 |
Frequencies |
--0.003=--------(3kHz)----------- |
VLF,LF: Mobile, Fixed, Navigation, DGPS, Time Signals (20,25,50,60,66.6,75kHz)
Enormous wavelengths are very useful for penetrating rock (cave to surface - molephones) and
the oceans (for submarines) but the antennas need to be rather large, or magnetic loops.
0.009 UK Thunderstorm detection system, airborne and ground based
0.0102 ex Omega hyperbolic fix Nav. (& 11.05 & 11.33 & 13.6 kHz) ** ceased sep.97 **
0.016 ex GBR, Rugby. A BT service, closed 31.mar.2003
0.060 MSF British Time signal
0.070...ex Decca Nav. purple slaves, to 72kHz (5f) Llancarfan
0.073 ex UK Ham 4km band ( 71.6= - 74.4= kHz) ** UK only, 1996 until 30.jun.2003 **
0.084=..ex Decca Nav. masters, to 86= kHz (6f) Bolberry Down (f=14.046666.)
0.100 NELS Loran-C Navigation. 4MW pulsed. Loophead,Lessay,Sylt,Soustons (90 - 110)
0.112...ex Decca Nav. red slaves, to 117.6kHz (8f) Jersey
0.126...ex Decca Nav. green slaves, to 129kHz (9f) St.Marys
0.13347 Mobile data service (& 146.705 kHz)
0.13675 Ham 2km band (135.7= - 137.8= kHz)
--0.1485=--------------------- |
0.153.. LW AM Broadcasting to 0.279 - 9kHz channels (ITU Region1) + some Nav. (NDB)
153 Germany, Romania, Algeria
162 France (FSK data), Turkey 165 to 190kHz is 1800m band in NZ (5W ERP max)
171 Russia, Morocco, possible future Dutch "Delta 171"
177 Germany
183 Germany
189 Italy
198 UK BBC Radio 4 (FSK data) Droitwich, Burghead & Westerglen
used to be 200kHz(1500m) until Feb 1st 1988... ex BBC R2 ex Light Programme ex National Prog.
207 Germany, Morocco
216 France, Norway - English language 1200kW Christian format
225 Poland, spare UK INR allocation
234 Luxembourg, Russia
243 Denmark
252 EIRE TeamTalk 252 (25/2/02) ex Atlantic 252), Algeria
261 Moscow
270 Czech
279 Belarus, and soon: MusicMann 279 (Isle of Man)
--0.2835=------------------- |
Marine/Aero Navigation (NDB beacons) + Maritime Mobile (CW)
0.495-0.510 USA: experimental CW/PSK Amateur band 600m
0.500 Calling, Distress (CW)
0.518 Navtex, (& 490 & 4209.5 kHz)
--0.5265=----MF----------- |
0.531.. MW AM Broadcasting, to 1.602 - 9 kHz channels (to 1.700 in USA, 10kHz ch)
--kHz-- UK band plan:
558 ILR Spectrum (London), ex Pirates e.g. Laser 558
585 BBC regional (Scotland)
603 local (BBC/ILR)
630 BBC local (2)
648 National BBC World Service
657 BBC local (2)
666 local (BBC/ILR)
693 National BBC R5
720 some BBC R4
729 BBC local (1)
738 BBC local (low power)
756 local (BBC mainly)
765 BBC local (1)
774 local (mainly BBC - some R4)
792 local (BBC/ILR) (2)
801 BBC local (1)
810 BBC regional (Scotland)
819 local (BBC/ILR)
828 local (BBC/ILR)
837 BBC local
855 local (BBC/ILR)
873 BBC local
882 BBC regional (Wales)
909 National BBC 5
936 ILR (2)
945 ILR (2), University inductive loops
954 ILR (2)
963 ILR (2), University inductive loops
990 local (BBC/ILR)
999 local (BBC/ILR) + University/Hospital Radio loops
