Some History and

1
Some History and The International
Amateur Radio Union
2
Before Radio

• 1840 - Samuel Morse patented his Telegraph
• 1861 - First US transcontinental telegraph
  message
• 1866 - First transatlantic telegraph cable
• 1865 - International Telegraph Union founded for
  regulation of international telegraph
  communications
• First supranational organisation to regulate a
  public service

3
Beginnings
Heinrich Hertz in 1887 demonstrated that
electromagnetic waves could be transmitted
through the air
4
Radio Arrives

• 1895 - Marconi transmitted and received radio
  waves
• 1901 - First transatlantic radio signal
• 1907 First commercial transatlantic radio
  message, Clifden to Glace Bay
• 1903 Berlin, preliminary conference on
  regulating wireless telegraphy
• Nine nations attended including the US

5
Amateur Radio Arrives

• Communication through thin air fascinated
  experimenters from the start
• Widespread unregulated experimentation
• Interference with the growing radio services
• Pressure grows for governmental regulation

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Why Regulation?

• Radiofrequency spectrum is a finite reusable
  natural resource
• Used worldwide by a range of essential services
• Crosses national frontiers frequency
  coordination essential
• Need for international coordination recognised
  from the earliest days

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Regulation Arrives

• 1906 - Berlin, 29 countries form International
  Radiotelegraph Union
• Introduced first regulations for wireless
  telegraphy now the ITU Radio Regulations
• Established an International Table of Frequency
  Allocations (500 to 1000 kHz 300 to 600 metres)
• National allocations to be notified to a central
  registrations agency the Berne Bureau
• International Radiotelegraph Conferences to be
  held every five years

8
Demand for Increased Regulation

• Wireless gaining priority in safety at sea
• Commercial services growing
• Increasing experimentation interference
  protection of services essential
• April 1912 Titanic disaster increased pressure
  for regulation
• President Taft pressed for July 1912 Conference
  in London to adopt universal government
  regulation

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1912 International Radiotelegraph Conference

• New services like Time and Weather below 188 kHz
• Experimental Activity above 1.5 MHz
• Frequencies above 1.5 MHz (200 metres) considered
  useless short waves
• Dealt with spectrum of 150 to 1000 kHz (300 to
  2000 metres)
• 1912 US Radio Act restricted private stations
  to above 1.5 MHz

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Consequences

• Initial reduction in experimentation
• Serious experimenters rose to the challenge of
  the short waves
• Devised innovative HF circuits and antennas
• Key to success open sharing of information
  attracted new amateurs
• Other services seeing their success sought
  allocations below 200 metres

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Amateur Radio Landmarks

• Experimentation existed from the start
• 1912 Dublin Wireless Club formed
• 1913 RSGB founded
• 1914 ARRL founded
• 1920 US coast to coast two way message by
  amateur relay stations in 6½ minutes
• Nov 1921 Paul Godley sponsored by ARRL received
  signals in Scotland from over 30 transatlantic
  stations
• 1924 Worldwide amateur communication on
  wavelengths below 100 metres - potential

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Some More

• 1923 First amateur two way transatlantic
  contact 27 Nov 2130 GMT
• Fred Schnell 1MO and Leon Deloy 8AB in Nice
  exchanged signals on 2.72 MHz (110 metres)
• Proved that frequencies above 1.5 MHz not useless
• Established superiority of CW over spark end
  of the spark era

13
Amateurs Lead the Way

• 1925 An important year
• Amateur radio provided communications for the two
  MacMillian expeditions to the arctic
• Amateur station with the US Naval Fleet sent
  messages back from Australia when standard navy
  equipment could not
• 1925 IARU founded

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Why the IARU ?

• Climate of increasing regulation
• Far-sighted individuals saw the need to be
  involved in the process
• Spectrum the lifeblood of amateur radio
  frequency bands essential
• Broadcasting ousting amateurs from longer waves
• Commercial concerns showing intense interest in
  amateurs results on short waves
• Representatives of 23 national associations
  representing 30,000 radio amateurs (mostly in the
  USA) met in Paris in 1925 and founded the IARU

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General Purpose

• IARU was formed
• For better mutual use of radio spectrum among
  amateurs
• To develop amateur radio worldwide
• To successfully interact with the agencies
  responsible for regulating and allocating radio
  frequencies
• A timely initiative in the light of the challenge
  of the upcoming Washington Radiotelegraph
  Conference in 1927

