The Radio Spectrum - UK Allocations
Bands (MHz)
This wasn't compiled by me and thanks go to the author of this who I sadly don't know who he/she is.
* LW
* MW
* HF 3-26
* CB 26-28
* Low VHF 29.7 to 47
* Band I 47-68
* Low Band 68-87.5
* FM, Band II 87.5-108
* Air Band 108-137
* Mid Band 137-165
* Marine Band 156-163
* High Band 165-174
* Band III 174-230
* NATO Band 230-400
* UHF1 & 2 400-470
* TV, Bands IV & V 470-854
* GSM & mobile 854-960
* Amateur 23cm 1.2 GHz
* Microwaves 1-300 GHz
* Ku TV Band 10.7-12.75 GHz
* Light
Services
Broadcasting - LW,MW,SW, 87.5-108, DAB, TV
Amateur & CB - HF, 50, 70, 144, 430 MHz etc. Can be good, can be dull - you decide. You may listen. (The rules)
Aeronautical - "airband" - HF, 108-137 MHz.
Maritime - HF, 156-163 MHz. Probably tolerated, but no listening unless licensed, and on-board.
Low Power / Short Range Devices - Cordless telephones / headphones / microphones, remote control etc.
SAB/SAP - when TV/radio/film/programme makers use radio (managed by JFMG):
a: Radiomicrophones - carrying "programme audio" obviously,
B: Talkback - on-site comms (simplex or continous duplex) or wide-area comms back to base,
c: Links - mobile "programme audio" back to base, or Fixed links between sites.
Like the military and many low-power devices, they seem to crop up all over the spectrum! However, some of the assignments in shared bands (mainly BBC) are to cease in 2000, leaving mostly primary bands.
As Bands I, III, IV and V are designated BROADCASTING it seems logical that broadcasters may also use these bands for mics and comms either at UHF on locally unused "in-band" channels, or (also for links) in the VHF bands that are no longer used for broadcasting.
Around 174MHz is very popular for mics, as well as other parts of Band III that coincide with French TV carriers and so are not used for PBR.
Note that JFMG also deal with Special Event short-term assignments for local comms, e.g. Ascot.
PMR - channels are allocated in all bands to different categories such as :
. National exclusive,
. Wide Area Shared "G3" - taxis "T1", despatch "H4" etc. - 30kms range,
. ...& Medical (ambulance service - high band)
. CBS (follow the link for Common Base channels),
. On-site shared - dual "C2" or single "O5" - 3km range max., why not use PMR446?!
. Short Term Hire (up to 1 year), demo (28 days), "parking" (3 months), Test&Dev,
. specific uses i.e. Road Construction
. UK General "U3" - mobile only, anywhere in UK, 5W ERP max, for not more than 12 months in one place - i.e. temporary use in various locations. Shared channels : 5 in low-band, 2 in mid-band, 5 in high-band, 3 at UHF. (in 2002 the UHF channels changed and various conditions too. No time limit now, so it's a good LICENSED replacement for SRBR and 446, 20 quid a year)
Which explains why that "spare channel" can't be used for anything else in your area!
Given that the number of users of PMR channels runs into tens of thousands ( 2003 report, 2000 report, and 1997 report) , it would be quite futile to attempt to list them all - it amazes me that publications even try.
Even worse, once a frequency/user tie-up makes it into print, no-one ever seems to doubt its validity and it's often printed way after it ceased to be used!
Fair enough to list national allocations, the general type of use for a channel - but to try and find EVERY assigment, EVERY taxi firm.... ho hum.
Military - various web pages will show that there is a world market for equipment operating in the bands such as HF, 30-87.5 (25kHz FM), 116-155 & 225-400 (25kHz AM), 470-512 etc. Note that whilst the odd Combat Net here and there may be "in the clear" any serious tactical use would be very hard to find. Frequency hopping and scrambling are used - after all, would you want your country defended by forces that could be easily monitored?
Operational use (like PMR) for base security, training, Mil. Police, MOULD etc. involves fixed frequencies, and various books show that Low VHF, Low Band, Mid Band, 406.1-420 and UHF1 are heavily used for these purposes. There is currently a general move from VHF to UHF, and the use of a TETRA system is being considered. This type of radio traffic is still not to be listened to!
Public Telecomms - paging, mobile telephone/data - the reason why scanner manufacturers HAD to include coverage of the 900MHz band (! there's nowt else up there to listen to). Eavesdropping on analogue mobile calls is quite rightly frowned upon.
Home Office for the Emergency Services - previous versions of this document did not mention these allocations, but as the bands are shown on RA pages, and in various books, some are now included for the sake of clarity. Only the BANDS are shown, not actual frequencies in use.
