Japanese Band conditions. HF

A Realistic Survey of Japanese Band Conditions

160m	80m	40m	30m
20m	17m	15m	12m
10m	6m	2m	430MHz	1200MHz

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HF Low Bands

160 m band (1810-1825,1907.5-1912.5 KHz) 8N2000 Apr 2000 1820 KHz 1810KHz to 1825KHz has been permited from Apr. 1st 2000, it is the newest JA HAM frequency. 1907.5 - 1912.5MHz has been not used in contests from 1999 by JARL. Because the band is much too narrow... phone is not permitted. The left QSL, was from a station on millennium celebration in Toyama JA9. 1.8MHz 1.9MHz Class 1 2 3 1810 CW 1825 1907.5 CW 1912.5 1700?-2030? radar jamming ? appear once in a while. All use to DXing almost internally QSO 1908 second harmonic from 954KHz JOKR(100KW) BC, 59+ QRM is there. Sound of Pirates Received fequency KHz Recd Time UTC/local Permitted mode on this freq. Illegal station mode Received mode Max signal strength Comment 1820 13/22 CW OTH Radar ? 3K CW 9 +10 Jamming width 1700-1900KHz ? from China direction.

80 m band (3500-3575,3747-3754,3791-3805 KHz) 8N1OGA Oct 2002, 3550KHz SSB The Japanese 80 meter band is a narrow and not very well coordinated band in so far as frequency is concerned. There are not very many JCC/G hunters found on the 80 meter band as there are on 40 meters, possibly due to the fact that 80 meters requires a large antenna size. The 3.7 and 3.8 MHz portion of 80 meters is used only for DXing with almost zero activity for internal QSOs. 3.7 MHz was first authorized for SSB/CW about 15 years ago. 8N1OGA celebrated the 75th anniversary of the JARL, during 15 Sept 2002 to 31 Jan 2003. 8N1OGA operatied from Chichi-jima island, from the Ogasawara island group. Probably, this was the first time an 8N1 prefix was used from JD / Ogasawara. QSL Accurate position 80 m 3.5MHz 3.7MHz 3.8MHz All Class 3500 CW 3525 CW/SSB 3575 3747 CW/SSB 3754 3791 CW/SSB 3805 3520 Digit 3525 3500-3510 DXing 3510-3525 JARL contest CW 3515-3575 internally QSO 3530-3565 JARL contest phone 3530-3575KHz many "Fixed Group" occupied spot frequency. DXing almost phone only DXing almost phone only Sound of Pirates Received fequency KHz Recd Time UTC/local Permitted mode on this freq. Illegal station mode Received mode Max signal strength Comment 3520 19/04 CW OTH Radar ? 3K CW 9 +10 160m radar 2nd harmonic ? Jamming width 3500-3900KHz ? from China direction.

4630 KHz (4630KHz Spot) Exclusive emergency use. 4630 KHz Class 1 2 3 4,630 CW 4,630 Emergency use only Normally no activity

40 m band (7000-7100 KHz) 8N0WOG Feb 1992 7MHz SSB This band is the most crowded HF band in JA. Because 40 m has the best skip (300-500Km) for JA interior QSOs,many JA stations are crammed together in this 100 KHz narrow band...ie...JCC/G hunters, ragchew groups, long-haul truckers and DX haters. Therefore, 40m has much QRMM. It also has cat-and-dog problems too. So generally stations try to maintain "Short QSOs", .. such as, exchanging RS, QTH name and QSL route. However a few of phone's ragchew groups are different. They manipulate their own spot and occupy it for long periods of time. Sometimes there are "frequency keepers " and guard their frequency spots, if some outsider comes on, he says "Warning, you are making QRM .... " and ousts the outsider from the frequency. Such spots are as follows : 7034 7070 7073 7075 7077 7080 7099KHz. 7080KHz often makes trouble during DXing and DX hunter times. 7020KHz CW has the same problem. Recently very strong OTH (Over The Horizon) radar appeared from the direction of China. If this "Crazy Woodpecker" comes on the band, all HAM operation is disrupted. Above left QSL 8N0WOG was memorable event station for 1998 Nagano Olympic Winter Games, was held for 7 Feb to 22 Feb 1998. 40 m 7 MHz All Class 7000 CW 7030 CW/SSB 7100 All mode 7200 7025 Digit 7030 6900-7130 OTH radar (appear frequency and width are different by time) 6900-7030 SSB Pirates appear almost 5KHz separation 7000-7015 DXing 7010-7030 JARL contest CW 7018-7023 Japanese CW atypical code use fixed group 7015-7030 CW internally QSO 7030-7035 few fixed group occupied 7035-7068 internally QSO 7040-7080 JARL contest phone 7070-7100 fixed many group occupied spot 7075-7090 DXing 7100-7200 was opend for HAMs from 30th Mar 2009 Sound of Pirates Received fequency KHz Recd Time UTC/local Permitted mode on this freq. Illegal station mode Received mode Max signal strength Comment 7025 12/21 CW USB 2.7K USB 9 This USB pirate signal in CW band. The signal came from the south direction. 7030-7070 13/22 CW/SSB exclusive HAM use Radar pulse 3K LSB 9 +40 Recently, very strong OTH radar pulses have been observed in the middle portion of 40 meters soon after sunset. They seem to come from the direction of China. This recording varied from 7030KHz to 7070KHz.

30 m band (10,100-10,150 KHz) JA8OHG Sept 11 1982 10.110MHz CW Recently, use of 30 meters has increased for QSOs from JCC/G hunters. Many rare JCC/G expeditions appear on weekends. They exchange only RST + JCC/G Number. The 30m band seems to be the most gentlemanly HF band in Japan. Therefore, many JCC/G hunters have escaped from 40m. This QSO shown on the left QSL was probably the first 2way QSO on 30 meters from JA1. 30m operation was first admitted during the middle of Aug 1982, but the JA1 area was first licensed on Sept 11. 30 m 10 MHz Class 1 2 10,100 CW 10,150 10,140 Digit 10,150 10,100-10,115 DXing 10,115-10,140 internally QSO Sound of Pirates Received fequency KHz Recd Time UTC/local Permitted mode on this freq. Illegal station mode Received mode Max signal strength Comment 10.138 07/16 CW OTH Radar ? 3K CW 9 +10 Strong pulse jamming came from China direction. OTH? width 10.103-10.169MHz (Band scope 10.135MHz +-50KHz)