Band III is the name of the range of radio frequencies within the very high frequency (VHF) part of the electromagnetic spectrum from 174 to 240 megahertz (MHz). It is primarily used for radio and television broadcasting. It is also called high-band VHF, in contrast to Bands I and II.
The band is subdivided into seven channels for television broadcasting, each occupying 6 MHz. [1]
Channel | Frequency Range |
---|---|
7 | 174-180 MHz |
8 | 180-186 MHz |
9 | 186-192 MHz |
10 | 192-198 MHz |
11 | 198-204 MHz |
12 | 204-210 MHz |
13 | 210-216 MHz |
European Band III allocations vary from country to country, with channel widths of 7 or 8 MHz.
The standard channel allocations for European countries that use System B with 7 MHz channel spacing are as follows:
Channel | Frequency Range |
---|---|
E5 | 174-181 MHz |
E6 | 181-188 MHz |
E7 | 188-195 MHz |
E8 | 195-202 MHz |
E9 | 202-209 MHz |
E10 | 209-216 MHz |
E11 | 216-223 MHz |
E12 | 223-230 MHz |
The Irish (8 MHz) system is shown below.
Channel | Frequency Range |
---|---|
D | 174-182 MHz |
E | 182-190 MHz |
F | 190-198 MHz |
G | 198-206 MHz |
H | 206-214 MHz |
i | 214-222 MHz |
J | 222-230 MHz |
Australia has allocated 8 channels in Band III for digital television, each with 7 MHz bandwidth.
Channel | Frequency Range |
---|---|
6 | 174-181 MHz |
7 | 181-188 MHz |
8 | 188-195 MHz |
9 | 195-202 MHz |
9A | 202-209 MHz |
10 | 209-216 MHz |
11 | 216-223 MHz |
12 | 223-230 MHz |
Russian analog television is transmitted using System D with 8 MHz channel bandwidth.
Channel | Frequency Range |
---|---|
6 | 174-182 MHz |
7 | 182-190 MHz |
8 | 190-198 MHz |
9 | 198-206 MHz |
10 | 206-214 MHz |
11 | 214-222 MHz |
12 | 222-230 MHz |
The band came into use for radio broadcasting at the turn of the 21st century and is used for Digital Audio Broadcasting.
It is subdivided into a number of frequency blocks:
Block | Centre Frequency |
---|---|
5A | 174.928 MHz |
5B | 176.640 MHz |
5C | 178.352 MHz |
5D | 180.064 MHz |
6A | 181.936 MHz |
6B | 183.648 MHz |
6C | 185.360 MHz |
6D | 187.072 MHz |
7A | 188.928 MHz |
7B | 190.640 MHz |
7C | 192.352 MHz |
7D | 194.064 MHz |
8A | 195.936 MHz |
8B | 197.648 MHz |
8C | 199.360 MHz |
8D | 201.072 MHz |
9A | 202.928 MHz |
9B | 204.640 MHz |
9C | 206.352 MHz |
9D | 208.064 MHz |
10A | 209.936 MHz |
10B | 211.648 MHz |
10C | 213.360 MHz |
10D | 215.072 MHz |
10N | 210.096 MHz |
11A | 216.928 MHz |
11B | 218.640 MHz |
11C | 220.352 MHz |
11D | 222.064 MHz |
11N | 217.088 MHz |
12A | 223.936 MHz |
12B | 225.648 MHz |
12C | 227.360 MHz |
12D | 229.072 MHz |
12N | 224.096 MHz |
13A | 230.784 MHz |
13B | 232.496 MHz |
13C | 234.208 MHz |
13D | 235.776 MHz |
13E | 237.488 MHz |
13F | 239.200 MHz |
In the UK and part of Ireland, Band III was originally used for monochrome 405-line television; however, this was discontinued by the mid-1980s. Other European countries (including Ireland) continued to use Band III for analogue 625-line colour television.
Digital television in the DVB-T standard can be used in conjunction with VHF Band III and is used as such in some places. The use of sub-band 2 and sub-band 3 band for Digital Audio Broadcasting is now being widely adopted. Sub-band 1 is used for MPT-1327 trunked PMR radio, remote wireless microphones and PMSE links.
