License class privileges

The three license classes

Class	Exam	HF access	VHF/UHF access	Power limit
Technician	35-question written	Limited (see below)	Full	1500W PEP
General	35-question written (+ Tech)	Most HF bands	Full	1500W PEP
Amateur Extra	50-question written (+ General)	All HF bands	Full	1500W PEP

All three classes have identical VHF and UHF privileges. The difference is HF band access.

Technician HF privileges

Technicians are often told "you only get VHF/UHF." This is not true. Technicians have:

Band	Frequencies	Modes	Power
80m	3.525-3.600 MHz	CW only	200W PEP
40m	7.025-7.125 MHz	CW only	200W PEP
15m	21.025-21.200 MHz	CW only	200W PEP
10m	28.000-28.300 MHz	CW only	200W PEP
10m	28.300-28.500 MHz	CW and SSB	200W PEP
6m	50.0-54.0 MHz	All modes	1500W PEP
2m	144-148 MHz	All modes	1500W PEP
70cm	420-450 MHz	All modes	1500W PEP

Technicians have CW on four HF bands and SSB on the top of 10 meters. With a General upgrade, the HF bands open up for SSB/digital.

General HF privileges

Generals gain access to large segments of every HF band:

Band	General frequencies	Modes
160m	1.800-2.000 MHz	All modes
80m	3.525-3.600 CW; 3.800-4.000 phone/digital	All modes in sub-bands
60m	5 channelized frequencies	USB, CW, digital (100W ERP)
40m	7.025-7.125 CW; 7.175-7.300 phone/digital	All modes in sub-bands
30m	10.100-10.150 MHz	CW, digital (200W)
20m	14.025-14.150 CW; 14.225-14.350 phone/digital	All modes in sub-bands
17m	18.068-18.168 MHz	All modes
15m	21.025-21.200 CW; 21.275-21.450 phone/digital	All modes in sub-bands
12m	24.890-24.990 MHz	All modes
10m	28.000-29.700 MHz	All modes

The General license gives access to the most productive portions of every HF band. The Extra portions that Generals cannot use are typically the bottom 25-50 kHz of each band's CW segment and the bottom 50-75 kHz of each band's phone segment — where the DX and contest activity concentrates.

Extra HF privileges

Extras gain access to the remaining portions:

• The bottom of each CW segment (where DX stations operate)
• The bottom of each phone segment (where DX pileups form)
• Full access to every amateur frequency from 1.8 MHz to 1300 MHz

The Extra segments are where the competitive DX and contest activity happens. If you want to work rare DX stations, the Extra license gives you access to the frequencies they operate on.

The practical recommendation

Get your Technician license → operate VHF/UHF and learn CW on HF → upgrade to General for SSB and digital on HF → upgrade to Extra when you want the DX segments. Many operators stay at General for years because the General segments cover the vast majority of casual HF operating.