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guides › Plan a contact › Band plan

weechat-radio:$ Band plan

Where WeeChat Radio sits on each band. Every bar is one band, edge to edge, and the marks are the spots the app suggests: the same list as calling frequencies and wcr help calling.

Check your licence first

You are the control operator. The edges here are the widest allocation the app knows, and your country may allow less. Verify the frequency, mode and power for your licence before you transmit.

How the spots were picked

  • Inside the data or digital part of each band plan, so long data bursts stay out of the voice and CW segments.
  • Next to the busy automated spots (FT8, JS8, APRS) where the plan allows, not on them. 60m and 17m are too small to avoid FT8.
  • One spot per band and region, so stations find each other without agreeing a frequency first.
  • On licence-free bands and CB, channel 1 or the national calling channel: every set can tune it, and people already listen there.
  • Mode follows the radio: USB data on HF and SSB CB, FM on VHF, UHF and FM CB sets, AM where typical CB sets are AM only.

Each band below says why its spot sits where it does.

USB or LSB dataFMAMkeep chat off licence-free bandWW = worldwide

HF

1.8 to 30 MHz. Long-distance bands, plus CB just below 10m.

160m1.800–2.000 MHz

  • 1.838 USB WW hf-poor

Why here Inside the narrow data segment at the bottom of the band, just below FT8 on 1.840. Data is USB here, though voice on this band is LSB.

80m3.500–4.000 MHz

  • 3.580 USB WW hf-poor

Why here In the data segment (3.570–3.600 in Region 1), a few kHz above FT8 on 3.573. Data is USB here, though voice on this band is LSB.

60m5.250–5.450 MHz

  • 5.357 USB WW hf-poor

Why here 60m is a small shared allocation (5.3515–5.3665 worldwide) and 5.357 is where data gathers, FT8 included, so keep overs short. Channels and power limits differ a lot by country.

40m7.000–7.300 MHz

  • 7.045 USB UK/EU hf-poor
  • 7.090 USB US/AU hf-poor

Why here 7.045 is in Region 1’s data segment (7.040–7.050). The Americas and Australia keep data higher (7.080–7.125 in the ARRL plan), so 7.090 there. Both stay clear of FT8 on 7.074. Data is USB, though voice on this band is LSB.

30m10.100–10.150 MHz

  • 10.140 USB WW hf-poor

Why here 30m is for CW and data only. 10.140 is in the data segment (10.140–10.150), just above FT8 on 10.136.

20m14.000–14.350 MHz

  • 14.070 USB WW hf-poor

Why here 14.070 is the traditional start of the data segment, home of PSK31, just below FT8 on 14.074.

17m18.068–18.168 MHz

  • 18.100 USB WW hf-poor

Why here In the data segment. 18.100 is also the FT8 dial, so expect busy neighbours.

15m21.000–21.450 MHz

  • 21.070 USB WW hf-poor

Why here 21.070 is the PSK31 spot in the data segment, just below FT8 on 21.074.

12m24.890–24.990 MHz

  • 24.920 USB WW hf-poor

Why here 24.920 is the PSK31 spot in the data segment, just above FT8 on 24.915.

CB26.330–27.992 MHz

Close up: channels 1 to 40, used in most countries, 26.965–27.405 MHz

UK
  • 27.135 USB CEPT ch 15 hf-poor
  • 27.185 FM CEPT ch 19 vhf-fm
  • 27.781 FM UK ch 19 vhf-fm

Channel 19 is the calling channel on both the CEPT band and the older UK 27/81 band. SSB sets use channel 15, away from it.

EU
  • 27.135 USB ch 15 hf-poor
  • 27.185 FM ch 19 vhf-fm

Channel 19 is the common FM calling and road channel. SSB sets use channel 15, away from it.

DE
  • 26.565 FM ch 41 vhf-fm
  • 26.965 FM ch 1 vhf-fm

Germany has 80 channels. Channel 1 is a common FM calling channel for German speakers; channel 41 starts the extra channels below it.

US/CA
  • 27.185 AM ch 19 vox-safe
  • 27.365 USB ch 36 hf-poor
  • 27.385 LSB ch 38 hf-poor

Channel 19 is the road channel almost every AM set listens to. Sideband sets use 36 (USB) and 38 (LSB, the usual SSB calling channel).

