The 30m band is only Secondary use for the Amateur Radio Service, and the IARU strongly recommends against any wide band modes including SSB on 30m, and allows this only for sub-Saharan Africa and only during local day time. No SSB signal from Sub Saharan Africa local day time will be heard outside of Sub-Saharan Africa. On the other hand the WIA allows SSB to be used 10115-10140 at all times of the day and night. This situation is not acceptable to CW operators and I'm aware of several complaints from those in other countries including ZL, and these complaints sometimes also surface on international CW forums, not a good look for VK.

I therefore put forward a formal request for this issue to be addressed for the benefit of all parties and all modes regarding 30m band plan in Australia:

During the daylight hours when 30m propagation is restricted generally to VK, I find little activity from any modes on 30m, and no congestion. However, there are often times that QRM has been experienced by CW operators around the popular CW club watering hole 10118, and in general 10110-10120 is a popular part of the 30m band for CW. Worldwide CW on 30m is exclusive 10100-10130. During hours of darkness, propagation on 30m is worldwide, but not always useful for most inter-VK paths. Moreover, during hours of darkness, there are no paths in Australia that are not as well served or better served on 7MHz or 3.6MHz. There are no non-VK stations to talk to on 30m on SSB. Given this situation any use of SSB on 30m at night is bound to cause QRM to a band which is very crowded during night time hours, with CW from 10100-10130 and data modes from 10130-10150 all being very active, in addition to harmful interference by SSB intruders (since they are not licensed to any service but operate illegally) generally in Indonesia. At night VK SSB does certainly cause QRM and there are complaints from other countries.

In the light of the above scientific factors, I propose that the WIA-sponsored Australian Band Plan rectify this situation immediately by restricting SSB use on 30m to local daylight local hours only and between 10122-10140kHz. This would appear more than adequate and allow 5 frequencies spaced 3kHz apart and thus 6 simultaneous QSO or nets, with at least 12 or more operators. The SSB watering hole or calling frequency which currently appears to be divided between 10115 and 10120, can thus be 10125 and avoid QRM to most CW which usually takes place between 10100-10120+, and digital modes which still have the top 10kHz free during daylight hours. This would reduce cross-mode interference during the day time to negligible levels and eliminate harmful interference during darkness hours.**

This makes scientific sense and would be appreciated internationally, as Australia is the odd man out with the current band plan which has attracted criticism on international forums.

Hopefully WIA will find this position and request for an urgent modification to the 30m Band Plan reasonable.

I quote relevant parts of the introduction to the Australian Band Plan from the WIA web site, with my emphasis:

Band Planning Guidelines
Band plans need to satisfy a number of conflicting criteria:
• They should take local conditions into account, but they should be consistent with international usage. — this rule is violated by the allowing of SSB on 30m, especially outside daylight hours
• They should encourage spectrum efficiency, but they should also ensure that all modes have their fair share of spectrum space.
• They should take the popularity of each mode into account, while still providing enough spectrum space for less popular activities.
• Band plans must be flexible enough to adapt to changing needs, but they tend to lose support if they are changed too often. The aim must be to think ahead and to make sure that future options are not closed off.

Mode Compatibility
Some modes require exclusive band segments, but others can coexist with similar modes in the same part of the band.

I refer readers to my explanation of the asymmetrical nature of interference between various modes in the final edition of CW Today, published in the July 2016 edition of Amateur Radio prior to my resignation from the WIA, which you can also read here: http://www.vkcw.net/local--files/cwtoday/CW_Today_9_July_2016.pdf which contains a reminder of the reasons why CW requires exclusive CW bands and suffers more harmful interference from other modes rather than the other way around.

The Future of WIA Band Plan as Common to All Radio Amateurs in Australia

We must all work together not only between different modes to ensure each mode has its fair share of spectrum use in accordance with its peculiarities and levels of usage, but also increasingly we must work together between different organisations for the COMMON GOOD of Amateur Radio as this is not a monopoly area of the WIA or any other smaller organisations and clubs. Currently the WIA Band Plan is the only band plan published in Australia and it has always been a Gentlemen's Agreement to abide by it irrespective of WIA membership. For that situation to continue, the WIA must continue to consult and agree with other organisations and groups, so that they too can endorse these band plans and not come up with alternative and competing band plans, which may even be seen internationally as more reasonable than that proposed by the WIA.

Amateur band plans are voluntary agreements, often known as "Gentlemen's Agreements". They are sponsored by the WIA, but they are for the benefit of all amateurs. Most amateurs - WIA members or not -abide by the band plans because it makes sense to give everyone a fair go… (Australian Band Plans, WIA)

For this reason I urge WIA to consult in all frequency planning issues with other notable audiences such as those I am affiliated with including CW groups VKCW.net, (FISTS, CWOPS, SKCC, HSC etc) as well as other organisations with significant audiences in Australia and any special interest groups for various modes and activities within Amateur Radio. The WIA band plans should then receive endorsement also from other organisations and those be listed on the band plan as a common agreed endorsement, so that it becomes clear that this is not "only for WIA members" as I've frequently heard it said by those who are ignoring current band plans.

I trust this proposal to rectify the 30m SSB situation will also find acceptance from other groups.

With all best wishes,
Lou, VK5EEE
FISTS#1124, HSC#1437, SKCC#15007, RCWC#982, UFT#728, CWOPS#1714

IARU AC Resolutions and Policies Page 8

RESOLUTION 88-2

(Revised 1990 and 1999)

The IARU Administrative Council, Seoul, October 1988,

recognizing

that the allocation to the Amateur Service of 10.1-10.15 MHz is unique, in that it is the only high-frequency allocation to our service that is on a secondary basis,

noting

that the band is narrow, and in many parts of the world is occupied by stations of the Fixed Service, which have priority, and further noting

that harmful interference to stations in the Fixed Service by stations in the Amateur Service could result in the imposition of additional restrictions on amateur operation, and even in loss of the band, resolves

1. that member-societies should seek to have their administrations relocate fixed stations outside the 10.1-10.15 MHz band, on a national basis;

2. that amateurs using the band shall limit themselves to narrow-band, non-voice emissions except as necessary for temporary emergency and disaster relief communications;

3. that contest activity shall be prohibited in the band; and

4. that member-societies shall avoid creating incentives, such as special awards, for operating in the 10 MHz band that could result in interference to stations operating in the Fixed Service.