History of FISTS 10128 Frequency
The following notes regarding 10.128 are from FISTS East Asia (FEA):
- 10.128 and 70.158: appeared in Spring 2011 issue of Key Note, as center of activity frequencies.
- 10.128: has been added because there are many non-FISTS stations around 10.118 MHz and digital-mode stations around 10.138 MHz. [April 2016]
- Strike-through frequencies (3.708, 7.118, 10.128, 21.158 and 28.158) have already removed from their web pages. [February 2017]
- 10.128: "removed from their web page but has been still appeared in February 2018 issue of Key Note and later."
Recommendation of 30CW
We make the recommendation to either replace 10.118 with 10.128 as the main 30m FISTS Europe Calling Frequency, or alternatively, to list 10.128 along with 10.118.
1) replace 10.118 with 10.128 as the 30m FISTS Europe Calling Frequency, or
2) list 10.128 as FISTS Europe Primary Calling Frequency and 10.118 as Secondary, or
3) list 10.128 along side 10.118 as FISTS Europe Calling Frequencies on 30m.
The following are our reasons for the proposed change:
- 10.128 was recommended as far back as 2011 with good foresight into band occupancy.
- As mentioned in 2016 and still true in 2023 the 10.118 is in heavy use by non members.
- 10.128 is in the TOP 9 (10121-10130) which is a recommended area for friendship QSO.
- 10.128 is in the TOP 5 (10126-10130) which need more use as they are under IARU threat.
Additional Considerations
We understand it was the wish of FISTS Co-Founder GEO G3ZQS that FISTS frequencies serve as CALLING FREQUENCIES, rather than merely Centres of Activity. This entails moving off frequency (QSY) upon establishing contact, and using it ONLY as a calling frequency.
It should be possible for FISTS members to learn of this via publications and also by witnessing established use as a calling frequency. An actual calling frequency has many benefits:
- It can and should of course be used by ALL, not only FISTS members
- FISTS members can optionally call CQ FISTS, or call a specific station, or call CQ
- It is useful to have a frequency that can be monitored (see below) when around the shack
Monitoring can even take place with squelch to eliminate noise, with or without a narrow filter.
30CW currently recommends a GRCF "General Roaming Calling Frequency" on 30m, for reasons mentioned on the GRCF page. However, this does not prevent use of 10.128 as a calling frequency.
Further recommendations:
Most CQ and QSO these days take place on exact multiples of 1kHz. This is problematic because with digital readouts and precise stable frequencies of todays transceivers, it means that the narrow CW signals are zero beat with other concurrent CQ or QSO around the world: it is thus frequent to hear more than one signal where signals are in the dead zone between multiple occupations of the same frequency, and rendering it difficult to copy either.
The chances of a frequency ending in .000 Hz being in use are great. Chances of a frequency ending in something random such as .3 or .7 being occupied, are minimal. If there is a QSO on 10.128 this does not prevent calling on 10.1283-10.1285 or 10.1275-10.1277 without QRM.
As those who remember the worldwide maritime CW calling frequency of 500kc/s will know the countless thousands of stations were not all on exactly 500.000, far from it, they often used Modulated CW (A2A) with various and multi-tone pitches.
Therefore 30CW recommends that it is good practice NOT to use exact .0 kHz, since CW signals are narrow and can easily fit several QSO into 1kHz. Therefore, the recommendation would be to use 10.128 as the CENTRE of the calling frequency, which should be 1kHz wide, and extend from ca. 10127.5 (the CoA of TOP 5) up to ca. 10128.5 kHz. If this recommendation is accepted, it be noted that this would not exempt the requirement to QSY "UP" or "DN" upon establishing QSO.
Listening in a 1kHz wide filter would cover the entire calling frequency range.
Feedback on this proposal from FISTS members is being sought.
Additional Notes:
- 10118 is also the CW OPS CoA
- 10128 is also the RCWC and Grupo Portuguës de CW CoA
- See http://30cw.net/clubs for further information
Obviously there is no compulsion in such recommendations, there can be no rule regarding calling frequencies, the FISTS calling frequencies as with any amateur radio calling frequencies are intended to take advantage of the benefits for those who wish to make use of them.
*) The 10128 recommendation is for FISTS Europe. FISTS East Asia has already adopted its use.