AU
  • 27.085 AM ch 11 vox-safe
  • 27.155 LSB ch 16 hf-poor
  • 27.355 LSB ch 35 hf-poor
  • 27.355 USB ch 35 hf-poor

Channels 11 (AM) and 16 (SSB) are the official calling channels. Channel 35 is where SSB DX contacts gather.

NZ
  • 26.720 LSB 26ch 35 hf-poor
  • 27.085 AM ch 11 vox-safe
  • 27.355 USB ch 35 hf-poor

Channel 11 AM and channel 35 SSB match Australia. NZ also has a 26 MHz band below the common channels, with its own channel 35.

Licence-free. Calling channels differ by country, so each country has its own picks. The full bar covers every regional plan the app knows: NZ 26 MHz, the German extra channels below channel 1, and the UK 27/81 band above.

10m28.000–29.700 MHz

  • 28.120 USB WW hf-poor
  • 29.250 FM WW vhf-fm

Why here 28.120 is in the data area low in the band, clear of FT8 on 28.074. 29.250 is in the segment for data and unattended stations (29.200–29.300), for FM sets.

VHF

30 to 300 MHz. Mostly line of sight, the home of handhelds and FM.

6m50.000–54.000 MHz

  • 50.230 USB WW hf-poor
  • 50.620 FM UK/EU vhf-fm

Why here 50.230 is USB data low in the band, away from MSK144 on 50.260 and FT8 on 50.313. 50.620 is in the digital communications segment (50.500–50.700 in the UK plan), for FM sets.

4m70.000–70.500 MHz

  • 70.488 FM UK/EU vhf-fm

Why here 70.4875 is the UK 4m packet channel. 4m exists only in some countries, mostly in Europe.

2m144.000–148.000 MHz

  • 144.950 FM UK/EU vhf-fm
  • 145.010 FM US vhf-fm
  • 145.530 FM US vhf-fm
  • 146.550 FM AU vhf-fm
  • 144.800 APRS UK/EU keep chat off
  • 144.390 APRS US keep chat off

Why here 144.950 is in Region 1’s digital communications segment, clear of APRS on 144.800. 145.010 is in the US packet segment (144.900–145.100). 145.530 is in the US miscellaneous and experimental segment, away from the 146.520 calling channel. 146.550 is an FM simplex pick for Australia. Keep chat off the APRS channels.

MURS151.800–151.950 MHz

  • 151.820 FM US vhf-fm

Why here Channel 1 of 5, which every MURS radio has. Licence-free in the US.

1.25m222.000–225.000 MHz

  • 223.400 FM US vhf-fm

Why here In the FM simplex range (223.400–223.520), below the 223.500 calling channel. US only.

UHF and up

300 MHz and above. Short range, small antennas, and licence-free PMR446 and FRS.

70cm420.000–450.000 MHz

  • 433.625 FM UK/EU vhf-fm
  • 439.950 FM AU vhf-fm
  • 441.000 FM US vhf-fm

Why here 433.625 is the first of Region 1’s digital communications channels (433.625–433.775). 439.950 and 441.000 are FM picks for Australia and the US; 70cm use varies a lot, so check your local plan.

PMR446446.000–446.200 MHz

  • 446.006 FM UK/EU vhf-fm

Why here Channel 1, which every PMR446 radio has. Licence-free in the UK and Europe.

FRS462.550–462.725 MHz

  • 462.562 FM US vhf-fm

Why here Channel 1, which every FRS radio has. Licence-free in the US and Canada.

23cm1240.000–1300.000 MHz

  • 1296.800 FM WW vhf-fm

Why here Check this one: in the IARU Region 1 plan, 1296.800–1296.994 is for beacons only. In Region 1, pick an FM simplex channel from your national plan instead.

More

The preset under each spot is where to start. On a rough HF path use hf-weak or hf-deep instead of hf-poor. See weak signals.

Stations on different bands still chat through a gateway and the hub. See cross-frequency chat and one group across PMR, CB, 2m and internet.

The same spots as a table: calling frequencies.