1017 ILR
1026 local (BBC/ILR)
1035 local (BBC/ILR)
1053 INR3 Talk Radio UK
1089 INR3 Talk Radio UK
1107 ILR + INR3 Talk Radio
1116 local (BBC/ILR)
1125 BBC regional (Wales)
1143 CFA tests, 11/2000, Wooferton
1152 ILR
1161 local (BBC/ILR)
1170 ILR
1197 fill-in INR2 Virgin
1215 INR2 Virgin (once "Virgin 1215")
1233 fill-in INR2 Virgin
1242 local (ILR/INR2 Virgin)
1251 ILR (1)
1260 local (BBC/ILR/INR2 Virgin)
1269 RSL Brands Hatch
1278 ILR + RSL
1287 RSL
1296 National BBC World Service
1305 ILR
1323 local (BBC/ILR) + ex RSL
1332 local (BBC/ILR)
1341 BBC regional (Ulster)
1350 RSL (Hospital RSL)
1359 local (BBC/ILR)
1368 local (BBC/ILR)
1377 ILR (1)
1386 RSL
1404 RSL
1413 local (BBC/ILR/RSL)
1431 ILR
1440 ex The Great 208 - Radio Luxembourg (MW closed 30.dec.1991) started 1933, LW, moved 1439 2.jul.1951
1449 BBC local (some BBC R4)
1458 local BBC/ILR)
1476 ILR
1485 local (BBC/BBC R4/ILR)
1494 RSL Tooting
1503 local (BBC/RSL)
1521 local (BBC/ILR) 1520 was Radio Caroline (started 28 Mar 1964)
1530 local (BBC/ILR)
1548 local (BBC/ILR)
1557 local (BBC/ILR)
1566 RSL
1575 RSL
1584 local (BBC/ILR)
1602 RSL
1611 used elsewhere, but out-of-band
--1.6065=----------------------- |
MF "Fixed & Mobile" - Maritime / Land / Aero(OR)
1.642...Cordless phones (CT0 base), to 1782 (8x 20kHz FM),
handsets duplex at 47.456-47.543 MHz (12.5kHz spacing, 6.25 offsets)
Channel 7 (1762) may use 47.531 or 47.444
To be phased out. No new equipment after apr.2005
Handsets on 1690, 1710, 1730, 1750, 1770 may be unapproved USA gear (base 49.86-49.93)
Amateur Radio 160m "Top Band" (1.81-2.0) shared (SSB used is mainly LSB below 10MHz)
1.6 to 3.8MHz mostly known for maritime use (intership, trawler chat etc)
(3kHz SSB channels 1635-1797 and 2053-2153?)
UK "Fishphone" Coastal Radio Stations (BT) all closed by 30.jun.2000
used 25 paired channels :
Alpha 2751 2006 Shetland via Wick ex Norwick
Bravo 2841 2277 Shetland via Wick, ex Norwick
Charlie 2604 2013 Shetland via Wick, ex Norwick
Delta 1659 2084 Shetland via Wick, ex Norwick
Echo 2705 2524 Wick
Foxtrot 1797 2060 Wick
Golf 1755 2099 Wick
Hotel 2625 2108 Wick
India 1856 2555 Stonehaven
Juliet 1650 2075 Stonehaven
Kilo 1946 2566 Stonehaven
Lima 2607 1999 Stonehaven
Mike 3617 3249 Stonehaven
November 1731 2527 Cullercoats
Oscar 2828 1953 Cullercoats
Papa 3750 2123 Cullercoats
Quebec 1925 2105 Humber
Romeo 2684 2002 Humber
Sierra 2810 2562 Humber
Tango 2698 2016 Stonehaven
Uniform 2628 2009 Niton
Victor - Not Assigned
Whisky 2782 2111 Land's End
X-Ray 3610 2120 Land's End
Yankee 1710 2135 Portpatrick
Zulu 1866 2534 Hebrides via Stonehaven
Coastguards working channels & Maritime Safety Info Broadcasts - cruising.org.uk/RYA
1641, 1743, 1767, 1770, 1869, 1880, 1883, 1925, 2226, 2596, 2670, 2691, 2719
2.182 Calling, Distress (Coastguards)
--2.85=----HF----------------- |
the "real shortwave bands"!
