ARLA/CLUSTER: 70 MHz in Portugal

[João Gonçalves Costa]

Radio Amateurs in Portugal are now allowed to use 100 watts ERP in two segments of the 70 MHz band.

João Gonçalves Costa has forwarded the following information via the This Week In Amateur Radio (TWIAR) mailing list:

For limited and specific periods, several channels have been granted to amateur stations since 2005 at 70 MHz in Portugal.

Such episodic licences have been approved by ANACOM (the regulatory authority of the communications sector in Portugal) only to a restrict number of stations. The important fact to keep in mind is that all of these exceptional authorizations had the only propose of technical experiments and scientific studies, mostly regarding radio waves propagation.

According to Portugal's national legislation (article 5 of Decree-Law n.º151-A/2000, of 20 of July), ANACOM have the power to authorise the use of the radio spectrum for the conduct of technical trials and scientific studies, on a case-by-case basis, without the need for a licence. All amateur station under this act must operate on a non-interferences base and haven't guaranteed protection against eventual prejudicial radio electrical interferences from licensed stations operating on such band, including radio communications networks.

With reference to the scientific interest of such trials for the scientific community, ANACOM is now authorising 70 MHz to amateurs again under a secondary basis.

>From this moment on, amateur radio stations can be authorised to operate at the four metre band in Portugal under the fallowing restrictions:

. Two sub bands (70,167.0 - 70,212.5 MHz and 70,237.5 - 70,287.5 MHz).

. Max output power is 100 Watts ERP (effective radiated power).

. Only A category operators are allowed.

. Radio beacon devices can only by licensed by associations, according to regulations or procedures for other amateur radio bands. These beacons can only operate between 70,157.0 and 70,1670.1 MHz segment.

The use of amateur radio communications at 70 MHz shall be subject to the possession of a temporary licence. Temporary radio communications station licences for this band may be approved for a period not exceeding 1 year and may be renewed for a like period, after a proper renewal request.

Traditionally only allocated in a small number of countries in Europe, the 70 MHz radio band has not been assigned to amateur radio on a synchronized basis inside the E.U. As soon as some wider harmonization can take place in Europe, ANACOM can face the need of suspend the licence renewals and to remove the allocation on secondary basis in Portugal.


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The Portuguese band plan for 70 MHz
70,157.0 ~ 70,167.0 - Beacons only
70,167.0 ~ 70,212.5 - SSB / CW / MGM only
70,212.5 ~ 70,237.5 - Not amateur use.
70,237.5 ~ 70,287.5 - All Modes

Sources :

ANACOM - Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações
(Portuguese National Authority of Communications)
http://www.anacom.pt/template12.jsp?categoryId=244864

António Matias, CT1FFU.
http://radio-amador.net/pipermail/cluster/2008-June/007465.html



Best Regards.

Miguel Andrade, CT1ETL.

(Last update 30-05-2008, with translation of original documents in
02-06-2008)

This Week In Amateur Radio (TWIAR)
http://www.twiar.org/