The
Mid-America Coordination Council
Coordination Policies
The IaRC has its own policies and procedures which closely follow the polices
of MACC, an umbrella organization of coordination councils. The following
is from the MACC Frequency Coordinations Guidelines handout:
Table of Contents
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"Coordination is necessary to prevent Amateur Radio repeaters from interfering
with each other." -- FCC letter, 1984. Persons who willfully place
on the air an uncoordinated repeater which causes interference to an existing
coordinated repeater may be subject to fines and license revocation by
the FCC. Users of the violating repeater may be subject to fines and license
revocation. The FCC has stated repeatedly (and acted accordingly) that
in the case of conflict, it will ALWAYS be resolved in favor of
the coordinated system.
The Mid-America Coordination Council, Inc. (MACC), is a consortium of
statewide repeater coordination bodies. These several organizations have
banded together and agreed to follow compatible band plans and standards.
Each state entity retains its coordination function and duties, carried
out under the umbrella of MACC.
Every possible effort will be expended to accommodate a request for
a frequency, but no frequency will be coordinated if it is believed that
the requested frequency may cause interference to adjacent systems. It
could very well happen that NO FREQUENCY will be available on a
given band, in a certain area. In this instance, a frequency on a difference
band is the most logical solution.
Study these policies, band plans and standards, then contact
your State Frequency Coordinator for help in completing your coordination.
Objectives
The objectives of the frequency coordination policy shall be to assist
in the selection of a frequency according to the repeater band-plans adopted
by the Mid-America Coordination Council, Inc. (MACC). In the process of
frequency coordination, the coordinator will strive to minimize interference
between the various repeating systems and their users in, and adjacent
to, the states which make up the Mid-America Coordination Council, Inc.
Goal
The goal of the Mid-America Coordination Council, Inc. shall be to make
the most efficient and interference-free use of our limited frequency spectrum.
for the benefit of the largest possible number of amateurs. Further, it
shall be the goal of each member state's frequency coordinator to provide
assistance and guidance in the frequency selection process, to assure operation
within the spirit of Amateur Radio. In all cases, the member state's frequency
coordinator cannot, and should not, interfere with the internal operating
policies of the individual repeater groups. His sole purpose is to provide
assistance and guidance in the frequency selection process while allowing
the repeater group to develop and implement its own operating policies.
Coordination Procedure
An individual or organization desiring to establish a repeater system should
make a request for coordination, in writing, to the State Frequency Coordinator
(or Assistant Coordinator) in the state in which repeater operation is
planned.
Application for Coordination
Upon receipt of a written request for coordination, the member state coordinator
shall, within 30 days, respond with the following:
-
Application for the Coordination form
-
MACC Coordination Guidelines.
Upon receipt of the above forms which have been filled out COMPLETELY
(including latitude and longitude, accurate to the neatest second) and
signed by the applicant, the coordinator will continue the coordination
process.
Each member state coordinator (or assistant coordinator) shall notify,
be mail, other affected coordinators that coordination is in progress at
the requested location. This information shall include the following:
-
State of origin
-
Proposed repeater contact person
-
Proposed frequency
-
Latitude and longitude (to the nearest second) of the proposed repeater
Written notification of objection shall be received by the coordinating
State Coordinator within thirty (30) days of date of t he proposal. If
no objections exist to the proposed frequency coordination, the State Coordinator
shall advise the applicant that coordination has been approved. The State
Coordinator of the coordinating state shall notify the applicant and all
affected state coordinators of final action on the requested coordination.
This information shall be promptly placed in the database by the coordinating
State Coordinator.
Coordination of Remote Receivers
All remote receivers must be coordinated as separate repeaters (cross-band
repeaters).
