Manitoba Amateur Repeater Coordination Council |
The effectiveness of the Manitoba Amateur Repeater Coordination Council (MARCC) depends upon the respect and cooperation of those it serves. MARCC is supported by its members. One of our functions is the coordination of Amateur Radio fixed-frequency station operations. Although our Amateur sub-bands are a finite resource, they can support a large amount of fixed-frequency activity if shared in a harmonious manner; abuse can destroy the resource for everyone. MARCC needs input from all users of the resource and will function most effectively when all users participate actively in MARCC's decision-making process. MARCC is a democratic and cooperative association of Amateur Radio clubs and station licensees in Manitoba making coordination decisions for the benefit of all of our community. All potential operators of fixed-frequency stations are encouraged to seek coordination through MARCC prior to operation.
Table of Contents:
General |
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1. | MARCC does not "grant" or "approve" coordination of fixed frequency Amateur stations, but does register coordination. The final decision regarding operation of a fixed-frequency Amateur radio station lies with the federal government licensing authority (currently Industry Canada), and ultimately involves only the licensing authority and the licensee. However, MARCC exists as a voluntary coordinating body set up by and for Amateurs, whose purpose is to gather and make available information regarding current and proposed use of fixed frequencies for operations in the Amateur service in and adjacent to Manitoba. MARCC, through its appointed Coordinators, is able to provide advice and assistance regarding the selection of frequencies, sites, antennas and other technical details relative to establishing a fixed-frequency Amateur radio station in a manner which will avoid or minimize interference between Amateur operations. |
2. | MARCC Coordinators are appointed by the directors of the Council on the basis of the Coordinators' knowledge and experience in spectrum utilization, including propagation of radio signals at VHF and higher frequencies, knowledge of the geography and terrain of the area for which they are responsible, and their ability to manage a complex database. That knowledge, experience and ability is made available for the benefit of all Amateurs. Amateurs wishing to operate fixed-frequency stations are encouraged to take advantage of the services of the Coordinator in their area before applying for a licence, both to minimize the potential for interference to existing operations and to provide a basis for avoiding future interference to their own operations. |
3. |
Frequency coordination is a process through which the licensee of a radio station proposing to operate on a fixed frequency agrees to use a selected:
such that the potential for interference between users of the coordinated radio station and users of other stations using the same or adjacent frequencies is minimized. |
4. | From time to time, MARCC will publish a list of stations which have already been coordinated, with their frequencies and general locations, and of frequencies which are otherwise not available for coordination in certain areas. Amateurs desiring new or changed coordination may request coordination of any frequency not on that list in their coverage area. Coordinators may help to select a frequency, if requested to do so and if they have time available. |
5. | A successful frequency coordination will be evidenced by a Coordination Letter issued by MARCC. A copy of the Coordination Letter will be sent to Industry Canada. Industry Canada may, at its discretion, give precedence to a holder of a Coordination Letter in authorizing an Amateur radio licensee to operate a station on a fixed frequency at a specific location. |
6. | Coordination Letters remain valid as long as all of the conditions listed in paragraph 13. and described in the Coordination Letter remain unchanged. Holders of Coordination Letters are encouraged to apply for a revised letter if any listed condition is changed, in a spirit of cooperation so the coordination data base can be kept up to date and accurate. |
7. | Coordination is based on the best data available to the Coordinator at the time a Coordination Letter is issued. A Coordination Letter is not a guarantee of a clear frequency. The licensee of a coordinated fixed-frequency station, like all other Amateurs, is responsible for avoiding interference and has a duty to cooperate with other users to mitigate interference if it occurs. YOUR BEST PROTECTION AGAINST UNINTENTIONAL INTERFERENCE IS ACCURATE INFORMATION IN THE COORDINATION DATABASE. |
8. | The boundaries for coordination activity of MARCC are the boundaries of the province of Manitoba. MARCC makes a best effort to communicate with Amateurs in the Saskatchewan, North Dakota, Minnesota and Ontario, but cannot give any assurance regarding frequencies in use in those neighbouring areas at the time of coordination or in the future. |
Request for Coordination |
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9. | A request for coordination may be submitted to MARCC Coordinator for the area in which the station to be coordinated will be located. Coordinators' mailing addresses, coordination areas, etc., will be published along with the list of coordinated frequencies. That information also will be available from the secretary of MARCC. |
10. | Requests for coordination should be made using MARCC form RFC-32 (Request for Frequency Coordination),
signed by the Amateur who will be responsible for station operation. (RFC-32 is an adaptation of Industry
Canada Form TR32A (12/79), with some additional information requested. If the Amateur is submitting a Form
TR32A to Industry Canada, it is sufficient to submit a completed copy of that form and attach it to Form RFC-32,
completing only the second part of RFC-32 and signing it.) Amateurs should make a best effort to provide
