The Pickle Barrel Review is a newsletter put out by our friends and neighbors on the other side of the mountain, The Weston Mountain Digital Radio Association. They are relatively small group of Amateur Radio enthusiasts who own, and/or support a system of VHF & UHF repeaters located in North Eastern Oregon along the historic Oregon Trail.
Lynn Wilson (K7LW), puts out a large newsletter monthly that talks about their repeater network, ham radio news, technical information and other items of interest in the ham / GMRS world. He puts a lot of work into this newsletter and I wanted to make sure others saw the great work they do. Please visit their site for the full newsletter including the pictures. This month’s (January) has some info that I sent out to our club earlier, so if it looks familiar, that is why.
Tyson Brooks (W7BL)
-Legal Corner- of the Pickle Barrel Review
With the new year, of course, comes change. In this case it’s a change to the band which we as Amateur Radio Operators share with other various government entities.
The band I’m referring to is the sixty meter band, which was first introduced to Amateur Radio operators in 2002. The 60 meter, or 5 MHz band was originally only available in a few countries: United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Ireland, and Iceland. While serving in the Air Force Reserves in the 1990’s, we utilized 5 MHz quite often for our HF nets, and HF communications in general.
Over the years, an increasing number of countries’ telecommunications authorities have permitted amateur radio operations to operate within the 5 MHz band. Allocations range from discrete channels to an entire frequency band. But up until now, radio amateurs in the U.S. have had limited access to
just five discrete channels, and only on a secondary basis. 60-meter band operating allocations in the US.
The following is an explanation of changes the FCC enacted to both the sixty meter band (5MHz), and the 70 centimeter band (420-450 MHz) to be implemented in 2026. I recently received this from Tyson Brooks (W7BL) in La Grande Oregon. Tyson is their local Emergency Coordinator, and does a
pretty good job of laying it all out:
Overview of Ham Radio Changes in FCC 25-60
The FCC’s Report and Order (FCC 25-60), released on December 9, 2025, implements several updates to amateur radio (ham radio) rules under 47 CFR Part 97, primarily to align with decisions from the 2015 World Radio Communication Conference (WRC-15). These changes focus on two bands: the 5351.5-5366.5 kHz band (commonly called the 60-meter band by hams) and the 420-450 MHz band (70 cm band). No underlying laws (e.g., the Communications Act) are altered; these are regulatory adjustments to frequency allocations, power limits, operating guidelines, and coordination requirements.
The changes emphasize secondary status for amateur operations (meaning hams must not cause interference to primary users like federal fixed and mobile services and must accept any interference received). They also aim to balance expanded access with protection for incumbents. The rules became
effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register (likely early January 2026), but you should check the FCC’s website for the exact date.
I’ll break this down by band, drawing directly from the document’s discussion (paragraphs 32-47 in Section III.B). I’ve included key quotes and rationale from the FCC for context. Recent online reactions (from December 10, 2025) confirm excitement in the ham community about the 60m expansion, with
groups like ARRL and QRPer.com highlighting the new contiguous segment.
- Changes to the 5351.5-5366.5 kHz (60-Meter) Band
This is the main ham radio update, allocating a new contiguous 15 kHz
segment on a secondary basis while retaining (and slightly adjusting) access
to discrete channels outside it. The FCC received overwhelming support from
commenters (over 3,000 filings in the docket, many from hams via ARRL’s
advocacy), who emphasized the band’s unique propagation for medium-
distance communication, emergency ops, and filling gaps between 80m (3-4
MHz) and 40m (7 MHz) bands.
Key Changes:
- New Contiguous Allocation:
The 5351.5-5366.5 kHz band is now allocated to the amateur service on a
secondary basis for non-Federal use. This implements WRC-15’s global
harmonization, where most countries adopted this segment with a 15W EIRP
limit. - Why Retain Discrete Channels?:
Hams argued the 60m band’s propagation is “immensely valuable in
facilitating public service initiatives” and “ensures reliable signal
propagation… during temporal and solar cycle fluctuations.” (Paras. 35-36).
