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Microwave

Above the 23 cm band, amateur radio turns into a different hobby: dishes instead of yagis, waveguide instead of coax, mountaintops instead of repeaters, and frequency accuracy measured in hertz at 10 GHz. Contacts of hundreds of miles are possible with a few watts when conditions line up, and every microwave band is open to Technicians with full privileges.

This page covers the bands, the activity, beacons and safety. For bouncing microwave signals off the Moon, see Moonbounce (EME).

Independent guide, not affiliated with ARRL, any microwave society or any vendor. Allocations are from Part 97 as of the October 2026 eCFR. Sub-bands are from the ARRL band plan.

Microwave v1.0 · written 2026-10-08 · allocations, band plan and event dates checked as of Oct 2026

The bands

From §97.301(a), for Technician and higher (ITU Region 2):

BandFrequenciesCommon activity (ARRL band plan)
13 cm2300–2310 and 2390–2450 MHzWeak signal around 2304.1 MHz (calling), beacons 2304.300–2304.400, EME 2304.000–2304.100
5 cm5650–5925 MHzWeak signal around 5760.1 MHz (national calling), beacons 5760.3–5760.4, EME 5760.0–5760.1, satellite downlink 5830–5850
3 cm10.0–10.5 GHzThe most active microwave band. Narrowband weak signal 10367.000–10368.300 (10368.100 national calling), beacons 10368.300–10368.400, wideband (Gunnplexer) 10.2–10.3 GHz
1.2 cm24.00–24.25 GHzExperimenters
6 mm47.0–47.2 GHzExperimenters
4 mm76–81 GHzExperimenters
2.5 mm, 2 mm, 1 mm122.25–123, 134–141, 241–250 GHzExperimenters
Above 275 GHzAll frequencies above 275 GHzExperimenters

The ARRL band plan says simply that above 10.5 GHz all modes and licensees (except Novices) are authorized. Check §97.303 for each band's sharing rules before you build anything.

9 cm (3.3–3.5 GHz) is a special case. It no longer appears in §97.301, and amateur use of 3.45–3.5 GHz had to stop by April 14, 2022. According to ARRL's 3 GHz band page, secondary amateur operation in 3.3–3.45 GHz may continue for now under footnote US103 to the US Table of Frequency Allocations, until new flexible-use licenses are issued in that spectrum, and must stop at any time if it causes harmful interference to them. Check that page for the current status before you operate there.

Sharing: you are a guest

Most microwave allocations are shared, and amateurs are secondary users:

In practice this means narrowband amateur signals coexist in small slices, and you shouldn't expect a quiet band near a city.

Where the activity is

Beacons

Microwave beacons are low-power, continuously transmitting stations on known frequencies. They let you:

The ARRL band plan reserves beacon segments at 2304.300–2304.400, 5760.3–5760.4 and 10368.300–10368.400 MHz (and 1296.200–1296.400 MHz on 23 cm). Ask a regional microwave group which beacons are heard in your area. A beacon you can hear is the best first test of a new station.

Starting out

  1. Pick 10 GHz unless your local group is active on another band. It has the most stations and the most second-hand equipment.
  2. Use a transverter with a 2 m or 70 cm SSB radio as the IF. Many people start with a kit or a used commercial unit.
  3. Lock the frequency. A GPS-disciplined reference keeps you on the calling frequency instead of somewhere within a few kilohertz of it.
  4. Start with a beacon, then a sked with a local station during an activity weekend.
  5. Join a group. Microwave operating is a team sport: people lend equipment, coordinate skeds on the internet, and help measure your system.

Safety

Microwave and POTA

Microwave contacts count as normal amateur contacts, and parks are often on high ground. A 10 GHz contact from a park with a local microwave operator is a real and memorable QSO. But reaching 10 QSOs on microwaves alone is hard; most activators treat it as a bonus during an otherwise normal activation, or during a contest weekend when rovers are out.

Habits / gotchas / checklist

Sources (checked Oct 2026)

Notes & edits

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