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US Bands pre 1927

• 1.5 2.0 MHz 150 to 200 metres
• 3.5 4.0 MHz 75 to 85.7 metres
• 7.0 8.0 MHz 37.5 to 42.8 metres
• 14.0 16.0 MHz 18.7 to 21.4 metres
• 56.0 64.0 MHz 4.69 to 5.35 metres
• 400 401 MHz 0.75 metres
• Long distance communication was a feature of the
  first four bands

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1927 Conference

• 80 countries participated over 8 weeks as did the
  newly formed IARU (mainly ARRL)
• United States amateurs to get internationally
  what they had in the US
• Most other countries favoured only narrow
  frequency bands
• Favourable US, Australia, Italy, New Zealand
• Opposed Britain, Germany, Netherlands, Japan ,
  Belgium
• Much compromise before final outcome US support
  for amateur radio crucial

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Outcome for Amateurs

• Frequency bands allocated to the various
  services, broadcasting, fixed, maritime and
  aeronautical mobile, amateur and experimental
• International harmonically related amateur bands
  established near 160, 80, 40, 20, 10 and 5 metres
• International system of call signs introduced
• First international legal recognition, definition
  and regulation of the amateur service
• Would not have been possible without the support
  of the US and others and the lobbying of
  ARRL/IARU
• First success for organised amateur radio
  

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Definition

• Article 1, 14 Amateur Station A station used
  by an amateur, that is, by a duly authorised
  person interested in radio technique solely with
  a personal aim and without pecuniary
  interest

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ITU Radio Regulations Amateur Service

• 1.56 amateur service A radiocommunications
  service for the purpose of self- training,
  intercommunication and technical investigations
  carried out by amateurs, that is, by duly
  authorised persons interested in radio technique
  solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary
  interest
• 1.96 amateur station A station in the
  amateur service
• 1.98 experimental station A station
  utilising radio waves in experiments with a view
  to the development of science or technique. This
  definition does not include amateur stations

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Comments QST 1928

• They forget that radio is an international
  affair and that it has been agreed that radio is
  to be governed by international treaties.
• If they do not seem enough they were the best
  that could be got in the face of united
  opposition.
• We have received a great deal more that most of
  the world wanted us to have.
• The preservation of amateur radio on the face of
  the earth to-day is very largely attributable to
  the efforts of the United States Delegation.
  

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International Bands After 1927

• 1.715 2.000 MHz - Shared (1.5 2.0)
• 3.500 4.000 MHz - Shared (3.5 4.0)
• 7.000 7.300 MHz Exclusive (7.0 8.0)
• 14.0 14.400 MHz - Exclusive (14.0 16.0)
• 28.0 30.000 MHz Amateurs/Exp (--------)
• 56.0 60.000 MHz Amateur/Exp (56 64)

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Madrid Conference 1932

• 77 governments represented lasted 14 weeks
• Amateur frequency bands unchanged
• IARU admitted to participation in the
  International Technical Consulting Committee on
  Radiocommunications
• International Telegraph Union (Paris 1865) and
  the International Radiotelegraph Union (Berlin
  1906) merged to form the International
  Telecommunications Union (ITU)

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What is the International Amateur Radio
Union ?

• An international federation of national
  associations of licensed radio amateurs
• 1925 founded 23 Societies 30,000 radio
  amateurs
• Now about 160 societies 3 million radio
  amateurs

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Main Objectives

• The protection, promotion and advancement of the
  Amateur and Amateur Satellite Services and the
  support of member societies
• Representing the interests of amateur radio at
  and between conferences of international
  telecommunications organisations
• Enhancement of the self-training role of amateur
  radio
• Promotion of technical and scientific
  investigation
• Promoting amateur radio as an emergency
  communications resource

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Organisation

• Divided into three Regions which mirror those of
  the ITU
• One of these Regions hold a Conference of Member
  Societies each year on a rotational basis
  arrive at common positions
• Regional Executive Committees which attend to the
  affairs of the regions between Regional
  Conferences
• Worldwide policies developed

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REGIONS

• Region 1 Europe, Africa, Middle East and
  Northern Asia 90 National Societies founded
  1950
• Region 2 North and South America- 40 Member
  Societies founded 1964
• Region 3 Rest of Asia and the Pacific
  (Australia, New Zealand, Japan) 30 Member
  Societies founded 1968

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Region 1 Conference

• Cavtat, Croatia November 2008
• 52 National Societies represented
• Four Committees
• Credentials and Finance
• Administration and Organisation
• HF
• VHF and Microwave
• 120 papers
• External Relations Committee

