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IARU band plan

A band plan is the agreed “road map” to every amateur band: which part is for telegraphy, where digital modes operate, where phone, and where beacons, satellites or FM. Sticking to it is the basis of on‑air etiquette — it lets everyone know where to look. Below is a summary of the IARU Region 1 plan (applicable in Poland) for the HF bands and for 6 m, 2 m and 70 cm.

IARU Region 1 160 m – 70 cm CW · DIGI · PHONE calling + FT8

HF bands 6 m / 2 m / 70 cm

Yagi beam for HF bands against the sky — illustration for the band plan

How to read

Colours of the segments

Each bar shows the band from left (low) to right (high). The colour indicates what type of operation the band plan assigns there.

CW (telegraphy) Digital modes (narrow, e.g. FT8) Phone / all modes (SSB) Beacons (radio beacons) FM Satellites

Shortwave

HF bands (160–10 m)

Frequencies in kHz. The main calling, QRP and FT8 frequencies are shown. “Phone” below 10 MHz is LSB, above — USB.

160 m

1810–2000 kHz

night-time, “top band”

1810–1838CW

1838–1843Digital

1843–2000Phone / all

QRP 1836FT8 1840

80 m

3500–3800 kHz

evenings in Europe

3500–3570CW

3570–3600Digital

3600–3800Phone / all

QRP 3560FT8 3573Emergency 3760

60 m

5351.5–5366.5 kHz

secondary band · max 15 W EIRP

5351.5–5354Digital

5354–5366.5Phone / all

FT8 5357USB

40 m

7000–7200 kHz

versatile: EU by day, DX by night

7000–7040CW

7040–7050Digital

7050–7200Phone / all

QRP 7030FT8 7074Emergency 7110

30 m

10100–10150 kHz

no phone · secondary band

10100–10130CW

10130–10150Digital

FT8 10136

20 m

14000–14350 kHz

the king of DX, open all day

14000–14070CW

14070–14099Digital

14099–14101Beacons

14101–14350Phone / all

QRP 14060FT8 14074SSTV 14230

17 m

18068–18168 kHz

WARC · daytime DX

18068–18095CW

18095–18109Digital

18109–18111Beacons

18111–18168Phone / all

FT8 18100

15 m

21000–21450 kHz

excellent when SFI is high

21000–21070CW

21070–21110Digital

21110–21450Phone / all

FT8 21074Beacons 21150QRP 21285

12 m

24890–24990 kHz

WARC · DX if conditions allow

24890–24915CW

24915–24929Digital

24929–24931Beacons

24931–24990Phone / all

FT8 24915

10 m

28000–29700 kHz

can “explode” (Es / cycle peak)

28000–28070CW

28070–28190Digital

28190–28225Beacons

28225–29200Phone / all

29200–29300FM

29300–29510Satellites

29510–29700FM

FT8 28074Beacons 28190+FM call 29600

VHF/UHF

6 m · 2 m · 70 cm

Frequencies in MHz. FM details (repeaters, tones) for 2 m and 70 cm can be found in the guide 2 m / 70 cm band.

6 m

50–52 MHz

the “magic band” · Sporadic-E in summer

50–50.03Beacons

50.03–50.1CW

50.1–50.5Phone / all

50.5–52FM

CW call 50.090DX call 50.110FT8 50.313

2 m

144–146 MHz

VHF · local and tropo

144–144.025Satellites

144.025–144.15CW

144.15–144.4Phone / all

144.4–144.49Beacons

144.49–145Phone / all

145–145.8FM

145.8–146Satellites

CW call 144.050FT8 144.174SSB call 144.300APRS 144.800FM call 145.500

70 cm

430–440 MHz

UHF · urban, repeaters, satellites

432–432.1CW

432.1–432.5Phone / all

433–433.6FM

435–438Satellites

438–440FM

CW call 432.050FT8 432.174SSB call 432.200FM call 433.500Satellites 435–438

This is a quick reference, not the official document. The segments above are simplified and for guidance only. The only binding source is the current IARU Region 1 and PZK (the Polish Amateur Radio Union) band plan — check there for exact boundaries, permitted bandwidths and notes. Also remember: to transmit you need an operator’s certificate and a radio licence (exam at UKE — the Polish Office of Electronic Communications); listening is free for everyone.

Browse the guides

Want to understand why the bands behave so differently? Start with the HF guide, and for FM 2 m/70 cm details see the Frequencies cheat sheet.

Guide: HF (shortwave) 2 m / 70 cm band