONTESTS 85 Terms of reference for the contest working group 85 Objectives 85 Responsibilities 85 Group Membership 85 Actual membership 86 Financing and management of the contest robot (VGC2020) 86 Sub-regional VHF/UHF/µWave contest coordination within IARU-R1 86 MONTHLY DIGITAL ACTIVITY CONTEST (VGC 2020) 86 MGM CONTEST OPERATING PROCEDURES 87 Introduction 87 What needs to be logged? 87 VHF& UP TROPHY (VGC 2020) 88 Objective 88 Dates and bands 88 Rules 88 Categories: 88 145 MHz band: 88 435 MHz band: 88 1.3 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 3.4 GHz, 5.7 GHz, 10 GHz bands and for the Millimetre group (the combined group of amateur bands above 10 GHz): 88 ELECTRONIC CONTEST LOG EXCHANGE 89 Introduction 89 Logbook programs supporting EDI 89 Standard format for Electronic Contest Log Exchange (Vienna 1998) 90 Format 90 Explanation of keywords in header 91 QSO record definition 94 Characters 94 Line length 94 VHF Handbook 9.00 8/180 IARU-R1 Separator (;) 95 Faulty QSOs 95 QSO numbers 95 Missing information 95 Example: Region 1 Contest, standard type 95 Example : AGCW DL VHF Contest (contest manager: DJ2QZ) 97 AUTOMATIC CONTEST ADJUCTION SOFTWARE 99 PART 4: OPERATIONAL & TECHNICAL REFERENCES ENCOURAGING INOVATIONS(VGC 2020) 101 Wideband experimentations (VGC 2020) 101 OPERATING PROCEDURES 101 Minimum Requirement for a valid QSO 101 Weak-signal QSO procedure 101 The Basis of the Procedure 101 Procedure 101 Valid Contacts 102 Operating code of practice for 50 MHz operators 102 50 MHz as a DX band 102 Band plan 102 Local QSO's 102 Learn to listen 102 50.100 - 50.130 MHz window for intercontinental contacts 102 50.110 MHz Intercontinental calling frequency 102 50.110 MHz CQ'ing 102 QSO techniques 102 DX pile-up operating 102 Split frequency operation 102 Duplicate QSO’s 103 Telegraphy operation 103 FM QSO’s in Europe 103 Mutual interference 103 Operating procedures for Meteor Scatter QSO's 103 Introduction 103 Scheduled and Random Contacts 103 Timing 103 Transmit periods 104 QSO duration 104 Frequencies 104 QSY frequencies for MGM 104 QSO procedure 105 Valid contacts 106 Additional information for communication before and during the MS QSO 106 QSO Procedure for Airplane Reflections 107 VHF Handbook 9.00 9/180 IARU-R1 Calling 107 Reporting system 107 Reporting procedure 107 Confirmation procedure 107 Requirements for a complete QSO 107 Rapid Deployment Amateur Radio (RaDAR) 108 Introduction 108 The concept 108 Modes of communication 108 Summary 108 Operating practice for digital modes 109 Guidelines for Packet Radio Operators 109 Guidelines for Packet Radio Bulletin Board Operators 109 Guidelines for APRS 109 AMATEUR SATELLITTES 110 Introduction 110 IARU Region