Strong Signals
Radio Bandplans

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Introduction
With more and more of us buying "communications receivers" due to their added features and flexibility, I've been getting asked a lot about the receive modes and step sizes to use for the various frequency bands.

To help provide such info in a concise manner, I have authored the following bandplan for the United States using information gathered from several resources as well as my own experience.

This is NOT an effort to micro-manage the entire frequency spectrum down to the last kilohertz. I have tried to make this table as small as possible while still relaying useful information to those who need it.

In many cases, the stated step size is not equivalent to the "real" step size but this is specified as such to get around the intricacies of those bands which do not start on an even frequency boundary (offset tuning). For this reason, I have listed the largest common denominator step size that will get the job done without having to micro-manage the most minute band details.

When using this table, keep in mind that some bands use different receive modes and step sizes within that band (like amateur radio). I have tried to select the most prominent attributes to present here and if you wish to learn more about the minute intricacies, you will be on your own!

If you have any thoughts about this table or can provide a similar set of information for your country, please e-mail me and we can work to see that it gets posted here to help out your fellow hobbyists where you live!

Enjoy!

United States Bandplan
Freq Range (MHz) Name/User Mode Step (kHz) Notes
0.10 0.53 Radio navigation AM 5  
0.54 1.71 AM broadcast AM 10 aka Medium Wave
1.72 1.8   AM 5  
1.8 2.0 160 meters LSB 1 AR
2.0 2.3   AM 5  
2.3 2.5 120 meters AM 5  
2.5 3.2   AM 5  
3.2 3.4 90 meters AM 5  
3.4 3.5 HF Aero USB 1  
3.5 4.0 75/80 meters LSB 1 AR
4.0 4.65   AM 5  
4.65 4.75 HF Aero USB 1  
4.75 5.1 60 meters AM 5  
5.1 5.45   AM 5  
5.45 5.73 HF Aero USB 1  
5.73 5.95   AM 5  
5.95 6.2 49 meters AM 5  
6.2 6.52   AM 5  
6.52 6.76 HF Aero USB 1  
6.76 7.0   AM 5  
7.0 7.3 40 meters LSB 1 AR
7.3 8.82   AM 5  
8.82 9.04 HF Aero USB 1  
9.04 9.5   AM 5  
9.5 9.9 31 meters AM 5  
9.9 10.0   AM 5  
10.0 10.1 HF Aero USB 1  
10.1 10.15 30 meters CW 1 AR
10.15 11.18   AM 5  
11.18 11.4 HF Aero USB 1  
11.4 11.65   AM 5  
11.65 12.05 25 meters AM 5  
12.05 13.2   AM 5  
13.2 13.36 HF Aero USB 1  
13.36 14.0   AM 5  
14.0 14.35 20 meters USB 1 AR
14.35 15.01   AM 5  
15.01 15.1 HF Aero USB 1  
15.1 15.6 19 meters AM 5  
15.6 17.55   AM 5  
17.55 17.9 16 meters AM 5  
17.9 18.03 HF Aero USB 1  
18.03 18.07   AM 5  
18.07 18.17 17 meters USB 1 AR
18.17 21.0   AM 5  
21.0 21.45 15 meters USB 1 AR
21.45 21.85 13 meters AM 5  
21.85 22.0 HF Aero USB 1  
22.0 23.2   AM 5  
23.2 23.35 HF Aero USB 1  
23.35 24.89   AM 5  
24.89 24.99 12 meters USB 1 AR
25.99 26.965  AM 5  
26.965 27.405CB AM 10 11 meters
27.5 28   AM 5 Gov, Bus, Unl
28 29.7 10 meters USB 1 AR
29.7 50 VHF-lo FM 10 PS, Gov, Bus
50 54 6 meters FM 10 AR
54 72 VHF TV WFM 50 Ch 2 - 4
72 76 Land Mobile FM 10  
76 88 VHF TV WFM 50 Ch 5 - 6
88.1 107.9 FM Broadcast WFM 200  
108 137 Commercial Aero AM 25  
137 144 Military (Aero) AM 25  
144 148 2 meters FM 5 AR
148 150.8 US Government FM 10  
150.8 156 VHF-hi FM 5 PS, Bus
156 157.425Marine FM 25  
157.45 160.1 VHF-hi FM 5 PS, Bus
160.2 161.6 Railroad FM 5  
161.6 162 Marine FM 5  
162 162.375US Government FM 25  
162.4 162.55 NOAA Weather FM 25  
162.6 174 US Government FM 25  
174 216 VHF TV WFM 50 Ch 7 - 13
216 220 Marine FM 25  
220 222 SMR Land Mobile FM 5  
222 225 1.25 meters FM 10 AR
225 328.6 Military Aero AM 25  
328.6 335.4 Radio Navigation AM 50  
335.4 400 Military Aero AM 25  
400 420 US Government FM 12.5land & space
420 430   FM 12.5Bus, PS, Uti
large metro areas
420 450 70 centimeters FM 12.5AR
450 451 Aux Broadcast FM 12.5 
451 453 Land Mobile FM 12.5Bus, Uti
453 454 Public Safety FM 12.5 
454 455 Mobile Telephone FM 12.5 
455 460 Land mobile FM 12.5low power
460 460.6 Public Safety FM 12.5 
460.6 465 Business FM 12.5 
465 470 Land Mobile FM 12.5low power
470 512 UHF TV WFM 50 Ch 14 - 20
470 512 UHF "T" FM 12.5Bus, PS, Uti
large metro areas
512 806 UHF TV WFM 50 Ch 21 - 69
806 824 Land mobile FM 12.5Trunked low power
824 849 Cellular FM 10 lower power
849 869 Land mobile FM 10 Trunked
869 894 Cellular FM 10 towers
894 896 Aircraft Tele AM 1  
896 901 SMR Land Mobile FM 12.5Bus, low power
901 929 Pers Comm Serv FM 12.5 
929 930 Paging FM 12.5 
930 931 Pers Comm Serv FM 12.5 
931 932 Paging FM 12.5 
932 935 US Government FM 12.5 
935 940 SMR Land Mobile FM 12.5Bus
940 941 Pers Comm Serv FM 12.5 
941 944 US Government FM 12.5 
944 952 Aux Broadcast FM 12.5 
952 960 Mult Addr Sys FM 12.5paging
960 1215 Aero Navigation FM 25  
1215 1240 GPS Satellites FM ?  
1240 1300 23 centimeters FM 10 AR
1300 1350 Aero Navigation FM 25  
1350 1400 US Government FM ?  
Notes:
  • AR = Amateur Radio
  • Bus = Business
  • Gov = US Government
  • PS = Public Safety (police, fire, EMS, highway)
  • Unl = Unlicensed (pirate stations, etc.)
  • Uti = Utilities (power, gas, electric, phone)
    • Large Metro Areas consist of:
  • Boston, MA
  • Chicago, IL
  • Cleveland, OH
  • Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
  • Detroit, MI
  • Houston, TX
  • Los Angeles, CA
  • Miami, FL
  • New York, NY
  • Philadelphia, PA
  • Pittsburgh, PA
  • San Francisco, CA
  • Washington, DC

    • Thanks To The Following For Their Help On This Page

  • Harold Coley, KD4UXQ
  • Jeff Pryor
  • Jon Rice, KC8FMR
  • Mike Failing
  • Rick Premble, W4RP

    • Copyright © 2001 by Richard J. Wells Return to Home Page