In order to celebrate the recent Amateur Radio Day for the 3,000,000 amateur radio operators, the enthusiasts, and more. . .

Amateur Radio

Amateur radio is and was essentially the first style of radio, coming from its roots of being “free radio”. But with every type of freedom comes responsibility, so some licensing is required in order to emit radio waves, unless they are in designated zones of the radio frequency, and at low enough wattage. Any other type of radio transmission is regulated heavily by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). With that licensing, you will be assigned a station name, just like any other radio station (municipal, police or other radio as well), and that station name (call letters, numbers) are just like any other American station, starting with an A, K, N, and W as callsign prefixes, and now also with two letter prefixes AA to AL. Here is a chart showing the regular transmission of amateur radio throughout the U.S. airwaves:

U.S. Amateur Radio Bands Allocations
4160 METERS
General Advanced Extra CW, RTTY, Data, SSB (Phone), Image 1.800- 2.000 MHz
Amateur station operating at 1.900-2.000 MHz must not cause harmful interference to the radio location service and are afforded no protection from radiolocation operations.
Considerate Operator’s Frequency Guide
1.800-1.830 CW, data and other narrow band modes.
1.810 QRP CW calling frequency.
1.830-1.840 CW, data and other narrow band modes, intercontinental QSOs only.
1.840-1.850 CW; SSB, SSTV and other wideband modes, intercontinental QSOs only
1.850-2.000 CW; phone, SSTV and other wideband modes
1.910 QRP SSB calling frequency.
80 METERS
Novice Tech w/5wpm CW Only 3.675 – 3.725 MHz
General CW, RTTY, Data SSB (Phone), CW, Image 3.525 – 3.750 MHz 3.850 – 4.000 MHz
Advanced CW, RTTY, Data SSB (Phone), CW, Image 3.525 – 3.750 MHz 3.775 – 4.000 MHz
Extra CW, RTTY, Data SSB (Phone), CW, Image 3.500 – 3.750 MHz 3.750 – 4.000 MHz
5.167.5 MHz (SSB Only): Alaska emergency use only.
Considerate Operator’s Frequency Guide
3.560 QRP CW calling frequency.
3.590 RTTY DX.
3.580-3.620 Data.
3.620-3.635 Automatically controlled data stations.
3.710 QRP Novice/Technician CW calling frequency.
3.790-3.800 DX window.
3.845 SSTV.
3.885 AM calling frequency.
3.985 QRP SSB calling frequency.
40 METERS
Novice Tech w/5wpm CW Only 7.100 – 7.150 MHz
General* CW, RTTY, Data SSB (Phone), CW, Image 7.025 – 7.150 MHz 7.225 – 7.300 MHz
Advanced* CW, RTTY, Data SSB (Phone), CW, Image 7.025 – 7.150 MHz 7.150 – 7.300 MHz
Extra* CW, RTTY, Data SSB (Phone), CW, Image 7.000 – 7.150 MHz 7.150 – 7.300 MHz
* Phone operation is allowed on 7.025 – 7.100 MHz in Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and areas of the Caribbean south of 20° north latitude; and in Hawaii and areas near ITU Region 3, including Alaska.
Considerate Operator’s Frequency Guide
7.040 RTTY DX; QRP CW calling frequency.
7.080-7.100 Data.
7.100-7.105 Automatically controlled data stations.
7.110 QRP Novice/Technician CW calling frequency.
7.171 SSTV.
7.285 QRP SSB calling frequency.
7.290 AM calling frequency.
30 METERS
General CW, RTTY, Data 10.100 – 10.150 MHz
Advanced CW, RTTY, Data 10.100 – 10.150 MHz
Extra CW, RTTY, Data 10.100 – 10.150 MHz
Maximum power on 30 meters is 200 watts PEP output. Amateurs must avoid interference to the fixed service outside the US.
Considerate Operator’s Frequency Guide
10.106 QRP CW calling frequency.
10.130-10.140 Data.
10.140-10.150 Automatically controlled data stations.
20 METERS
General CW, RTTY, Data SSB (Phone), CW, Image 14.025 – 14.150 MHz 14.225 – 14.350 MHz
Advanced CW, RTTY, Data SSB (Phone), CW, Image 14.025 – 14.150 MHz 14.175 – 14.350 MHz
Extra CW, RTTY, Data SSB (Phone), CW, Image 14.000 – 14.150 MHz 14.150 – 14.350 MHz
Considerate Operator’s Frequency Guide
14.060 QRP CW calling frequency.
14.070-14.095 Data.
14.095-14.0995 Automatically controlled data stations.
14.100 NCDXF/IARU beacons.
14.100-14.112 Automatically controlled data stations.
14.230 SSTV.
14.285 QRP SSB calling frequency.
14.286 AM calling frequency.
17 METERS
General Advanced Extra CW, RTTY, Data SSB (Phone), CW, Image 18.068 – 18.110 MHz 18.110 – 18.168 MHz
Considerate Operator’s Frequency Guide
18.100-18.105 Data.
18.105-18.110 Automatically controlled data stations.
15 METERS
Novice Tech w/5wpm CW Only 21.100 – 21.200 MHz
General CW, RTTY, Data SSB (Phone), CW, Image 21.025 – 21.200 MHz 21.300 – 21.450 MHz
Advanced CW, RTTY, Data SSB (Phone), CW, Image 21.025 – 21.200 MHz 21.225 – 21.450 MHz
Extra CW, RTTY, Data SSB (Phone), CW, Image 21.000 – 21.200 MHz 21.200 – 21.450 MHz
Considerate Operator’s Frequency Guide
21.060 QRP CW calling frequency.
21.070-21.100 Data.
21.090-21.100 Automatically controlled data stations.
21.340 SSTV.
21.385 QRP SSB calling frequency.
12 METERS
General Advanced Extra CW, RTTY, Data SSB (Phone), CW, Image 24.890 – 24.930 MHz 24.930 – 24.990 MHz
Considerate Operator’s Frequency Guide
24.920-24.925 Data.
24.925-24.930 Automatically controlled data stations.
10 METERS
Novice Tech w/5wpm CW, RTTY, Data SSB (Phone), CW 28.100 – 28.300 MHz 28.300 – 28.500 MHz
General Advanced Extra CW, RTTY, Data SSB (Phone), CW, Image 28.000 – 28.300 MHz 28.300 – 29.700 MHz
Novices and Technicians are limited to 200 watts PEP output on 10 meters.
Considerate Operator’s Frequency Guide
28.060 QRP CW calling frequency.
28.070-28.120 Data.
28.120-28.189 Automatically controlled data stations.
28.190-28.225 Beacons.
28.385 QRP SSB calling frequency.
28.680 SSTV.
29.000-29.200 AM.
29.300-29.510 Satellite downlinks.
29.520-29.580 Repeater inputs.
29.600 FM simplex.
29.620-29.680 Repeater outputs.
6 METERS
Novice Tech w/5wpm Tech No Code General Advanced Extra CW, RTTY, Data, MCW, Test, SSB (Phone), Image CW Only 50.1 – 55.0 MHz 50.0 – 50.1 MHz
No Miscellaneous Information Available
2 METERS
Novice Tech w/5wpm Tech No Code General Advanced Extra CW, RTTY, Data, MCW, Test, SSB (Phone), Image CW Only 144.1 – 148.0 MHz 144.0 – 144.1 MHz
No Miscellaneous Information Available
1.25 METERS
Novice Tech w/5wpm Tech No Code General Advanced Extra CW, RTTY, Data, MCW, Test, SSB (Phone), Image 222.0 – 225.0 MHz
Novices are limited to 25 watts PEP output from 222 to 225 MHz.
70 CENTIMETERS
Novice Tech w/5wpm Tech No Code General Advanced Extra CW, RTTY, Data, MCW, Test, SSB (Phone), Image 420.0 – 450.0 MHz
No Miscellaneous Information Available

