The 2m band: frequencies, band plan and propagation
The 2 metre band: local FM and repeaters, plus SSB and CW contacts far beyond the horizon.
Band plan
| CW | 144.000–144.150 MHz |
| Phone (SSB) | 144.150–144.400 MHz |
| Beacons | 144.400–144.490 MHz |
| FM and other modes | 144.500–146.000 MHz |
Simplified from the IARU Region 1 band plan. Your national rules and licence class decide what you may use.
- CW
- Phone (SSB)
- Beacons
- FM and other modes
Most of 2 metres is local: FM simplex and repeaters for the region. The bottom of the band is a different world, where SSB, CW and digital modes reach hundreds of kilometres through tropospheric ducting.
Summits are where 2 metres shines: a SOTA activator with a handheld and a small beam can work stations far beyond what the map suggests.
Tropo openings, sporadic E and meteor showers bring the long contacts. When they happen, the cluster lights up with VHF spots.