The 6m band: frequencies, band plan and propagation
The 6 metre band: the magic band, mostly quiet, then suddenly open across the continent.
Band plan
| CW | 50.000–50.100 MHz |
| Phone (SSB) | 50.100–50.500 MHz |
| FM and other modes | 50.500–52.000 MHz |
Simplified from the IARU Region 1 band plan. Your national rules and licence class decide what you may use.
- CW
- Phone (SSB)
- FM and other modes
6 metres earned its nickname. For most of the year it is a local band, then sporadic E opens paths of one or two thousand kilometres, sometimes for minutes, sometimes for hours, mostly in the summer months.
In a strong solar cycle it also opens by the F2 layer to other continents, and there are rarer modes like transequatorial propagation and meteor scatter.
Openings are short and unpredictable, so the cluster is how most 6 metre operators know the band is open. An alert on the band is the closest thing to a band-open siren.