ok so I just upgraded to general a few weeks ago and im still trying to figure out the frequency thing. like I know generals have more privileges than tech but the band plan stuff is really confusing me. on 40 meters specifically, I keep seeing people say stuff like 'dont operate too close to the band edge' but I dont really understand what that means practically. like if the allocation goes down to 7.125 for phone can I just tune to 7.126 and go or is there some rule about your signal needing to fit within the band or something. also someone at my club mentioned something about the ARRL band plan vs the actual FCC allocation and now im even more confused because those are apparently two different things? sorry if this is a dumb question im just trying to not accidentally do something wrong

not a dumb question at all, this trips up a lot of new generals. so the short version is the FCC allocation is the legal limit — that's the actual law. the ARRL band plan is more of a gentlemans agreement about where different modes tend to hang out within that allocation, it isnt enforceable but most people follow it to keep things organized.

the band edge thing is important though and you're right to think about it. when you tune your radio to say 7.125 on USB, your carrier is at 7.125 but your actual voice is going up in frequency from there, so your signal could easily extend up to 7.127 or 7.128 depending on your audio. the rule is your whole signal has to stay within the allocation, not just your dial frequency. so on the lower phone edge of 40m you'd want some breathing room, probably stay at 7.128 or above to be safe. same idea applies at the top of any band, you dont want your signal spilling outside the allocation.

honestly just hang around for a bit and listen to where people are actually operating before you jump in, that'll give you a better feel for it than any chart will

yeah what he said about the signal bandwidth is the key thing. i made that mistake early on, had my dial right on the edge and someone pointed out my upper sideband was technically out of the allocation. felt dumb but its an easy thing to miss when youre first starting out. the radios dont warn you or anything lol