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Radio Wrangler · 14th Jun 2019, 12:38 pm

The aviation band is already assigned from 108 to 154MHz Currently 108.1 to 136.975 is in use.

Pilots have only recently been forced to dump their existing comms radios (118-136.975MHz, 25kHz channel spacing) and replace them with 108-136.975Mhz, 8.33kHz channel spacing jobs. There were even government subsidies until a year or so ago to soften the blow.

America hasn't taken the 8.33kHx channel tripling step. In fact they want radios without the 8.33kHz/25kHz switching function to make them less confusing.

So, such a step by France seems odd. The planes to use it would need re-equipping yet again and I would expect pilots especially in France to get rather heated about this. It also wouldn't fit in with global norms, so France would have to retain the ability to do everything they need on the old channels in order to accommodate aircraft coming from other areas.

Most large aircraft panels are already quite full or there is a massive software re-qualification job involved.

Methinks there is some underlying issue.

That said, 2 metres is a complete wasteland around where I am. Would I miss it if it went? well from a point of anything to listen to on it, it's already gone.

2m started to die when the big repeaters on TV masts went, and my radios in the shack don't do CTCSS. SSB activity hinges on contests as far as I hear.

Going back to 25kHz spacing and 1750Hz tone access would bring a lot of radios back into use and might give a boost to at least FM activity. The population increase they were supposedly needed to handle turned out to be a decrease.

David

14th Jun 2019, 12:38 pm	#10
Radio Wrangler Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Fife, Scotland, UK. Posts: 22,901	Re: Save our 2 Metre Band. The aviation band is already assigned from 108 to 154MHz Currently 108.1 to 136.975 is in use. Pilots have only recently been forced to dump their existing comms radios (118-136.975MHz, 25kHz channel spacing) and replace them with 108-136.975Mhz, 8.33kHz channel spacing jobs. There were even government subsidies until a year or so ago to soften the blow. America hasn't taken the 8.33kHx channel tripling step. In fact they want radios without the 8.33kHz/25kHz switching function to make them less confusing. So, such a step by France seems odd. The planes to use it would need re-equipping yet again and I would expect pilots especially in France to get rather heated about this. It also wouldn't fit in with global norms, so France would have to retain the ability to do everything they need on the old channels in order to accommodate aircraft coming from other areas. Most large aircraft panels are already quite full or there is a massive software re-qualification job involved. Methinks there is some underlying issue. That said, 2 metres is a complete wasteland around where I am. Would I miss it if it went? well from a point of anything to listen to on it, it's already gone. 2m started to die when the big repeaters on TV masts went, and my radios in the shack don't do CTCSS. SSB activity hinges on contests as far as I hear. Going back to 25kHz spacing and 1750Hz tone access would bring a lot of radios back into use and might give a boost to at least FM activity. The population increase they were supposedly needed to handle turned out to be a decrease. David __________________ Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done Last edited by Radio Wrangler; 14th Jun 2019 at 12:45 pm.