How did we end up with 7.076MHz for JT65?

[VK4WDM]

Digital modes are personally important to me because I have an intractable hearing problem that makes it hard for me to use SSB or CW.

One of my challenges is to work all USA on 40m JT65 and I am about two thirds there, but progress has struck a snag due to increasing levels of SSB activity, mostly Asian, but some VK, on 7.076MHZ which is the designated frequency for JT65.

I know that the band plans are "gentle-person agreements" but it does seem a bit selfish when there is a lot of other places on the band that are empty. Maybe it's because the JT65 segment is in the middle of phone segment of the band whereas on other bands it is in a segment between the CW and phone portions and more readily identified as digital mode territory.

I have not been using JT65 long and not sure how we came to be allocated 7076 in the first place. As the SS cycle declines 40m is going to become more important and this clash of modes is going to drive everyone Is it time to move further down the band and how could this be achieved?

73

Wayne VK4WDM

[VK3YE]

I know that the band plans are "gentle-person agreements" but it does seem a bit selfish when there is a lot of other places on the band that are empty. Maybe it's because the JT65 segment is in the middle of phone segment of the band whereas on other bands it is in a segment between the CW and phone portions and more readily identified as digital mode territory.

Probably because the USA has much bigger CW segments than other countries, so for them 7076 is still in the CW/digital end of the band for them. And unlike in most other places their bandplans are FCC regulations.

Especially back in the days when most hams were American and they typically ran much more power than the rest of the world, the USA CW bands provided a refuge for non-USA stations to work each other without the Californian kilowatts.

[VK3AUU]

You need to get on some Dx reflector, find a clear freq somewhere else and tell them to listen for you there. There is nothing to stop you working split. You don't have to Tx on 7076
David

[VK2TJF]

I have the band plans stuck up on my wall, so I guess I could be called a stickler for the gentleman's agreement. I'm pretty careful about not treading on toes Having said that 7.076 is well outside the 7.030-7.040 digital data modes on my plan from the WIA. You'll have to excuse my ignorance...I'm not surprised other VKs might be on phone on that frequency. They also may not be aware of the allocated frequency especially if digi modes don't interest them.