The 20-meter or 14-MHz amateur radio

Amateur radio

Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...

 band is a portion of the shortwave

Shortwave

Shortwave radio refers to the upper MF and all of the HF portion of the radio spectrum, between 1,800–30,000 kHz. Shortwave radio received its name because the wavelengths in this band are shorter than 200 m which marked the original upper limit of the medium frequency band first used...

 radio spectrum, comprising frequencies stretching from 14.000 MHz to 14.350 MHz. The 20-meter band was first made available to amateurs in the United States by the Third National Radio Conference on October 10, 1924. The band was allocated on a worldwide basis by the International Radiotelegraph Conference in
Washington, D.C., on October 4, 1927. Its frequency allocation was then 14000-14400 kHz. The allocation was reduced to 14000-14350 kHz. by the International Radio Conference of Atlantic City 1947.

The 20-meter band is widely considered among the best for long-distance communication (DXing

DXing

DXing is the hobby of tuning in and identifying distant radio or television signals, or making two way radio contact with distant stations in amateur radio, citizens' band radio or other two way radio communications. Many DXers also attempt to receive written verifications of reception from the...

), and is one of the most popular—and crowded—during contests

Contesting

Contesting is a competitive activity pursued by amateur radio operators. In a contest, an amateur radio station, which may be operated by an individual or a team, seeks to contact as many other amateur radio stations as possible in a given period of time and exchange information...

. Several factors contribute to this, including the band's large size, the relatively small size of antennas tuned to it (especially as compared to antennas for the 40-meter band or the 80-meter band) and its good potential for daytime DX operation even in unfavorable propagation

Radio propagation

Radio propagation is the behavior of radio waves when they are transmitted, or propagated from one point on the Earth to another, or into various parts of the atmosphere...

 conditions.

ITU region 1

For ITU region 1, Radio Society of Great Britain

Radio Society of Great Britain

First founded in 1913 as the London Wireless Club, the Radio Society of Great Britain is the United Kingdom's recognised national society for amateur radio operators. The society's patron is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and it represents the interests of the UK’s 60,000 licensed radio amateurs...

's band plan will be more definitive (click on the buttons at the bottom of the page).

The 20-meter IARU region 1 band plan

The following chart shows the voluntary bandplan used by amateurs in Region 1. Unlike the USA, slots for the various transmission modes are not set by the amateur's licence, but most users do follow these guidelines.

20 Meters 20 meters The 20-meter or 14-MHz amateur radio band is a portion of the shortwave radio spectrum, comprising frequencies stretching from 14.000 MHz to 14.350 MHz. The 20-meter band was first made available to amateurs in the United States by the Third National Radio Conference on October 10, 1924...	14000 14070	14070 14099	B	14101 14350
IARU Region 1

Key

	= CW Continuous wave A continuous wave or continuous waveform is an electromagnetic wave of constant amplitude and frequency; and in mathematical analysis, of infinite duration. Continuous wave is also the name given to an early method of radio transmission, in which a carrier wave is switched on and off...  and data (<200 Hz bandwidth)
	= CW Continuous wave A continuous wave or continuous waveform is an electromagnetic wave of constant amplitude and frequency; and in mathematical analysis, of infinite duration. Continuous wave is also the name given to an early method of radio transmission, in which a carrier wave is switched on and off... , RTTY Radioteletype Radioteletype is a telecommunications system consisting originally of two or more electromechanical teleprinters in different locations, later superseded by personal computers running software to emulate teleprinters, connected by radio rather than a wired link.The term radioteletype is used to...  and data (< 500 Hz Bandwidth)
	= CW Continuous wave A continuous wave or continuous waveform is an electromagnetic wave of constant amplitude and frequency; and in mathematical analysis, of infinite duration. Continuous wave is also the name given to an early method of radio transmission, in which a carrier wave is switched on and off... , phone and image (<3 kHz bandwidth)
	= Reserved for beacons

United States 20-meter amateur allocations

Effective 12:01 a.m. EST, February 23, 2007

20 m 20 meters The 20-meter or 14-MHz amateur radio band is a portion of the shortwave radio spectrum, comprising frequencies stretching from 14.000 MHz to 14.350 MHz. The 20-meter band was first made available to amateurs in the United States by the Third National Radio Conference on October 10, 1924...	14000 - 14350
United States	14000 14025	14025 14150	14150 14175	14175 14225	14225 14350
General
Advanced
Extra

Key

= CW Continuous wave A continuous wave or continuous waveform is an electromagnetic wave of constant amplitude and frequency; and in mathematical analysis, of infinite duration. Continuous wave is also the name given to an early method of radio transmission, in which a carrier wave is switched on and off... , RTTY Radioteletype Radioteletype is a telecommunications system consisting originally of two or more electromechanical teleprinters in different locations, later superseded by personal computers running software to emulate teleprinters, connected by radio rather than a wired link.The term radioteletype is used to...  and data (US: < 1 kHz Bandwidth)

= CW Continuous wave A continuous wave or continuous waveform is an electromagnetic wave of constant amplitude and frequency; and in mathematical analysis, of infinite duration. Continuous wave is also the name given to an early method of radio transmission, in which a carrier wave is switched on and off... , phone and image

Canada

Canada is part of region 2 and as such is subject to the IARU band plan. Radio Amateurs of Canada

Radio Amateurs of Canada

Radio Amateurs of Canada , known in French as Radio Amateurs du Canada, is a member-based, non-profit organization of amateur radio enthusiasts in Canada...

 offers the bandplan below as a recommendation for use by radio amateurs in that country but it does not have the force of law and should only be considered a suggestion or guideline.

License class	14.000–14.070	14.070-14.095	14.095-14.0995	14.0995-14.1005	14.1005-14.112	14.112-14.350
Basic(+), Advanced

Key

	= CW Continuous wave A continuous wave or continuous waveform is an electromagnetic wave of constant amplitude and frequency; and in mathematical analysis, of infinite duration. Continuous wave is also the name given to an early method of radio transmission, in which a carrier wave is switched on and off...  only
	= CW Continuous wave A continuous wave or continuous waveform is an electromagnetic wave of constant amplitude and frequency; and in mathematical analysis, of infinite duration. Continuous wave is also the name given to an early method of radio transmission, in which a carrier wave is switched on and off... , narrow band digital ( <= 500 Hz )
	= CW Continuous wave A continuous wave or continuous waveform is an electromagnetic wave of constant amplitude and frequency; and in mathematical analysis, of infinite duration. Continuous wave is also the name given to an early method of radio transmission, in which a carrier wave is switched on and off... , narrow band digital ( <= 500 Hz ), wide band digital
	= Beacons
	= CW Continuous wave A continuous wave or continuous waveform is an electromagnetic wave of constant amplitude and frequency; and in mathematical analysis, of infinite duration. Continuous wave is also the name given to an early method of radio transmission, in which a carrier wave is switched on and off... , phone