1. Innovation & New VHF Amateur Spectrum
John Regnault RSGB VHF Manager April 2019

2. Contents Background & discussions with UK Regulator - Ofcom
MHz UK Licence conditions
Feedback to Ofcom and business radio community
Access to MHz in the UK
What next?

3. Discussions with the UK Radio Regulator -
RSGB started discussions asking for new spectrum for innovation with Ofcom in 2012
Many people who now regulate radio spectrum do not come from an engineering background
Radio spectrum often simply equates to money
But sometimes other ‘value statements’ are accepted
A very clear picture evolved that we would not get any more radio spectrum for existing amateur activities based upon the traditional value statements for amateur radio!
You currently have enough spectrum for that!

5. RSGB Messages
Perhaps the current understanding of ‘amateur radio’ (HF SSB/CW & VHF voice) was too narrow?
Amateur radio is undergoing a ‘digital’ transformation.
Amateur communications can also involve machines
Value of novel spectrum usage
Value of new technologies; SDR etc
85% of UK children now have their own smart phone 33% also have a tablet computer
(2014 figures + very few become ‘traditional’ radio amateurs)
Imagine what apps could sit over simple tablet (USB) to tablet VHF radio communications!
Text, voice, data, video etc
Amateur radio requires spectrum just to ‘experiment’

6. Public Consultation Question March 2014
Q4. Do you agree with the proposal to make some spectrum not currently assigned to other applications available on a temporary for Amateur Radio use with restrictions?

7. Sixty positive consultation inputs published on Ofcom website!
Yes. I believe this 'clear' amateur spectrum presents a marvelous opportunity for amateur technological developments that would be very hard to achieve elsewhere in the amateur allocations.
Yes. This would provide an opportunity for experimentation with innovative digital communications projects (perhaps based on the Raspberry Pi) to help build the UK's future advanced technology base. and (b) the Notice of Variations were available to ALL three classes of UK Amateur Radio Licence (Foundation,Intermediate and Full).

8. UK Amateur access 146 MHz TO 147 MHz October 2014
Lower band limit1 Upper band limit Maximum transmit power Maximum antenna height
(effective radiated power) above ground level
MHz MHz Watts 20 metres
Permission granted on application only to ‘Full’ Amateur licence holders
Notes
1 These band limits are absolute limits and not centre frequencies.
2 In Scotland or anywhere within 40km of the border between England and Scotland or within 40 km of the Scottish coast, the upper band limit is MHz.

9. RSGB 146 – 147 MHz UK Band-plan!
Moderate (<500KHz) bandwidth
TV and data
Unpopular with some amateurs as not ‘more of the same’
No CW, SSB or FM ! 9

10. Reduced-Bandwidth DATV at VHF
From Oct 2014 UK amateurs had access to 146–147 MHz
The amateur television community(BATC) responded
Allocated middle 500 KHz for digital modes including reduced bandwidth DATV (RB-DATV)
Initial RB-DATV is reduced bandwidth DVB-S below 1 Msymbol / sec
Bandwidth = <1 MHz wide
DVB-S does not like Multipath
UK standard is 333kSym/s 7/8 FEC
= ~450Khz bandwidth (450 Kbit/s video)
Spectral re-growth is an issue with digital modes
146MHz target is -60 dB!
Professional satellite uplinks = -30 dB!!
Ranges of up to 250Km achieved!!!

11. Amateur Reduced Bandwidth DVB-S2
Published DVB standard so consumer equipment is available
It is capable of carrying more bits/Hz than DVB-S
HD in the same bandwidth as SD
Operates closer to the Shannon Limit
2 -3 dB gain over DVB-S
Proven in on-air tests
Significant with limited ERP
Helps achieve 50+ dB spectral re-growth!
Also enable higher bit rates in reduced bandwidth
Experimentation with advanced codecs
H265 has 50% gain over H264
The RSGB presented 146MHz HD R-B DATV to an audience
from Ofcom and business radio users
H264 (MPEG-4) encoding at true HD resolution 1920 * 1080i
An overwhelming positive response!!!!!!!!

12. Access to MHz in the UK
The day following the first presentation of R-B DATV to OFCOM’s ‘business users’ audience the RSGB was offered access to MHz
Access via Special Research Permit started in April 2015
Similar Conditions to MHz
RSGB has agreed new processes with Ofcom
From June 2018 access to MHz and is now a simplified ‘Notice of Variation’ on standard amateur licence
RSGB hosts the application process & sends out s
March 2017 Ofcom increased the permitted power on 146MHz to 50W ERP and on 71MHz to 100W ERP.

13. What Next? We need to encourage new higher data rate modes
Some of the IARU-R1 case at 50 MHz was based on RSGB input.
We need more amateur innovation at VHF/UHF to keep up the momentum and keep the radio regulators ‘on-side’ 
Activity on the experimental 71 and 146 MHz bands has been testing existing technologies not normally deployed at VHF - they occupy useful bandwidths –100s kHz not just a few kHz
Digital Voice using proprietary modes (DMR, D* & Fusion) is not seen as different enough from commercial VHF/UHF usage
Many of the newer narrowband digital modes fail at VHF/UHF due to Multipath/Doppler (FreeDV etc)
We need to encourage new higher data rate modes
We need to allow all UK licence classes experimental access

14. John Regnault G4SWX vhf.manager@rsgb.org.uk
Thank You
John Regnault G4SWX