Amateur radio frequency allocations
Amateur radio frequency allocation is done by national telecommunications authorities. Globally, the ITU oversees how much radio spectrum is set aside for amateur radio transmissions.
Radio amateurs use a variety of transmission modes, including Morse code, radioteletype, data, and voice. Specific frequency allocations are a matter of record and vary from country to country and between ITU regions.
FCC Part 97.301 (courtesy of ARRL) includes a table comparing frequency allocations for all three regions.
Additional recommended knowledge
ITU Region 1
For ITU region 1, Radio Society of Great Britain's band plan will be more definitive.
- Low Frequency (LF) (30 to 300 kHz)
- 136 kHz (135.7 kHz to 137.8 kHz)
...
- Very High Frequency (VHF) (30 to 300 MHz)
- 4 metres (70 to 70.5 MHz), UK only
However there are also 4m amateur allocations in other ITU Region 1 countries e.g.
Ireland 70.125 to 70.450 MHz
Table of Amateur MF and HF Bandplans
The following charts show the voluntary bandplans used by amateurs in Region 1. Unlike the USA slots for the various transmission modes are not set by the amateur's licence but most users do follow these guidelines.
160 Metres
|
| 1810 1838
| 1838 1840
| 1840 1843
| 1843 2000
|
IARU Region 1
|
|
|
|
|
|
IARU Region 2
| 1800 - 1840
|
|
IARU Region 3
| 1800 - 1840
|
|
Note: Region 2 QRP/DX window is 1830-1850
|
80 Metres
| 3500 3580
| 3580 3600
| 3600 3620
| 3620 3800
|
IARU Region 1
|
|
|
|
|
60 Metres
| 5258.5
|
| 5278.5
|
| 5288.5
|
| 5366.5
|
| 5371.5
|
| 5398.5
|
| 5403.5
|
United Kingdom
| FA
|
| FB
|
| FC
|
| FK
|
| FL
|
| FE
|
| FM
|
Note: 60 Meter emissions are limited to UK NoV-endorsed Full licence holders only
in 3kHz channels with the specified lower frequency limits, 200 watts
|
40 Metres
| 7000 7035
| 7035 7040
| 7040 7043
| 7043 7100
| 7100 7200
|
IARU Region 1
|
|
|
|
|
|
Note: 7100-7200 allocated on a secondary non-interference basis
|
30 Metres
| 10100 10140
| 10140 10150
|
IARU Region 1
|
|
|
20 Metres
| 14000 14070
| 14070 14099
| B
| 14101 14350
|
IARU Region 1
|
|
|
|
|
17 Metres
| 18068 18095
| 18095 18109
| B
| 18111 18168
|
IARU Region 1
|
|
|
|
|
15 Metres
| 21000 21070
| 21070 21110
| 21110 21120
| 21120 21149
| B
| 21151 21450
|
IARU Region 1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12 Metres
| 24890 24915
| 24915 24929
| B
| 24931 24990
|
IARU Region 1
|
|
|
|
|
10 Metres
| 28000 28070
| 28070 28190
| B
| 28225 29200
| 29200 29300
| 29300 29510
| 29510 29700
|
IARU Region 1
|
|
|
|
|
| Satellite D/L
|
|
Key
| = CW and data (<200 Hz bandwidth)
|
| = CW, RTTY and data (< 500 Hz Bandwidth)
|
| = CW, RTTY, data, NO SSB (<2.7 kHz)
|
| = CW, phone and image (<3 kHz bandwidth) SECONDARY
|
| = CW, phone and image (<3 kHz bandwidth)
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| = CW, data, packet, FM, phone and image (<20 kHz bandwidth)
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| = CW, RTTY, data, test, phone and image
|
| = Reserved for satellite downlink
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| = Reserved for beacons
|
ITU Region 2
The frequency allocations for United States hams in ITU Region 2 are:
- Medium Frequency (MF) (300 kHz to 3 MHz)
- 160 meters (1.8 - 2.0 MHz)
- High Frequency (HF) (3.0 - 30.0 MHz)
- 80 meters (3.5 - 4.0 MHz)
- 60 meters (five USB voice channels: 5.332, 5.348, 5.368, 5.373, 5.405 MHz)
- 40 meters (7.0 - 7.3 MHz)
- 30 meters (10.100 - 10.150 MHz)
- 20 meters (14.000 - 14.350 MHz)
- 17 meters (18.068 - 18.168 MHz)
- 15 meters (21.000 - 21.450 MHz)
- 12 meters (24.890 - 24.990 MHz)
- 10 meters (28.0 - 29.7 MHz)
- Very High Frequency (VHF) (30 to 300 MHz)
- 6 meters (50 - 54 MHz)
- 2 meters (144 - 148 MHz)
- 1.25 meters (219 - 220, 222 - 225 MHz)
- Ultra High Frequency (UHF) (300 MHz to 3 GHz)
- 70 centimeters (420 - 450 MHz)
- 33 centimeters (902 - 928 MHz)
- 23 centimeters (1.24 - 1.3 GHz)
- 13 centimeters (2.30 - 2.31 GHz and 2.39 - 2.45 GHz)
- Super High Frequency (SHF) (3 to 30 GHz)
- 9 centimeters (3.3 - 3.5 GHz)
- 5 centimeters (5.65 - 5.925 GHz)
- 3 centimeters (10.0 - 10.5 GHz)
- 1.2 centimeters (24.00 - 24.25 GHz)
- Extremely High Frequency (EHF) (30 to 300 GHz)
- 6 millimeters (47.0 - 47.2 GHz)
- 4 millimeters (75.5 - 81.0 GHz)
- 2.5 millimeters (119.98 - 120.02 GHz)
- 2 millimeters (142 - 149 GHz)
- 1 millimeter (241 - 250 GHz)
-
The ARRL has a detailed band plan for US hams showing allocations within each band.