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International Governance

• IARU Administrative Council
• President, Vice President, whose appointment is
  ratified by a vote of Member Societies, Secretary
  appointed by Society hosting the Headquarters
  (ARRL) plus two representatives from each of the
  three IARU Regions
• Proposals by Member Societies, Regions or the
  Administrative Council must be published in a
  Calendar circulated to all member societies which
  have five months for a postal vote

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Functions of Admin. Council

• Coordinate the representation of amateur radio at
  ITU Conferences and with Regional organisations
• Coordinate long-range planning in close
  cooperation with Regional organisations
• Coordinate the work of the Regional organisations
• Formulate proposals for consideration by National
  Societies

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Some Things it Does

• Represents amateur radio at ITU Working Parties,
  at World Radio Conferences (WRCs) and with
  National administrations through its Member
  Societies
• Works in international standards forums to seek
  to protect amateur radio
• Seeks to protect the bands through an organised
  monitoring service
• Develops consensus among Member Societies on
  issues such as band plans, optimum spectrum
  usage, standards for repeaters and other matters
  and amateur qualifications
• Seeks to protect and enhance spectrum allocations
• Operates a worldwide QSL service through its
  network of National Societies

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International Recognition

• Recognised by the UN as a Non-governmental
  Organisation (NGO)
• Sector Member in the Radiocommunications ( R )
  and Telecommunications Development (D) Sectors of
  the ITU
• Participates in World Radio Conferences
• Participates in ITU-R Study Groups their Working
  Parties and Task Groups, Radiocommunications
  Advisory Group (RAG), Conference Preparatory
  Meetings and ITU-D Study Group 2
• Regional organisations participate in the
  regional telecommunications organisations such as
  CEPT in Europe

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Some Achievements of IARU

• WARC-79 new bands at 10, 18 and 24 MHz
• Progress towards international licence
  harmonisation
• Extension of 7 MHz band in ITU Regions 1 and 3
  WRC-03
• Improvements in international roaming for
  amateurs CEPT Licence

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Some Future Objectives

• New Bands
• 500 kHz (WRC-11 15 kHz- 415-526.5kHz)
• 5 MHz (150 kHz band)
• 70 MHz (500kHz secondary Region 1)
• Expansion
• 1800-1810 and 1850-2000 kHz in Region1
• 7200-7300kHz in Regions 1 and 3 100 kHz
• 10100-10350 kHz 200 kHz
• 14000-14400 kHz 50 kHz
• 18 and 24 MHz 100 kHz
• 50 MHz Region 1 50-52 MHz with at least 500 kHz
  exclusive (ECA 50-52 MHz Secondary)

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Some Achievements of IRTS

• Secured early access to extended 7 MHz band post
  WRC-03
• Had it upgraded to Amateur Primary on 29 March
  2009
• Got the Experimenter Exam on a firm footing
• Secured the general release of 70 MHz
• Secured three channels at 5 MHz
• Secured a footnote in the ECA relating to 70 MHz
• Produced a CD Course Guide
• Digimodes on 10 MHz
• Extra power for specified contests and some 500
  kHz permits in pipeline

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The Case for Amateur Radio

• Develops national electronic expertise
• Contributes to electronic innovation
• Promotes the exploration of propagation phenomena
  and develops methods for the more efficient use
  of spectrum
• Provides an emergency communications resource
• Provides a self- training environment
• Promotes international friendship and
  understanding
• Is a disciplined and self regulating service

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The Realities

• Spectrum allocation and management has always
  been both a political and a technical process
• World Radio Conferences are the means by which
  world governments distribute the resource of the
  radio frequency spectrum
• Organised Amateur Radio must be involved in this
  process in a coordinated way both nationally and
  internationally so as to preserve and enhance
  spectrum allocations if you are not even in the
  game you cant possibly win

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Financing

• The Regions are financed by the Member Societies
  paying a levy per licensed member Region 1
  about 1.20
• In 2008 IRTS paid 930 to IARU we would pay
  nearly twice this if all EIs were members of
  their National Society
• International Secretariat funded by the ARRL
  which hosts it

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The Union

• The IARU is an International Union of licensed
  radio amateurs who are members of their National
  Societies
• As a Union it works to protect and further the
  interests of amateur radio and the radio amateur
• Support the work of the Union by being a member
  of your National IARU Society

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Serving Amateur Radio and the Radio Amateur
1925 - 2009