In North America, use of the band for television broadcasts is still widespread. Favorable propagation characteristics and reasonable power limits (up to 65 kW for full-power digital television, versus 20 kW or less on VHF Band I) has meant that many US broadcasters elected to move their full-power ATSC stations from UHF frequencies to Band III VHF when all full-power NTSC analog television services in the US shut down in 2009. [2]
Amateur (Ham) Radio has a small allocation of the band, known as the 1.25meter band, from 219 to 220MHz and 222.0 to 225.0MHz for communications. [3]
A television channel, or TV channel, is a terrestrial frequency or virtual number over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, channel 2 refers to the terrestrial or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with carrier frequencies of 55.25 MHz for NTSC analog video (VSB) and 59.75 MHz for analog audio (FM), or 55.31 MHz for digital ATSC (8VSB). Channels may be shared by many different television stations or cable-distributed channels depending on the location and service provider
Very high frequency (VHF) is the ITU designation for the range of radio frequency electromagnetic waves from 30 to 300 megahertz (MHz), with corresponding wavelengths of ten meters to one meter. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted high frequency (HF), and the next higher frequencies are known as ultra high frequency (UHF).
In-band on-channel (IBOC) is a hybrid method of transmitting digital radio and analog radio broadcast signals simultaneously on the same frequency. The name refers to the new digital signals being broadcast in the same AM or FM band (in-band), and associated with an existing radio channel (on-channel). By utilizing additional digital subcarriers or sidebands, digital information is multiplexed on existing signals, thus avoiding re-allocation of the broadcast bands.
The FM broadcast band is a range of radio frequencies used for FM broadcasting by radio stations. The range of frequencies used differs between different parts of the world. In Europe and Africa and in Australia and New Zealand, it spans from 87.5 to 108 megahertz (MHz) - also known as VHF Band II - while in the Americas it ranges from 88 to 108 MHz. The FM broadcast band in Japan uses 76 to 95 MHz, and in Brazil, 76 to 108 MHz. The International Radio and Television Organisation (OIRT) band in Eastern Europe is from 65.9 to 74.0 MHz, although these countries now primarily use the 87.5 to 108 MHz band, as in the case of Russia. Some other countries have already discontinued the OIRT band and have changed to the 87.5 to 108 MHz band.
Broadcasttelevision systems are the encoding or formatting systems for the transmission and reception of terrestrial television signals.
A tuner is a subsystem that receives radio frequency (RF) transmissions, such as FM broadcasting, and converts the selected carrier frequency and its associated bandwidth into a fixed frequency that is suitable for further processing, usually because a lower frequency is used on the output. Broadcast FM/AM transmissions usually feed this intermediate frequency (IF) directly into a demodulator that converts the radio signal into audio-frequency signals that can be fed into an amplifier to drive a loudspeaker.
The following tables show the frequencies assigned to analog broadcast television channels in various regions of the world, along with the ITU letter designator for the system used. The frequencies shown are for the analog video and audio carriers. The channel itself occupies several megahertz of bandwidth. For example, North American channel 1 occupies the spectrum from 44 to 50 MHz. See Broadcast television systems for a table of signal characteristics, including bandwidth, by ITU letter designator. Analog television broadcasts have been phased out in most regions, having been replaced by digital television broadcasts.
The 6-meter band is the lowest portion of the very high frequency (VHF) radio spectrum internationally allocated to amateur radio use. The term refers to the average signal wavelength of 6 meters.
A television transmitter is a transmitter that is used for terrestrial (over-the-air) television broadcasting. It is an electronic device that radiates radio waves that carry a video signal representing moving images, along with a synchronized audio channel, which is received by television receivers belonging to a public audience, which display the image on a screen. A television transmitter, together with the broadcast studio which originates the content, is called a television station. Television transmitters must be licensed by governments, and are restricted to a certain frequency channel and power level. They transmit on frequency channels in the VHF and UHF bands. Since radio waves of these frequencies travel by line of sight, they are limited by the horizon to reception distances of 40–60 miles depending on the height of transmitter station.
