One license in the FCC's list of experimental licenses granted from 10/1/08 to 12/1/08 caught my attention.
The WE2XVQ experimental license issued to the Boeing Company allows operation in the 200 MHz to 224 MHz, 400 MHz to 405 MHz, 421 MHz to 607 MHz and 615 MHz to 930 MHz bands for “testing and analysis of software defined radio (SDR) equipment” in Berkeley, Mo. These bands include broadcast TV VHF channels 11, 12 and 13 and all UHF TV channels except 37.
Amateur radio operators using the spectrum around 144.1 MHz for weak signal communications may be interested in Motorola's license WE2XRO, which allows operation between 144.10 MHz and 497 MHz for testing and design of digital land mobile radio base stations at its Schaumburg, Ill. operation.
Ham radio equipment manufacturer DX Engineering received a license to operate in the bands between 1.8 MHz to 54 MHz for the purpose of testing antennas and communications accessories.
The FCC's experimental license list provides a preview of new RF technology. One item of interest on this list is the license, WE2XTZ, granted to Trex Enterprises Corp. which allows operation in the 78-81 GHz band for the testing of a “foreign object debris (FOD)” detection system. This is designed for detecting and classifying the presence of FOD on airport runways and uses a low-power mobile millimeter wave 3D imaging radar system. The license allows operation on runways at airports throughout the continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii.
