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Ham Bands & Calling
29 entriesUS amateur radio band edges, national calling frequencies, repeater offsets and common activity centers. License required to transmit (Technician / General / Extra).
| Name / Channel | Frequency (MHz) | Mode / Notes | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 160m band | 1.800–2.000 | CW/SSB(LSB) | 'Top band.' Regional NVIS by day, long-range at night. General/Extra. |
| 80m band | 3.500–4.000 | CW/Digital/SSB(LSB) | Reliable regional night coverage; backbone of statewide traffic nets. Tech: CW 3.525–3.600. |
| 60m channels | 5330.5 · 5346.5 · 5357.0 · 5371.5 · 5403.5 kHz | USB · 100W ERP | Five channelized USB frequencies (dial shown) shared with federal users. General/Extra. |
| 40m band | 7.000–7.300 | CW/Digital/SSB(LSB) | The do-everything band — regional by day, continental at night. Tech: CW 7.025–7.125. |
| 30m band | 10.100–10.150 | CW/Digital only | No voice; CW & digital only, 200 W max. General/Extra. |
| 20m band | 14.000–14.350 | CW/Digital/SSB(USB) | Premier worldwide DX band, open by day. General/Extra. |
| 17m band | 18.068–18.168 | CW/Digital/SSB(USB) | Quieter 20m-like WARC band. No contests. General/Extra. |
| 15m band | 21.000–21.450 | CW/Digital/SSB(USB) | Great DX when the sun cooperates. Tech: CW 21.025–21.200. |
| 12m band | 24.890–24.990 | CW/Digital/SSB(USB) | WARC band, similar to 10m propagation. |
| 10m band | 28.000–29.700 | CW/Digital/SSB/FM | Technicians get SSB voice 28.300–28.500 (200 W) — the Tech HF phone window. FM & repeaters above 29.5. |
| 6m band | 50–54 | All modes | 'The Magic Band' — sporadic-E openings make it jump from local to 1,500 mi. All classes. |
| 2m band | 144–148 | All modes | The most-used ham band: repeaters, simplex, satellites, APRS. All classes. |
| 1.25m band | 222–225 | All modes | US-regional band; quiet and effective. Novice+ up. |
| 70cm band | 420–450 | All modes | UHF workhorse: repeaters, satellites, ISS uplinks. All classes. |
| 33cm band | 902–928 | All modes | Shared with ISM/Part 15 devices; experimenter territory. |
| 23cm band | 1240–1300 | All modes | Microwave gateway band: FM, ATV, EME. Calling 1294.5 FM. |
| 2m FM calling | 146.520 | FM simplex | National FM simplex calling frequency ('five-two'). |
| 70cm FM calling | 446.000 | FM simplex | National UHF FM simplex calling frequency. |
| 6m FM calling | 52.525 | FM simplex | National 6m FM simplex calling frequency. |
| 1.25m FM calling | 223.500 | FM simplex | National 1.25m FM simplex calling frequency. |
| 2m SSB calling | 144.200 | USB | 2m weak-signal SSB/CW calling frequency (horizontal antennas). |
| 6m SSB calling | 50.125 | USB | 6m SSB DX calling frequency. |
| 70cm SSB calling | 432.100 | USB | 70cm weak-signal calling frequency. |
| 10m FM calling | 29.600 | FM simplex | 10m FM simplex calling; repeater outputs 29.62–29.68. |
| Repeater offsets | 2m ±600 kHz · 70cm ±5 MHz | Standard | Standard US repeater shifts: 10m −100 kHz · 2m ±600 kHz (minus below 147, plus above) · 1.25m −1.6 MHz · 70cm ±5 MHz (regional). GMRS +5 MHz. |
| QRP calling (CW) | 3.560 · 7.030 · 14.060 · 21.060 · 28.060 | CW | QRP (≤5 W) CW calling frequencies by band. |
| QRP calling (SSB) | 3.985 · 7.285 · 14.285 · 21.385 · 28.885 | SSB | QRP SSB calling frequencies by band. |
| AM calling | 3.885 · 7.290 · 14.286 · 29.000 | AM | Common AM ('boat anchor') activity frequencies. |
| SSTV | 14.230 · 7.171 · 3.845 · 28.680 | USB/LSB | Slow-scan television activity centers; 14.230 is the busiest. |