NU9N SSB Audio News Editorial - August, 2003

Apparently, W6FDR and W0YR feel that negative comments filed with the FCC against new bandwidth rulemaking should be dismissed. In other words, I guess they want the FCC to ignore the 180 comments against new rulemaking and only observe the 20 that supported it.

They continue to contend that Hi-Fi SSB is a menace to the operations in our "overcrowded bands". I don't know about you, but the 20m band has been anything but "overcrowded"! I have been operating eSSB in the extra portion of 20m for the last 6 months now, without a single complaint! There has been much excitement and support for the eSSB operations, and no one has been hurt or offended by it.

It is too bad that W6FDR and W0YR (who are very seasoned hams) don't spend their energy in a more positive fashion, being an encouragement to hams playing with excellent quality audio instead of griping about it day after day after day. Their relentless hatred and bickering is nothing short of sickening! If they want to clean up the amateur bands, there are plenty of 2.4kHz SSB stations out there over-compressing their signals causing splatter and severe IMD products truly in need of some guidance.

This entire so-called "Wideband" mess has evolved to the point of ridiculousness at best, and just plain childlike behavior at worse. If you want to remember the "Good Old Day's" of CB squabble, just listen to these two guys any given morning on 20 meters. You may be entertained, or sickened to the point of nausea. Either way, this is NOT the Amateur Radio I have come to know and love.

In the end, I do not expect the FCC to take any action with any new bandwidth rules or laws, as the rules that are already in place are sufficient. Those who operate eSSB responsibly will have no problem (not including troublemakers who think everything is a problem). And those who operate eSSB with high levels of IMD or splatter are already subject to FCC Part 97 rules in place, regarding these issues.

73,

-John Anning, NU9N