On Mar 18, 10:03?am, Steve Bonine wrote:

Because amateur radio is supposed to be self regulating.

Where is that written in the rules? I can't find it anywhere.

Perhaps my impression is wrong, in which case I hope that someone will
correct me, but don't most countries treat the regulation of amateur
radio more like "here are your allocations"?

Many countries outside the US do not have the specific
subbands-by-mode that the USA does. What they do
instead is to define the bands available to amateurs
and the modes their amateurs are allowed on each
of those bands. Where in a band that
amateurs choose to use a particular mode in a
particular band is left up to gentleman's agreements.

Before applying this idea to US amateur radio, however,
remember these points:

1) The US regulations in terms of subbands-by-mode are
not much more complex than those of any other country.
Above 30 MHz, most of the US amateur bands do not have subbands-by-
mode at all. Same for 160 meters. The bands below 30 MHz (except 30
meters) are divided into two
parts, with the lower part devoted to data modes and the upper part
devoted to voice and image. CW (Morse Code)
is allowed almost everywhere but is very rarely found in the
voice/image subbands. 30 meters does not have a voice/image subband
because it is only 50 kHz wide.

2) The number of amateurs in the USA who are authorized
to operate non-QRP HF/MF transmitters is much
greater than the number in any other country - or continent.

3) If the USA were to eliminate subbands-by-mode
completely, the real-world effect would be to allow
data modes all over the band instead of just the lower
end, and voice modes all over the band instead of just
the upper end.

I would like to think that there are enough gentlemen in ham radio that
gentlemen's agreements and voluntary bandplans would be sufficient.

So would I. But the reality may be somewhat different.

Based on what I hear on the air, that's a rather silly hope.

I think it depends where you listen.

Nonetheless, it reflects badly on our hobby that an agency needs to
stand by with a big stick to make us do what we should be able to do on
our own.

Part of the problem is lack of enforcement by FCC of
other rules of the ARS for a considerable number of
years. This situation has improved in recent years, but
it's not perfect by any means.

It should also be remembered that the requirements for
an amateur license, and the enforcement of rules, is
usually quite different in other countries. (Compare
the written-test requirements in the UK and US, for
example). There are also considerable cultural
differences.

73 de Jim, N2EY