ok so i just upgraded to general last month and im trying to figure out the 40m band. ive looked at the arrl band plan and also the fcc part 97 stuff but im getting confused because they dont always match up and i dont really know which one i'm supposed to follow.

like the band goes from 7.0 to 7.3 MHz but i keep hearing people say dont get too close to the edges. my radio can tune down to 7.000 but should i actually transmit there? and whats the deal with the CW only portion at the bottom, i thought i saw it was up to 7.025 or something but then someone on the air told me its 7.125 which seems way off.

also is there a difference between what the band plan says and what the actual rules are? like if i transmit on a frequency that the band plan says is for CW but i use SSB am i breaking the law or just being rude basically

so the short answer is the fcc rules are the law and the band plan is more like a gentlemans agreement. for general on 40m your phone privileges start at 7.175 MHz and go up to 7.300. below 7.175 is CW and other digital modes for generals, and technicians only get a tiny sliver for CW around 7.025 to 7.125 i think. the all-important thing is dont operate below your license class allows, thats an actual violation.

as for band edges, the rule of thumb most people use is keep your carrier or your suppressed carrier plus the bandwidth of your signal inside the band. so on SSB since you're using upper sideband on 40m, your dial frequency needs to be far enough up that the actual audio content doesnt spill below 7.175. most people say stay 3 kHz above the lower edge of your phone segment just to be safe so like 7.178 or higher. some guys cut it closer but its not worth the hassle.

the CW segment at the very bottom 7.000 to 7.025 is where you get the DX stations and serious contesters, worth knowing so you dont wander in there confused wondering why everyone is ignoring you on SSB lol

yeah i was confused about the same thing when i upgraded. one thing that tripped me up was that the arrl band plan sometimes shows recommended uses that are way more specific than what part 97 actually requires. like part 97 just says what mode privileges you have at what frequencies, the band plan fills in stuff like "this is where the digital guys hang out" or whatever but none of thats enforceable.

i just saved the arrl frequency allocation chart as my phone wallpaper for a while honestly, thats the easiest way to keep track until it sticks in your head