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40 MHz


The current bands for radio amateurs in Europe between 25 MHz and 88 MHz are 10 metres (28.0-29.7 MHz), 6 metres (50-52/54 MHz) and 4 metres (~69.9-70.5 MHz).


In April of 2018, Comreg...the Irish regulatory authority allowed Irish radio amateurs access to the 30 MHz to 49 MHz part of the VHF spectrum on a secondary basis. As one European administration has now allowed radio amateurs to experiment with this part of the spectrum, it is possible that others may follow.

The 40 MHz or 8 metre band has the potential to be a future allocation for the Amateur Radio service. The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) are currently encouraging member societies to try and obtain small allocations at 40 MHz and 60 MHz.

The purpose of this page on the blog is to put any information that I have about the 40 MHz band in one spot so that others can find it.


40 MHz related posts on this blog...
...

2023...

2022...

2021...
New experimental license issued for the 40 MHz band in Canada ...Nov 2021
There are now 7 experimental US stations on the 40 MHz band ...Nov 2021
40 MHz signals from South Africa heard in Europe - 5th Nov ...Nov 2021
Openings on the 40 MHz band - 1st & 2nd Nov 2021 ...Oct 2021
TEP opening on 40 MHz between South Africa and Europe - 23rd Oct ...Oct 2021
First contact between Slovenia and South Africa on the new 40 MHz band ...Oct 2021
South African 8-metre beacon on 40.675 MHz heard in Greece ...Oct 2021
EI1KNH 40 MHz beacon heard in Lincoln, England ...Oct 2021
Guidelines for US stations applying for an experimental 40-MHz permit ...Sep 2021
FCC issue 2nd experimental license for the 40 MHz band (WL2XZQ) ...Aug 2021
The experimental WA2XMN station that occasionally broadcasts on 42.8 MHz ...Aug 2021
40 MHz Station WL2XUP is heard across the Atlantic in England - 22nd July ...Jul 2021
New US experimental station WL2XUP now operational on the 40 MHz band ...Jul 2021
South African 8-metre beacon on 40.675 MHz heard in SE England ...Jul 2021
First 9A to 9A (Croatia) contact on 40 MHz ...May 2021
New 40 MHz beacon now operational from the West of Ireland (EI1CAH) ...May 2021
New 8m beacon in Slovenia on 40.670 MHz (S55ZMS) ...Apr 2021
More reports of the South African 40 MHz beacon being heard in Europe during April ...Apr 2021
South African 8-metre beacon on 40.675 MHz heard in Greece ...Apr 2021
South African 8m beacon on 40.675 MHz heard in Portugal - 14th March 2021 ...Mar 2021
South African activity on the 40 MHz (8m) band in 2015 ...Feb 2021
Dutch 9-element Log Periodic antenna covering 27-100 MHz ...Feb 2021
South African ZS6WAB beacon now operational on 40.675 MHz ...Feb 2021
2020 report on the 40 MHz EI1KNH beacon ...Feb 2021
Yugoslav ELTING 8000 radio for 40 MHz ...Feb 2021 
SMC Transportable Log Periodic HF VHF Antenna 30-88MHz ...Jan 2021
Update on the OZ7IGY beacon on 40 MHz ...Jan 2021
OZ7IGY team in Denmark are looking for a Circulator for their 40 MHz beacon ...Jan 2021
Reception reports of the OZ7IGY 40 MHz beacon in 2020 ...Jan 2021
First contact between Ireland (EI) and Croatia (9A) on 40 MHz ...Jan 2021

