PRO-24 (200-0503) Broadcast Bands Faxback Doc. # 5704 In the United States, there are several broadcast bands. The standard AM and FM bands are probably the most well known. There are also four television audio broadcast bands, and you can monitor this part of the UHF band. Frequency Range Allocation 470.0-512.0 MHz UHF Television Typical Band Usage HF Band................................................. (3.00 - 30.0 MHz) 10 - Meter Amateur.....................................(29.00 - 29.70 MHz) High Range.............................................(29.70 - 29.90 MHz) VHF Band.............................................. (30.00 - 300.0 MHz) Low Range..............................................(30.00 - 50.00 MHz) 6 - Meter Amateur......................................(50.00 - 54.00 MHz) Aircraft.............................................(108.00 - 136.97 MHz) U.S. Government......................................(137.00 - 144.00 MHz) 2 - Meter Amateur....................................(144.00 - 148.00 MHz) High Range...........................................(148.00 - 174.00 MHz) UHF Band............................................(300.00 MHz - 3.0 GHz) 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 - 512.00 MHz) Public Service.......................................(806.00 - 823.93 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 - 868.93 MHz) High Range...........................................(696.11 - 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 Peging........................(952.00 - 956.00 MHz) Primary Usage As a general rule, most of the radio activity is concentrated on the following frequencies: VHF Band Government, Police and Fire..........................153.785 - 155.980 MHz Emergency Services...................................158.730 - 159.460 MHz Railroad.............................................160.000 - 161.900 MHz UHF Band 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. Specified Intervals Frequencies in different bands are accessible only at specific intervals. For example: Band Type............................Specified Interval VHF, HAM, and Government................5.0 kHz steps All Others..............................12.5 kHz steps Aircraft................................25.0 kHz steps Note: Your scanner automatically rounds the entered frequency up to the closest valid frequency. For example, if you try to enter 151.473, your scanner accepts it as 151.475. BAND ALLOCATION To help decide which frequency ranges to scan, see this list of the typical services that use the frequencies your scanner receives. These frequencies are subject to change, and might vary from area to area. For a more complete listing, refer to the "Police Call Radio Guide including Fire and Emergency Services," available at your local Radio Shack store. Abbreviations AIR...............................................................Aircraft BIFC.....................................Boise (ID) Interagency Fire Cache BUS...............................................................Business CAP.......................................................Civil Air Patrol CB...........................................................Citizens Band CCA.........................................................Common Carrier CSB...................................................Conventional Systems CTSB..........................................Conventional/Trunked Systems FIRE.......................................................Fire Department HAM....................................................Amateur (Ham) Radio GOVT....................................................Federal Government GMR...................................................General Mobile Radio GTR........................................................General Trunked IND....................................................Industrial Services (Manufacturing, Construction, Farming, Forest Products) MAR.................................................Military Amateur Radio MARI................................................Maritime Limited Coast (Coast Guard, Marine Telephone, Shipboard Radio, Private stations) MARS.......................................Military Affiliate Radio System MED.............................................Emergency/Medical Services MIL..........................................................U.S. Military MOV..........................................Motion Picture/Video Industry NEW......................................................New Mobile Narrow NEWS.....................................Relay Press (Newspaper reporters) OIL.................................................Oil/Petroleum Industry POL......................................................Police Department PUB........................................................Public Services (Public Safety, Local Government, Forestry Conservation) PSB..........................................................Public Safety PTR........................................................Private Trunked ROAD............................................Road & Highway Maintenance RTV.......................................Radio/TV Remote Broadcast Pickup TAXI.........................................................Taxi Services TELB......................................................Mobile Telephone (Aircraft, Radio Common Carrier, Landline companies) TELC.......................................................Cordless Phones TELM.................................................Telephone Maintenance TOW.............................................................Tow Trucks TRAN...............................................Transportation Services (Trucks, Tow Trucks, Buses, Railroad, Other) TSB........................................................Trunked Systems TVn..................................................FM-TV Audio Broadcast USXX.................................................Government Classified UTIL...............................................Power & Water Utilities WTHR...............................................................Weather High Frequency (HF) 3 MHz - 30 MHz) 10 - Meter Amateur Band..............................(28.0 - 29.7 MHz) 29.000 - 29.700....................................................HAM Very High Frequency (VHF) - (30 MHz - 300 MHz) Low Band................................(29.7 - 50 MHz.in 5 kHz steps) 29.700 - 29.790....................................................IND 29.900 - 30.550..............................................GOVT. MIL 30.580 - 31.980...............................................IND. PUB 32.000 - 32.990..............................................GOVT. MIL 33.020 - 33.980..........................................BUS. IND. PUB 34.010 - 34.990..............................................GOVT. MIL 35.020 - 35.980....................................BUS. PUB. IND. TELM 36.000 - 36.230..............................................GOVT. MIL 36.250..............................................Oil Spill Clean up 36.270 - 36.990..............................................GOVT. MIL 37.020 - 37.980...............................................PUB. IND 38.000 - 39.000..............................................GOVT. MIL 39.020 - 39.980....................................................PUB 40.000 - 42.000.........................................GOVT. MIL MARI 42.020 - 42.940....................................................POL 42.960 - 43.180....................................................IND 43.220 - 43.680.........................................TELM. IND. PUB 43.700 - 44.600...................................................TRAN 44.620 - 46.580...............................................POL. PUB 46-600 - 46.990..............................................GOVT.TELC 47.020 - 47.400....................................................PUB 47.420..............................................American Red Cross 47.440 - 49.580................................................IND.PUB 49.610 - 49.990...............................................MIL TELC 6 - Meter Amateur Band.......................................