majiayu000 Frequency Lookup for WaveCap-SDR
This skill helps find frequencies and band plans for various radio services.
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when:
- Finding frequencies for marine/aviation/amateur bands
- Looking up broadcast stations by location
- Verifying frequency allocations
- Discovering what's on a frequency
- Planning SDR monitoring scenarios
- Creating new recipes for specific bands
Common Frequency Bands
VHF Marine (156-162 MHz)
Channel 16 (156.800 MHz) - International Distress/Safety/Calling Channel 9 (156.450 MHz) - Recreational calling (US) Channel 6 (156.300 MHz) - Intership safety
Full band plan: https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/marine-communications-channel-table
Aviation (118-137 MHz)
121.500 MHz - Emergency frequency Typical ranges:
- Tower: 118.0-121.4 MHz
- Ground: 121.6-121.9 MHz
- ATIS: Varies by airport
Find local frequencies: https://www.airnav.com
NOAA Weather Radio (162-163 MHz)
WX1: 162.550 MHz WX2: 162.400 MHz WX3: 162.475 MHz WX4: 162.425 MHz WX5: 162.450 MHz WX6: 162.500 MHz WX7: 162.525 MHz
Coverage map: https://www.weather.gov/nwr/
FM Broadcast (88-108 MHz)
US band: 88.1-107.9 MHz (odd tenths only) Europe/Asia: 87.5-108.0 MHz
Find local stations:
Amateur Radio (Ham)
2 meters: 144-148 MHz (FM repeaters typically 145-147 MHz) 70 cm: 420-450 MHz HF bands: 3.5, 7, 14, 21, 28 MHz
Repeater directory: https://www.repeaterbook.com
Public Safety / Trunking
VHF: 150-174 MHz UHF: 450-470 MHz, 806-824 MHz
Database: https://www.radioreference.com
Online Resources
RadioReference.com - Comprehensive frequency database
- Trunked systems
- Talkgroup IDs
- Local agencies
SignalWiki - Signal identification
- Decode unknown signals
- Modulation types
WebSDR - Remote SDR receivers
- Listen without hardware
- Check propagation
FlightAware/FlightRadar24 - Aviation tracking
- Find airport frequencies
- Track aircraft
Usage Examples
Find Marine Channels
VHF Marine channels are spaced 25 kHz apart
Channel number = (Frequency - 156.000) / 0.025
Channel 16 = 156.800 MHz
Channel 9 = 156.450 MHz
Find Local FM Stations
Visit https://radio-locator.com and enter your ZIP code
Find NOAA Weather
Find nearest transmitter at https://www.weather.gov/nwr/
Find Aviation Frequencies
Visit https://www.airnav.com and search for airport code (e.g., KSEA)
Integration with WaveCap-SDR
After finding frequencies, create a recipe:
recipes:
my_frequencies:
name: "My Frequencies"
capture:
center_hz: 156800000 # Center on Ch 16
sample_rate: 250000
gain_db: 35
channels:
- {name: "Ch 16", offset_hz: 0, mode: "fm"}
- {name: "Ch 9", offset_hz: -350000, mode: "fm"}
Or use presets for quick tuning.
Band Plan Quick Reference
| Service | Frequency Range | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| AM Broadcast | 530-1700 kHz | Radio stations |
| Ham 160m | 1.8-2.0 MHz | Amateur HF |
| Marine SSB | 2-4 MHz | Long-range marine |
| Ham 80m | 3.5-4.0 MHz | Amateur HF |
| Ham 40m | 7.0-7.3 MHz | Amateur HF |
| Ham 20m | 14.0-14.35 MHz | Amateur HF |
| Ham 10m | 28-29.7 MHz | Amateur HF |
| CB | 26.965-27.405 MHz | Citizens Band |
| Ham 6m | 50-54 MHz | Amateur VHF |
| FM Broadcast | 88-108 MHz | Radio stations |
| Aviation | 118-137 MHz | Air traffic control |
| Ham 2m | 144-148 MHz | Amateur VHF |
| Marine VHF | 156-162 MHz | Maritime |
| NOAA WX | 162.400-162.550 MHz | Weather |
| Ham 70cm | 420-450 MHz | Amateur UHF |
| GMRS/FRS | 462-467 MHz | Personal radio |
Files in This Skill
SKILL.md: This file - frequency reference and lookup guide
Notes
- Frequencies vary by country (this guide is US-centric)
- Always check local regulations before transmitting
- Some frequencies require licenses (ham, marine, aviation)
- SDR receiving is legal, transmitting requires proper licensing
- Band plans change - verify with official sources
- Use RadioReference.com for most comprehensive database