Everything you need to know about the 60-meter band

One of the newest band allocations to the Amateur Radio hobby is 60-meters.  To say this band is unique is probably an understatement.  It is the only amateur radio band that is channelized.  On all other bands we can spin the dial and pick nearly any frequency to operate on.  Not so for the 60-meter band.

There are 5 channels available to amateur operators in the U.S.  Other countries may have other restrictions or allocations.  For the purposes of this article, we are only discussing the U.S. allocations.  Sad to say, many older radios may not have this band.  For those that do, these channels are probably locked behind memories to prevent out of band/out of channel transmission.  Each channel is has two frequencies that you need to be aware of.  The table below will help.

You will notice that the USB frequency is 1500 Hz below the center frequency. This aligns the center of the 2.8 kHz USB bandpass fairly close to the designated center frequency.

Depending on your radio, as you select the channel, the display frequency on your radio may be either the USB frequency or the Center frequency.  On my Yaesu FT-710, the Center frequency is always the one displayed on the VFO,  The actual transmit/receive frequency will be centered on the waterfall display. For CW, this will match the display frequency.  For USB and Digital, the USB frequency is centered on the waterfall.

For all modes, the maximum power allowed is 100W PEP relative to a half-wave dipole.  If your antenna has additional gain over a half-wave dipole, you may need to use less than 100W in order to comply with the power limitation.  

This band can be confusing at first.  All those frequencies and channels, and memories can drive you a bit crazy.  But once you get it figured out, it can be a fun band to explore.  Good luck, and we'll see you down the log.  

73, N7YD