Radio

Radio is technology of modulating, signaling and/or communicating using a radio wave, which is an electromagnetic waves in the low frequency just above the sound wave between 30 kHz and 300 GHz. The electronic wave is generated by a transmitter connected to an antenna which radiates the wave, and tuned by a radio tuner connected to a receiving antenna. Radio is used in communication, television, radar, navigation, remote controls, remote sensing and other variety of other applications. In the whole spectrum of energy, it all starts on the low end with

  • Sound/resonance waves
  • Radio waves
  • Microwaves

Then the spectrum turns to rays as the perpendicular lines start to radiate in conjunction with the wave-fronts of the actual light or ray, and that points in the direction of the energy flow Leading into:

  • Infrared rays
  • Visible light rays
  • Ultraviolet rays
  • X-rays
  • Gamma rays
  • Cosmic rays

The Electromagnetic Spectrum – Radio Placement
 Non-Iodizing Radiation
Force
Field
Frequency
Wavelength
Static
Static Electricity
0 Hz
—
Low Frequency
Traction Current
.3 to 30 Hz
10 million to 18,000 km
Low Frequency
Alternating Current (6,000 km=Municipal Electricity)
60 Hz
18,000 to 10 km
RF
Radio & Television
30 kHz and 3 GHz
10 km to 100 mm
RF
Microwaves
3 GHz to 300 GHz
10 mm to 1 mm
RF
Terahertz Waves
300 GHz to 3 THz
1 mm to 100 μm
Thermal
Infrared Waves
3 THz to 300 THz
100 μm to 1 μm
Visible
Visible Light
Violet: 380–450 nm (688–789 THz)
Blue: 450–495 nm
Green: 495–570 nm
Yellow: 570–590 nm
Orange: 590–620 nm
Red: 620–750 nm (400–484 THz)
300 THz to 315 Hz
1 μm to 100 nm
Iodizing Radiation
UV
Ultraviolet Light
315 Hz to 317 Hz
100 nm to 1 nm
Ionization
X-rays
317 Hz to 318 Hz
1 nm to 100 pm
Ionization
Gamma Rays
318 Hz to 320 Hz
100 pm to 1 pm
Ionization
Cosmic Rays (Hard Gamma Rays)
Over 320 Hz
Over 1 pm

Future of Amateur Radio

This is the biggest and most trying time for amateur radio. Every time you turn around, more and more bandwidth is given up and reassigned to provide a different service, in these technological times. I recommend making sure that your right to free radio is maintained. Write your Congress individual to keep them informed that there are a following of constituents who want amateur radio to stay on the air and a viable option for the constituents. I have always loved all radio, including amateur radio. My hope is that radio can continue for the next generation and beyond . . .

History of Radio

You are able to visit my web post concerning the history of radio to check out the beginning years, all the way through to the present days, and even some tips and pointers concerning radio contesting:

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white-and-black-music-mixer-164746 amateur_radio_1683154327.jpeg Pixabay at Pexels

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National Amateur Radio Day

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