2020...
Two 5-Element Yagi designs by YU7EF for 40 MHz ...Dec 2020
40 MHz signals from Slovenia are heard in Croatia over 243km path ...Dec 2020
Two 4-Element Yagi designs by YU7EF for 40 MHz ...Dec 2020
New activity from Croatia (9A) on the 40 MHz band ...Dec 2020
Contact between Ireland and Slovenia on 40 MHz - 31st Oct 2020 ...Nov 2020
Slovenian distance record on 40 MHz extended to 104 kms ...Aug 2020
Reception of the EI1KNH beacon on 40 MHz via meteor scatter ...Aug 2020
New 8m & 5m bands added to the popular PSK Reporter website ...Aug 2020
First Slovenia to Slovenia contact on 40 MHz ...Aug 2020
Video of the reception of S50B in Slovenia on 40 MHz - 22nd June 2020 ...June 2020
First contact on 40 MHz between Ireland & Slovenia - 15th June 2020 ...June 2020
First contact on 40 MHz between Lithuania & Slovenia - 13th June 2020 ...June 2020
40 MHz activity report - 18th May 2020 ...May 2020
Reception reports of the EI1KNH 40 MHz beacon - 17th May 2020 ...May 2020
Opening from Ireland to Denmark on 40 MHz - 17th May 2020 ...May 2020
First 40 MHz crossband contact from Ireland to Spain - 15th May 2020 ...May 2020
New home wanted for the GB3RAL suite of beacons which includes 40 MHz ...May 2020
New Facebook Group for the 40 MHz & 60 MHz amateur bands ...May 2020
Crossband activity on 40 MHz on 11th May 2020 (1st crossband contact EI-OE)...May 2020
First Irish beacon on 40 MHz (EI1KNH) now operational ...May 2020
2019...
Delta Loop antenna for 40 MHz ...June 2019
Danish 40 MHz OZ7IGY beacon back on air ...May 2019
First crossband Sporadic-E contacts made on 40 MHz from Ireland ...May 2019
Inter-EI activity begins on 40 MHz ...May 2019
German commercial Log-Periodic antenna for 28 to 144 MHz ...May 2019
Low Band VHF Log-Periodic Aerials from Antenna Products Corporation ...May 2019
IARU Region 1 adopt IRTS band plans for 40 MHz ...May 2019
Commercial Log-Periodic antenna from M2 for 30-70 MHz ...May 2019
Examples of what is on 34-36 MHz from a SWL in Italy ...Apr 2019
SIGMA antennas for 43 MHz ...Apr 2019
New 40 MHz Transverters on the way from Spectrum Comminications UK ...Apr 2019
Commercial mobile antenna for 40-43 MHz ...Apr 2019
SIRIO Quarter-Wave Ground Plane Antenna for 40 MHz ...Mar 2019
ZETAGI Power Amplifiers for 43 MHz ...Mar 2019
Transverters for 40 MHz ...Mar 2019
OZ7IGY 40 MHz beacon off air for foreseeable future ...Mar 2019
Examples of Italian CB signals heard at 43 MHz ...Mar 2019
Italian 43 MHz CB's for sale ...Mar 2019
RSGB paper suggests additional access to 40 MHz unlikely in the UK ...Mar 2019
IRTS paper on 8 metre band to be presented at IARU Meeting ...Feb 2019
40 MHz band added to DXMAPS ...Feb 2019

2018...


For the latest news about the 40 MHz band, considering joining the 40 MHz & 60 MHz Facebook Group

Specific posts about antennas...




* * * * *
 History of 40 MHz...
April 2018... Ireland (EI) allocated much of the low VHF spectrum to Irish radio amateurs including 40 MHz.
April 2015... South Africa (ZS) allocates 10 kHz of spectrum from 40.675 MHz and 40.685 MHz.
August 2007... The UK (G) and Denmark (OZ) approve beacons on 40 MHz. (UK 60 MHz also).
June 1998... Slovenia (S5) allocates 40 kHz of spectrum to beacons from 40.660 - 40.700 MHz.



Irish Band Plan...
The most up to date band plan for the 8-metre band can be downloaded from the Irish Radio Transmitters website.

40 MHz Beacons...
As of June 2019, the Danish beacon OZ7IGY on 40.071 MHz is back on air. This is currently the only operational 40 MHz beacon in the world. The UK beacon GB3RAL on 40.050 MHz was last operational in 2014. I have an online spreadsheet of the previous DX cluster spots for OZ7IGY and GB3RAL HERE

Other users at 40 MHz...
1) Radio controlled models... One of the main users of the spectrum around 40 MHz are the radio model community. While model aircraft operate around 35 MHz, surface models such as trains, cars, boats, etc operate around 40.6 to 41.0 MHz. More info in this online sheet.

2) Cordless telephones... Before the advent of mobile phones, some people used cordless telephones in their houses. The base units operated around 31 MHz while the handsets were around 40 MHz using FM and 10 mW erp. It may be possible that some of these are still in use.

Handset
Freq - Channel no.
39.9375 1
39.9625 2
39.9875 3
40.0125 4
40.0375 5
40.0625 6
40.0875 7
40.1125 8
40.1375 9
40.1625 10
40.1875 11
40.2125 12

3) ISM Band... (Industrial, Scientific, Medical)... 40.660 to 40.700 MHz. Licence free low power devices for a wide range of applications. e.g. Garage door openers.

4) Italian CB... There is an Italian CB band at 43.3 to 43.6 MHz. More info in this post.

5) Italian Pagers... There are four frequencies from 40.0125 to 40.0875 MHz allocated to pagers in Italy. More info in this post.

40 MHz news items from the net (Pre-2018)...
March 2017... OZ7IGY 40 MHz Beacon Shifts to Next Generation Beacons Platform: 
The 40 MHz OZ7IGY beacon http://www.oz7igy.dk/ was migrated to the Next Generation Beacons http://www.rudius.net/oz2m/ngnb/ platform on March 25. 