Repeater Construction Period
After a frequency is coordinated, a period of 180 days is allowed to get
the repeater in operation. Operation is defined as fully-tested repeater
operation from the final repeater location or site. If the repeater is
not in operating after this 180-day construction period, the coordination
is automatically with-drawn. The coordinator may immediately assign the
frequency to another applicant. If, however, during the 180-day construction
period, the applicant feels that he cannot get the repeater into operation
on the assigned frequency in operation, he may request a 60 day, max. extension,
in writing, from the state frequency coordinator. The coordinator may grant
the additional sixty (60) day extension for good reason. If the repeater
is still not in operation within this extended period, the frequency assignment
is automatically withdrawn. The total length of time may not exceed 240
days from the date of the original coordination. The applicant may re-apply
for coordination at any later date, but there is no guarantee that the
previously coordinated frequency will be available. This allows for efficient
use of valuable spectrum and ensures that frequency pairs are not wasted
by holding assignments open for protracted periods when applicants fail
to construct in a timely manner. Written notification, from the applicant,
is required to be sent to the frequency coordinator, at that time the repeater
is placed into regular service. This written notification is the final
step in the coordination process. The letter of final coordination will
not be issued until the coordinator receives this written notification
of normal repeater operation.
Transfer of Coordinated Frequencies
Coordination is NOT transferable. If a repeater is moved, or its operating
parameters modified without notifying the coordinator, coordination is
automatically withdrawn. A new application must be made to the coordinator
for the new location or operating parameters. The coordinator shall, whenever
possible, reassign the originally held frequency pair to the applicant.
Application for modification of an existing coordination shall be submitted
in writing at least thirty (30) days prior to modification and the actual
modification shall not be performed until written notification is received
from the coordinator.
In the event of the sale of a coordinated repeater, the coordination
of that repeater shall have a pending status for a period of sixty (60)
days, until the seller relinquishes the frequency coordination, in writing,
and the buyer agrees to all coordination guidelines, and the unmodified
coordination has been approved by the coordinator. If these terms cannot
be mutually agreed upon by all parties, the coordination shall be considered
to have been vacated.
Many possible problems arise when repeaters are transferred to other
individuals or moved. Therefore, the coordinator's decision on reassigning
the frequency rests entirely upon his discretion when the new application
is received.
Revocation and Termination of
Coordinated Frequencies
Licensees who terminate their coordination on assigned frequencies as a
result of the sale or transfer of their system or for other reasons, with
the intent of not resuming such operation, shall notify the state frequency
coordinator or such termination within thirty (30) days of the cessation
of their operation and surrender all the frequencies involved. The coordinator
shall then entertain requests from other applicants for the use of those
frequencies. If a repeater is inoperative from more than 180 days, the
coordination is automatically withdrawn. No individual can hold a frequency
pair for future use. The coordinator may immediately reassign the frequency.
However, if the coordinator is advised before the end of the 180-day period
in writing, that the repeater is inoperative, he may, at his discretion,
and with good reason, hold the frequency for an additional period of time.
Technical Guidelines
Band plans
The member state coordinators shall adhere as closely as possible to the
use of the various band plans as adapted by the Mid-America Coordination
Council, Inc. Use of the modified band plans is at the option of the
local State Coordinators with the consent of adjacent MACC State Coordinators.
Geographical Separation of Repeaters
The minimum geographical spacing between the two closest points of the
systems in question shall be 120 miles. This spacing is considered valid
for systems on the 52, 144, 220, 440, 902, and 1215 MHz bands.
Adjacent-Channel Repeater Operation
The minimum spacing between the two closest points of adjacent-channel
repeaters will be as stated below:
Band (MHz) Spacing Separation
------------- ----------- --------------
52 20 kHz 20 miles
40 kHz No minimum
144 15 kHz 40 miles
20 kHz 25 miles
30 kHz 20 miles
220 20 kHz 40 miles
40 kHz 5 miles
60 kHz No minimum
440 25 kHz 5 miles
40 kHz 1 mile
60 kHz No minimum
902 25 kHz 5 miles
50 kHz 1 mile
75 kHz No minimum
1215 25 kHz 5 miles
50 kHz 1 mile
75 kHz No minimum
These minimum distances have been chosen with as much, if not more, weight
given to consequences of the transmission of fixed and mobile stations
on the input frequency as that given to the consequences of the output
of the repeater.
©2002 Iowa Repeater Council, Inc.
©1992 Mid-America Coordination Council, Inc.
All rights reserved.
info@iowarepeater.org
Last modified: Thursday, June 22, 2002