[600MRG] USA 630m Amateur Band Approval - Counter Viewpoint

[Michael Mussler]

Marshall & others,
If I apply the horizontal distance rule (I’m on a fairly steep hillside) it looks like the center of my antenna lies about 600m from the center of the transmission line in question. 

Remarks I’ve seen on the 600m Reflector are optimistic that the distance rule would only prevent operation on 630m if a PLC system is in use on the transmission line in question. From my perspective:

1. The FCC has offloaded their communications regulatory responsibilities onto UTC, an entity of unknown background, resources or experience in these matters. 
2. What is the financial incentive for UTC to take on this responsibility? I expect there would be none from amateur radio interests.
3. Assuming the answer to number 2 is little to none, then the expedient path of least resistance is for UTC to simply deny amateur operation inside the 1 km distance.

It took five years following WARC 12 for the FCC to act on this measure when other first world countries authorized privileges almost immediately. There must have been significant objections to granting of amateur privileges on these frequencies in the US. This could be a means of denying the amateur radio privileges while officially not doing so. That smacks of politics, but I’d be really, really surprised if the outcome differs from this scenario in my situation.

73
Mike
AI8Z
WD2XSH/12