10.1 MHz sits in the gap between the night bands and the day bands, and that is exactly what makes it special.
WHY THE BAND THAT IS ALWAYS OPEN TO SOMEWHERE
10.1 MHz sits in the gap between the night bands and the day bands, and that is exactly what makes it special. It is high enough to shrug off most of the daytime D-layer absorption that kills 40, and low enough that it does not need much sun to refract. 30 meters is open to somewhere almost every hour of every day.
🛑 No voice. Ever. 30 meters is CW and data only, by rule — not by custom. Power is also capped at 200 watts PEP. It is the only HF band in the US with both restrictions.
It is a WARC band, so no contests, and it is only a secondary allocation — amateurs must give way to other services. In practice it is one of the quietest, most reliable stretches of spectrum a ham has.
WHEN IT WORKS
BEST · Nearly any hour — its whole reputationWORST · Rarely deadWATCH · CW and data only, 200 W max
WHO MAY TRANSMIT WHERE · 47 CFR §97.301
FREQUENCY (MHz)
MODE
LICENSE CLASS
10.100–10.130
CW
General, Advanced, Extra
10.130–10.150
RTTY / data
General, Advanced, Extra
Is 30 meters open right now? The Ham Radio IQ app shows the MUF and LUF over your head this minute, whether this band is above or below them, and a map of real contacts being heard worldwide. See the board →