[amsat-bb] Selection of satellite (ham and non-ham) frequencies

Jim White jim at coloradosatellite.com
Thu Mar 16 17:11:38 UTC 2017 

Very well said Wouter,

Jim


On 3/16/2017 4:20 AM, Wouter Weggelaar wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Its hard to explain these complicated international affairs.
> All countries that are participating in the ITU are bound by treaties
> to follow the rules set by the ITU.
>
> ITU defines "services" that describe what the radio communications is
> for. Examples are:
> Fixed-satellite service; Fixed station, Inter-satellite service, Earth
> exploration-satellite service, Meteorological-satellite service
> and for "us" the Amateur Service and Amateur Satellite Service.
>
> ITU defines these services and does not allow a mix of services, so
> you need to find spectrum that is allocated to your service.
> The administration or administrations of your country that is handling
> ITU related matters is the entity that can file for frequencies,
> notify and coordinate with ITU et cetera. Ultimately, the
> administration is responsible for your satellite. Its up to that
> country to decide how to implement the regulatory process on a
> national level. Jim already addressed this for the US. Here in the
> Netherlands we have "Agentschap Telecom", in the UK they have "ofcom"
> and in Germany the "Bundesnetzagentur".
>
> To reduce the workload on the administrations, they often require the
> satellite teams to fill in the application themselves, and will do a
> sanity check on it before filing. Again, the country is liable, so its
> in the administrations interest to make sure its correct.
>
> The ITU does not say anything about coordination in the bands
> allocated to the Amateur Satellite Service, as they are Not Subject to
> Coordination. Coordination is a formal process where administrations
> operating services exchange information about possible new systems and
> do interference analysis. the Amateur Satellite Services in 2m and
> 70cm are Not Subject to Coordination, so you would only have to do two
> things:
> - Publish, through ITU, the Advance Publication Information (API).
> Administrations can review your application and object if they think
> you will cause interference
> - Publish, through ITU, a Notification, where you describe the final
> system and confirm you are going to use that system
>
> In good amateur tradition, the national administrations that recognise
> IARU have agreed to ask for guidance from IARU and respect their band
> plans. the IARU in turn has appointed a panel that coordinates
> satellite frequencies. Some administrations will refuse to allow
> notification to the ITU without a positive IARU advice.
> The US is the odd one out with the experimentals coordinated on top of
> the Amateur Satellite Service, and as far as I know are the only
> administration doing so.
>
> Now back to these services: in order to allocate something in the
> Amateur Satellite Service, it needs to comply with the rules for this
> service as stated in the radio regulations.
> "Amateur Service: A radiocommunication service for the purpose of
> self-training, intercommunication and technical investigations carried
> out by amateurs, that is, duly authorised persons interested in radio
> technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest."
> [RR 1.56]"
> and
> "Amateur-Satellite Service: A radiocommunication service using space
> stations on Earth satellites for the same purposes as those of the
> amateur service." [RR 1.57]"
>
> So in short:
> - Make sure your project belongs in the Amateur Satellite Service (you
> would be surprised to learn what people think is "useful" for radio
> amateurs)
> - Apply for frequencies at the IARU panel, and with the IARU
> frequencies go to your national regulator
> - Apply at your national regulator
> - Your national regulator then probably ask you to provide the API
> files, and submits those to the ITU
> - other administrations may send their comments on your proposed
> network. Your administration needs to reply to those, probably asking
> you for help again
> - Your administration published the NOTIFICATION six months or later
> from date of receipt of the API
>
> In case of scientific satellites, there is no IARU, and the process
> gets complicated fast. There are lost of bands that are subject to
> coordination. You need to show other parties in the same bands that
> you will not cause harmful interference to their systems, The big
> space agencies have some frequencies set aside that they re-use, so
> the workload is reduced. But in general, it can become a lengthy
> process.
>
> I hope that explains it a bit more. And other experts feel free to
> correct and amend, its complicated and I am paraphrasing a lot. there
> is lots of sensitivities and subtleties in the wording of the radio
> regulations that I can not simply convey here.
>
> Wouter PA3WEG
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Mar 15, 2017 at 4:38 PM, M5AKA via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb at amsat.org> wrote:
>> Koos, the IARU Frequency Coordination Request Form has some helpful guidance, see
>> http://www.iaru.org/satellite.html
>>
>> 73 Trevor M5AKA
>>
>>
>>      On Wednesday, 15 March 2017, 8:20, Koos van den Hout <koos at kzdoos.xs4all.nl> wrote:
>>
>>
>>   Quoting Jim White who wrote on Tue 2017-03-14 at 17:51:
>>
>>> In the past month I've sat as a reviewer for three university small
>>> satellite projects none of which understood this and one of which
>>> has radios they are not going to be able to use because they can't
>>> get an experimental license in that band.
>> I guess this happens as a result of the recent successes in cubesats,
>> other organisations see their opportunity but start of at a lower knowledge
>> level. But given the amounts of money still involved, one would hope
>> research into this factor would be done before investing in hardware.
>>
>>> We could certainly use local AMSAT folks with satellite experience
>>> as mentors for the COMM part of most of the university driven small
>>> and cubsats.
>> And be aware interest in cubesats may come from outside areas of science
>> logically connected with space technology.
>>
>> I can fully imagine the geo sciences department at my employer (large Dutch
>> university) being interested in space-based sensing.
>>
>> Is there a good article somewhere describing the process you posted about?
>> A "how-to" document, with the international view on this process.
>> I notice the AMSAT north america site mentions the IARU when describing
>> frequency allocations to satellites, which is a very good start.
>>
>>                                    Koos van den Hout PE4KH
>>
>> --
>> Koos van den Hout                          Homepage: http://idefix.net/
>>                                            PGP keyid 0x5BA9368BE6F334E4
>> Webprojects:        Camp Wireless        http://www.camp-wireless.org/
>>                  The Virtual Bookcase  http://www.virtualbookcase.com/
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>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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> _______________________________________________
> Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available
> to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed
> are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA.
> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
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