Band (radio)
A
band is a small section of the
spectrum of
radio communication
frequencies, in which
channels are usually used or set aside for the same purpose. Examples include:
*
AM broadcast band (530â€"1610
kHz, to 1700 in the
Americas)
*
Shortwave bands (5.9â€"26.1 MHz)
*
Citizens' band*
Television stations 2â€"6 (54â€"88 MHz in the Americas)
*
FM broadcast band (88â€"108 MHz, except 76â€"90 in Japan)
*
Aircraft band (108â€"136
MHz), for
air traffic control*Television stations 7â€"13 (174â€"216 MHz in the Americas)
*
L band (1452â€"1492 MHz) for
digital radio (
DAB) outside the
US*
Amateur radio bands among several different frequencies
*
Military bands
**X-Band 8â€"10 GHz
**S-Band 1750â€"2400 MHz
*
Radionavigation beacons, such as
LORAN and
GPSEach of these bands has a basic
bandplan which dictates how it is to be used and shared, to avoid
interference and to set
protocol for the
compatibility of
transmitters and
receivers.
Note that as a matter of
physics, bands are divided at
wavelengths of 10
n metres, or frequencies of 3×10
n hertz. For example, 30 MHz or 10 m divides shortwave (lower and longer) from VHF (shorter and higher). These are the parts of the
radio spectrum, and not its
frequency allocation.
