Hams hold their own against motorsports

[hemingray]

FCC DENIES UTAH MOTORSPORT PARK USE OF AMATEUR RADIO FREQUENCIES

On Thursday, April 24, ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, filed an
Informal Objection with the FCC regarding a pending application for a
Special Temporary Authority (STA) filed by Miller Motorsports Park in
Tooele, Utah. One day after filing the Objection, the FCC agreed with
the ARRL, saying, "Due to the possibility of interference to Amateur
operators and also the race teams utilizing the proposed frequencies, we
feel that it is not in the public interest to grant [Miller Motorsports
Park's] request."

The FCC also advised Miller Motorsports that if they "wish[ed] to pursue
other frequencies, [they] should coordinate with the ARRL and National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)."

Miller Motorsports requested the use of frequencies 448.525, 448.650,
448.060, 448.290 and 448.610 MHz at 4 W ERP. They proposed to use 100
mobile units on each of these and other channels at or above 450 MHz for
a race event scheduled May 26-June 1, 2008. The application filed by
Miller Motorsports stated that the radios would be used for "security,
medical and maintenance for the entire event" and that communications
service is "vital to the life and safety of the spectators and drivers
of this race event." Miller Motorsports also implied that the NTIA had
approved the use of the 448 MHz channels.

The League's Informal Objection pointed out that "Amateur Radio Service
licensees make extremely heavy use of the band 420-450 MHz, and
especially the segment 440-450 MHz for FM voice repeaters. There are
repeater stations in Salt Lake City, of which Tooele is a close-in
suburb, using frequencies throughout the 448 MHz range for outputs,
including 448.525, 448.625, 448.050 and 448.075 MHz. In addition, there
are repeater outputs in other areas of the greater Salt Lake City area
which are in regular operation at all times of the day or night, and
radio amateurs using mobile stations would be predictably interfered
with by operation as proposed in the STA."

The Objection also stated that there was the possibility that some of
the spectators at Miller Motorsports Park, or otherwise in the area,
might be Amateur Radio operators who might be operating using their
portable transceivers "on the precise channels sought by the STA."

The ARRL called the Miller Motorsports Park choice of channels
"completely inappropriate. The radio amateurs who are licensed to use
these frequencies are under no obligation to either tolerate
interference or to cease their own operation, regardless of the
interference that might be suffered at any time" by Miller Motorsports.

While the FCC has issued STAs on the amateur allocations from time to
time, the ARRL wrote, "many, perhaps a majority, are of no concern to
the ARRL due to the choice of frequency band, duty cycle or power level
proposed," what Miller Motorsports is requesting is "a completely
incompatible and inappropriate use of Amateur Radio allocations." Citing
"harmful interference to and from the Amateur Radio Service on channels
in the 448 MHz band," the ARRL requested that the FCC deny Miller
Motorsports' STA application.