Picking a Band

 

160 and 80 Meters

Eighty meters, and its phone neighbor, 75 meters, are favorites for ragchewing. I frequently check out the upper frequencies of the CW subband. There I find both newcomers as well as old-timers trying to work the rust out of their fists. Around 3570 kHz you'll find the digital modes, including RTTY, PSK31 and packet. The QRP frequency is 3560 kHz. If you hear a weak signal calling CQ near 3560, crank down your power and give a call. Another favorite frequency is 3579.5 kHz. If you live in the eastern half of North America, listen for W1AW on 3581.5 (CW), 3597.5 (digital) or 3990 kHz (SSB). W1AW runs 1000 W to a modest antenna — an inverted V at 60 feet. If you can copy W1AW, you can probably work the East Coast, even with low power. AM operation is generally found between 3870 and 3890 kHz.

 

Even if you can't chase DX, you will find plenty to do on either band. Ionospheric absorption is greatest during the day, thus local contacts are common. At night, contacts over 200 miles away are more frequent, even with a poor antenna. Summer lightning storms make for noisy conditions in the summer, while winter is much quieter. You may also be troubled by electrical noise here. A horizontally polarized antenna, especially one as far from buildings as possible, will pick up less electrical noise.

 

Topband, as 160 meters is often called, is similar to 80 meters. QS0s here tend to be a bit more relaxed with less QRM. DX is frequent at the bottom of the band. Don't let the length of a half-wave dipole for 160 keep you off the band; a 25- or 50-foot "long wire" can give you surprisingly good results if a good ground system is available. One favorite trick is to connect together the center conductor and shield of the coax feed line of a 40- or 80-meter dipole and load the resulting antenna as a "T," working it against the station ground.

60 Meters

Unlike other HF amateur bands, 60 meters is channelized. This means that you have to operate on specific frequencies. Amateurs have secondary access to this band. They cannot cause interference to and must ac cept interference from the Primary Government users. Amateurs can transmit CW and PSK31 on the following channel-center frequencies: 5332.0, 5348.0, 5358.5, 5373.0 and 5405.0 kHz. Amateurs can also transmit upper sideband (USB) voice and PACTOR III on the following suppressed carrier frequencies (the frequencies typically shown on transceiver displays): 5330.5, 5346.5, 5357.0, 5371.5 and 5403.5 kHz.

 

Amateurs may transmit with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100 W or less, relative to a half-wave dipole. If you're using a commercial directional antenna, FCC Rules require you to keep a copy of the manufacturer's gain specifications in your station records. If you built the directional antenna yourself, you must calculate the gain and keep the results in your station records.

 

When using a directional antenna, you must take your antenna gain into account when setting your RF output power. For example, if your antenna offers 3 dB gain, your maximum legal output power on 60 meters should be no more than 50 W (50 W plus 3 dB gain equals 100 W ERP). Despite the limitations, it has intriguing potential. The propagation on 60 meters combines the best of 80 and 40 meters.

40 and 30 Meters

I must confess to being biased in favor of these bands, especially 40 meters. If I could have a receiver that covered only one band, it would be 40. Running 10 W from my East Coast apartment (indoor antenna) I can work European hams, ragchew up and down the coast, check into Saturday morning QRP nets, and listen to foreign broadcast stations besides. Yes, 40 is a little crowded. Look at the bright side: You won't be lonely. I think it's possible to work someone on 40 any time of the day or night.

 

In the US, Advanced and Extra licensees have voice privileges starting at 7125 kHz and the General band starts at 7175 kHz. Most other countries have SSB privileges down to 7050 kHz so don't be surprised if you hear voice stations below the US phone band. At night you may hear foreign broadcast stations above 7200 kHz. During the day, they won't bother you much. Forty is a good band for day time mobile SSB operation, too. You'll find plenty of activity, and propagation conditions tend to be stable enough to allow you to ragchew as you roll along.

CW QRPers hang around and above 7030 kHz. Digital operators work around 7080 to 7125 kHz. Hams operating AM are typically around 7290 kHz.

 

The 30 meter band has propagation similar to 40 me ters. Skip distances tend to be a little longer on 30 meters, and it's not so crowded. At present, stations in the US are limited to 200 W output on this band. DX stations seem to like the low end of the band, from 10100 to 10115 kHz. Ragchewers often congregate above 10115. We share 30 meters with other services, so be sure you don't interfere with them. SSB isn't allowed on 30, but you can use CW and the digital modes.

20 Meters

As much as I like 40 and 30 meters, I have many fond memories of 20 meters as well. When I upgraded my license to General in 1963, I made a beeline to 20 meters. To this day, I can't stay away for long. A 20 meter dipole is only 33 feet long, and that doesn't have to be in a straight line. Many US hams have worked their first European or Australian contacts with a dipole and 100 W.

Many hams consider 20 meters the workhorse DX band. At the bottom of a solar cycle, 20 meters may be usable in a particular direction for only a few hours a day. Even then, 20 is usually open to somewhere in the world throughout the day and night. For example, from New England, 20 is open to some part of South America for 24 hours a day, whatever the level of sunspots might be. On the other hand, 20 meters can be open to the Far East for as much as 13 hours of the day (with very weak signals) when sunspot activity is low, while it can be open all day during periods of high solar activity.