 The beacon was activated during a 60th anniversary event for OZ7IGY, making it the oldest ham radio beacon still on the air. The beacon was inaugurated at the start of the International Geophysical Year (IGY http://www.nas.edu/history/igy/). The nominal frequency is 40.071 MHz. The beacon's output power is 20 W into an omnidirectional halo antenna. The OZ7IGY beacon is now frequency- and time-locked to GPS. The sequence is programmed to send PI4 http://www.rudius.net/oz2m/software/pi-rx (a digital mode specifically designed for beacons and propagation studies), followed by a short pause, and then the call sign and grid locator sent in CW, then a pause, and a carrier until start of the next cycle. To decode PI4, tune 800 Hz below the nominal frequency. PI4 is similar to JT4, JT9, and WSPR. This completes the upgrading of the 12 beacons at OZ7IGY transmitting from 28 MHz to 24 GHz. -- Thanks to Southgate Amateur Radio News via Bo Hansen, OZ2M

August 2015.... South African 40 MHz (8m) ham radio contact
The South African Radio League (SARL) report that in a telephone conversation, Willem Badenhorst, ZS6WAB, informed them about the first-ever ZS to ZS amateur radio contact on 40.675 MHz (8m) 

 It was made on Sunday, August 16, 2015 between Ian Roberts, ZS6BTE, in Johannesburg and Willem ZS6WAB at Polokwane using FSK441 and covering 288 km. ZS6WAB is equipped with a 3 element Yagi and 100 Watts. They are both looking for other ZS contacts. 

 Read more  about VHF in ZS2FM's weekly updates here http://www.sarl.org.za/Default.asp#VHF_UHF

 South African Radio League http://www.sarl.org.za/

April 2015... New Band For ZS Hams... by VE7SL
Sharp-eyed Roger, G3XBM, has brought attention to the recent news of a new amateur allocation granted to South Africa's amateur radio community! It's just a small slice of a band but in an exceptionally interesting part of the spectrum ... 40MHz! 

 Amateurs have been given 'propagation studies' permission to transmit between 40.675MHz and 40.685MHz as 'primary users' and use up to 26dBW (400Watts) of power ... a healthy assignment. 
http://ve7sl.blogspot.com/2015/04/new-band-for-zs-hams.html

August 2007.... Ivan OZ7IS has announced that the first 40 MHz Amateur Radio propagation beacon OZ7IGY is now on the air on 40.021 MHz. Background: The European Radiocommunications Office (ERO now ERC) of the CEPT launched in March 1993 Phase II of a Detailed Spectrum Investigation (DSI) covering the frequency range 29.7 - 960 MHz. The results were presented to Administrations in March 1995 with the objective of facilitating a European Table of Frequency Allocations and Utilisations to be implemented by the year 2008. Regarding the Amateur Radio Service the DSI Management Team recommended (among other things) that 70 MHz to be considered as an amateur band AND:  frequencies in the vicinity of 40.680 MHz be considered for amateur propagation beacons. During the IARU, Region 1, C5 meeting in Vienna earlier this year David, G4ASR, told that the RSGB were planning such a 40 MHz beacon. I promised him to take a similar initiative when returning to Denmark. In July the GB3RAL 40.050 and 60.050 MHz VHF beacons were approved and shortly after OZ7IGY received the permit to operate on 40.021 MHz. On 26th of July (after paying the licence fee) at 18.20 UTC OZ7IGY became operational on: 40.021 MHz near Jystrup (Ringsted), JO55wm, 97 masl / 5 magl. The antenna is a dipole heading 255 / 75 degrees. Will shortly be changed to a Turnstile (X-dipole). The output to the antenna is 22 Watt keying in F1A (frequency Shift Keying) according to the IARU, Region 1, standard. 250 Hz shift. The  licence  is valid for a year and the results of the experiments are to be reported to the ITST. The  licence  is  experimental on a non-inteference basis and will not create a precedent for any other kind of amateur radio activities in this part of the spectrum! Please report to DX-summit whenever you hear the beacon. Then we can collect data for the report to ITST and may be able to argue for a renewal of the licence next year? In 1993 the head of ERO was David Court, EI3IO (G3SDL, OZ3SDL etc ;.) I have a feeling that without his on the DSI report we would not have had the ever increasing access to 70 MHz throughout Europe or these 40 MHz amateur propagation beacons!

June 1998... GB2RS News, 28-Jun-1998
GB2RS NEWS BROADCAST
Good morning / evening. It's Sunday the 28th of June [1998] and here is the GB2RS news broadcast
   *  A new VHF beacon band in Slovenia;
Radio amateurs in Slovenia, S5, were granted access to four new frequency bands on the 13th of June. They are the 136kHz LF band, 70MHz, 3.4GHz, and a new 40MHz 'beacon band'. Thanks to a Sporadic E opening, the first contacts between Slovenia and the British Isles on 4-metres were being made within just a few days.
The 40MHz band is for beacons running narrow-band FSK CW only. The frequency limits are 40.660 - 40.700MHz and the power limit is 10dBW ERP. It is not known if any beacons are currently active on the new band. This is part of an IARU Region 1 initiative to obtain spectrum at 40MHz for DX beacons, as an aid to propagation investigation, but it is understood that Slovenia is the first country to make the allocation available.




Resources...
1) OZ7IGY... website for the Danish beacon on 40.071 MHz... http://www.oz7igy.dk/
2) G3USF's VHF beacon list... https://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/por/50.htm
3) 8 Metre Page on Wikipedia... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8-meter_band

Page updated 18th Oct 2023