Amateur Radio Band Plans

The FCC has designated certain frequencies or bands for use by amateur radio stations. These designations have the force of law and must be observed by ham operators. There are, though, several modes of operation that are competing for use of these frequencies. In the case of the VHF and UHF bands, the most common modes are FM simplex and FM repeater, although other modes, such as CW, SSB, and satellite communications, are used. In order to reduce congestion, suggestions have been given that the VHF/UHF bands be subdivided such that various modes have their portion of the bands that are allocated by the FCC. The ARRL has suggested a plan for the division of the FCC bands, and that plan has been modified to yield state-wide band plans. These suggestions do not have the force of law, but observance of the suggestions is helping reduce congestion in the bands.

It is likely that state-wide band plans are published on the Internet (see the Utah plan, for example), and Net Managers usually choose frequencies for their nets that are compatible with the suggested plan for their area.