all information requested on the form, but Coordinators may allow some latitude at their discretion. If missing
information is deemed essential by the Coordinator, the Coordinator will request the needed information after reviewing
the initial request for coordination, and will assist the Amateur to understand the need for, and the means for
obtaining, that information. The RFC-32 forms are available from the secretary of MARCC and from individual Coordinators or from the MARCC web site. Requests for forms should include a self-addressed 9x12 return envelope with adequate postage on it; or stamps, a cheque or money order for $1.50 to cover stationery and postage. Members of MARCC are entitled to a small supply of forms at no charge on joining. Requests for coordination may be submitted by mail or by facsimile (packet radio, e-mail and other electronic forms presently do not reproduce signatures so cannot be accepted). |
Fees |
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11. | MARCC may request Amateurs to pay a nominal fee to cover the out-of-pocket costs of processing an request for coordination. This fee will be adjusted annually on the basis of cost experience in the previous year, and is subject to approval of the membership. The fee for requests submitted by e-mail must be received within 7 calendar days or the application will be dated on the day of receipt of the fee. |
Conditions Applicable to Coordination |
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12. | MARCC will process requests for frequency coordination of fixed-frequency stations from individuals or from sponsoring organizations. However, where an organization sponsors the request, the coordination holder must hold an Advanced Amateur operating certificate or approved equivalent, and be appointed by the organization to be the coordination holder. The Coordination Letter will be issued to that appointed coordination holder. |
13. |
All registered coordinations are for a specific:
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14. | MARCC recommends that all new coordinations use continuous tone coded squelch systems (CTCSS, DPL, etc.) as a means of repeater access. However, MARCC recognizes that in many cases carrier-operated-squelch will not result in undesirable station or system operation or complaints of interference, and does not intend to require CTCSS for coordination in the foreseeable future. It remains the responsibility of Amateur Radio licensees to avoid creating interference, and to take all reasonable steps to avoid being interfered with. |
15. | MARCC is not concerned with the ownership or control of transmitter or receiver sites. |
16. | Registered coordination will be evidenced by a Coordination Letter issued by MARCC. It is the responsibility of the coordination holder to notify MARCC immediately when the coordinated frequency is activated (put into use), and to submit a revised request for coordination if any of the coordination conditions listed in the letter is changed subsequently. |
17. | FOR THE PROTECTION OF YOUR COORDINATION, YOU MUST KEEP US INFORMED. The licensee of a coordinated station (the coordination holder) is advised to keep MARCC informed as to the status of the station and any associated system by having an up-to-date Request for Frequency Coordination on file with MARCC Coordinator in his area at all times. A change of any of the parameters listed on the Coordination Letter without prior coordination by MARCC may cause the Coordination Letter to become invalid because of incorrect information in the coordination data base, which could lead to other stations being coordinated incorrectly. MARCC recommends that updated Request for Frequency Coordination forms be submitted about every 2 years. COORDINATION REQUIRES COOPERATION!! |
18. | Except in special circumstances, all correspondence from MARCC will be directed to the coordination holder. To facilitate this correspondence, the address used by the coordination holder must be his/her home address or personal post-office box. |
Trial Period |
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19. | Normally there will be a six-month "trial period" during which other users of the coordinated frequency who experience interference will advise the coordination holder and MARCC Coordinator for the area, and those users and the coordination holder are expected to make best efforts to resolve the interference during that period, using common sense and in a spirit of good will. MARCC has no authority to resolve interference issues, but may offer mediation if requested by the parties involved. If substantial interference to a previously coordinated station or system occurs and cannot be resolved, the Coordination Letter for the new station may be withdrawn (cancelled), on the principle of "first in has priority". |
20. | During the trial period the coordination holder may find it necessary or desirable to make changes to the conditions of the station from those under which the original coordination request was made (e.g., change antenna pattern, add filters, reduce transmitter power, etc.) These changes may be made without immediate reference to MARCC if they do not result in harmful interference. The coordination holder should keep a log of hours of operation (by date and time), of all complaints received, and of all changes, including the time and date when the changes were activated or cancelled. If changes are made, the coordination holder should protect the coordination by submitting a revised request form to MARCC Coordinator within a reasonable time (preferably within a month) after the end of the 6-month trial period. |
Guidelines for Sharing Frequencies |
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21. |
The following general principles apply as guidelines for coordination:
