20-meter band
The 20-meter or 14-MHz amateur radio band is a portion of the shortwave radio spectrum, comprising frequencies stretching from 14.000 MHz to 14.350 MHz.[1] The 20-meter band is widely considered among the best for long-distance communication (DXing), and is one of the most popular—and crowded—during contests.[2] Several factors contribute to this, including the band's large size, the relatively small size of antennas tuned to it (especially as compared to antennas for the 40-meter band or the 80-meter band) and its good potential for daytime DX operation even in unfavorable propagation conditions.[3]
History
The 20-meter band was first made available to amateurs in the United States by the Third National Radio Conference[4] on October 10, 1924. The band was allocated on a worldwide basis by the International Radiotelegraph Conference[5] in Washington, D.C., on October 4, 1927. Its frequency allocation was then 14000–14400 kHz. The allocation was reduced to 14000–14350 kHz. by the International Radio Conference of Atlantic City, New Jersey 1947.[6]
Band plans
IARU Region 1
Europe, Africa, Middle East and Northern Asia[7]
20 meters | 14000-14070 | 14070-14099 | 14099-14101 | 14101-14350 |
---|---|---|---|---|
IARU Region 1 | ||||
IARU Region 2
The Americas[7]
20 meters | 14000-14070 | 14070-14099 | 14099-14101 | 14101-14350 |
---|---|---|---|---|
IARU Region 2 | ||||
IARU Region 3
Asia-Pacific[7]
20 meters | 14000-14070 | 14070-14099 | 14099-14101 | 14101-14112 | 14112-14350 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
IARU Region 3 | |||||
United States
Effective 12:01 a.m. EST, February 23, 2007
20 m | 14000 - 14350 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
14000 14025 | 14025 14150 | 14150 14175 | 14175 14225 | 14225 14350 | |
General | |||||
Advanced | |||||
Extra |
Canada
Canada[8] is part of region 2 and as such is subject to the IARU band plan. Radio Amateurs of Canada offers the bandplan below as a recommendation for use by radio amateurs in that country but it does not have the force of law and should only be considered a suggestion or guideline.
License class | 14.000–14.070 | 14.070-14.095 | 14.095-14.0995 | 14.0995-14.1005 | 14.1005-14.112 | 14.112-14.350 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Basic(+), Advanced |
Key
= CW only | |
= CW, narrow band digital ( <= 500 Hz ) | |
= CW, narrow band digital ( <= 500 Hz ), wide band digital | |
= CW, RTTY and data (US: < 1 kHz Bandwidth) | |
= Beacons | |
= CW, phone | |
= CW, narrow band digital ( <= 500 Hz ), phone | |
= CW, phone and image |
References
- ↑ "Frequency Allocations". Arrl.org. 2012-03-05. Archived from the original on 2010-03-14. Retrieved 2012-10-29.
- ↑ Picking a band. The ARRL Operating Manual, 8th Edition (Steve Ford, Ed.):1-15.
- ↑ "Propagation of RF Signals". The ARRL Handbook For Radio Communications (82nd ed.). American Radio Relay League. 2005. p. 20.4. ISBN 0-87259-928-0.
- ↑ "Recommendations for Regulation of Radio: October 6-10, 1924". Earlyradiohistory.us. Archived from the original on 2012-10-13. Retrieved 2012-10-29.
- ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2014-03-08. Retrieved 2014-07-06.
- ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2014-07-15. Retrieved 2014-07-06.
- 1 2 3 "IARU Regions". www.iaru.org. International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-11-27. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
Range | Band | ITU Region 1 | ITU Region 2 | ITU Region 3 |
---|---|---|---|---|
LF | 2200 m | 135.7 kHz – 137.8 kHz | ||
MF | 630 m | 472 kHz – 479 kHz | ||
160 m | 1.810 MHz – 1.850 MHz | 1.800 MHz – 2.000 MHz | ||
HF | 80 / 75 m | 3.500 MHz – 3.800 MHz | 3.500 MHz – 4.000 MHz | 3.500 MHz – 3.900 MHz |
60 m | 5.3515 MHz – 5.3665 MHz | |||
40 m | 7.000 MHz – 7.200 MHz | 7.000 MHz – 7.300 MHz | 7.000 MHz – 7.200 MHz | |
30 m[w] | 10.100 MHz – 10.150 MHz | |||
20 m | 14.000 MHz – 14.350 MHz | |||
17 m[w] | 18.068 MHz – 18.168 MHz | |||
15 m | 21.000 MHz – 21.450 MHz | |||
12 m[w] | 24.890 MHz – 24.990 MHz | |||
10 m | 28.000 MHz – 29.700 MHz | |||
VHF | 6 m | 50.000 MHz – 52.000 MHz[x] | 50.000 MHz – 54.000 MHz | |
4 m[x] | 70.000 MHz – 70.500 MHz | N/A | ||
2 m | 144.000 MHz – 146.000 MHz | 144.000 MHz – 148.000 MHz | ||
1.25 m | N/A | 220.000 MHz – 225.000 MHz | N/A | |
UHF | 70 cm | 430.000 MHz – 440.000 MHz | 430.000 MHz – 440.000 MHz (420.000 MHz – 450.000 MHz)[y] | |
33 cm | N/A | 902.000 MHz – 928.000 MHz | N/A | |
23 cm | 1.240 GHz – 1.300 GHz | |||
13 cm | 2.300 GHz – 2.450 GHz | |||
SHF | 9 cm | 3.400 GHz – 3.475 GHz[y] | 3.300 GHz – 3.500 GHz | |
5 cm | 5.650 GHz – 5.850 GHz | 5.650 GHz – 5.925 GHz | 5.650 GHz – 5.850 GHz | |
3 cm | 10.000 GHz – 10.500 GHz | |||
1.2 cm | 24.000 GHz – 24.250 GHz | |||
EHF | 6 mm | 47.000 GHz – 47.200 GHz | ||
4 mm[y] | 75.500 GHz[x] – 81.500 GHz | 76.000 GHz – 81.500 GHz | ||
2.5 mm | 122.250 GHz – 123.000 GHz | |||
2 mm | 134.000 GHz – 141.000 GHz | |||
1 mm | 241.000 GHz – 250.000 GHz | |||
THF | Sub-mm | Some administrations have authorized spectrum for amateur use in this region; others have declined to regulate frequencies above 300 GHz, leaving them available by default. | ||
[w] HF allocation created at the 1979 World Administrative Radio Conference. These are commonly called the "WARC bands". | ||||
See also: Radio spectrum, Electromagnetic spectrum |