2 Meter Ham Radio Band
The 2-meter amateur radio band is a portion of the VHF radio spectrum, comprising frequencies stretching from 144 MHz to 148 MHz. In most communities, the local Ham radio operators own and maintain repeaters on the 2-meter band, which assists their communications by increasing the distance that they can communicate with each other while still maintaining the quality of an FM transmission.
The FCC Rules state that any mode (FM, AM, SSB, CW, etc.) can be used on the band from 144.100 to 148.000 MHz. The FCC has restricted 144.0 to 144.100 MHz to CW operation only. The ARRL volunteer band plan further partitions out the band into specific areas for different types of operation.
ARRL 2 Meter Band Plan
- 144.00-144.05 EME (CW)
- 144.05-144.10 General CW and weak signals
- 144.10-144.20 EME and weak-signal SSB
- 144.200 National calling frequency
- 144.200-144.275 General SSB operation
- 144.275-144.300 Propagation beacons
- 144.30-144.50 New OSCAR subband
- 144.50-144.60 Linear translator inputs
- 144.60-144.90 FM repeater inputs
- 144.90-145.10 Weak signal and FM simplex (145.01,03,05,07,09 are widely used for packet)
- 145.10-145.20 Linear translator outputs
- 145.20-145.50 FM repeater outputs
- 145.50-145.80 Miscellaneous and experimental modes
- 145.80-146.00 OSCAR subband
- 146.01-146.37 Repeater inputs
- 146.40-146.58 Simplex
- 146.52 National Simplex Calling Frequency
- 146.61-146.97 Repeater outputs
- 147.00-147.39 Repeater outputs
- 147.42-147.57 Simplex
- 147.60-147.99 Repeater inputs
The frequency 146.40 MHz is used in some areas as a repeater input. This band plan has been proposed by the ARRL VHF-UHF Advisory Committee.