Amateur radio frequency allocation is done by national telecommunication authorities. Globally, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) oversees how much radio spectrum is set aside for amateur radio transmissions. Individual amateur stations are free to use any frequency within authorized frequency ranges; authorized bands may vary by the class of the station license.
Band II is the range of radio frequencies within the very high frequency (VHF) part of the electromagnetic spectrum from 87.5 to 108.0 megahertz (MHz).
Band I is a range of radio frequencies within the very high frequency (VHF) part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The first time there was defined "for simplicity" in Annex 1 of "Final acts of the European Broadcasting Conference in the VHF and UHF bands - Stockholm, 1961". Band I ranges from 47 to 68 MHz for the European Broadcasting Area, and from 54 to 88 MHz for the Americas and it is primarily used for television broadcasting in compliance with ITU Radio Regulations. With the transition to digital TV, most Band I transmitters have already been switched off.
Television frequency allocation has evolved since the start of television in Australia in 1956, and later in New Zealand in 1960. There was no coordination between the national spectrum management authorities in either country to establish the frequency allocations. The management of the spectrum in both countries is largely the product of their economical and political situation. New Zealand didn't start to develop television service until 1965 due to World War 2 and its economic harm in the country's economy.
This is a review of low-power television stations (LPTV) in the United States, transmitting on VHF channel 6, which also operate as radio stations capable of being picked up by many standard FM receivers. These stations are colloquially known as "Franken FMs", a reference to Frankenstein's monster, because TV stations functioning as radio stations had not been envisioned by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC commonly refers to these stations as "FM6" operations. All of these FM transmissions are authorized for operation on a center frequency of 87.75 MHz.
CCIR System B was the 625-line VHF analog broadcast television system which at its peak was adopted by more than one hundred countries, either with PAL or SECAM colour. It is usually associated with CCIR System G for UHF broadcasts.
UHF television broadcasting is the use of ultra high frequency (UHF) radio for over-the-air transmission of television signals. UHF frequencies are used for both analog and digital television broadcasts. UHF channels are typically given higher channel numbers, like the US arrangement with VHF channels (initially) 1 to 13, and UHF channels (initially) numbered 14 to 83. Compared with an equivalent VHF television transmitter, to cover the same geographic area with a UHF transmitter requires a higher effective radiated power, implying a more powerful transmitter or a more complex antenna. However, the additional channels allow more broadcasters in a given region without causing objectionable mutual interference.
The Pan-American television frequencies are different for terrestrial and cable television systems. Terrestrial television channels are divided into two bands: the VHF band which comprises channels 2 through 13 and occupies frequencies between 54 and 216 MHz, and the UHF band, which comprises channels 14 through 36 and occupies frequencies between 470 and 608 MHz. These bands are different enough in frequency that they often require separate antennas to receive, and separate tuning controls on the television set. The VHF band is further divided into two frequency ranges: VHF low band between 54 and 88 MHz, containing channels 2 through 6, and VHF high band between 174 and 216 MHz, containing channels 7 through 13. The wide spacing between these frequency bands is responsible for the complicated design of rooftop TV antennas. The UHF band has higher noise and greater attenuation, so higher gain antennas are often required for UHF.
CCIR System A was the 405-line analog broadcast television system adopted in the UK and Ireland. System A service started in 1936 and was discontinued in 1985.
CCIR System I is an analogue broadcast television system. It was first used in the Republic of Ireland starting in December 1961 as the 625-line broadcasting standard to be used on VHF Band I and Band III, sharing Band III with 405-line System A signals radiated in the north and east of the country. The Republic of Ireland has (slowly) extended its use of System I onto the UHF bands.
These tables detail the frequencies used in European cable networks. Cable networks use frequencies which are used by different users terrestrially, like the military, police radio, etc. Because of the late introduction of cable television in Europe, older television sets generally could not receive the special cable-only channels, so some countries still have the rule that the public TV stations must be located either in Band I or Band III. The Hyperband was allocated later than the other cable-only channels, so television sets produced in the late 80s and early 90s may lack this band.