1) Dial Frequency: Above listed USB frequencies are "dial frequency" as you see them on your radio VFO. The center-of-channel offset is already figured out for you. (The center-of-channel is usually 1.5kHz higher than the dial frequency).
2) International USB Standard: The worldwide standard for Amateur Radio on 5MHz is Upper Sideband (USB). Other emission types and content are also in use, including digital, data, and morse code CW.
3) USA: New rules for 2012: All General class or higher licensees are authorized to transmit 2.8kHz maximum bandwidth, using the equivalent of 100 Watts PEP to a dipole. Hams are secondary service, and must not interfere with other services. Data modes are allowed within the channel. RTTY modes such as PSK31 keyboarding must use no greater than 60Hz necessary bandwidth. Phone, Data, and RTTY modes may use the USB (suppressed carrier) dial frequency listing in the chart. CW must transmit at the center-of-channel frequency only!
4) UK: Voice, Digital, and CW modes within a 3kHz bandwidth at 200 Watts are authorised in UK for holders of experimental or N.O.V., and channels are often described by the centre-of-channel frequency (dial+1500Hz) or the formal "Foxtrot" designators FA-FB-FC-FE-FM. The Beacon Network
5) Germany: DRA5 Experimental Beacon, operated by DARC (DK0WCY beacon team), transmits propagation data (dial+1500Hz) CW/RTTY/PSK31.
6) Canada: Experimental licensed operation by Marconi Radio Club (VO1MRC) members. CW or USB on 5260, 5269, 5280, 5290, 5319, 5400 and 5405 kHz with 100 watts output. Some beacon testing on 5269.5 kHz and CW QSOs on 5260 kHz.
7) Finland: Club stations may apply for authorization to operate the 5MHz channels with maximum power of 50 Watts on USB only. The USB dial frequencies for Finland are: 5288.6, 5298.6, 5330.6, 5346.6, 5366.6, 5371.6, 5398.6 kHz.
8) Australia: Wireless Institute of Australia is licenced for 2 HF land mobile 5MHz channels, for emergency use by the Wireless Institute Civil Emergency Network, using non-amateur callsigns AXF404 and AXF405, and ACMA type approved radio equipment (such as the transceivers normally used for HF outback communications in the VKS737 HF net).
9) Remote bases and Echolink HF stations: Some HF remote base stations in USA have operated on 5371.5kHz, using Internet Remote Base or Echolink with voice squelch and/or UHF remotes. Channelized HF operation provides excellent compatibility for remote base operation.
10) Iceland: 5260 – 5410 kHz band (replaces 8 channels). Maximum power 100W ( 20 dBW ).
11) Bangladesh: 5250 to 5310 kHz Amateur Applications; Amateur propagation experiments with stations of administrations permitting such activities. Secondary status.
12) St. Lucia (J6) has the same 5 channels as USA and there continues to be activity.
13) Greenland: SSB, CW, or Digital. Center channel is above listed frequency +1.5kHz.
14) Other countries: Some other countries reported to have 5MHz activity, officially or unofficially:
Czech, Kenya, Greece, Columbia, Russia, Turkey, Belize, Ascension Island, Panama, Honduras, Italy, Grenada, Suriname, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Morocco, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Ghana, Slovak, Portugal, Croatia, Ireland, Luxembourg, Bermuda, Kuwait, Caymans, New Zealand, Ascension, Bulgaria, Ghana, Kirabati, and Mexico.
15) Norway: 5260-5410kHz full band with VFO at 100W. Operation with VFO within the passband of the recognised common international channels should tune directly to the channel frequency.
16) Denmark: 5260-5450kHz full band with VFO all modes. Maximum 1kw ERP, Bandwidth 8kHz.
17) Alaska Emergency Frequency, USA: The frequency 5167.5 kHz USB may be used by hams in Alaska in case of emergency, to communicate with hams or PART 90 PRIVATE LAND MOBILE RADIO SERVICES in Alaska. Max 150W PEP. Must be within 50 nautical miles (92.6 km) of the State of Alaska. May also be used for establishing communication before switching to another frequency. for tests and training drills necessary to ensure the establishment, operation, and maintenance of emergency communication systems.FCC table of frequency allocations Footnote US212.
18) Update: Nov 2011. The number of countries allowing amateur radio operators to use frequencies in the 5MHz band increased during 2007-2011. Some countries do not widely publish their amateur frequency bands, or only provide special operating authorisation for 5MHz on an individual basis. It has now become extremely difficult to acquire and follow all the changes happening with 5MHz around the world. The channel and frequency assignments are evolving, and therefore, this site will also try to maintain references for historical purposes.
Evening/Night Guidelines:
5MHz channels are a shared resource with many users. Especially on this band, it is very important to use the lowest power necessary for communications. At night, you may find that 20 Watts is sufficient. In many countries, amateurs are secondary users and must QRT when a primary station is on the channel. For this reason, transmission time should be kept to a minimum, and it is best to wait a few seconds before responding during a QSO. Considerate hams usually try to avoid longwinded ragchews during peak evening hours whenever activity is high and propagation is open for wide regional communications on the 5MHz channels.
Useful operating techniques for the 5MHz channels:
1. Put the 5MHz channels in your transceiver memory, including the USB mode. If possible, also include narrow TX bandwidth (2.4kHz transmit filter) and the correct transmit power level.
2. Before transmitting, check your transceiver calibration against a time/frequency reference signal such as WWV on 5000.000 kHz. Select a channel, check your power setting, lock your VFO dial, and lock your microphone "channel Up/Down" switch and keypad.
3. Use your RIT or receive clarifier to tune other stations in. Do not change your main VFO dial or transmit frequency unless you discover that you are out of calibration.
