PRO-2035 1000-Channel Programmable Home Scanner
(200-0460)                   Action Bands              Faxback Doc. # 16916

United States Broadcast Bands

In the United States, there are several broadcast bands.  The standard AM
and FM bands are probably the most well known, and you can monitor the FM
band on the scanner.  There are also four television audio broadcast bands
- the lower three transmit on the VHF band and the fourth transmits on the
UHF band.  You can monitor all three of the VHF bands and the UHF band.

              Frequency Range               Allocation

             54.0 -  72.00 MHz            VHF Television
             76.0 -  88.00 MHz            VHF Television
             88.0 - 108.00 MHz            Standard FM
            174.0 - 216.00 MHz            VHF Television
            470.0 - 805.75 MHz            UHF Television

International Broadcast Bands

Several shortwave bands are allocated for international broadcasting
because of the nature of propagation of high frequencies.  The bands are
sometimes identified according to the approximate wavelength of the signals
in meters.

              Frequency Range             Band
                 (in MHz)              (in meters)

              25.60 - 26.10                 11

Typical Band Usage 

HF Band (3.00-30.0 MHz)

   Mid Range, Citizens Band ....................... (25.00 - 28.00 MHz)
   10-Meter Amateur ............................... (28.00 - 29.70 MHz)

VHF Band (30.00-300.0 MHz)

   Low Range ...................................... (29.70 - 50.00 MHz)
   6-Meter Amateur ................................ (50.00 - 54.00 MHz)
   FM-TV Audio Broadcast, Wide Band ............... (54.00 - 72.00 MHz)
   Land Mobile Service ............................ (72.00 - 76.00 MHz)
   FM-TV Audio Broadcast, Wide Band ............... (76.00 - 88.00 MHz)
   FM Radio Broadcast, Wide Band ................. (88.00 - 108.00 MHz)
   Aircraft ..................................... (108.00 - 136.98 MHz)
   U.S. Government .............................. (137.00 - 144.00 MHz)
   2-Meter Amateur .............................. (144.00 - 148.00 MHz)
   High Range ................................... (148.00 - 174.00 MHz)
   FM-TV Audio Broadcast, Wide Band ............. (174.00 - 216.00 MHz)
   New Mobile Narrow Band ....................... (220.00 - 222.00 MHz)
   1 1/4-Meter Amateur .......................... (222.00 - 225.00 MHz)
   Military Aircraft ............................ (225.00 - 287.80 MHz)
  
UHF Band (300.00 MHz-3.0 GHz)

   Military Aircraft ............................ (311.00 - 384.00 MHz)
   U.S. Government .............................. (406.00 - 450.00 MHz)
   70-Centimeter Amateur ........................ (420.00 - 450.00 MHz)
   Low Range .................................... (450.00 - 470.00 MHz)
   FM-TV Audio Broadcast, Wide Band ............. (470.00 - 806.00 MHz)
   Public Service ............................... (806.00 - 823.98 MHz)
   Conventional Systems ......................... (851.00 - 856.00 MHz)
   Conventional/Trunked Systems ................. (856.00 - 861.00 MHz)
   Trunked Systems .............................. (861.00 - 866.00 MHz)
   Public Safety ................................ (866.00 - 869.00 MHz)
   High Range ................................... (894.01 - 902.00 MHz)
   33-Centimeter Amateur ........................ (902.00 - 928.00 MHz)
   Private Trunked .............................. (935.00 - 940.00 MHz)
   General Trunked .............................. (940.00 - 941.00 MHz)
   Fixed Services ............................... (941.00 - 944.00 MHz)
   Studio-to-Transmitter Broadcast Links ........ (944.00 - 952.00 MHz)
   Private Fixed Services, Paging ............... (952.00 - 960.00 MHz)
   Aeronautical Navigation ..................... (960.00 - 1240.00 MHz)
   23-Centimeter Amateur ...................... (1240.00 - 1300.00 MHz)

Primary Usage

As a general rule, most of the radio activity is concentrated on the
following frequencies:

VHF Band

             Activities                      Frequencies

   Government, Police, and Fire          153.785 - 155.980 MHz
   Emergency Services                    158.730 - 159.460 MHz
   Railroad                              160.000 - 161.900 MHz

UHF Band

             Activities                      Frequencies

   Land-Mobile Paired Frequencies        450.000 - 470.000 MHz

    Base Stations                        451.025 - 454.950 MHz
    Mobile Units                         456.025 - 459.950 MHz
    Relay Repeater Units                 460.025 - 464.975 MHz
    Remote Control Stations              465.025 - 469.975 MHz

NOTE:  Remote control stations and mobile units operate at 5 MHz higher
       than their associated base stations and relay repeater units.

FREQUENCY CONVERSION

The tuning location of a station can be expressed in frequency (kHz or MHz)
or in wavelength (meters).  The following information can help you make the
necessary conversions.

1 MHz (million)=1,000 kHz (thousand)

To convert MHz to kHz, multiply by 1,000.
(9.62 MHz x 1000 = 9620 kHz)

To convert from kHz to MHz, divide by 1,000.
(2780 kHz divided by 1000 = 2.780 MHz)

To convert MHz to meters, divide 300 by the number of megahertz.
(300 divided by 7.1 MHz = 42.25 meters)