RAC has a chart showing the frequencies available to amateurs in Canada.
United States Table of Amateur MF and HF Allocations
Effective 12:01 a.m. EST, February 23, 2007
160 m
| 1800 - 2000
|
Canada
|
|
United States
| 1800 2000
|
General, Advanced, Extra
|
|
80 / 75 m
| 3500 - 4000
|
Canada
|
|
United States
| 3500 3525
| 3525 3600
| 3600 3700
| 3700 3800
| 3800 4000
|
Novice / Technician
|
|
|
|
|
|
General
|
|
|
|
|
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Advanced
|
|
|
|
|
Extra
|
|
|
60 m
| 5330 - 5406
|
United States
| 5330.5
|
| 5346.5
|
| 5366.5
|
| 5371.5
|
| 5403.5
|
General, Advanced, Extra
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Note: US licensees operating 60 m are limited to emissions of upper sideband suppressed carrier, 2.8 kHz bandwidth (2K80J3E), 50 watts PEP ERP relative to a 1/2 wave dipole, on the carrier frequencies indicated on this chart
|
40 m
| 7000 - 7300
|
Canada
|
|
United States
| 7000 7025
| 7025 7125
| 7125 7175
| 7175 7300
|
Novice / Technician
|
|
|
|
|
General
|
|
|
|
|
Advanced
|
|
|
|
Extra
|
|
|
30 m
| 10100 10150
|
Canada
|
|
United States
|
|
Note: US limited to General, Advanced and Extra
licensees; 200 watts PEP
|
20 m
| 14000 - 14350
|
Canada
|
|
United States
| 14000 14025
| 14025 14150
| 14150 14175
| 14175 14225
| 14225 14350
|
General
|
|
|
|
|
|
Advanced
|
|
|
|
|
Extra
|
|
|
17 m
| 18068 - 18168
|
Canada
|
|
United States
| 18068 18110
| 18110 18168
|
General, Advanced, Extra
|
|
|
15 m
| 21000 - 21450
|
Canada
|
|
United States
| 21000 21025
| 21025 21200
| 21200 21225
| 21225 21275
| 21275 21450
|
Novice / Technician
|
|
|
|
|
|
General
|
|
|
|
|
|
Advanced
|
|
|
|
|
Extra
|
|
|
12 m
| 24890 - 24990
|
Canada
|
|
United States
| 24890 24930
| 24930 24990
|
General, Advanced, Extra
|
|
|
10 m
| 28000 - 29700
|
Canada
|
|
United States
| 28000 28300
| 28300 28500
| 28500 29700
|
Novice / Technician
|
|
|
|
General, Advanced, Extra
|
|
|
Note: The 10 meter table is one-third scale, relative to the other tables
|
Key
| = CW, RTTY and data (US: < 1 kHz Bandwidth)
|
| = CW, RTTY, data, MCW, test, phone and image
|
| = CW, phone and image
|
| = CW and SSB phone
|
| = CW, RTTY, data, phone and image
|
| = CW (US: Novice/Technician 200 watts PEP only)
|
| = Upper sideband suppressed carrier phone, 2.8 kHz bandwidth (2K80J3E), 50 watts ERP referenced to dipole
|
ITU Region 3
IARU Region 3 Bandplan [1]
The Wireless Institute of Australia has charts for Amateur frequencies for Australia.
|