MT logo

Home button

Quick Guide to the Shortwave Spectrum

By Larry Van Horn, Monitoring Times Assistant Editor



SHORTWAVE BROADCAST BANDS (AM)              UNITED STATES TIME ZONES
2300-2495 kHz    120 Meters                                 PDT     MDT     CDT     EDT
3200-3400 kHz     90 Meters                 UTC     PST     MST     CST     EST     AST
3900-4000 kHz     75 Meters                ---------------------------------------------
4750-5060 kHz     60 Meters                 0000    4PM     5PM     6PM     7PM     8PM
5850-6200 kHz     49 Meters                 0100    5PM     6PM     7PM     8PM     9PM 
7100-7350 kHz     41 Meters                 0200    6PM     7PM     8PM     9PM     10PM
9400-9900 kHz     31 Meters                 0300    7PM     8PM     9PM     10PM    11PM
11600-12050 kHz   25 Meters                 0400    8PM     9PM     10PM    11PM    12PM
13570-13800 kHz   22 Meters                 0500    9PM     10PM    11PM    12AM    1AM
15100-15800 kHz   19 Meters                 0600    10PM    11PM    12AM    1AM     2AM
17480-17900 kHz   16 Meters                 0700    11PM    12AM    1AM     2AM     3AM
18900-19020 kHz   15 Meters                 0800    12AM    1AM     2AM     3AM     4AM
21450-21850 kHz   13 Meters                 0900    1AM     2AM     3AM     4AM     5AM
25600-26100 kHz   11 Meters                 1000    2AM     3AM     4AM     5AM     6AM
                                            1100    3AM     4AM     5AM     6AM     7AM
AMATEUR CW BANDS                            1200    4AM     5AM     6AM     7AM     8AM
1800-2000 kHz    160 Meters                 1300    5AM     6AM     7AM     8AM     9AM
3500-3750 kHz     80 Meters                 1400    6AM     7AM     8AM     9AM     10AM  
7000-7150 kHz     40 Meters                 1500    7AM     8AM     9AM     10AM    11AM 
10100-10150 kHz   30 Meters                 1600    8AM     9AM     10AM    11AM    12PM
14000-14150 kHz   20 Meters                 1700    9AM     10AM    11AM    12PM    1PM
18068-18110 kHz   17 Meters                 1800    10AM    11AM    12PM    1PM     2PM
21000-21200 kHz   15 Meters                 1900    11AM    12PM    1PM     2PM     3PM
24890-24930 kHz   12 Meters                 2000    12PM    1PM     2PM     3PM     4PM
28000-28300 kHz   10 Meters                 2100    1PM     2PM     3PM     4PM     5PM
                                            2200    2PM     3PM     4PM     5PM     6PM
                                            2300    3PM     4PM     5PM     6PM     7PM
AMATEUR PHONE BANDS             
1800-2000 kHz    160 Meters (LSB)           MISCELLANEOUS BANDS
3750-4000 kHz     75 Meters (LSB)           535-1705         AM Broadcast (MW)
7150-7300 kHz     40 Meters (USB)           2170-2194        Land Mobile Service
14150-14350 kHz   20 Meters (USB)           25010-25330      Petroleum Industry
18110-18168 kHz   17 Meters (USB)           26100-26480      Land Mobile Service
21200-21450 kHz   15 Meters (USB)           26960-27410      Citizens' Band
24930-24990 kHz   12 Meters (USB)           27410-27540      Land Mobile Service
28300-29700 kHz   10 Meters (USB)           29700-29800      Forestry Service

FIXED SERVICE BANDS        AIRCRAFT BANDS      MARINE BANDS  TIME FREQS
1705-1800       12050-12300     2850-3155               2000-2107       2500    10000
2107-2170       13360-13600     3400-3500               4063-4438       3330    12000
2194-2300       13800-14000     4650-4750               6200-6525       4500    14670
2505-2850       14350-14995     5450-5730               8195-8815       5000    15000
3155-3200       15600-16460     6525-6765              12330-13200      7335    20000
4000-4063       17360-17550     8815-9040              16460-17360      8000    25000
4438-4650       18030-18068     10005-10100            18780-18900   
5005-5450       18168-18780     11175-11400            19680-19800     
5730-5950       18900-19680     13200-13360            22000-22720
6765-7000       19800-21000     15010-15100
7300-8195       22720-23200     17900-18030             GOVERNMENT BANDS                
9040-9500       23350-24890     21850-22000            25330-25600     26480-26950
9775-9995       26950-26960     23200-23350            27540-28000     29890-29910 
10100-11175     29800-29890




Back to Monitoring Times home page