8-meter band
Lowest VHF amateur band, bridging HF propagation with VHF characteristics.
The 8-meter band, centered around 40 MHz, sits at the bottom of the VHF spectrum where amateur radio is allowed in certain countries. Its name comes from the average signal wavelength of roughly eight meters. While it behaves a lot like the nearby 6-meter and 10-meter bands, its slightly lower frequency gives it better access to F2 layer propagation—a type of long-distance skip more typical of HF bands, which only shows up occasionally on 6 meters. During summer, sporadic E propagation, where signals bounce off ionized patches in the lower E region, is common.
The band first opened to amateur experimenters between 1925 and 1928 in the UK and Irish Free State, while wider 8–10 meter allocations were given to hams in Australia and Germany. In the summer of 1927, the Q.R.P. Transmitters Society ran tests with two portable stations operated by G.D. Abbott (6TA) and J.W. Mathews (6LL). After World War II, from 1955 to 1959, the USSR allocated 38–40 MHz to its amateurs. In 1957, Michał Kasia (SP5AM) used a special license to experiment in that range, making contacts with hams in far Siberia and setting a new distance record. That same year, for the International Geophysical Year, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, which broadcast a beep on 20 and 40 MHz; scientists and ham operators worldwide tracked it. Poland’s club station SP5PRG got a special permit for 38–40 MHz, and a beacon was set up at Yellowknife on 38.07 MHz. Groups like AMS encouraged amateur networks, and from 1957 onward, hams systematically recorded meteor reflections and other phenomena. They noted that the 36.2–37.5 MHz range produced longer, stronger reflections, making it useful for other types of ionospheric scatter. This data helped determine meteor shower intensity and recurrence patterns, contributing to scientific research. Propagation experiments continued during the International Year of the Quiet Sun (1964–1969), including a beacon at Darwin on 32.85 MHz run in collaboration with Japan’s Radio Research Laboratories, plus a test from Okinawa on 34 MHz.
In 1988, Australia’s Department of Communications gave VK6RO a one-year experimental license to transmit on 35.81 MHz and 41.75 MHz to study propagation paths and maximum usable frequency trends between 30 and 50 MHz.
- Frequency range
- 40 MHz (average wavelength 8 meters)
- First allocations
- 1925-1928 (UK, Irish Free State, Australia, Germany)
- Postwar allocation
- 1955-1959 (38-40 MHz, USSR)
- Notable experimenter
- Michał Kasia (SP5AM) in 1957
- Satellite event
- Sputnik 1 launched 4 October 1957, broadcast on 20 and 40 MHz
- Beacon frequency
- 38.07 MHz (Yellowknife)
- Modern allocation
- 2018 (Ireland, 30-49 MHz, including 8-meter range)
Lore & Background
The 8-meter band was made available from 1925 to 1928 to amateur experimenters in the UK and Irish Free State, and a wider 8–10 meter band was allocated to amateurs in Australia and Germany. Several tests with two portable stations were carried out during July–September 1927 under the auspices of the Q.R.P. Transmitters Society, operated by G.D. Abbott (6TA) and J.W. Mathews (6LL). After World War II, from 1955 to 1959 the 8-meter band (38-40 MHz) was allocated to USSR amateurs. Using a special license, Michał Kasia (SP5AM) conducted experiments in the 38-40 MHz band in 1957, and contacts with radio amateurs from far Siberia broke a new distance record on this band.
For the International Geophysical Year on 4 October 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, which broadcast a beep on 20 and 40 MHz, received and tracked by scientists and ham radio operators worldwide. A special permission of 38-40 MHz was issued to Club station SP5PRG in Poland, and a beacon was operated at Yellowknife on 38.07 MHz. Since 1957, radio amateurs have systematically recorded meteor reflections and other phenomena, noting that the ~36.2–37.5 MHz range produced longer and stronger reflections, suitable for other ionoscatter types, enabling determination of meteor shower intensity and recurrence patterns.
In 1988, the Australian Department of Communications granted VK6RO an experimental license for one year to transmit on 35.81 MHz and 41.75 MHz for testing propagation paths and assaying trends of maximum usable frequency between 30 and 50 MHz. In March 1993, the European Radiocommunications Office launched Phase II of a Detailed Spectrum Investigation covering 29.7–960 MHz, and in March 1995 the DSI Management Team recommended that frequencies near 40.68 MHz be considered for amateur propagation beacons, with a secondary allocation appropriate. In 2018, Ireland allocated 30–49 MHz, which can be subdivided into 9 m, 8 m, and 7 m ranges.
Reader's Guide
The 8-meter band holds significance as the lowest portion of VHF available to amateurs in some countries, bridging HF propagation mechanisms with VHF characteristics. Its history includes early allocations in the 1920s in the UK, Irish Free State, Australia, and Germany, followed by post-war use in the USSR and experimental work by Michał Kasia (SP5AM) in 1957, which set distance records. The band gained scientific importance during the International Geophysical Year when Sputnik 1's 40 MHz signal was tracked by amateurs worldwide, and subsequent systematic recording of meteor reflections contributed to research on meteor shower intensity and recurrence patterns. The band's legacy includes ongoing propagation experiments, such as the 1988 Australian license for VK6RO and the 1995 CEPT recommendation for propagation beacons near 40.68 MHz. In the 21st century, Ireland's 2018 allocation of 30–49 MHz provides a basis for analyzing propagation characteristics, and the IARU Region 1 encourages member societies to seek beacon permissions at 40 MHz, though any formal allocation is considered premature.
Did You Know?
- The 8-meter band was first allocated to amateurs in the UK and Irish Free State between 1925 and 1928.
- Sputnik 1, launched on 4 October 1957, broadcast a beep on 40 MHz that was received by ham radio operators worldwide.
- Michał Kasia (SP5AM) set a new distance record on the 38-40 MHz band in 1957.
- In 2018, Ireland allocated 30–49 MHz, which includes the 8-meter range.
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