Characteristics of the HF Radio Bands

 

10 Meters (28.000-29.700 MHz)

The year 2007 will most likely mark the beginning of a new 11-year sunspot cycle. Right now, were at the "solar minimum," and 10 meters is not the DX band it will be in four or five years. Even so, there are DX opportunities even now, mostly on a north-south path. Ten meters is generally a daytime band, "waking up" just after sunrise and "going to sleep" soon after it gets dark.

Exception: during peak sunspot times, 10 meters sometimes stays open late into the night, offering some of the most exciting DX you can dream up.

 

12 Meters (24.890-24.990 MHz)

The 12-meter band, like 10 meters, offers tremendous opportunities to work stations worldwide during sunspot peaks, but without the crowding you sometimes find on 10. Although this band has been part of the ham frequency pool for some 20 years, few users actually have dedicat­ed 12-meter antennas, creating a "level playing field" for most stations. And there's not a single serious DXpedition that doesn't cross paths with this band, making it the place that many people work rare operations for the first time.

 

15 Meters (21.000-21.450 MHz)

The 15-meter band is a great alterna­tive to 10 or 12 meters. Displaying simi­lar propagation characteristics to its 10 meter cousin, 15 tends to open a little earlier and stay active a little later at night, with worldwide conditions possi­ble around the clock during sunspot peaks. Even at the bottom of the cycle, though, 15 offers regular DX openings worldwide. You just have to work a little harder to catch them!

 

17 Meters (18.068-18.168 MHz)

Conveniently situated between 15 and 20 meters, this band affords the advan­tages of both bands-long band openings and support for worldwide communica­tions. Like its sister band, 12 meters, there's less QRM with good DX possible by using just an 80-meter dipole and an antenna tuner! Serious DXers have worked well over 300 countries on the band, which opens worldwide throughout the sunspot cycle. If you think it's excit­ing to hear Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific at the same time, 17 meters is the place to be.

 

20 Meters (14.000-14.350 MHz)

Over the years, 20 meters has been the yeoman band. Even at the bottom of the sunspot cycle, 20 always allows for com­munication across the country or the world. It's the most crowded DX band right now (and will be until 15 and 10 return from the solar doldrums), but there's little that's more exciting than talking to a Pacific Rim station "over the pole" in the morning, or experiencing a wide open band to Europe in the middle of the night.

 

30 Meters (10.100-10.150 MHz)

This 50-kHz slice of spectrum is the only ham band that is limited exclusively to CW and data operation. Although it shares some low band characteristics (i.e., higher band noise, weaker long dis­tance signals, etc.), the 200-watt power limitation on all stations affords tremen­dous DXing opportunities for those with­out amplifiers. Because of these limita­tions, 30 meters is often overlooked by other hams, making for small pile-ups (at times) with even the rarest of stations. And if you're just looking for a friendly QSO with someone in another state, 30 meters can be your friend for that, too.

 

40 Meters (7.000-7.300 MHz)

As we head south on the frequency chart, 40 meters can offer fascinating HF operating opportunities. During daylight hours, 40 meters is a great band for com­municating up to 1500 miles; while at night, the band comes alive with DX, although you'll have to slug it out with international broadcasters on the voice segment. Check out the band around your local sunrise and sunset-the best times to work faraway stations with modest antennas. And, remember that top DXers have worked over 300 coun­tries on this band!

 

60 Meters (5 Channels at 5 MHz)

This newest HF band is restricted to SSB only, on five discrete channels (see the frequency guide for specifics). It is shared with federal government users, who have priority. Propagation is similar to 80 meters, up to about 300 miles dur­ing the day, about 1000 miles around sunrise and sunset, and up to 3000 miles at night. But this is a ham band in very few places outside the U.S., so DX opportunities are limited.

 

80 Meters (3.500-4.000 MHz)

This band is the best for working your local friends, especially at night. While you may be fooled by the sounds of a dead band during daylight hours, 80 meters comes alive at night. And don't be lulled into thinking that this is a only a "locals" band. While the challenge is greater (especially with noisy summer­time conditions), DXing is quite popular on this band, even with just a dipole! Winter nights are the best, especially during the low years of a solar cycle, with worldwide propagation available.

 

160 Meters (1.800-2.000 MHz)

Mostly used for local nighttime QSO’s, 160 meters-also known as "top band" is a band filled with tradition. Over the past 30 years, it has been a proving ground for serious DXers who have risen to the challenge of working weak signal DX in the most difficult of conditions. It's best at solar minimum in the winter.