RadioShack Guide to Scanners

Typical and Primary Band Usage, and Standard Intervals

Typical Band Usage

HF Band (3.0 - 30.0 MHz)
25.00 - 28.63 MHz	Mid Range
25.00 - 28.63 MHz	Mid Range
28.00 - 29.70 MHz	10-Meter Amateur Band
29.70 - 29.90 MHz	High Range
VHF Band (30.00 - 300.0 MHz)
30.00 - 50.00 MHz	Low range
50.00 - 54.00 MHz	6-Meter Amateur
54.00 - 72.00 MHz	FM-TV Audio Broadcast, Wide Band
88.00 - 108.00 MHz	FM Radio Broadcast, Wide Band
108.00 - 136.00 MHz	Aircraft
138.00 - 144.00 MHz	U.S. Government
144.00 - 148.00 MHz	2-Meter Amateur
148.00 - 174.00 MHz	High Range
220.00 - 222.00 MHz	New Mobile Narrow Band
222.00 - 225.00 MHz	1.3-Meter Amateur
225.00 - 287.80 MHz	Military Aircraft
UHF Band (300.00 MHz - 3.0 GHz)
311.00 - 384.00 MHz	Military Aircraft
406.00 - 470.00 MHz	U.S. Government
420.00 - 450.00 MHz	0.6-Meter Amateur
450.00 - 470.00 MHz	Low Range
470.00 - 806.00 MHz	FM-TV Audio Broadcast, Wide Band
851.00 - 856.00 MHz	Conventional Systems
856.00 - 861.00 MHz	Conventional/Trunked Systems
861.00 - 866.00 MHz	Trunked Systems
866.00 - 869.00 MHz	Public Safety
869.00 - 894.00 MHz	Common Carrier
935.00 - 940.00 MHz	Private Trunked
940.00 - 941.00 MHz	General Trunked

Primary Usage

As a general rule, most of the radio activity is concentrated on the following frequencies:

VHF Band (30.00 - 300.0 MHz)
144.00 - 148.00 MHz	2-Meter Amateur
153.785 - 155.980 MHz	Government, Police, and Fire
158.730 - 159.460 MHz	Emergency Services
160.000 - 161.900 MHz	Railroad
UHF Band (300.00 MHz - 3.0 GHz)
440.00 - 450.00 MHz	0.6-Meter Amateur Band FM Repeaters
450.000 - 470.000 MHz	Land Mobile "Paired" Frequencies
451.025 - 454.950 MHz	Base Stations
456.025 - 459.950 MHz	Mobile Units
460.025 - 464.975 MHz	Repeater Units
465.025 - 469.975 MHz	Control Stations

Note: UHF remote control stations and mobile units typically operate at 5 MHz higher than their associated base and relay repeater units.

Specified Intervals

Frequencies in different bands are accessible only at specific intervals. For example:

VHF, HAM, and Government	5.0 kHz steps
All Others	12.5 kHz steps
Aircraft	25.0 kHz steps

Note: Your scanner may round the entered frequency to the nearest valid frequency. For example, if you try to enter 151.473, the scanner might accept this as 151.470.