ARRL Intruder Monitoring System

The ARRL/IARU Monitoring System - [ formerly - Intruder Watch]

  Volunteers who monitor the bands for out-of-place signals.

The Monitoring System, formerly known as "Intruder Watch,"  is managed by IARU. 

Former IARU Region 2 Monitoring System Coordinator Bill Zellers, WA4FKI, now a silent key, said that the Intruder Watch is a lot like the neighborhood watch programs that many communities set up with local law enforcement. He said that "The concerned members of the Amateur Radio community organize and form their own neighborhood watch program called Intruder Watch." It is stressed that monitors are not "frequency police." They can only report what they hear.

Some reports and updates are shared with the FCC, although the Commission has no authority to make intruder stations outside the US stop transmitting on Amateur Radio frequencies. Such situations typically are dealt with through diplomatic channels.

One thing that complicates intruder watching on HF is that Amateur Radio allocations vary from one ITU Region to another and even within Regions.

Intruder Watchers can only concern themselves with exclusive Amateur Radio frequency allocations. Some domestic Amateur Radio HF allocations, such as 7.2 to 7.3 MHz, outside Region 2, are shared with other services or unavailable to amateurs.  Only 7.0 to 7.2 MHz is currently allocated exclusively to the Amateur Radio Service worldwide.

On other ham radio HF allocations, such as the 30-meter band, Amateur Radio is secondary to other users. The 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10-meter bands are allocated exclusively to the Amateur Radio Service worldwide.

The ARRL invites other radio amateurs or SWLs in IARU Region 2 (the Americas and some eastern Pacific Islands) to become part of the Intruder Watch program. IARU Monitor System volunteers listen on the bands for intruders.

Join the Intruder Watch program and help us take care of our Amateur Radio neighborhood.

Contact IARU Region 2 Coordinator Carlos Beviglia, LU1BCE at [email protected] for information or to make reports.