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22. | Where it appears that a proposed new coordination may result in interference between the new or modified station and an existing station or system, the Amateur requesting coordination should make a reasonable attempt to obtain, and submit with the request for coordination, letters of concurrence from current holders of Coordination Letters for the desired frequency. This requirement may be waived by the Coordinator if the Coordinator is convinced there will in fact be little or no interference. If harmful interference is likely and no letter of concurrence is submitted with the application, the Coordinator may recommend an alternative frequency or other parameter, or decide the new request can not be coordinated. |
23. |
MARCC coordination data base will provide for a number of Shared Non-Protected (SNP) repeater pairs, intended for use with purely local-area repeaters. SNP systems will be coordinated as for other systems, except that the guidelines for coordination will be as follows:
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Conflicting Requests |
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24. | Requests for coordination will be dealt with in the order of receipt of completed requests (i.e., the earliest complete request for coordination has precedence). However, conflicting requests received during any 24-hour period will be treated as though received simultaneously. MARCC does not accept responsibility for resolving conflicts between requests when a second or later request is received while an earlier application is pending. |
25. |
If asked to mediate between parties in a case of mutually conflicting requests for coordination, factors raised by the Coordinator for consideration may include, but are not necessarily limited to:
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Transfer of Coordination |
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26. |
Coordination of an existing frequency can be transferred to another individual or organization provided:
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Denial or Limitation of Coordination |
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27. |
The Coordinator may decide that MARCC should not register coordination as requested, or may recommend one or more of the following as a condition for coordination:
The Amateur requesting coordination is under no compulsion to accept any or all of the recommendations of the Coordinator. However, if the Amateur proceeds to obtain a licence and to operate contrary to the recommendations of the Coordinator, MARCC will record the existence of the station in its data base with the notation "Not Coordinated". |
De-registration of Coordination |
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28. |
Under any of the following circumstances MARCC may elect to de-register the coordination of a fixed-frequency station, and to record the station as "Not Coordinated" in its data base:
In the event of a perceived cause for de-registration of registering or maintaining coordination as set out in section 28., the secretary of MARCC will notify the coordination holder of the perceived cause by mail, fax or e-mail. If a satisfactory reply stating the action which will be taken to maintain coordination is not received within 2 months after the notification date, the coordination will be de-registered automatically, and the coordination holder will be notified, again by mail, fax or e-mail. |
Appeals |
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29. | In the event that a coordination is de-registered, or a Coordinator denies a request for coordination or suggests technical or operational limitations as a condition of coordination, the Amateur requesting coordination or the coordination holder may appeal that action through an informal appeal procedure by sending a letter to the secretary of MARCC setting out the reasons why the Amateur believes coordination should be registered or maintained. The secretary will inform the directors and the policy committee of the contents of the letter. Within a reasonable time thereafter, the policy committee will consider the reasons for appeal and may confer with the Amateur and/or the Coordinator involved, after which the appeal will either be upheld and the request for coordination returned to the Coordinator for action, or refused and referred to the directors for confirmation or further review if appropriate. However, MARCC expects most disagreement to be resolved at the Coordinator or Policy Committee level without intervention by the directors. |
Confidentiality |
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30. |
MARCC recognizes and respects the right and the desire of many licensees of fixed-frequency Amateur stations to keep most of the information about the station confidential. For that reason, published data will be limited to the following for general-use stations:
Information from requests for coordination of stations used in inter-station links or control links will not be published. However, the frequencies used by such stations may be included in published lists with a notation similar to "not available in the ...... area", or "coordinated for special use in the .... area", where the area given will be very general. Other data obtained by MARCC from requests for frequency coordination will be entered into MARCC data base and made available only to the directors and the Coordinators (all of whom will sign non-disclosure agreements), and to officials of Industry Canada, unless prior written permission is obtained from the coordination holder to release the information. MARCC may request such permission from coordination holders from time to time if assistance is requested by another frequency coordination body. The foregoing policy of confidentiality applies only to information obtained from requests for coordination. Information about non-coordinated stations obtained in any manner not related to a request for coordination may not be protected and may be made available to others in any manner deemed appropriate by MARCC. |
© 2005 MARCC
Revised june, 2005 4hay