Bands (MHz)
This wasn't compiled by me and thanks go to the author of this who I sadly don't know who he/she is.
* LW
* MW
* HF 3-26
* CB 26-28
* Low VHF 29.7 to 47
* Band I 47-68
* Low Band 68-87.5
* FM, Band II 87.5-108
* Air Band 108-137
* Mid Band 137-165
* Marine Band 156-163
* High Band 165-174
* Band III 174-230
* NATO Band 230-400
* UHF1 & 2 400-470
* TV, Bands IV & V 470-854
* GSM & mobile 854-960
* Amateur 23cm 1.2 GHz
* Microwaves 1-300 GHz
* Ku TV Band 10.7-12.75 GHz
* Light
Services
Broadcasting - LW,MW,SW, 87.5-108, DAB, TV
Amateur & CB - HF, 50, 70, 144, 430 MHz etc. Can be good, can be dull - you decide. You may listen. (The rules)
Aeronautical - "airband" - HF, 108-137 MHz.
Maritime - HF, 156-163 MHz. Probably tolerated, but no listening unless licensed, and on-board.
Low Power / Short Range Devices - Cordless telephones / headphones / microphones, remote control etc.
SAB/SAP - when TV/radio/film/programme makers use radio (managed by JFMG):
a: Radiomicrophones - carrying "programme audio" obviously,
B: Talkback - on-site comms (simplex or continous duplex) or wide-area comms back to base,
c: Links - mobile "programme audio" back to base, or Fixed links between sites.
Like the military and many low-power devices, they seem to crop up all over the spectrum! However, some of the assignments in shared bands (mainly BBC) are to cease in 2000, leaving mostly primary bands.
As Bands I, III, IV and V are designated BROADCASTING it seems logical that broadcasters may also use these bands for mics and comms either at UHF on locally unused "in-band" channels, or (also for links) in the VHF bands that are no longer used for broadcasting.
Around 174MHz is very popular for mics, as well as other parts of Band III that coincide with French TV carriers and so are not used for PBR.
Note that JFMG also deal with Special Event short-term assignments for local comms, e.g. Ascot.
PMR - channels are allocated in all bands to different categories such as :
. National exclusive,
. Wide Area Shared "G3" - taxis "T1", despatch "H4" etc. - 30kms range,
. ...& Medical (ambulance service - high band)
. CBS (follow the link for Common Base channels),
. On-site shared - dual "C2" or single "O5" - 3km range max., why not use PMR446?!
. Short Term Hire (up to 1 year), demo (28 days), "parking" (3 months), Test&Dev,
. specific uses i.e. Road Construction
. UK General "U3" - mobile only, anywhere in UK, 5W ERP max, for not more than 12 months in one place - i.e. temporary use in various locations. Shared channels : 5 in low-band, 2 in mid-band, 5 in high-band, 3 at UHF. (in 2002 the UHF channels changed and various conditions too. No time limit now, so it's a good LICENSED replacement for SRBR and 446, 20 quid a year)
Which explains why that "spare channel" can't be used for anything else in your area!
Given that the number of users of PMR channels runs into tens of thousands ( 2003 report, 2000 report, and 1997 report) , it would be quite futile to attempt to list them all - it amazes me that publications even try.
Even worse, once a frequency/user tie-up makes it into print, no-one ever seems to doubt its validity and it's often printed way after it ceased to be used!
Fair enough to list national allocations, the general type of use for a channel - but to try and find EVERY assigment, EVERY taxi firm.... ho hum.
Military - various web pages will show that there is a world market for equipment operating in the bands such as HF, 30-87.5 (25kHz FM), 116-155 & 225-400 (25kHz AM), 470-512 etc. Note that whilst the odd Combat Net here and there may be "in the clear" any serious tactical use would be very hard to find. Frequency hopping and scrambling are used - after all, would you want your country defended by forces that could be easily monitored?
Operational use (like PMR) for base security, training, Mil. Police, MOULD etc. involves fixed frequencies, and various books show that Low VHF, Low Band, Mid Band, 406.1-420 and UHF1 are heavily used for these purposes. There is currently a general move from VHF to UHF, and the use of a TETRA system is being considered. This type of radio traffic is still not to be listened to!
Public Telecomms - paging, mobile telephone/data - the reason why scanner manufacturers HAD to include coverage of the 900MHz band (! there's nowt else up there to listen to). Eavesdropping on analogue mobile calls is quite rightly frowned upon.
Home Office for the Emergency Services - previous versions of this document did not mention these allocations, but as the bands are shown on RA pages, and in various books, some are now included for the sake of clarity. Only the BANDS are shown, not actual frequencies in use.
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, 139.97 (A), 139.94 ©