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)

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