mobile, fixed, military, ISM, SRD
o AM Broadcasting
Tropical bands around 2.4 MHz (120 metres), 3.3 MHz (90 metres) and 5 MHz (60 metres)
kHz Bands (as used by the BBC) :
3950= - 4000= 75 metres
5900= - 6200= 49 metres +5875
7100= - 7350= 41 metres (7200-7450 from 29.mar.2009)
9400= - 9900= 31 metres +9915
11600= - 12050= 25 metres +12095
13570= - 13870= 22 metres
15100= - 15800= 19 metres +15070
17480= - 17900= 16 metres
18900= - 19020 15 metres SSB broadcasting after 2007 )
21450= - 21850= 13 metres
25600= - 26100= 11 metres
Band boundaries are often ignored by broadcasters trying to get a clear channel
Pirates, typically abused areas :
3880 - 4000 76 metres
5700 - 5900 52 metres
6200 - 6400..48 metres (very popular)
6940 - 6955 43 metres (USA main - SSB)
7395 - 7555 42 metres
9180 - 9400 32 metres (experimental)
11400 - 11600 25 metres
15025 - 15835 19 metres
o Amateur Radio
160m ( 1.81- 2.0) shared (SSB mainly LSB) (1920s)
80m ( 3.5 - 3.8) shared (SSB mainly LSB) (1920s)
40m ( 7.0 - 7.1) primary (SSB mainly LSB) (1920s)
& ( 7.1 - 7.2) shared (SSB mainly LSB) from 31.oct.2004 (primary 29.mar.2009 - WRC-03)
30m (10.1 - 10.15) shared (SSB not recommended) (WARC 1979)
20m (14.0 - 14.35) primary (1920s)
16.5m (18.068-18.168) primary (WARC 1979)
15m (21.0 - 21.45) primary (1940s)
12m (24.89- 24.99) primary (WARC 1979)
10m (28.0 - 29.7) primary (1920s)
Note: the original bands were harmonically related 1.8, 3.6, 7, 14, 28 (ex 56 band!) etc
56m ( 5.25- 5.4) Proposed new USA band
UK 'Fivemegs' NoV experiments (Aug 2002, for 4 years) 3kHz channels centered:
5260 1st Working Ch FA speech USB: 5258.5
5280 2nd Working Ch FB cw / narrow data
5290 3rd Working Ch FC wide data / speech
5400 Primary Calling Channel FE nets/calling
5405 Secondary Calling Channel FM calling only
USA: 5332, 5348, 5368, 5373, 5405 (centers) 3.jul.2003
o Standard Frequency references, and Time signals
at 2.5, 5.0 (Rugby), 10.0 (Rugby), 15.0, 20.0, 25.0 etc.
o Maritime
Bands :
4063= - 4438= kHz
6200= - 6525=
8195= - 8815=
12230= - 13200=
16360= - 17410=
18780= - 18900=
19680= - 19800=
22000= - 22855=
25070= - 25210=
26100= - 26175=
Note the "even MHz" 2,4,6,8,12,16,18 etc (& 0.5 is a quarter of 2!)
whereas Aero has the "odd MHz" 3,5,9,11,13,15 etc.
