Only the Extra Class is permitted to transmit on the entirety of the HF and/or MF 80 meter, 40 meter, 20 meter, and 15 meter amateur bands.

Hint: An easy way to remember this, is to start at 80 and divide it by 2 to get 40, and then again to get 20. The answer will always be in this order, so you'll be able to pick it out easily.

Hint: The correct answer is the only answer that includes 40 meters, it's missing in all the incorrect answers.

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The 30 meter band is special in a number of ways. It only allows data modes (so no phone), there's a power limit (200 Watts PEP), and contesting is not allowed.

Propagation is usually good during the day and excellent during the night, so it can be a great band for CW or digital DX contacts.

Refer to FCC Section: [97.305]

An easy way to remember this is that no one under the age of about 30 makes actual phone calls.

or

A similar silly mnemonic is, "never invite party- pooper 30 meters to a phone party!"

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Tags: rules and regulations frequency privileges 30 meters frequency bands arrl chapter 3 arrl module 8

The FCC has restricted the 30 meter band to only data transmission modes (such as CW, RTTY and packet), so image transmission is prohibited. Image transmissions are found within phone transmission band segments rather than data. Image transmission is prohibited on the 60 meter band as well, where we are restricted to 5 specific frequency channels for SSB phone communication only.

HINT: “No IMG In the thirty”

Refer to the FCC Section: [97.305]

Link to ARRL color chart: US Amateur Radio Bands Chart

Link to ARRL text based band table (more accessible): US Amateur Radio Frequency Allocations

Hint: NTSC Fast Scan video runs at 30 frames per second, which you'll want to remember if you take the Extra test. Video is not allowed on 30M (or 60M, same memory trick).

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Tags: rules and regulations frequency privileges test 123 test 456 arrl chapter 3 arrl module 8

Remember: Using the "60m band" is like looking at your watch with 60 seconds. Amateurs are the "second" user with privledges, also you need to take a extra "second" to listen for ongoing traffic and not cause any interference.

The 60 meter band is a shared frequency range where the government has primary rights and amateur radio is restricted to communicating as a secondary service only on specific channels. This is to keep the possibility of signal interference at a minimum.

Silly Hint: Everybody wants more time (measured in 60-second minutes), so everybody wants 60 meters.

Refer to FCC Section: [97.303(s)]

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Tags: frequency privileges rules and regulations 60 meters frequency bands arrl chapter 3 arrl module 8

You are only allowed to operate in frequency spaces where your operation class allows you to do so.

The General class license allows transmission for voice between 7.175 MHz and 7.300 MHz but not between 7.125 and 7.175 MHz. However, both are allowed spaces for Advanced and Extra class operators.

28.000 MHz to 28.025 MHz and 21.275 MHz to 21.300 MHz are both allowed spaces to transmit on with a general class license.

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As amateurs, we must always follow the rules of COURTESY. In a case where the Amateur Service has been designated as a secondary user (such as on 30 and 60 m bands) this is even more important.

Amateur stations are allowed to use the band ONLY if they do NOT cause harmful interference to primary users.

Listen First! If you hear another transmission, do not use that frequency. If you hear a primary user come on to the same frequency that you are working or nearby frequency, immediately move your transmission farther away so that you will not interfere with their signal.

Hint: “DON’T interfere with the FCC!”

Refer to FCC Section: 97.303

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Tags: secondary use rules and regulations harmful interference frequency bands arrl chapter 3 arrl module 8

FCC Regulations (§ 97.305(a)) specifically say:

• Except as specified elsewhere in this part, an amateur station may transmit a CW emission on any frequency authorized to the control operator.

Currently, there are no specified exceptions to this rule.

Recalling that a General class operator has full access to the 10-meter band, it follows that a General class operator may therefore transmit CW on the entire band.

Just remember that, as an Amateur, CW is always allowed if you are authorized on that frequency.

Hint: They got the “WHOLE” band back together.

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This information is located in operating band plans.

Hint: The class AE contains the 1st and 5th letter of the alphabet and only the correct answer contains the number 15.

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General class privileges let us use the ranges of 21.025-21.200 MHz (CW/data) and 21.275-21.450 MHz (phone), so the answer 21300 kHz falls within the phone range of the 15 meter band.

Note: Remember that the 15 meter band actually is located below 15 meters (from λ=300/21.450 MHz =13.98 m to λ=300/21.025 MHz=14.27 m). If you remember this and check the wavelength of the 2 values that are close (18155) and (21300), you will find that (18155) gives a wavelength = 300/18.155 MHz = 16.52m, whereas (21300) gives you a value of wavelength = 300/21.300 = 14.08.

If you estimate 300/15 = 20, you'd have 50% correct. So just remember it's a bit above this number which is 21.

Refer to FCC Section: [97.301(d)]

Link to ARRL color chart: US Amateur Radio Bands

Link to ARRL text based band table (more accessible): US Amateur Radio Frequency Allocations

Silly memory aid: 2 x 15 = 30.
21300 is the only answer with the numbers 2 and 30.

Even more silly: Only answer that adds up to 15 2+13

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Tags: 15 meters frequencies license class general class frequency bands arrl chapter 3 arrl module 8

47 CFR 97.205 regulates repeaters generally, it prohibits repeaters on the 28.0-29.5 MHz portion of the 10-meter band.

Hint: \(\frac{300}{10} = 30\text{ MHz}\) – so the correct answer is the one closest to a 10 meter wavelength.

Hint: Repeaters are on high spots and the answer is the highest frequency.

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Central portions of any band are preferred over the end portions because most antennas sport a usable BW that tends to be less than the BW of the band they are designed for. Thus the antenna used will have a lower SWR towards the center of the band than towards the ends to allow for a reasonable SWR across the entire band. Amateur Extra class operators have privileges over all other operator classes, thus if a portion of the phone allocation in a band is reserved for the exclusive use of Amateur Extra operators, then it will be the portion of the band towards the center for the benefit of the lower SWR and not towards the upper end where antennas generally sport a higher SWR. Therefore it follows that if General class operators aren't able to use the portion of a phone allocation towards the center of a band they will be relegated to using the phone portion towards the top end.

The general rule is that if sections of a band are split between voice and data, that the upper frequency end of the band is used for voice and the lower frequency end is used for CW/data.

Refer to FCC Section: [97.301]

Link to ARRL text based band table (more accessible): US Amateur Radio Frequency Allocations

Mnemonic: In general, hams are tops!

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