4. Avoid long auto-tuning or manual-tuning times if possible. Transmission of a dead carrier, especially zero-beat, is not allowed in some countries (such as USA).
5. Before starting to transmit, listen on the channel for at least 3 minutes. If it is vacant, start by just saying your callsign. Similar to VHF repeater operation, it is not necessary to call a long CQ. Just announcing your callsign (phonetically) and your location is sometimes enough to start up a contact.
6. If you have a very high receive noise level at your QTH, be very cautious about transmitting because you may be interfering with primary users or a QSO that is already in progress between amateurs.
7. Try to peacefully co-exist and share the channel with other stations talking in the background. Unlike other HF SSB ham bands, 5MHz is channelised and very limited. Don't insist upon a totally clear channel, because it is possible for there to be several layers of QSOs going on simultaneously in different areas on the same channel.
8. ID more often than you normally would. Once you establish contact, say your callsign and the callsign of station you are talking to. This will help a lot when there are multiple stations simultaneously using the same channel.
9. Avoid ragchewing. Use short transmissions, drag your feet between overs, and give everyone a chance to use the channels.
10. Be open to other stations calling each other between gaps in your QSO.
11. There are many 5MHz channels around the world now, and the list is growing. Among regular 5MHz operators, the channels are often called by the last few digits in kiloHertz, such as "403.5" (meaning the dial frequency 5403.5kHz).
NEWS: FCC Changes USA Amateur Radio 5MHz RulesOn 16 November 2011, USA's FCC changed its rules for the Amateur Radio Service at 5MHz.Here is a basic overview of the changes and rules in plain language, as they apply to the Amateur Radio Service in USA.
The effective date: 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.
The FCC adopted the use of the name "60 meter band", to refer to 5MHz amateur radio in the frequency range 5330.5-5406.4 kHz, but USA hams are still only allowed to transmit on 5 specific channels in the band.
The FCC changed the rules to allow:
Phone (Upper Sideband), RTTY, Data, and CW; with specific limitations on the use of these modes.
Amateur radio is a "secondary user" in this band, and must not cause harmful interference to other services!
Amateur Radio Service must accept interference from primary, other services, and other nations services.
Operators transmitting data or RTTY must exercise care to limit the length of transmission so as to avoid causing harmful interference to US Government stations.
General, Advanced, or Amateur Extra Class license only.
Reference from HFLINK
International 5MHz Ham Radio 60 meter Band Information
| News: FCC Changes 5MHz USA Rules USA hams get CW and Data modes, one different channel in January 2012, read more... | New Feature! USA 60m Operating Guide A quick reference for the new USB, Digi & CW rules, with settings for the... read more... |
| CHANNEL NAME | USB Dial kHz | Center of Channel Frequency | LOCATIONS | OPERATING NOTE |
| 102.0 | 5102.0 | 5103.5 | Australia | WIA Emergency WICEN 404 |
| 167.5 | 5167.5 | 5168.9 | Alaska | Emergency |
| 194.5 | 5194.5 | 5196.0 | Germany | DRA5 Beacon |
| 258.5 | 5258.5 | 5260.0 | UK, Greenland, Canada | UK Channel Name=FA Canada:Experimental |
| 267.5 | 5267.5 | 5269.0 | Canada | Experimental |
| 278.5 | 5278.5 | 5280.0 | UK, Finland, Greenland, Ireland | UK Channel Name=FB |
| 288.5 | 5288.5 | 5290.0 | UK, Finland, Greenland, Canada,Portugal | UK Channel Name=FC UK Beacons Canada:Experimental |
| 298.5 | 5298.5 | 5300.0 | Finland | |
| 318.5 | 5318.5 | 5320.0 | Canada, New Zealand | Canada:Experimental |
| 327.5 | 5327.5 | 5329.0 | Canada | Canada:Experimental |
| 330.5 | 5330.5 | 5332.0 | USA, Finland, St_Lucia, Caymans | |
| 346.5 | 5346.5 | 5348.0 | USA, Finland, St_Lucia, Caymans | |
| 355.0 | 5355.0 | 5356.5 | Australia | WIA Emergency WICEN 405 |
| 357.0 | 5357.0 | 5358.5 | USA | *New Freq Effective 2012 DATA EMCOMM NETS |
| 366.5 | 5366.5 | 5368.0 | UK, Finland, Greenland, Caymans | UK Channel Name=FK. *No USA after 2011 |
| 371.5 | 5371.5 | 5373.0 | UK, USA, Finland, Greenland, St_Lucia,Bahrain, Portugal, | INTERNATIONAL EMCOMM EMCOMM NETSUK Channel Name=FL |
| 393.5 | 5393.5 | 5395.0 | New Zealand | Emergency only |
| 398.5 | 5398.5 | 5400.0 | UK, Finland, Greenland, Ireland,Greece | UK Channel Name=FE. |
| 403.5 | 5403.5 | 5405.0 | UK, USA, St.Lucia, Bahrain, Portugal,Ireland, Caymans | INTERNATIONAL EMCOMM USB & CW DXUK Channel Name=FM. Canada:Experimental |
60m Amateur Radio Band VFO Frequency Limits | ||||
| BAND LIMITS kHz | USB VFO DIAL LIMITS | LOCATIONS | OPERATING NOTE | |
| 5250.0 ~ 5310.0 | 5250.0 ~ 5307.0 | Bangladesh | ||
| 5250.0 ~ 5450.0 | 5250.0 ~ 5447.0 | Denmark, Grenada | ||
| 5260.0 ~ 5410.0 | 5260.0 ~ 5407.0 | Norway, Iceland, Slovakia, Croatia | ||