14.003 Digital QRM

[K9WW]

Anybody have info on the digital QRM on 14.003 MHz?

K9WW

[K2OWK]

Am I missing something. I thought that 14000 MHz to 14150 MHz was for RTTY and DATA. I would expect to hear digital noise (QRM?) on 14003 MHz.

[KV1E]

I heard it and it appeared to be WEFAX.   It had all the markings of WEFAX, but not quite.  One line was being repeated over and over.  I was able to partially copy that using MixW.  It said something about Tropical Predictions.  I don't know how long it sat on that QRG, but it abruptly left after about 15 minutes of my listening.

[G3RZP]

14000 to around 14070 is, by general consent, CW (Morse)

[K2OWK]

Hello again, The lower part of the 20 meter band 1400 to 14150 on my ARRL frequency chart effective Feb. 23, 2007 shows RITTY and DATA. It may be used for CW, but that part of the band is allotted for RITTY and DATA, so I would expect to hear it on that part of the frequency. It is not QRM just another form of communication for Ham radio.
73s
K2OWK

[N3OX]

Hello again, The lower part of the 20 meter band 1400 to 14150 on my ARRL frequency chart effective Feb. 23, 2007 shows RITTY and DATA. It may be used for CW, but that part of the band is allotted for RITTY and DATA, so I would expect to hear it on that part of the frequency.

No, you shouldn't expect that.

While it is true that data modes, like RTTY, can legally be used down to 14.000, the typical usage of the band is to keep data modes higher in the band and CW lower in the band.  Right now that is done voluntarily with no need for a formally divided bandplan, but if people don't respect the "usual" order of things, then we'll have to get regulations put in place to have a "CW only" portion and a "data only" portion. 

They don't mix well...   you can't have CW QSO's and digital QSO's mixed in the same portion of the band efficiently.  They need to share the band by having their own, separated regions.

There are agreements beyond the ARRL bandplan, and one of those "generally agreed-upon" things is that maybe up to 14.060 or 14.070 tends to be all CW except in contests when a lot more space is needed for digimodes.   If there are digital users on 14.003 on an ordinary, non-contest day, they're probably not hams.  They're probably some sort of intruder from some other service illegally using 20m. If they are hams, they need to move up higher in the band where they belong.

The voluntary bandplans, which are easy to find with enough research or listening, need to be respected.    14.003 is not an appropriate frequency for hams to run digital modes except on days when the band is wall-to-wall with S9+ digital stations because of a contest.    

[KJ4IDH]

While I do not know what the QRM was, I would like to chime in on the band plan.
Accordingly the ARRL at (http://www.arrl.org/band-plan-1) and the IARU at (http://www.iaru-r2.org/wp-content/uploads/region-2-mf-hf-bandplan-e.pdf) specify that digital and narrow band modes begin at 14.070. And being an avid digital op that’s where I operate, there is no CW on that frequency. It is the general calling and contact frequency for PSK 31, 63 and 125.

If there is a digital mode down that low, on 14.003, it is probably like N3OX stated an intruder or someone that needs to move up.