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<table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial"><tbody style="box-sizing:border-box"><tr style="box-sizing:border-box"><td style="box-sizing:border-box"><div id="m_-6235210669825010301gmail-story" style="box-sizing:border-box;width:618.667px;font-size:16px;height:auto;float:left"><h1 style="box-sizing:border-box;font-size:16pt">IARU R1 highlights threat to higher ham radio bands</h1><p style="box-sizing:border-box">In issue 77 of the free IARU Region 1 VHF newsletter, the Chair of VHF-UHF-uW committee<span> </span><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Jacques Verleijen ON4AVJ</strong><span> </span>highlights the threats to vital amateur radio spectrum<span> </span><br style="box-sizing:border-box"><br style="box-sizing:border-box">In less than a year we will have our interim meeting about the use of the spectrum above 30 MHz. We have to face some challenges. I want to invite all Member Societies to think about how to promote, defend and use our frequencies.<br style="box-sizing:border-box"><br style="box-sizing:border-box">They are wanted by others, both government and commercial, users. So this is a wake-up call to be aware that if we not are using those bands we will lose them. Such a setback will not be the responsibility of IARU (R1), if we lose them, but from the amateur community who often have more commitment to HF, than VHF&up.<br style="box-sizing:border-box"><br style="box-sizing:border-box">I know that this statement will shock some of you, but it is true. Our survey on the use of VHF&up made this clear. So I want to invite all Member Societies to think creatively (out of the box, as we say now) to think how to improve activity on our dear bands.<br style="box-sizing:border-box"><br style="box-sizing:border-box">Like some have said:<span> </span><em style="box-sizing:border-box">“use them or lose them”</em><span> </span>and<span> </span><em style="box-sizing:border-box">“HF is not the only bands for ham radio, but they are the easiest to use”</em>.<br style="box-sizing:border-box"><br style="box-sizing:border-box">Download the May 2018 newsletter from<span> </span><br style="box-sizing:border-box"><a href="http://www.iaru-r1.org/index.php/vhfuhsshf/newsletters" style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(0,51,102);text-decoration:none;word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">http://www.iaru-r1.org/index.<wbr>php/vhfuhsshf/newsletters</a></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table>
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