Any ham radio operator who has operate ham radio here in South
East Asia knows that the 40m band is a band where you have to compete for operating space. Well until late next year we still have our 100KHz allocation which is actually not too bad. However if one works on CW he or She will surely have to compete with the illegal stations operating USB from fishing boats and timber/plantation settlements.
In the 60’s and 70’s where analog VFO’s are the domain there were less illegal stations, but now with the advance technology one very easily obtain a relatively cheap amateur radio transciever for commercial purposes and without a license they just find a frequency they like to operate.
Those illegal stations never feel guilty of breaking the laws and in fact they feel they have the sole right to operate just because they can buy a radio and push the PTT button. What make’s it worse is the authority seems to let them operate illegally without any actions.
When the new WRC regulations come to effect next year (2009) we the CW operators still cannot benefit from the regulations that the IARU has fought for many years, why? just because we will stay at the lower part of the band where the illegal staions play around.
If we want to improve the situation I suggest that we urge and write to our National Ham radio society/association to contact the authorities of each of our countries and also IARU and present them with the situation. Tell them that they has in fact lost income from licenses fees that should go into the government income form those stations. At least if they return they has contributed to the government.
I believed that every ham radio station have to pay a certain amount of money for their license, why do we allow those illegal staions operate without paying any fees and creating a lot of QRM??
