ok so i passed my technician exam about three weeks ago and ive been reading through part 97 trying to figure out what exactly im allowed to do on HF. from what i can tell techs get some privileges on 10 meters and maybe a few other bands but honestly the FCC document is kind of hard to parse if youre not used to reading that kind of legal language.

my main question is can i actually make voice contacts on 10 meters or is it just CW? i saw something about 28.3 to 28.5 MHz being allowed for technicians but then someone at my club said that was only for certain modes and now im not sure. also is there anything stopping me from just listening on 40 or 80 meters, like is monitoring without transmitting even covered under part 97 or does that not matter

sorry if this is a basic question, just trying to make sure i dont accidentally do something that gets me in trouble before ive even really gotten started

yeah the band plan stuff in part 97 can be a real headache to read through especially the first time. so for technicians on 10 meters — you do get SSB voice privileges in that 28.3 to 28.5 segment, so your club guy was maybe thinking of a different band or mixing something up. you can make phone contacts there no problem as long as you have your ticket. you also get CW basically across the whole HF range techs are allowed in, plus some RTTY and data on 10m below the phone segment i think around 28.0 to 28.3.

as for just listening on 40 or 80, part 97 doesnt regulate receiving at all, only transmitting. you can spin the dial and listen to whatever you want without any license. thats actually a great way to learn before you upgrade — just sit on 7.200 on a weekend and youll hear all kinds of operating styles good and bad.

i was in the same boat not that long ago honestly. one thing that helped me was the ARRL band plan chart, its a lot easier to look at than the actual CFR text. just google arrl band plan and itll show you a color coded chart of who gets what. not official FCC but it matches part 97 close enough for day to day use. just dont forget that the FCC document is always the actual authority if theres ever a discrepancy