SSB (3kHz SSB channels) :
kHz
2182 Calling, Distress
2046+ 2049 intership
2053+ 2056 intership
2241 British intership
2246 British intership
2301 British intership
4000- 4060 shared with Fixed Service chs 1-21
4146+ 4149 intership 4B & 4C (4125=4A)
4357- 4435 shore chs 401- 427 ( -292kHz split: 4065- 4143) 4417/ 4125 calling
6224- 6230 intership 6A,6B,6C
6501- 6522 shore chs 601- 608 ( -301kHz split: 6200- 6221) 6516/ 6215 calling
8101- 8191 shared with Fixed Service chs 1-31
8291 ch 833 GMDSS
8294+ 8297 intership 8A & 8B
8364 SAR
8707- 8716 chs 834-837
8719- 8812 shore chs 801- 832 ( -524kHz split: 8195- 8288) 8779/ 8255 calling
12353-12365 intership
13077-13197 shore chs 1201-1241 ( -847kHz split: 12230-12350) 13137/12290 calling
16528-16546 intership
17242-17407 shore chs 1601-1656 ( -882kHz split: 16360-16525) 17302/16420 calling
18825-18843 intership
19755-19797 shore chs 1801-1815 ( -975kHz split: 18780-18822) 19770/18795 calling
22159-22177 intership
22696-22852 shore chs 2201-2253 ( -696kHz split: 22000-22156) 22756/22060 calling
25100-25118 intership
26145-26172 shore chs 2501-2510 (-1075kHz split: 25070-25097) 26172/25097 calling
12359 Herb VAX498 (nr Toronto) 20:00 - 22:00 UTC
o Aeronautical R or ER (En-Route on fixed airways; so mainly civil) (3kHz SSB channels)
kHz
2851- 3019 NATS: 2872, 2899, 2971, 3016 (Ireland)
3401- 3497 NATS: 3413 (VolMet), 3476 BT: 3482
4651- 4696 NATS: 4675
5481- 5676 NATS: 5505 (VolMet), 5598, 5616, 5649 BT: 5610, 5670 (Rugby) Speedwing: 5535 (Cove)
6526- 6682 NATS: 6622 BT: 6634 +EC!
8816- 8960 NATS: 8831, 8864, 8879, 8891, 8906, 8957 (VolMet) BT: 8960
10006-10096
11276-11396 NATS: 11279, 11336 BT: 11306
13261-13357 NATS: 13264 (VolMet), 13291, 13306
17901-17967 NATS: 17946
21925-21997
o Aeronautical OR (Off-Route; so mainly military) (3kHz SSB channels)
Watch for "Airfield colour states" every hour at the same minutes past the hour.
Volmet weather info broadcasts are easy to find...
kHz
3023 - 3152 3023 SAR (night) and up to 3230= ?
3800 - 3950
4700= -4995= +CCF
5450= -5480= 5450 RAF VolMet
5680 GMDSS SAR (day)
5684 - 5726 5711
6685 - 6763 6739
8965 - 9037 9031 "On-the-hour" and H+30 "Architect"
11175 -11271 11175 is the "triple 1" calling channel 11253 RAF VolMet
13200 -13257
15010 -15097
17970 -18027
21870=-21924= Fixed
23200=-23350=
o Sounding - investigating the ionospheric conditions by sweeping 2 to 30MHz every
5 minutes (100kHz per second). A chirp hits 7MHz at about 2:28 into each 5 minute segment
kHz
3155= -3400= Fixed + Land & Sea Mobile
4000= -4063= Fixed + Sea Mobile (4000-4060 USB, ch1-21)
4438= -4650= Fixed + all Mobile +CCF
5005= -5450= Fixed + Land & Sea Mobile +CCF
5730= -5950= Fixed + Land & Sea Mobile
6765= -7000= Fixed + Land Mobile (6.78 ISM : 6.765-6.795, half of 13.56)
7300= -8100= Fixed + Land Mobile
8100= -8195= Fixed + Maritime Mobile (8101-8191 USB, ch1-31)
9040= -9500= Fixed
9900= -9995= Fixed
10150=-11175= Fixed + Land & Sea Mobile
11400=-11700= Fixed
12050=-12230= Fixed
13360=-13600= Fixed + all Mobile (13.56 ISM : 13.533-13.587)
13800=-14000= Fixed + all Mobile + EC!
14350=-14990= Fixed + all Mobile
15600=-16360= Fixed
17410=-17550= Fixed
18030=-18068= Fixed
18168=-18780= Fixed + Land & Sea Mobile
18900=-19680= Fixed (18.9 to 19.02 broadcasting after 2007)
19800=-19990= Fixed
20010=-21000= Fixed + all Mobile
21750=-21870= Fixed
22855=-23000= Fixed
23000=-23200= Fixed + all Mobile
23350=-24890= Fixed + Land Mobile
25010=-25070= Fixed + Land Mobile
25210=-25550= Fixed + Land & Sea Mobile
25550=-25600= Radio Astronomy
o Cadets - CCF etc.
CCF (Combined Cadet Force)
Equipment they use tends to read 2kHz higher - 5330 etc.
