6-meter band

This normally occurs close to sunspot maximum, when solar activity increases ionization levels in the upper atmosphere.

[a] On October 10, 1924, the 5-meter band (56–64 MHz) was first made available to amateurs in the United States by the Third National Radio Conference.

[4] At the 1938 International Radiocommunication Conference in Cairo, television broadcasting was given priority in a portion of the 5- and 6-meter band in Europe.

[6] FCC Order 130-C went into effect at 3 am Eastern Standard Time on March 1, 1946, and created the 6-meter band allocation for the amateur service as 50–54 MHz.

[7][8] At the 1947 International Radio Conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the amateur service was allocated 50–54 MHz in ITU Region 2 and 3.

[10] However, in practice a large number of ITU Region 1 countries allow amateur use of at least some of the 6 meter band.

A detailed bandplan can be obtained from the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) website.

For a full list of countries using 6 meters, refer to the bandplan of the International Amateur Radio Union.

[14] Because the 6 meter band is just below the frequencies formerly allocated to the old VHF television Channel 2 in North America (54–60 MHz), television interference (TVI) to neighbors' sets was a common problem for amateurs operating in this band prior to June 2009, when analog television transmissions ended in the U.S. Beginning around the turn of the millennium, the availability of transceivers that include the 6 meter band has increased greatly.

There are also a number of stand-alone 6 meter band transceivers, although commercial production of these has been relatively rare in recent years.

Those without access to international HF frequencies often gain their first experience with truly long-distance communications on the 6 meter band.

Many of these operators develop a real affection for the challenge of the band, and often continue to devote much time to it, even when they gain access to the HF frequencies after upgrading their licenses.

[15] In North America, especially in the United States[17] and Canada,[18] the 6-meter band may be used by licensed amateurs for the safe operation of radio-controlled (RC) aircraft and other types of radio control hobby miniatures.

to be accomplished on any frequency within the band, above 50.1 MHz, by any licensed amateur operator in the United States; however, an indiscriminate choice of frequencies for RC operations is discouraged by the amateur radio community via its self-imposed band plan for 6 meters.

It allows an unidentified maximum radiated RF power output of one watt for RC model operations of any type.