 

There's plenty of room on the band. CW ragchewers hang out from 14025 to 14070 kHz, where you start hearing digital stations. The international QRP frequency is 14060 kHz. The sideband part of the band is sometimes pretty busy and then it may be difficult to make a contact with low power or a modest antenna. Look above 14250 for ragchewers. Impromptu discussion groups that sometimes spring up on you. If you like photographs, look around 14230 kHz for slow-scan TV. You'll need some extra equipment (as discussed in the Image Communications chapter of this book) to see the pictures.

17, 15 and 12 Meters

Except during years of high solar activity, you'll do most of your operating during daylight hours. Propagation is usually better during the winter months. Seventeen and 12 meters aren't as crowded as 15 meters. Fifteen, though, is not nearly as crowded as 20. On 15, the QRP calling frequency is 21060 kHz. Don't forget that CW can be found all the way up to 21200 kHz. No special frequencies are used for QRP operation on 17 and 12. SSB operation is much easier on 17 and 12 because of lower activity. Low activity doesn't mean no activity — when those bands are open, you'll find plenty of stations to work. You only need one at a time, after all. Digital operation is found from 21070 to 21110 kHz, and around 18100 and 24920 kHz.

 

Practical indoor, outdoor, mobile or portable antennas for these bands are simple to build and install. It's even possible to make indoor beam antennas for the range of 18 to 25 MHz.

10 Meters

The 10 meter band stretches from 28000 to 29700 Hz. During years of high solar activity, 10 to 25 W trans ceivers will fetch plenty of contacts. When the sun is quiet there are still occasional openings of thousands of miles. Ten meters also benefits from sporadic-E propagation. You'll find most sporadic-E openings in the summer, but they can happen anytime. Sporadic-E openings happen suddenly and end just as quickly. You may not be able to ragchew very long, but you'll be amazed at how many stations you can work.

SSB activity is heaviest in the Novice/Technician sub-band from 28300 to 28500 kHz. The lower end of the band (tune up from the bottom edge) is a good place to look for CW activity, as is the QRP calling frequency at 28060 kHz. You can operate 1200 baud packet radio on 10 meters, whereas we're limited to 300 baud on the lower bands. Digital operation takes place from 28070 to 28120 kHz.

 

Higher in the band, above 29000 kHz, you'll find amateur FM stations and repeaters, and the amateur satellite subband. AM operation is also popular between 29000 and 29200 kHz.

Operating on 50 MHz and Above

The VHF/UHF/microwave bands offer advantages to the low-power operator. The biggest plus is the relatively smaller antennas used. A good-sized 2 meter beam will easily fit in a closet when not in use. Portable and mobile operation on these bands is also easy and fun.

6 Meters

Six meters is perhaps the most interesting amateur Fband.When solar activity is high, worldwide QSOs are common. When solar activity is low, however, opportunities for long-distance communication decrease. Sporadic-E propagation, which I mentioned earlier, is the most reliable DX mode during periods of low solar activity.

 

With small antennas, like three-element beams, it's possible to work 1000 miles on sporadic E. Three-element 6 meter beams don't fit well inside houses or apartments, but you might be able to put one in an attic or crawl space. Even if you can only use a dipole, you'll be able to work locals, and snag some more distant stations when the band opens.

 

Just about any mode found on the HF bands is used on 6 meters. CW and SSB operation take place on the lower part of the band. Higher up you'll find FM simplex and repeater stations. Another mode you'll sometimes find on 6 meters is radio control (RC) of model planes, boats and cars.

2 Meters

Simply stated, 2 meters is the most popular ham band in North America. From just about any point in the US, you can probably work someone on 2 meters, 24 hours a day. Most hams know about 2 meter FM, APRS and packet radio operation, but CW and SSB are used here too. There's even an amateur satellite sub band on 2 meters.

 

CW and SSB operation is done mostly with horizontally polarized antennas. FM and packet operators use vertical polarization, while satellites can be worked with either. A popular 2 meter antenna called a halo is perfect for indoor or mobile use on CW or SSB. The omni-direc tional halo has no gain, but you'll be able to work locals, and up to 100 miles during band openings.

 

FM and packet usually require only a simple vertical antenna. The ARRL Repeater Directory will tell you what repeaters are available in your area. This book lists repeaters in the bands from 29 MHz to 1.2 GHz and above.

The 222 and 430 MHz Bands

Every mode used on 2 meters is found on 222 except satellite communication. The 430 MHz or 70 cm band is second only to 2 meters in VHF/UHF activity. Multiband hand-held and mobile FM transceivers are available at prices only slightly higher than single-band rigs. If you think you'd like to try these bands in addition to 2 meters, look into a multiband rig.

 

One mode you'll find on 70 cm that isn't allowed on the lower frequencies is fast scan amateur television (ATV). Assuming you already have a broadcast TV set, all you need is a receive converter, transmitter, antenna and camera. Inexpensive cameras designed for home video use are fine for ATV. ATV repeaters may be found in larger metropolitan areas. They're listed in the ARRL Repeater Directory.

33 cm (902 MHz) and Up

As you go higher in frequency, the size of antennas gets smaller. This fact allows you to use very high-gain antennas that aren't very big. Commercial equipment is available for the bands through 10 GHz. You'll also find kits (the tuned circuits are etched onto the circuit boards).

 

Because antennas are so small, it's possible to have 20 to 30 dB gain antennas that fit in your car's trunk. In comparison, a big 20 meter beam might offer only 10 dB of gain. Operating from the field with battery-powered equipment is very popular, especially during VHF/UHF/ microwave contests. Thanks to high-gain antennas, contacts over several hundred miles are possible with equipment running 1 or 2 W.

By Jim Kearman, KR1S
Orginally in the ARRL Operating Manual 10 Addition