Chart/table of frequency bands to scan

[funnyfarm299]

This feels like a dumb question, but where can I find a list of bands of interest to program into a scanner plugin? I'm in the USA if it matters.

In the past I've used handheld scanners that come with pre-programmed service bands, but I haven't been able to find something similar for configuring a frequency scanner plugin in SDRSharp.

 

[majoco]

Here's my 'go to' sheet from years ago....

 

[funnyfarm299]

Here's my 'go to' sheet from years ago....

Thanks for the starting point, but I'm particularly interested in the UHF/VHF bands.

 

[thewraith2008]

Maybe you should have a look at this part of RadioReference.

You could determine bands of interest yourself with the scanner plug-in by starting with large scan ranges then narrowing them once you determine (via logs) where the activity is occurring and then further again when you find the ones are the most interest to you.

 

[funnyfarm299]

Maybe you should have a look at this part of RadioReference.

You could determine bands of interest yourself with the scanner plug-in by starting with large scan ranges then narrowing them once you determine (via logs) where the activity is occurring and then further again when you find the ones are the most interest to you.

The database only shows what frequencies are already submitted. This doesn't help to discover new transmissions.

Additionally, saying "start with large scan ranges" without providing examples of such range isn't helpful. The scan range of an RTL-SDR covers a spectrum of around 1700 MHz, it takes minutes to go through that range even using a scanner plugin.

Perhaps my original message wasn't clear enough, so I'll provide a couple examples that I already know of.
CB Radio: 26.965-27.405 MHz, AM, 8 KHz bandwidth, step size 10 kHz
70-cm amateur band: 420-450 MHz, NFM, 8 kHz bandwidth, step size 12.5 kHz

 

[nd5y]

Thanks for the starting point, but I'm particularly interested in the UHF/VHF bands.

30-50 MHz Government and private land mobile radio, various services
50-54 Amateur
54-72 TV
72-76 Various services
76-88 TV
88-108 FM
108-118 Aircraft (navaids - no voice)
118-137 Aircraft (mostly voice)
137-138 Satellites
138-144 Govt LMR
144-148 Amateur
148-149.9 Govt LMR
149.9-150.05 Satellite
150.05-150.8 Govt LMR
150.775-162.05 PLMR and Marine
162.05-173.2 Govt LMR
173.2-173.4 PLMR
173.4-174 Government LMR
174-216 TV
216-222 various services
222-225 Amateur
225-380 Military aviation
380-400 Govt LMR and military aviation
400-406.1 Satellites and various space services
406.1-420 Govt LMR
420-430 PLMR in some areas near the Canadian border and Amateur
430-450 Amateur
450-470 PLMR
470-512 TV, UHF-T band in some areas
512-614 TV
614-746 various cellular type services
746-758 various cellular type services (base)
758-769 FirstNet (base)
769-776 Public safety LMR (700 MHz base)
776-788 various cellular type services (mobile)
788-799 FirstNet (mobile)
799-806 Public safety LMR (700 MHz mobile)
806-821 PLMR (mobile)
824-851 various cellular type services (mobile)
851-866 PLMR (base)
866-896 various cellular type services (base)
896-901 PLMR (mobile)
901-902 various services
902-928 ISM, amateur, other services
928-935 various services
935-940 PLMR (base)
940-960 various services

Read all the links at

Common Frequencies - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

 

[funnyfarm299]

30-50 MHz mixed government and private land mobile radio
50-54 Amateur
54-72 TV
72-76 Various services
76-88 TV
88-108 FM
108-118 Aircraft (navaids - no voice)
118-137 Aircraft (mostly voice)
137-138 Satellites
134-144 Govt LMR
144-148 Amateur
148-149.9 Govt LMR
149.9-150.05 Satellite
150.05-150.775 Govt LMR
150.775-162.05 PLMR and Marine
162.05-173.2 Govt LMR
173.2-173.4 PLMR
173.4-174 Government LMR
174-216 TV
216-222 various services
222-225 Amateur
225-380 Military aviation
394-400 Govt LMR and military aviation
400-406.1 Satellites and various space services
406.1-420 Govt LMR
420-430 PLMR in some areas near the Canadian border and Amateur
430-450 Amateur
450-470 PLMR
470-512 TV, UHF-T band in some areas.
512-614 TV
614-746 various cellular type services
746-769 FirstNet (base)
769-776 Public safety LMR (700 MHz base)
776-799 FirstNet (mobile)
799-806 Public safety LMR (700 MHz mobile)
806-821 PLMR (mobile)
824-851 various cellular type services (mobile)
851-866 PLMR (base)
866-896 various cellular type services (base)
896-901 PLMR (mobile)
901-902 various services
902-928 ISM, amateur, other services
928-935 various services
935-940 PLMR (base)
940-960 various services

Read all the links at

Common Frequencies - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

Thanks, that's exactly the kind of starting point I was looking for!

 

[nd5y]

If you saved my list then save it again. I had to fix some errors.

 

[funnyfarm299]

More digging discovered this comment which also has some useful data

Scan Steps

I'm looking for a chart or other information that shows what the step sizes are in the different frequency ranges. I usually scan by 5khz steps in the 140, 150 & 160 ranges and 12.5khz for anything above 400 mhz. I'm probably missing some frequencies when I'm not scanning with the proper steps.

forums.radioreference.com

 

[thewraith2008]

Additionally, saying "start with large scan ranges" without providing examples of such range isn't helpful. The scan range of an RTL-SDR covers a spectrum of around 1700 MHz, it takes minutes to go through that range even using a scanner plugin.

Are you kidding.
This is what the hobby is about, discovery.

You said you wanted VHF/UHF, then put 30-1000 MHz (or whatever) range in to the scanner and see what you see.

 

[nd5y]

Be aware that channel spacing steps can vary and overlap.

 

[krokus]

Are you kidding.
This is what the hobby is about, discovery.

You said you wanted VHF/UHF, then put 30-1000 MHz (or whatever) range in to the scanner and see what you see.

Scanning more than about 10 MHz at a time, with current radios, will be likely to miss radio traffic. (Less of a span, for older radios.)

 

[thewraith2008]

Scanning more than about 10 MHz at a time, with current radios, will be likely to miss radio traffic. (Less of a span, for older radios.)

We are talking SDR here and the use of the SDR# Frequency Scanner plug-in.
This combination can scan a large frequency range (few hundreds on MHz) in about a second or two. (depends on SDR used)

Of course you will miss traffic. If it stops on one frequency to listen to the activity, there will surely be something going on else where.
You will never catch it all trying to scan such a large band of frequencies.

 

[merlin]

Just keep a log of all the interesting hits. There are a lot of data only signals that wil stop the scan.

 

[krokus]

We are talking SDR here and the use of the SDR# Frequency Scanner plug-in.
This combination can scan a large frequency range (few hundreds on MHz) in about a second or two. (depends on SDR used)

Of course you will miss traffic. If it stops on one frequency to listen to the activity, there will surely be something going on else where.
You will never catch it all trying to scan such a large band of frequencies.

I was referring to a scanner, not a nicer SDR. (Low end RTL-SDR would not keep up with that much spread, tha quickly.)