The FCC agreed, noting it “might be useful for completing disaster
communications links at times when the 3 and 7 MHz bands were not
available due to ionospheric conditions.” (Para. 37). - Retained Discrete Channels:
Four existing channels outside the new band are kept on a secondary basis:
centered at 5332 kHz, 5348 kHz, 5373 kHz, and 5405 kHz (each with 2.8 kHz
bandwidth). - Change from Current Rules:
The previous fifth channel (centered at 5358.5 kHz) is now subsumed into the
contiguous band and no longer treated as discrete. This aligns with WRC-15
and avoids overlap. - No Emergency-Only Restriction:
The FCC rejected limiting these to disasters/drills (e.g., MARS, SHARES, ARES,
RACES), as it would “deprive the amateur community of an important means
of communication.” (Para. 37). Everyday use is allowed, but secondary status
applies. - Power Limits:
New Band (5351.5-5366.5 kHz): Limited to 15W EIRP (or 9.15W ERP) to
match WRC-15 and NTIA recommendations. This is a reduction from the
100W PEP on discrete channels. - Rationale:
Protects primary federal users (e.g., military, disaster relief). “Operating on a
secondary basis, the amateur community must protect Federal operations in
this band, and we do not believe that the increased potential for harmful
interference at [100W] has been fully considered.” (Para. 43). Long-range
propagation allows efficient low-power comms. - Measurement:
ERP is used for consistency with Part 97, though equivalent to EIRP. No
antenna limits, as the radiated power cap suffices.
Discrete Channels: Retained at 100W PEP (peak envelope power), as current
use hasn’t caused interference.
Note: Many hams wanted 100W across the board (matching Canada), but the
FCC deferred potential increases to ARRL’s ongoing petition (RM-11785).
(Para. 45). - Station Class and Eligibility:
Limited to General Class or higher licensees (includes Advanced and Extra).
Technician Class is excluded.
Rationale: Requires “higher level understanding of power limitations,
radiocommunications technology, operating practices, and applicable
regulations.” (Para. 42). Applies to both the new band and discrete channels.
Technical and Operating Guidelines: - No Channelization/Sub-Bands:
The new band is contiguous; no forced channels or sub-bands to allow
flexibility. (Para. 38-40). - Emission Bandwidth:
≤2.8 kHz for all emissions (carried over from current rules via 47 CFR
§97.303(h)). This preserves access in the narrow allocation.
Permitted Modes: All modes allowed (e.g., phone/voice, CW, RTTY, digital like
FT8/JS8Call), as long as bandwidth-compliant. No restrictions on CW or
phone despite some suggestions. - Coordination/Interference:
Hams must avoid interfering with primaries. “Amateur operators shall ensure
that emission bandwidth not exceed 2.8 kilohertz.” (Para. 40).
Impacts and Community Feedback:
This expands access (new 15 kHz segment) but with power trade-offs. ARRL’s
2017 petition pushed for this, and comments (e.g., from hams like Steve
Kjonaas) highlighted emergency value. Recent posts note modes like
phone/CW/RTTY/digital are now viable in the new segment. No reported
interference issues from prior 60m use justified the retention.
- New Contiguous Allocation:
- Changes to the 420-450 MHz (70 cm) Band.
This is a minor administrative update to footnote US270, based on NTIA’s
request. No new allocations or power changes; it’s about coordination in
restricted areas.
Key Change: Updated coordination and contact info for areas where amateur
power is limited to 50W PEP (to protect military ops). The FCC revised US270
and cross-references in §97.313(f).
- Process:
Power >50W requires case-by-case mutual agreement between the local FCC
Regional Director and military coordinator. - Rationale:
“The Commission’s next proposal, based on a request from the NTIA, was to
update the coordination and contact information in footnote US270… We
received no comment on this proposal and implement the NTIA
recommendation, which will clarify compliance with our rules.” (Para. 46-47).
Broader Implications for Hams - Benefits:
Expanded 60m access supports NVIS (near-vertical incidence skywave) for
regional/emergency comms, especially in disasters (e.g., hurricanes, solar
flares affecting other bands). - Trade-Offs:
Lower power in the new segment may limit range in poor conditions, but
digital modes (e.g., FT8) thrive at low power. ARRL may push for increases via
their petition. - No Other Ham Changes:
The doc declines broader requests (e.g., deep space research rules) and
deletes obsolete footnotes unrelated to hams. - Community Reactions:
As of today (Dec 10), hams are buzzing—QRPer calls it “breaking news” with
new modes enabled; forums note alignment with WRC-15 but lament no
100W in the contiguous band. ARRL urged these in comments and will likely
guide implementation. - Core idea:
FCC adopts the WRC-15 5351.5-5366.5 kHz allocation and keeps four legacy
U.S. 60 meter channels. - Why it matters:
You get a new continuous low power worldwide segment plus existing 100 W
ERP channels for real HF work. - Key benefit:
More room for CW and digital without losing the punch of high power NVIS
and regional coverage. - Who it is for:
HF operators, ARES/RACES groups, and anyone who leans on 60 meters
during rough band conditions.
- Process:
I could not find an effective start date. That said, I wouldn’t start operating on
this new allocation until the FCC (directly, or through the ARRL) announces it.
Lynn Wilson, K7LW