Level 3 · Lesson 3.2

HF bands and band plans

Jimmy Bob, a friendly cartoon mountain man in a trucker cap and overalls

“Every band has its own personality. Twenty is the daytime socializer and eighty is the night owl.”

You'll be able to

describe the HF bands, General privileges, and band plans.

General licensees can use most of the amateur HF spectrum from 160 to 10 meters. 20 meters is the workhorse for daytime DX, 40 and 80 meters are best for regional contacts in the evening, and 10 meters comes alive near solar maximum. are voluntary agreements on where CW, digital, and voice operate within each band. The 30, 17, and 12 meter bands, called , are not used for contests by long-standing convention.

Tap an underlined word for its meaning.

Try it

On-air activity

a band-plan puzzle placing CW, digital, and phone segments on 20 meters.

This one happens on the air in The Shack, which opens in a later phase.

Quick check

Get 2 of 3 right to complete the lesson.

1. Which bands are the WARC bands?
2. The daytime DX workhorse band is…
3. Band plans are…

Words from this lesson

PhoneSub-band