From news.cs.tut.fi!news.funet.fi!news.tele.fi!uunet!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!zip.eecs.umich.edu!yeshua.marcam.com!charnel.ecst.csuchico.edu!nic-nac.CSU.net!g9153402 Mon Oct 3 18:50:39 EET 1994 Article: 37227 of rec.radio.shortwave Path: news.cs.tut.fi!news.funet.fi!news.tele.fi!uunet!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!zip.eecs.umich.edu!yeshua.marcam.com!charnel.ecst.csuchico.edu!nic-nac.CSU.net!g9153402 From: g9153402@huey.csun.edu (Berton Corson) Newsgroups: rec.radio.scanner,rec.radio.shortwave Subject: The Radio Spectrum - 3rd Revision Date: 1 Oct 1994 00:20:58 GMT Organization: None Lines: 217 Message-ID: <36ia1a$fuf@nic-nac.CSU.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: huey.csun.edu X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] Xref: news.cs.tut.fi rec.radio.scanner:13979 rec.radio.shortwave:37227 OK. Here is my third revision of this list, as astute readers showed me some more minor errors. But remember, I intended this to be an approxi- mate guide, maybe to just paste on the wall to refer to as you are scanning the frequencies. It isn't (and can't) be some extensive guide to frequency locations, like the book Police Call. Have fun, Berton Corson Northridge, California THE RADIO SPECTRUM ------------------ This is an approximate look, to help in searching frequencies on a scanner or shortwave radio. Just be aware, having the right frequency may not be enough, in tuning to a certain frequency. The time of day, atmospheric conditions, location, mode you're in (AM, SSB, Narrowband FM, Wideband FM, etc.), and your equipment, are also equally important. You'll find most transmissions are broadcasted in Narrow- band FM. Some main exceptions are shortwave (AM & SSB), commercial AM radio (AM), commercial FM radio (Wideband FM), television (Wideband FM), citizens band radio (AM & SSB), aeronautical communications (mostly AM), and some military VHF/UHF (Wideband FM). Most all scanners will pick a default mode for you, depending on what frequency band you are in. But many scanners also let you manually switch between modes (AM, FM, etc.) and frequency search spacing (5 khz, 12.5 khz, etc.) if the default modes are not correct. Happy Listening!!! FREQUENCY USES/SERVICES (in Megahertz unless otherwise indicated) ------------------------ ---------------------------------------------- 10 - 150 khz Military/government, submarine (.01 - .15 MHz) communications. 150 - 535 khz Longwave Band, beacons, foreign broadcasts, (.15 - .535 MHz) maritime. 535 - 1700 khz Your standard AM radio dial. (.535 - 1.7 MHz) 1.7 - 30 Shortwave/High Frequency Band. Broadcasting, two-way government, military and commercial communications, amateur radio, CB radio (approx. 27 MHz), others. Shortwave - Approx. Range Meter Band 1.8 - 2.0 160* 2.3 - 2.495 120 3.2 - 3.4 90 3.5 - 4.0 80* 3.9 - 4.0 75 4.75 - 5.06 60 5.9 - 6.2 49 7.0 - 7.3 40* 7.1 - 7.35 41 9.4 - 9.9 31 10.1 - 10.15 30* 11.6 - 12.1 25 13.57 - 13.87 22 14.0 - 14.35 20* 15.1 - 15.8 19 18.068 - 18.168 17* 17.48 - 17.9 16 18.9 - 19.02 15 21.0 - 21.45 15* 21.45 - 21.75 13 24.89 - 24.99 12* 25.6 - 26.1 11 28.0 - 29.7 10* (In general, the lower shortwave frequencies are received better during the night, while higher frequencies are re- ceived better during the day. There are also some amateur radio bands between many of these shortwave bands(*). Consult a shortwave guide for more detailed information.) 30 - 50 Very High Frequency Band. Government, business, walkie-talkies. Also, cordless phones and 'baby monitors' found about 46 - 49 MHz. 50 - 54 Amateur radio 6 meter band. 54 - 72 TV Channels 2-4. Channel 2 Audio (Wideband FM) 59.75 Channel 3 Audio (Wideband FM) 65.75 Channel 4 Audio (Wideband FM) 71.75 72 - 76 Manufacturing, remote control, eavesdropping bugs, etc. 76 - 88 TV Channels 5-6. Channel 5 Audio (Wideband FM) 81.75 Channel 6 Audio (Wideband FM) 87.75 88 - 108 Your standard FM radio dial. 108 - 136 Aeronautical communications (AM). 136 - 138 Satellites. 138 - 144 Military communications. 144 - 148 Amateur radio 2 meter band. 148 - 150.8 Military use. 150.8 - 174 Business, highway, law enforcement, government, weather, maritime. 174 - 216 TV Channels 7-13. Channel 7 Audio (Wideband FM) 179.75 Channel 8 Audio (Wideband FM) 185.75 Channel 9 Audio (Wideband FM) 191.75 Channel 10 Audio (Wideband FM) 197.75 Channel 11 Audio (Wideband FM) 203.75 Channel 12 Audio (Wideband FM) 209.75 Channel 13 Audio (Wideband FM) 215.75 216 - 220 Maritime and aeronautical. 220 - 222 Land mobile communications. 222 - 225 Amateur radio. 225 - 400 Military aviation and space. 400 - 406 Military and government. 406 - 420 U.S. Government. 420 - 450 Amateur radio. 450 - 470 Ultra High Frequency Band. Business, industry, military, fire, government. 470 - 512 TV Channels 14-20, shared with law enforcement. 512 - 824 TV Channels 21-69, others. 824 - 849 Cellular telephones (receivers/handsets). 849 - 851 Aeronautical telephones (ground-based towers). 851 - 866 Business, public safety, trunked systems. 866 - 869 Public safety, law enforcement, trunked systems. 869 - 894 Cellular telephones (towers). Note: Even though listening to cellular telephone calls is technically illegal in the United States, one will usually do better listening to calls on the tower frequencies, as opposed to the handset frequencies. This is because most cellular phones transmit less than one-watt of output. So unless the cellular phone is very close to you, you will have much more luck scanning the more powerful towers, which transmit/receive for each cell site. 894 - 896 Aeronautical telephones (handsets). Note: In scanning airplane telephones, you will usually do better listening to the handset frequencies, instead of the tower frequencies, unless you are very near a ground transmitter. But, in any event, call traffic heard on handset frequencies is very scant. 896 - 901 Private land mobil units. 902 - 928 Land mobile, amateur radio, personal communi- cation units, cordless telephones. 928 - 932 Radio paging. 935 - 940 Business radio. 941 - 944 Government and non-government fixed services. 944 - 952 Broadcasters' studio-to-transmitter links. 952 - 960 Private fixed services, paging. 960 - 1240 Aeronautical navigation. 1240 - 1300 Amateur radio. 1300 - 1350 Aeronautical navigation. 1350 - 1400 Radio location. 1400 - 1427 Radio astronomy. 1427 - 1429 Point-to-point, mobile, space. 1429 - 1660.5 Various satellite transmission uses. 1660.5 - 1668.4 Radio astronomy. 1668.4 - 1700 Meteorological aids. 1700 - 1850 Meteorological satellites, U.S. Government. 1850 - 1990 Fixed point-to-point, microwave. 1990 - 2110 Broadcast studio-to-transmitter links. (end)