CW band plan
Where Morse code lives on the bands - and why the boundary is softer than a table makes it look.
A band plan grants no rights. It is an agreement among radio amateurs about who sits where, so that narrow and wide transmissions do not bury each other. What is legally permitted is set by each country's licence and can be narrower.
The most important sentence is in the band plan itself and is left out almost everywhere: CW contacts are accepted across all bands, except within beacon segments. So the "CW segment" is the stretch where Morse has priority - not the only place it may appear. People who do not know this believe they are fenced in.
The CW segments
All figures in kilohertz, maximum bandwidth 200 Hz. The right column lists calling frequencies: QRP is low-power operation, QRS means slow sending - that is where you find operators who take their time.
| Band | CW segment | Calling frequencies |
|---|---|---|
| 160 m | 1810 - 1838 | 1836 QRP |
| 80 m | 3500 - 3570 | 3555 QRS · 3560 QRP |
| 60 m | 5351.5 - 5354.0 | none |
| 40 m | 7000 - 7040 | 7030 QRP |
| 30 m | 10100 - 10130 | 10116 QRP |
| 20 m | 14000 - 14070 | 14055 QRS · 14060 QRP |
| 17 m | 18068 - 18095 | 18086 QRP |
| 15 m | 21000 - 21070 | 21055 QRS · 21060 QRP |
| 12 m | 24890 - 24915 | 24906 QRP |
| 10 m | 28000 - 28070 | 28055 QRS · 28060 QRP |
What else is inside those segments
Three stretches are subdivided further, and the subdivision says something about operating:
- 80 m, 3500 to 3510 kHz - priority for intercontinental work. If you are in Europe chatting to Europe, move up.
- 3510 to 3560 and 14000 to 14060 kHz - contest-preferred. On a contest weekend those are packed, and a quiet QSO is better sought higher up.
- Beacon segments (14099-14101, 18109-18111, 21149-21151, 24929-24931, 28190-28225 kHz) - automatic beacons transmit there around the clock. This is the one place where CW does not belong.
No contest should take place on 30, 17, 12 and 60 m at all. Those are the bands to escape to on a contest weekend if you want to practise in peace.
Why the bands differ
The segments look alike, but the bands behave in opposite ways. 40 and 80 m carry far at night and are short during the day; 10 and 15 m are the other way round and need an active sun as well. Which band is doing what today is not in the band plan but in the space weather - our band conditions play the same message under today's real conditions.
30 m is particularly good for practice: narrow, contest-free, and the propagation is reasonably steady through the day.
Frequently asked questions
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May I use CW outside the CW segment?
Yes. The band plan states explicitly that CW contacts are accepted on all bands, except within beacon segments. The CW segment is where Morse has priority. Courtesy still applies: inside a voice segment a carrier disturbs more than it achieves.
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Is the band plan law?
No. It is an agreement among radio amateurs. What binds you is your country's licence, and that can be narrower than the band plan. The band plan governs how we get along inside what is already permitted.
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What do QRP and QRS mean?
They are Q codes. QRP means "I am reducing power", QRS means "send more slowly". The frequencies listed are calling spots: whoever calls there is looking for low-power or unhurried contacts. For beginners the QRS frequencies are the friendliest place on the band.
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Why is the CW segment only 200 Hz wide?
That is the maximum bandwidth per transmission, not the width of the segment. A Morse signal at 25 WPM occupies roughly 100 Hz - which is why a 70 kHz stretch holds a great many stations side by side. That narrowness is exactly why CW gets so far on so little power.