IP: more on FCC Proposes Primary Status for Amateur Service at 2.4 GHz

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

To: dave () oldcolo com
Cc: ip-sub-1 () majordomo pobox com, dave () farber net,
    dewayne () warpspeed com
Subject: FCC Proposes Primary Status for Amateur Service at 2.4 GHz
Reply-To: karn () ka9q net
Message-Id: <E176DnI-0001pw-00 () maggie ka9q net>
From: Phil Karn <karn () maggie ka9q net>
Date: Fri, 10 May 2002 10:03:00 -0700

Dave,

I think you'll find that Part 15 users, including WiFi users at 2.4
GHz under Part 15.247, are *already* secondary to all licensed users
of that band, including the amateur service.

The amateur service is already primary on 2402-2417 MHz, so extending
amateur primary status down to 2400 MHz can hardly have much practical
effect on WiFi operations. Operation on 802.11 channel 1 (2401-2423
MHz between first nulls) overlaps a segment where the amateur service
is already primary.

However, the 2400-2402 segment is very important to the amateur
service as amateur radio satellites are already using it.  Users of
those amateur satellites are already encountering significant harmful
interference from Part 15 devices.

You'll also find that the amateur allocation extends up to only 2450
MHz, while Part 15.247 devices can operate all the way up to 2483.5
MHz.  That leaves 802.11 channel 11, 2451-2463 MHz between first
nulls, completely outside the amateur band.

For the record, I am both a radio amateur (KA9Q) involved in amateur
satellite activities and a user of 802.11b. My own base station is set
to channel 11.

--Phil




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