Today Europe lost an Amateur Radio Band to "licence-excempt"
time-limited use by automotive short range radar equipment.
see:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/24ghz/
(have your say before 23rd May !!!!!!!!!)

It's the first nail in the coffin for the UK Amateur Radio. The Funeral
is now set for 26th May 2005 when a consultaion on the future of UK
amateur radio licensing is published which will contain the question on
fully deregulating amateur radio in the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland (UK):

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/i...ur/forthcoming


or ( http://tinyurl.com/8pvxw )

"..For the avoidance of doubt, whilst the formal public consultation
will put forward a number of other options for the future, those
options are explicitly not recommended by Ofcom. Specifically, Ofcom
will not recommend any options to make the amateur radio service WT Act
licence-exempt; however, for transparency and completeness, this will
be put forward as an option in the public consultation in order to
gather the community's views ....."

Looks like 100 years plus of amateur radio history in the UK could soon
go the same way as the 24GHz band i.e. licence excempt - no exams, no
callsigns, just CB!


--73deG1LVN
www.dutchhousemob.co.uk