2273
2413
2768
3848
4029
4363 middle of a Maritime SSB channels section
4443
4453 - 4498 4478 4953
4918 - 4995 4973 calling, 4918 4921 4953
5300 - 5346 5328 5343 calling
6913
7708
7751 data
Sea Cadets (Sunday mornings)
6992 RL25 and RL22 6806
RAF Cadets (Sunday 10-13 hrs, Tues & Fri 1930)
3236 B3
3615 A7,B7 3678 A6 3715 B6 3752 C6
4610 A1 4782 B2 4925 B1
5245 C1 5770 A2,C2 5792 C4
7450 A5 7740 A4,B4
o Unlicensed pirate pseudo-hams.
"Echo Charlie" band at 6.6MHz has been around for decades.
They argue that little real harm is done on the unused civil aero channels, but a lot of
channels ARE used, especially between 6600 and 6635. Of the hundreds of stations active,
some do venture down as far as 6530 but "most don't really go below 6635" has been heard.
International flight control may be affected. There may be a dozen or more QSOs at any time!
kHz (approx)
3430 - 3500 86 or 85m, LSB/USB calling 3475 LSB much aero use... SAR on 3488 etc.
6530 - 6700 45 metres, LSB/USB calling 6670 LSB Italy 6660 Sweden 6685 military above 6682!
12105 -12256 22 metres, USB 12.105 12.13 12.16
13630 -14000 21 metres, USB/LSB calling 13970 USB 13995? much data use, but not all the time
18010 -18050 16 metres, USB/LSB calling 18030 USB stay above 18030, it's military aero below!
20900 -20980 14 metres, USB/LSB calling 20930 USB I'd stay below 20960, if I were you.
26185 -28000 11 metres, USB/LSB calling 27555 USB CB "Freeband" Also known as "Triple Nickle"
--26.175=-------------------- |
Fixed & Mobile (not aero)
The use of HF spectrum as we know it changes near 26.1MHz, where usage becomes more
like VHF/6 metres - services intended to be local, rather than long-distance.
26 (25?!!) to 28 MHz littered with freeband unofficial CB channels. (+Callsigns)
26.185..CB freeband Lo-Lo channels 11-40, to 26.505 (mid band - 2 x 450kHz) 26285 calling
26.3125.unapproved French cordless phones 15 x 25kHz, to 26.4875 (handsets +15: 41.3125-41.4875)
26.330..New Zealand CB 1-40, to 26.770 (mid band -635kHz) calling 26.5 (ch 15)
26.225 Paging to 26.9325= 25kHz STH Paging 26.835 & 26.92
26.25 JFMG talkback (simp) 12.5kHz 20W, and 26.35, 26.45
26.515..CB freeband Lo channels 1-40, to 26.955 (mid band - 1 x 450kHz)
Allowed in Hungary AM/FM 4W mobile, 1W base - and SSB 12 or 3W
26.565..German CB ch.s 41-80, to 26.955 (straight 10kHz sequence)
26.87 ..future SSB CB, to 26.96 (provisional plans)
o C.B Radio Frequencies
26.615 - 27.995fm see CB Frequency Chart 27.78125 UK C.B Calling Channel (Ch 19)
o Amateur 10m band 28 to 29.7= primary CW,USB,Satellite,FM
28.3... Voice... (and other modes)
29.3... Satellite, to 29.5=
29.51.. FM, to 29.69 10kHz simplex or Repeaters (split: -0.1) 10 or 20kHz
Various parts of these channels used for repeaters in different regions
with the remaining channels used for simplex.
29.51.. repeater inputs or simplex, to 29.59
29.6 simplex calling
Region 1 Region 2 Region 3
EU/Africa/CIS Americas Australia/East
29.61 simplex 1
29.62 simplex 2 1 (20kHz)
29.63 simplex 3
29.64 simplex * 4 2 (20kHz) * GB3CJ (20kHz)
29.65 simplex 5
29.66 RH1 6 3 (20kHz)
29.67 RH2 7
29.68 RH3 8 4 (20kHz)
29.69 RH4 9
___________________________________________________________________________________