Change in "Wireless Experimenter" Licence

watty

Lifetime Licences

The necessary revisions to the Regulations to give
effect to lifetime licences have been completed and the
target commencement date is 20 April next. Renewals
after that date will be invoiced with the €30 lifetime
licence fee and a lifetime licence will be issued. New
applicants after that date,including those who have let
their call signs lapse, will pay a fee of €100

Consideration is being given to accepting renewal
applications under the existing arrangements up to a
date in the relatively near future. This would also
allow those who have lost their original call signs a
once off opportunity to apply for their re-instatement.
If this is agreed, we will bring you the details as
soon as we can.

5 MHz

The present permits will expire on the expiry date of
the associated licence and an application will be
required for continuance.

This can take the form of a letter sent to ComReg at
the time of the payment of the licence fee. An
application on the appropriate ComReg form will only be
required where a variation in the terms of the original
permit is being sought.

Additional Power

No general increase in power levels is to be granted
for the present.

It was agreed that the Society would make an
application for a general increase in power for the
duration of a list of specified International Contests.

For special event stations or for particular
experiments it is proposed that above a certain power
threshold (which has yet to be defined by ComReg) then
the Test and Trial licence provisions will apply.

Maritime Mobile

Any operation on water requires an application to
ComReg.

If it is clear from the application that operation
will be on a river or lake and the maritime mobile
would not be appropriate then the permission will be
for /M and not /MM.

Application for all of the recognised bands at present
power levels may be made. The actual bands and power
level granted will depend on consultation, where
considered necessary, with the Department of Transport
which is responsible for maritime safety.

It is accepted that IRTS has a role in representing the
views of experimenters and due weight will be given to
its view. A formal meeting will be held at least once a
year between ComReg and IRTS. Other meetings can be
held if necessary.

Agreed that IRTS review existing ComReg published
documentation in the light of the necessity to revise
some of this in the context of lifelong licences.

fatboymsport

not been keeping up with current developments have you. no such thing as wireless Experimenters anymore check with comreg.

watty wrote: »

Are you an "Amateur Radio" operator or a Licenced "Wireless Experimenter?"

.

watty

It's not June yet. (when the new scheme starts)



Indeed I received the Letter from Comreg announcing that when My Wireless Experimenter Licence is renewed it will be a lifetime "Amateur Radio" licence.

IRTS is still trying to clarify the situation and any change only applies to licenses renewed after the new scheme starts. ComReg may not have the right to make such changes to the Broadcasting Act.

experimenter

Nothing like a good healthy debate :rolleyes:

fatboymsport

why the concern can you tell me one single thing you can not do as a radio amateur that you can do as a wirless experimenter ???

what is the broadcasting act thought it was the WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY ACT, 1926 that we had to abide by.

comreg can do pretty much what the like.

have a read of this weeks irts news

and i will agree with you it is not June

watty wrote: »

It's not June yet.

IRTS is still trying to clarify the situation and any change only applies to licenses renewed after the new scheme starts. ComReg may not have the right to make such changes to the Broadcasting Act.

watty

The Wireless Telegraphy act of 1926 is being amended by a Broadcasting act at present and has been amended in the past.

Actually ComReg can't do what ever they like. They are constrained by CE, ETSI, ITU, Government etc.

Radio Amateurs are constrained by ITU allocations of frequencies and modes of the Amateur service. In theory under the Wireless Telegraphy act, a Wireless Experimenter could be authorised for any mode and frequency by application for the purpose of Experiments. There is now a Commercial Test Licence though that meets this need.

In practice Comreg has consistently refused TV experiments on the 2.3/2.4GHz Allocation without explanation. There are Microwave Allocations for Amateur service that Comreg has not authorised to date here.

The Regulator would have a duty to protect Amateur operations on Primary allocations.

So it's not just a name.

All the licence documents would need to be changed to have the standard Amateur conditions. The Irish document are different at the moment.

There are 3 possible scenarios (maybe)
1) Comreg made a mistake on the letters sent out or will claim they did, and only simply used the Ofcom Lifetime licence (out several years) as a template, thus the phrase "Radio Amateur".

2) Comreg say this is intentional and agree the enforcement of Protection (I know how "well" they do this for FWA licence holders) and give the missing microwaves (That Radio Amateurs have and We don't) and ditch the stupid 2.3/2.4GHz no TV rule (TV allowed in that band everywhere else that has it) even though 11W of FM voice is allowed!

3) Say it's only a Title Change, and everything is as before.

What's in a name you might say..

Well for over 70 years in Ireland have been "Wireless Experimenters". Not Radio Amateurs. The word "Amateur" used to simply mean, unpaid, Professional = paid. Nowadays the word means "incompetent" to most people.

Radio HAM is a nick name. "Radio Amateur" is an official ITU /CEPT term for user of bands / frequencies defined for the Amateur Service.

"Wireless Experimenter" is term under Irish Law. A licence for it is recognised by CEPT as a "Radio Amateur" licence for the purpose of operation in other countries. The UK "Foundation Amateur Radio" and "Intermediate Amateur Radio" Licences are not recognised. Only the Uk "Advanced Amateur Radio" licence is recognised by CEPT, ComReg, FCC etc..

So the name is important.

Will ComReg change what is in the Licence Documents? We don't know.

It could be a good change or we could be losing a unique historic title for no gain at all

fatboymsport

im not going to comment further i was at the last IRTS Committe meeting so i do know what is going on but it is not my place to say.

if you want more info contact comreg and the will update you.

watty

Chocolate teapots...

Here is the news and report of the IRTS committe Meeting.
http://www.irts.ie/cgi/showarchive.cgi?090524.txt

watty

From IRTS news

A quick look at the frequency allocations section of
the Guidelines document shows that that the need for
extra authorisation has been removed in the case of
135.7 to 137.8 kHz, 2300 to 2400 MHz, 5650 to 5680 MHz
10 to 10.5 GHz and a new all mode segment, including
Fast Scan TV, has been introduced at 5570 to 5650 MHz.

In addition the attenuation for spurious emissions,
about which we had written to ComReg some time past,
has been reduced to comply with the revised
requirements for Amateur stations following on WRC'03.

These improved facilities which have come with the
introduction of Amateur licensing are welcomed.