US Amateur Radio Band Plan
Official USA amateur radio frequency allocations from HF through SHF. Privileges shown by license class — Technician, General, and Amateur Extra. All frequencies in MHz unless noted. Want to know what's actually open right now? Check Best Band Right Now for live conditions by license class.
📡 HF Bands (160m – 10m)
| Band | Frequency Range | Privileges | Primary Modes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 160m | 1.800 – 2.000 MHz | ExtraGeneral | CW, Phone, Data | Shared with other services. Low-noise antennas help. Good for NVIS. |
| 80m | 3.500 – 4.000 MHz | ExtraGeneralTech (CW only) | CW, Phone, Data | Extra: 3.500–4.000 · General: 3.525–4.000 (CW), 3.800–4.000 (Phone) |
| 60m | 5 channels (USB) | General+ | USB Phone, CW, Data | 5 specific channels: 5.332, 5.348, 5.3585, 5.373, 5.405 MHz. Max 100W ERP. |
| 40m | 7.000 – 7.300 MHz | ExtraGeneralTech (CW only) | CW, Phone, Data | Extra: 7.000–7.300 · General: 7.025–7.300 (CW), 7.175–7.300 (Phone) |
| 30m | 10.100 – 10.150 MHz | General+ | CW, Data | No phone. Shared with fixed services. Max 200W PEP. Popular for WSPR/FT8. |
| 20m | 14.000 – 14.350 MHz | ExtraGeneral | CW, Phone, Data | The most popular DX band. Extra: 14.000–14.350 · General: 14.025–14.350 (CW), 14.225–14.350 (Phone) |
| 17m | 18.068 – 18.168 MHz | General+ | CW, Phone, Data | WARC band — no contests. Excellent propagation. General: 18.068–18.168. |
| 15m | 21.000 – 21.450 MHz | ExtraGeneralTech (CW only) | CW, Phone, Data | Extra: 21.000–21.450 · General: 21.025–21.450 (CW), 21.275–21.450 (Phone) |
| 12m | 24.890 – 24.990 MHz | General+ | CW, Phone, Data | WARC band — no contests. Opens well during solar maximum. |
| 10m | 28.000 – 29.700 MHz | ExtraGeneralTech (28.000–28.500) | CW, Phone, Data, FM | Technicians have full phone privileges 28.300–28.500. FM segment: 29.500–29.700 MHz. |
📡 VHF Bands
| Band | Frequency Range | Privileges | Key Frequencies | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6m | 50.000 – 54.000 MHz | All Classes | 52.525 FM Calling · 50.125 SSB Calling | Magic Band. Technicians have full privileges. Sporadic-E propagation in summer. |
| 2m | 144.000 – 148.000 MHz | All Classes | 146.520 FM Calling · 144.200 SSB Calling · 144.390 APRS | Most popular VHF band. Repeaters typically –600 kHz offset. Technicians have full privileges. |
| 1.25m | 219.000 – 225.000 MHz | All Classes | 223.500 FM Calling | Less commonly used. Repeaters –1.6 MHz offset. Some older radios don't cover this band. |
📡 UHF Bands
| Band | Frequency Range | Privileges | Key Frequencies | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70cm | 420.000 – 450.000 MHz | All Classes | 446.000 FM Calling · 432.100 SSB Calling · 144.390 APRS (linked) | Second most popular band. Repeaters typically –5 MHz offset. Shared with government radiolocation. |
| 33cm | 902.000 – 928.000 MHz | All Classes | 906.500 FM Calling | Shared with ISM devices (spread spectrum). Good for local links and ATV. |
| 23cm | 1240.000 – 1300.000 MHz | All Classes | 1294.500 FM Calling | Shared with other services. Popular for weak signal, ATV, and EME experimentation. |
📡 SHF & EHF Bands
| Band | Frequency Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 13cm | 2300 – 2310 MHz · 2390 – 2450 MHz | All classes. Shared with ISM. Popular for ham ATV and microwave experimentation. |
| 9cm | 3300 – 3500 MHz | All classes. Shared with government radiolocation. Narrow allocation. |
| 5cm | 5650 – 5925 MHz | All classes. Segments shared with government and ISM. Active weak-signal community. |
| 3cm | 9000 – 9500 MHz (segment) | All classes. Limited amateur allocation within this range. |
| 1.2cm | 24.000 – 24.050 GHz · 24.050 – 24.250 GHz | All classes. Active EME and microwave contest band. |
| 6mm+ | 47 GHz · 76 GHz · 122 GHz · 241 GHz | All classes. Experimental microwave allocations. Specialized equipment required. |
📞 Key Calling Frequencies — Quick Reference
3.985 — 80m SSB calling
7.200 — 40m SSB calling
14.225 — 20m SSB calling
21.300 — 15m SSB calling
28.400 — 10m SSB calling
3.500 — 80m CW calling
7.000 — 40m CW calling
14.000 — 20m CW calling
21.000 — 15m CW calling
28.000 — 10m CW calling
52.525 — 6m FM calling
146.520 — 2m FM calling ★
223.500 — 1.25m FM calling
446.000 — 70cm FM calling ★
906.500 — 33cm FM calling
50.125 — 6m SSB calling
144.200 — 2m SSB calling
222.100 — 1.25m SSB calling
432.100 — 70cm SSB calling
1296.100 — 23cm SSB calling
144.390 — 2m APRS (NA)
14.070 — 20m PSK31
14.074 — 20m FT8 ★
7.074 — 40m FT8
3.573 — 80m FT8
146.520 — 2m national simplex
156.800 — Marine Ch. 16 (monitor)
14.300 — 20m Maritime Mobile Net
7.290 — 40m emergency
3.985 — 80m emergency
Band plan data sourced from ARRL and FCC Part 97. Frequency allocations are subject to change — always verify with the ARRL Band Plan for the most current information. Technician privileges on HF are limited — see ARRL for full privilege details by class.