Very high frequency
VHF spans 30–300 MHz, enabling line-of-sight radio for broadcasting, aviation, and marine use.
Very high frequency (VHF) is the International Telecommunication Union’s label for radio waves between 30 and 300 megahertz, which have wavelengths from ten meters down to one meter. The band just below VHF is called high frequency (HF), and the one just above it is ultra high frequency (UHF). VHF is the first frequency range where antennas can be made small enough—a quarter-wave whip antenna is between 25 centimeters and 2.5 meters long—to fit on vehicles, aircraft, and handheld devices like walkie-talkies.
VHF radio waves mostly travel by line-of-sight and ground-bounce paths, so hills and mountains block them. Unlike HF waves, they do not bounce off the ionosphere as skywaves, but they are weakly bent by the atmosphere, allowing them to reach about 160 kilometers (100 miles) beyond the visual horizon. They can pass through building walls for indoor reception, though in cities reflections off buildings cause multipath interference that can disrupt television signals. Atmospheric noise and electrical interference are less troublesome on VHF than on lower bands. Under certain conditions, temperature gradients in the atmosphere can refract VHF waves into tropospheric ducts, enabling long-distance travel.
Common uses include Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), FM radio, television broadcasting, two-way land mobile radio for emergency services, business, private use, and military, long-range data communication with radio modems over tens of kilometers, amateur radio, and marine communications. Air traffic control and navigation systems like VOR and ILS work at distances of 100 kilometers or more to aircraft at cruising altitude. In the Americas and many other regions, VHF Band I carried analog television; as part of the global shift to digital terrestrial television, most countries now require digital encoding for VHF TV broadcasts.
The transmission range of a VHF signal depends on transmitter power, receiver sensitivity, and the distance to the horizon. The radio horizon is slightly farther than the geometric horizon because the atmosphere weakly bends the waves back toward Earth. A rough approximation for the horizon distance is: in nautical miles, the square root of the antenna height in feet multiplied by 1.23; in kilometers, the square root of the antenna height in meters multiplied by 4.12.
- Frequency range
- 30 to 300 MHz
- Wavelength range
- 10 meters to 1 meter
- Typical line-of-sight range
- up to about 160 km (100 miles)
- Common uses
- Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), FM radio broadcasting, television broadcasting, two-way land mobile radio, amateur radio, marine communications, air traffic control, air navigation systems (VOR and
- Amateur radio bands
- 50–54 MHz (6-meter band), 144–146 MHz (2-meter band, extends to 148 MHz in some regions)
- Airband frequencies
- 118–137 MHz, with 121.5 MHz as emergency frequency
- Maritime mobile band
- 156–174 MHz
Lore & Background
VHF radio waves propagate mainly by line-of-sight and ground-bounce paths, unlike HF band waves which reflect from the ionosphere. They are blocked by hills and mountains, but due to weak refraction by the atmosphere they can travel somewhat beyond the visual horizon out to about 160 km (100 miles). They can penetrate building walls and be received indoors, though in urban areas reflections from buildings cause multipath propagation that can interfere with television reception. Atmospheric radio noise and interference from electrical equipment is less of a problem in the VHF band than at lower frequencies. Occasionally, when conditions are right, VHF waves can travel long distances by tropospheric ducting due to refraction by temperature gradients in the atmosphere.
In the Americas and many other parts of the world, VHF Band I was used for transmission of analog television. As part of the worldwide transition to digital terrestrial television, most countries require broadcasters to air television in the VHF range using digital rather than analog encoding. The VHF band is also used for Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) and FM radio broadcasting, television broadcasting, two-way land mobile radio systems (emergency, business, private use and military), long range data communication up to several tens of kilometers with radio modems, amateur radio, and marine communications. Air traffic control communications and air navigation systems (e.g. VOR and ILS) work at distances of 100 km or more to aircraft at cruising altitude.
For antennas, the Yagi antenna is the most widely used as a high gain or beam antenna for VHF. For television reception, the Yagi and log-periodic antenna are used. Helical and turnstile antennas are used for satellite communication since they employ circular polarization. Vertical collinear arrays of dipoles can be used to make high gain omnidirectional antennas. Television and FM broadcasting stations use collinear arrays of specialized dipole antennas such as batwing antennas.
Reader's Guide
VHF's significance lies in its role as the first frequency band where efficient antennas become small enough for practical mobile and portable use, enabling two-way radios in vehicles, aircraft, and handheld transceivers. Its line-of-sight propagation characteristics make it ideal for local broadcasting, air traffic control, and marine communications, where reliable coverage over distances up to about 160 km is needed. The band's ability to penetrate building walls and its relative immunity to atmospheric noise compared to lower frequencies further enhance its utility for everyday communications.
The legacy of VHF includes its central role in the transition from analog to digital television broadcasting, with most countries now requiring digital encoding in the VHF range. The band continues to support a wide array of services including FM radio, DAB, amateur radio, and critical safety communications such as the 121.5 MHz emergency frequency used in aviation. The development of directional antennas like the Yagi and omnidirectional collinear arrays has been driven by VHF applications, and these designs remain widely used. The band's universal allocation for certain subparts—such as the 2-meter amateur radio band and the maritime mobile band—demonstrates its enduring global importance for both public and private radio services.
Did You Know?
- VHF wavelengths range from ten meters to one meter, corresponding to frequencies from 30 to 300 MHz.
- VHF radio waves can travel beyond the visual horizon out to about 160 km (100 miles) due to weak atmospheric refraction.
- The Yagi antenna is the most widely used high-gain directional antenna for VHF, commonly seen on television reception antennas.
- The 121.5 MHz frequency is designated as the emergency frequency for air traffic control communications.
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