(50 - 54 MHz) 50.00 - 5400.......................................................HAM U.S. Government Band...................................... (137 - 144 MHz) 137.000 - 144.000............................................GOVT. MIL 2- Meter Amateur Band......................................(144 - 148 MHz) 144.000 - 148.000..................................................HAM VHF - Hi Band..............................................(148 - 174 MHz) 148.050 - 150.345........................................CAP. MAR. MIL 150.775 - 150.790..................................................MED 150.815 - 150-965..................................................TOW 150.980.............................................Oil Spill Clean up 150.995 - 151.130.................................................ROAD 151.145 - 151.475..................................................POL 151.490 - 151.955.............................................IND. BUS 151.985...........................................................TELM 152.0075...........................................................MED 152.030 - 152.240.................................................TELB 152.270 - 152.465............................................IND, TAXI 152.480............................................................BUS 152.510 - 152.840.................................................TELB 152.870 - 153.020.............................................IND. MOV 153.035- 153.725.........................................IND. OIL UTIL 153.740 -154.445.............................................PUB. FIRE 154.490 - 154.570.............................................IND. BUS 154.585.............................................Oil Spill Clean up 154.600 - 154.625..................................................BUS 154.655 - 156.240..................................MED. ROAD. POL. PUB 156.255............................................................OIL 156.275 - 157.425.................................................MARI 157.450............................................................MED 157.470 - 157.515..................................................TOW 157.530 - 157.725............................................IND. TAXI 157.740............................................................BUS 157.770 - 158.100.................................................TELB 158.130 - 158.460............................BUS, IND, OIL, TELM, UTIL 158.490 - 158.700.................................................TELB 158.730 - 159.465.......................................POL, PUB, ROAD 159.480............................................................OIL 159.495 - 161.565.................................................TRAN 161.580............................................................OIL 161.600 - 162.000.............................................MARI.RTV 162.0125 - 162.35......................................GOVT, MIL, USXX 162,400 - 162.550.................................................WTHR 162.5625 - 162.6375....................................GOVT, MIL, USXX 162.6625...........................................................MED 162.6875 - 163.225.....................................GOVT, MIL, USXX 163.250............................................................MED 163.275 - 166.225......................................GOVT, MIL, USXX 166.250................................................GOVT, RTV, FIRE 166.275 - 169.400......................................... GOVT, BIVC 169.445.................................................Wireless Mikes 169.500...........................................................GOVT 169.505.................................................Wireless Mikes 169.55 - 169.9875......................................GOVT, MIL, USXX 170.000...........................................................BIFC 170.025 - 170.150......................................GOVT, RTV, FIRE 170.175 - 170.225.................................................GOVT 170.245 - 170.305.......................................Wireless Mikes 170.350 - 170.400............................................GOVT, MIL 170.425 - 170.450.................................................BIFC 170.475............................................................PUB 170.4875 - 173.175..........................................GOVT, PUB, Wireless Mikes 173.225 - 173.375......................................MOV, NEWS, UTIL 173.3875 - 173.5375................................................MIL 173.5625 - 173.5875................................................MIL 173.5625 - 173.5875............................MIL Medical Crash Crews 173.60 - 173.9875.................................................GOVT Ultra High Frequency...............................(UHF) (300 MHz - 3 GHz) U.S. Government Band...................................(406 - 450 MHz) 406.125 - 419.975...........................................GOVT. USXX 70-Centimeter Amateur Band...................................(420-450 MHz) 420.000 - 450.000..................................................HAM Low Band...................................................(450 - 470 MHz) 450.050 - 450.925..................................................RTV 451.025 - 452.025.................................IND, OIL, TEAM, UTIL 452.0375 - 453.00...........................IND, TAXI, TRAN, TOW, NEWS 453.0125 - 453.9875................................................PUB 454.000............................................................OIL 454.025 - 454.975.................................................TELB 455.050 - 455.925..................................................RTV 457.525 - 457.600..................................................BUS 458.025 - 458.175..................................................MED 460.0125 - 460.6375......................................FIRF,POL, PUB 460.650 - 462.175..................................................BUS 462.1875 - 462.450............................................BUS, IND 462.4625 - 462.525................................IND, OIL, TELM, UTIL 462.550 - 462.725..................................................GMR 462.750 - 462.925..................................................BUS 462.9375 - 463.1875................................................MED 463.200 - 467.925..................................................BUS FM-TV Audio Broadcast, UHF Wide Band (470 - 512 MHz) (Channels 14 through 69 in 6 MHz steps) 475.750.....................................................Channel 14 481.750.....................................................Channel 15 478.750.....................................................Channel 16 512.000.....................................................Channel 20 Note: Some cities use the 470-512 MHz band for land/mobile service. Conventional Systems Band - Locally Assigned 851.0125 - 855.9875................................................CSB Conventional/Trunked Systems Band - Locally Assigned 856.0125 - 860.9875...............................................CTSB Trunked Systems Band - Locally Assigned 861.0125 - 865.9875................................................TSB Public Safety Band - Locally Assigned 866.0125 - 868.9875................................................PSB 33-Centimeter Amateur Band (902 - 928 MHz) 902.0000 - 928.0000................................................HAM Private Trunked 935.0125 - 939.9875................................................PTR General Trunked 940.0125 - 940.9875................................................GTR (br/all-01/10/95)