Bands are used by radio amateurs. PART 3. SHF and Microwave Bands
The first SHF (Super High Frequency) band up the spectrum is 9 cm or 3400 MHz
Long-distance propagation on this band is mainly tropospheric.
This band is used for terrestrial communications from stationary home positions and actively from mountain tops and fields in annual UHF contests being organized by International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) member societies.
There were Moon Bounce EME experiments on this band as well.
This band is used both for local FM and long-distance phone, CW, and digital сommunications.
ARRL VUCC award is awarded for working grid squares on 9 cm band.
There are few commercially made 9cm transverters but amateurs are making some of their 9cm equipment themselves. This includes Low Noise receive preamplifies (LNA), transmit Power Amplifiers, and antennas that require special measuring equipment.
By moving up the spectrum we get to a popular SHF band of 5 cm or 5760 MHz. This band is used by amateurs worldwide from their stationary home positions, during mainly Summer months from mountain tops and fields in annual SHF contests being organized by International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) member societies.
Long-distance communication on this band mainly depends on tropospheric propagation and sometimes on reflection from aircraft using special tracking software.
ARRL VUCC award for working grid squares on a 5cm band is also awarded.
Ukrainian club station UR7DWW from Uzhgorod is the only world holder of this award outside North America – a great achievement!
There are few commercially made 5 cm transverters but amateurs make a lot of their equipment themselves. This includes Low Noise receive preamplifies (LNA), transmit Power Amplifiers, and antennas that require special measuring equipment.
The most popular SHF band is 3 cm or 10368 MHz.
The availability of satellite TV equipment and Dish antennas has made it possible for amateurs to adapt it for ham radio use. Launching the geostationary QO-100 satellite with its downlink of 3cm has made a major boost in 3 cm amateur radio activity. https://amsat-dl.org/en/eshail-2-amsat-phase-4-a/
This band is also used by amateurs around the world from their stationary home positions, during mainly Summer months from mountain tops and fields in annual SHF contests being organized by International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) member societies.
Long-distance communication on this band mainly depends on tropospheric propagation and sometimes by reflection from rain clouds and aircraft using special tracking software.
There were Moon Bounce EME experiments on this band as well.
ARRL VUCC award for working grid squares on a 3 cm band is also awarded.
Ukrainian club station UR7DWW has the highest grid world score outside North America with only other two Europeans on the list German DM3CW and another Ukrainian, Vladislav Dovbaka UZ5DZ from Uzhgorod!
Ukrainian amateur Nikolaj Lavreka UX0FF from Izmail is the only Ukrainian holder of this prestigious award.
There’s commercially made amateur equipment for this band and especially for QO-100 downlink reception available but some amateurs are making the receiver LNAs, power amplifiers and antennas for 3 cm band themselves that require special measuring equipment.
The highest SHF band up the spectrum is 1.2 cm or 24 GHZ
It is still to a large extent remain the experimental band since making and tuning the equipment for it requires special expensive commercial testing equipment.
Despite of this both terrestrial and Moon Bounce EME experiments on this band were made.
ARRL VUCC award for working grid squares on a 1.2 cm band is also awarded.
Only North American amateurs holding it.
This band is also used by amateurs taking part in annual SHF contests being organized by International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) member societies.
EHF (Extremely High Frequency) or Microwave Bands
The bands of:
6mm or 47 GHz
4mm or 76 GHz
2.5mm or 122.5 GHz
2mm or 135 GHz
1mm 248GHz
