The FCC has just opened for comment RM-11831, a proposal for rule making
that would do two things the the US amateur radio rules:
1) remove paragraph (c) of 97.221. This would disallow narrow-bandwidth
ARQ modes of 500 Hz or less from outside the specified 97.221 sub bands
for automatically controlled digital stations. This will require all
Winlink HF gateway stations, regardless of mode/technique, to only
operate within these narrow sub bands.
2) modify the wording of 97.309(4) thusly:
(4) An amateur station transmitting a RTTY or data emission using a
digital code specified in this paragraph may use any technique whose
technical characteristics have been documented publicly, *such as
CLOVER, G-TOR, or PacTOR,* (remove *-*, add the following:) and the
protocol used can be be monitored, in it's entirety, by 3rd parties,
with freely available open source software, for the purpose of
facilitating communications.
This effectively eliminates Pactor 2, 3, and 4 from the US amateur bands
unless SCS steps up and publishes complete technical specifications
including their proprietary signal processing methods, and produces an
open-source monitoring program allowing on-air eavesdropping by third
parties.
The Winlink Team will have to produce monitoring software for an
unconnected eavesdropper for WINMOR, ARDOP. VARA's author must do the
same. The alternative is for Winlink to close shop for US licensees on
HF amateur bands.
See and read the new proceeding from the link below. The 30-day comment
period opened on 28 March.
https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/search/filings?proceedings_name=RM-11831&sort=date_disseminated,DESC(
https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/search/filings?proceedings_name=RM-11831&sort=date_disseminated,DESC)
Unless we receive support from users on this serious threat, Winlink
will be forced to close shop on HF in the USA. US and non-US users and
gateway operators are urged to educate themselves and comment!
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