The 20-meter or 14-MHz amateur radio band is a portion of the shortwave radio spectrum, comprising frequencies stretching from 14.000 MHz to 14.350 MHz.[1] The 20-meter band is widely considered among the best for long-distance communication (DXing), and is one of the most popular—and crowded—during contests.[2] Several factors contribute to this, including the band's large size, the relatively small size of antennas tuned to it (especially as compared to antennas for the 40-meter band or the 80-meter band) and its good potential for daytime DX operation even in unfavorable propagation conditions.[3]
The Third National Radio Conference was responsible for opening up the 20-meter band to amateur radio operators in the US[4] on October 10, 1924. The band was allocated on a worldwide basis by the International Radiotelegraph Conference[5] inWashington, D.C., on October 4, 1927. Its frequency allocation was then 14–14.4 MHz. The allocation was reduced to 14–14.35 MHz by the International Radio Conference of Atlantic City, New Jersey 1947.[6]
Europe, Africa, Middle East and Northern Asia[7]
| width=120px | 20 meters | width= 140px | 14000–14070 | width= 58px | 14070–14099 | width= 20px | 14099–14101 | width=498px | 14101–14350 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IARU Region 1 | |||||||||
The Americas
| width=120px | 20 meters | width= 140px | 14000–14070 | width= 58px | 14070–14099 | width= 20px | 14099–14101 | width=498px | 14101–14350 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IARU Region 2 | |||||||||
Asia-Pacific
| width=120px | 20 meters | width= 140px | 14000–14070 | width= 58px | 14070–14099 | width= 20px | 14099–14101 | width=22px | 14101–14112 | width=446px | 14112–14350 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IARU Region 3 | |||||||||||
Effective 12:01 a.m. EST, February 23, 2007
| 20 meters | 14000–14350 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 14000–14025 | 14025–14150 | 14150–14175 | 14175–14225 | 14225–14350 | |
| General | ||||||
| Advanced | ||||||
| Extra | ||||||
Canada[8] is part of region 2 and as such is subject to the IARU band plan. Radio Amateurs of Canada offers the bandplan below as a recommendation for use by radio amateurs in that country but it does not have the force of law and should only be considered a suggestion or guideline.
Changed on September 25, 2023.
| width=120px | License class | width= 140px | 14000–14070 | width= 58px | 14070–14100 | width= 520px | 14100–14350 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st and 2nd | narrow-band All modes | ||||||
Key
| = CW only | ||
| = CW, narrow band digital (<= 500 Hz) | ||
| = CW, narrow band digital (<= 500 Hz), wide band digital | ||
| = CW, RTTY and data (US: < 1 kHz Bandwidth) | ||
| = Beacons | ||
| = CW, phone | ||
| = CW, narrow band digital (<= 500 Hz), phone | ||
| = CW, phone and image |