US AMATEUR RADIO FREQUENCY ALLOCATIONS
Effective 15 December 2006
 

For each band, only those license classes with privileges on that band are listed. Technician licensees have no privileges below 30 MHz.

 
US Amateur Transmitter Power Limits
 
At all times, transmitter power must be the minimum necessary to carry out the desired communications. Unless otherwise noted, the maximum power output is 1500 watts PEP. All classes are limited to 200 watts PEP in the 80, 40, and 15 meter Novice/Technician Plus subbands. Geographical power restrictions apply to the 70 cm, 33 cm and 23 cm bands; see The FCC Part 97 for details.
 
Band Allocations
 
160 Meters

General, Advanced, Amateur Extra licensees: 1.800-2.000 MHz: CW, Phone, Image, RTTY/Data

 
80 Meters
Novice, Technician and Technician Plus classes: 3.525-3.600 MHz: CW Only--Maximum power 200 watts PEP
General class: 3.525-3.600 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data; 3.800-4.000 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
Advanced class: 3.525-3.600 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data; 3.700-4.000 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
Amateur Extra class: 3.500-3.600 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data; 3.600-4.000 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
 
60 Meters: Five Specific Channels
The FCC has granted hams secondary access on USB only to five discrete 2.8-kHz-wide channels. Amateurs can not cause inference to and must accept interference from the Primary Government users. The NTIA says that hams planning to operate on 60 meters "must assure that their signal is transmitted on the channel center frequency." This means that amateurs should set their carrier frequency 1.5 kHz lower than the channel center frequency.
General, Advanced and Amateur Extra classes:
Amateur Tuning Frequency / Channel Center
 
  • 5332 kHz /5330.5 kHz
  • 5348 kHz/5346.5 kHz
  • 5368 kHz/5366.5 kHz
  • 5373 kHz/5371.5 kHz
  • 5405 kHz (common US/UK)/5403.5 kHz
  
Amateurs may use USB only with a maximum effective radiated power (ERP) of 50 W. Radiated power must not exceed the equivalent of 50 W PEP transmitter output power into an antenna with a gain of 0 dBd.
 
40 Meters
Novice, Technician and Technician Plus classes: 7.025-7.125 MHz: CW Only --Maximum power 200 watts PEP
General class: 7.025-7.125 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data; 7.175-7.300 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
Advanced class: 7.025-7.125 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data; 7.125-7.300 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
Amateur Extra class: 7.000-7.125 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data; 7.125-7.300 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
 
Note: Phone and Image modes are permitted between 7.075 and 7.100 MHz for FCC licensed stations in ITU Regions 1 and 3 and by FCC licensed stations in ITU Region 2 West of 130 degrees West longitude or south of 20 degrees North latitude. See Section 97.307(f)(11). Novice and Technician Plus licensees outside ITU Region 2 may use CW only between 7.050 and 7.075 MHz. See Section 97.301(e). These exemptions do not apply to stations in the continental US.
 
30 Meters
General, Advanced, Amateur Extra classes: 10.100-10.150 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data
 
Maximum power, 200 watts PEP. Amateurs must avoid interference to the fixed service outside the US.
 
20 Meters

General class: 14.025-14.150 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data; 14.225-14.350 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
Advanced class: 14.025-14.150 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data; 14.175-14.350 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
Amateur Extra class: 14.000-14.150 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data; 14.150-14.350 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
 
17 Meters
General, Advanced, Amateur Extra classes: 18.068-18.110 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data; 18.110-18.168 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
 
15 Meters
Novice, Technician and Technician Plus classes: 21.025-21.200 MHz: CW Only--Maximum power 200 watts PEP
General class: 21.025-21.200 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data; 21.275-21.450 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
Advanced class: 21.025-21.200 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data; 21.225-21.450 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
Amateur Extra class: 21.000-21.200 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data; 21.200-21.450 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
 
12 Meters
General, Advanced, Amateur Extra classes: 24.890-24.930 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data; 24.930-24.990 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
 
10 Meters
NoviceTechnician and Technician Plus classes: 28.000-28.300 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data--Maximum power 200 watts PEP; 28.300-28.500 MHz: CW, Phone--Maximum power 200 watts PEP
General, Advanced, Amateur Extra classes: 28.000-28.300 MHz: CW, RTTY/Data; 28.300-29.700 MHz: CW, Phone, Image
 
6 Meters
All Amateurs except Novices: 50.0-50.1 MHz: CW Only; 50.1-54.0 MHz: CW, Phone, Image, MCW, RTTY/Data
 
2 Meters
All Amateurs except Novices: 144.0-144.1 MHz: CW Only; 144.1-148.0 MHz: CW, Phone, Image, MCW, RTTY/Data
 
1.25 Meters
Novice (Novices are limited to 25 watts PEP output), Technician, Technician Plus, General, Advanced, Amateur Extra classes: 222.00-225.00 MHz: CW, Phone, Image, MCW, RTTY/Data
 
The FCC has allocated 219-220 MHz to amateur use on a secondary basis. This allocation is only for fixed digital message forwarding systems operated by all licensees except Novices. Amateur operations must not cause interference to, and must accept interference from, primary services in this and adjacent bands. Amateur stations are limited to 50 W PEP output and 100 kHz bandwidth. Automated Maritime Telecommunications Systems (AMTS) stations are the primary occupants in this band. Amateur stations within 398 miles of an AMTS station must notify the station in writing at least 30 days prior to beginning operations. Amateur stations within 50 miles of an AMTS station must get permission in writing from the AMTS station before beginning operations. The FCC requires that amateur operators provide written notification including the station's geographic location to the ARRL for inclusion in a database at least 30 days before beginning operations. See Section 97.303(e) of the FCC Rules.
 
70 Centimeters
All Amateurs except Novices: 420.0-450.0 MHz: CW, Phone, Image, MCW, RTTY/Data
 
33 Centimeters
All Amateurs except Novices: 902.0-928.0 MHz: CW, Phone, Image, MCW, RTTY/Data
 
23 Centimeters
Novice class: 1270-1295 MHz: CW, phone, Image, MCW, RTTY/Data (maximum power, 5 watts PEP)
All Amateurs except Novices: 1240-1300 MHz: CW, Phone, Image, MCW, RTTY/Data
 
Higher Frequencies:
All modes and licensees (except Novices) are authorized on the following bands [FCC Rules, Part 97.301(a)]:
 
  • 2300-2310 MHz
  • 2390-2450 MHz
  • 3300-3500 MHz
  • 5650-5925 MHz
  • 10.0-10.5 GHz
  • 24.0-24.25 GHz
  • 47.0-47.2 GHz
  • 75.5-81.0 GHz*
  • 119.98-120.02 GHz
  • 142-149 GHz
  • 241-250 GHz
  • All above 300 GHz
  
* Amateur operation at 76-77 GHz has been suspended till the FCC can determine that interference will not be caused to vehicle radar systems
 
Last Modified: 18-Jun-2007© Berkeley County, SC ARES®
 
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