CCARC Guidelines on Hotspots
Hotspot usage by amateur radio operators has previously caused known interference with AMSAT operations utilizing the UHF band. To facilitate efficient use of the limited resources allocated to the Amateur Radio Service, the Colorado Council of Amateur Radio Clubs (CCARC) has made the following recommendation for frequencies to be used with hotspots.
“The Frequency Coordinator for the CCARC recommends that hotspots (Examples include: OpenSpot, ZumSpot, JumboSpot, Nano-Spot, Nano-Node, …) be deployed in the 70 cm band using one of the following frequencies to minimize interference with other users in the Amateur Radio Service:”
| Hotspot Channel | Frequency |
|---|---|
| 1 | 438.4500 MHz |
| 2 | 438.4750 MHz |
| 3 | 438.5000 MHz |
| 4 | 438.5250 MHz |
| 5 | 438.5500 MHz |
| 6 | 438.5750 MHz |
| 7 | 438.6000 MHz |
| 8 | 438.6250 MHz |
| 9 | 438.6500 MHz |
| 10 | 438.6750 MHz |
These frequencies are intended for short distance operation using low power (<1W) devices. Use of high-power transmitters, amplifiers and high-gain antennas are discouraged to minimize conflicts with other users.
Colorado ARES recommends to our members operating hotspots that they check the configured frequency on their equipment and reprogram the hotspots (and radios used to interface with hotspots) to ensure alignment with the CCARC recommendation.
The CCARC website is available at: http://www.ccarc.net
Their website provides a wealth of information including the coordinated repeater pairs and recommended simplex channels for use in analog and digital communication in the VHF and UHF bands.
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