ok so i passed my tech exam about 3 weeks ago and got my callsign last week, super excited to get on the air but im honestly really confused about what im actually allowed to do. like i know i have HF privileges on 10m but only part of it? and then theres something about phone vs cw vs data and different parts of the band have different modes allowed and i just cant wrap my head around it all.

i looked at part 97 online and it was just... a lot. i dont really understand the way its written. is there like a simpler breakdown somewhere or can someone just explain the main things i need to worry about as a new tech? mostly interested in VHF/UHF for now but want to understand the HF stuff too eventually. dont want to accidentally transmit somewhere i shouldnt be.

yeah part 97 reads like it was written by lawyers for lawyers, totally get the confusion. the short version for tech on VHF/UHF is basically you have full privileges on 2m and 70cm and most of the other VHF/UHF bands, so dont stress too much there. the tricky part is HF — as a tech you get CW only on 80, 40, and 15 meters (very limited segments), and then on 10m you get a chunk of phone between 28.300 and 28.500 MHz plus some data and CW below that. the ARRL has a band plan chart that lays it all out visually and honestly its way easier to read than the actual rules. just google ARRL technician privileges and you should find it. keep that chart handy for a while, most people do.

the other thing i'd say is dont overthink the data vs phone vs CW distinction too much right now if youre sticking to 2m FM for starters. just make sure youre within your band and youre fine. the main things part 97 cares about are dont operate without identifying, dont encrypt, dont use the bands for commercial purposes, and stay within your power limits. thats 90% of what you actually need day to day.

i was in the same boat when i got my tech, honestly just used a band chart printed out and taped it near my radio for the first few months. eventually it just kind of clicks. the ARRL one someone mentioned is good, there's also one on the website for the band plan that color codes everything by license class which helps a lot visually.

one thing that tripped me up early on was not realizing that the privileges listed in part 97 are the maximum allowed, but a lot of repeaters and clubs have their own kind of gentlemens agreement about where certain modes go. like technically you could do a lot of things on certain frequencies but the community just doesnt. anyway youll figure it out as you go, dont be afraid to just listen for a while before transmitting, that alone teaches you a lot.