G1 · Published 16 September 2026 · By The Ham Desk

HF Operating Procedure: Calling, Splitting and the Band Plan

On HF, most of what keeps a band usable is written down nowhere in Part 97. Calling frequencies, the DX window, split pile-ups and the 60 metre channel structure are conventions and rules that a new General class operator has to learn before pressing the key.

Band 20 m
Study time 17
Level Core
questions 10

Waveform and antenna diagram for HF Procedures and Band Plans — HF Procedures and Band Plans — waveform overlay and radiation pattern

Pre-flight briefing

Where conversations start

A few frequencies are agreed calling points so that two stations with no schedule can find each other. On 20 metres the SSB calling frequency is 14.300 MHz, which doubles as the maritime mobile service net frequency and is therefore a bad place to hold a long ragchew. On 2 metres the national simplex calling frequency is 146.520 MHz; on 6 metres it is 50.125 MHz for SSB. The convention is to make contact on the calling frequency and then move - QSY - so the calling channel stays open for the next station.

Band plans are drawn up by the amateur community, not by the FCC: they divide each band into segments by mode and by licence class, and they are voluntary. Operating outside them is not a rule violation, but it is the fastest way to be told about it on the air.

Split operation and the pile-up

When a rare DX station appears, hundreds of stations call at once. The DX operator answers by transmitting on one frequency and listening somewhere else, usually a few kilohertz higher, and announces it as 'listening up 5'. Your job is to transmit on the listening frequency - the DX station's transmit frequency stays clear, which is what makes the contact possible at all. Calling on the DX frequency, or tuning up on it, is the classic beginner's mistake and it blocks the pile-up for everyone.

A related convention is the DX window, a small segment such as 14.025 to 14.050 MHz on 20 metres reserved by band plan for intercontinental contacts, where domestic contacts are discouraged so long-haul signals have a clear channel.

Sixty metres is different

The 60 metre band is not a continuous band at all: the FCC authorises five specific channels, 5330.5, 5346.5, 5357.0, 5371.5 and 5403.5 kHz, all USB, with a maximum of 100 watts ERP and an occupied bandwidth of 2.8 kHz. The 100 watt ERP limit includes antenna gain, so a directional antenna means less transmitter power is allowed. This is a case where the rule, not the band plan, decides what you may do.

Finally, self-policing works through volunteers. Official Observers and the ARRL's monitoring programme listen for violations and send advisory notices; they have no enforcement power and forward serious cases to the FCC. If you hear someone interfering unintentionally, telling them politely and off the air is the accepted first step. Never respond to deliberate interference on the air - that is what it is asking for.

Terms you must be able to define
Term	What the examiner wants to hear
Calling frequency	An agreed frequency for making initial contact, to be vacated once contact is made.
Split operation	Transmitting on one frequency and listening on another, used to control a pile-up.
QSY	The Q signal meaning 'change frequency'.
DX window	A band-plan segment reserved for intercontinental contacts.
Official Observer	A volunteer who monitors for rule violations and sends advisory notices; no enforcement power.

Question deck 10 questions

G1A01 Recall

What is the accepted SSB calling frequency on the 20 metre band?

G1A02 Recall

What does the Q signal QSY mean?

G1A03 Core

A DX station announces that it is 'listening up 5'. Where should you transmit?

G1A04 Core

What is the purpose of the band-plan segment known as the DX window?

G1A05 Recall

How many channels may a General class operator use on the 60 metre band, and on which mode?

G1A06 Core

What is the national simplex calling frequency on the 2 metre band?

G1A07 Core

What authority do Official Observers and volunteer monitoring programmes have?

G1A08 Core

You hear a station unintentionally interfering with a net. What is the accepted first action?

G1A09 Stretch

What is the legal status of a band plan?

G1A10 Stretch

A General class operator is operating on 60 metres with a directional antenna. What else limits the transmitter output?

Reference sheet

The explanations for all ten questions sit on this sheet. Pick an answer on the left and the matching card lights up.

G1A01 Explanation 1

Key C — 14.300 MHz

14.300 MHz is the 20 metre SSB calling frequency and also the maritime mobile service net. Because it serves both purposes, contacts made there are expected to move elsewhere so the frequency stays available for calls and for maritime traffic.

Rule 47 CFR §97.101(d) - no interference and shared conventions

G1A02 Explanation 2

Key B — Change frequency

QSY means change frequency. QSYing off a calling frequency after making contact is standard courtesy, and it is also how two stations move away from interference without an argument.

Rule Operating practice - Q signals

G1A03 Explanation 3

Key A — On the frequency 5 kHz above the station's transmit frequency

'Listening up 5' means the DX station transmits on one frequency and hears callers 5 kHz higher. Transmitting on the DX frequency itself - or tuning up there - makes the contact impossible and is the single most common cause of pile-up chaos.

Rule 47 CFR §97.101(b) - cooperation among stations

G1A04 Explanation 4

Key D — It is reserved for intercontinental contacts, with domestic contacts discouraged

A DX window such as 14.025 to 14.050 MHz gives weak long-haul signals a clear channel by keeping short-range domestic contacts out of it. It is a voluntary convention, not an FCC rule.

Rule Band plan convention - voluntary, not Part 97

G1A05 Explanation 5

Key C — Five discrete channels, all USB

Sixty metres is authorised as five specific channels - 5330.5, 5346.5, 5357.0, 5371.5 and 5403.5 kHz - all upper sideband. There is no general 60 metre band to tune across, and the operating limit is 100 watts ERP with 2.8 kHz bandwidth.

Rule 47 CFR §97.305(c) - 60 metre channel authorisation

G1A06 Explanation 6

Key B — 146.520 MHz

146.520 MHz is the 2 metre national simplex calling frequency; 146.940 MHz is a typical repeater output, 144.200 MHz is the 2 metre SSB calling frequency, and 145.800 MHz is the ISS downlink.

Rule Band plan convention - 2 metre simplex

G1A07 Explanation 7

Key A — They may send advisory notices and refer serious cases to the FCC, but cannot enforce rules

Volunteer monitoring is advisory. An Official Observer can document a problem and send a notice, and the programme forwards serious or repeated cases to the FCC, which is the only body that can impose penalties.

Rule 47 CFR §97.1(b) - self-regulation of the service

G1A08 Explanation 8

Key D — Tell them politely, on a frequency where you will not add to the interference

Most interference is accidental and the operator simply does not know. A courteous word on a clear frequency fixes it; transmitting back over the top adds to the problem, and FCC enforcement is reserved for deliberate or repeated misconduct.

Rule 47 CFR §97.101(d) - no wilful interference

G1A09 Explanation 9

Key C — It is a voluntary convention agreed by amateurs, not an FCC rule

Part 97 sets what is legal; band plans set what is considerate. Operating outside a band plan is not a violation, but the amateur community expects observance, and contests and DXpeditions publish their own operating conventions on top.

Rule 47 CFR §97.101(a) - good amateur practice

G1A10 Explanation 10

Key C — The 100 watt ERP limit includes antenna gain, so transmitter power must be reduced accordingly

Sixty metres is limited to 100 watts ERP, not 100 watts at the transmitter. A beam with 5 dB of gain multiplies the effective radiated power, so the transmitter has to be backed down to keep ERP at or under the limit.

Rule 47 CFR §97.313(i) - 60 metre power limit

How to use this unit

Work the ten questions in one sitting with the reference sheet covered, then uncover it and read every explanation - including the ones you got right. The wording of the real exam is different, so learn the reasoning rather than the answer letters.