ok so i just got my general ticket last month and im trying to figure out the 40 meter band. i keep reading about the band plan but then i also see stuff about FCC allocations and they seem like different things? like i know i cant operate on certain parts but then other parts seem like suggestions not rules and i dont really understand where the line is

for example i was told to stay away from 7.125 to 7.175 because thats where the dx stations hang out and general class isnt supposed to go there or something? but my friend said thats actually fine and the restriction is somewhere else. we got into a bit of an argument about it and neither of us are really sure now

also someone mentioned band edges and said i should stay a few kHz away from them but didnt explain why. is that just courtesy or is there an actual rule about it

ok so the two things you're mixing up are the actual FCC allocations (which are law, you can get fined or lose your license for ignoring them) versus the band plan which is basically a gentleman's agreement put out by the ARRL and nobody is going to cite you for it but you'll get yelled at on the air

for 40m as a general, your phone privileges start at 7.175 MHz and go up to 7.300. below 7.175 you can do CW and digital but not phone. so your friend is right that 7.125 is not where your restriction is, the restriction is at 7.175. the dx window thing around 7.175 to 7.225 is more of a band plan courtesy thing, not a hard rule, but you'll get grief if you park there calling CQ during a dx pileup

as for band edges — the reason people say stay a few kHz inside is that your signal has bandwidth. even if your carrier is exactly on 7.300 your sideband extends above that and you'd be out of your allocation. most guys say stay at least 3 kHz inside the edge to be safe with SSB. its not a written rule exactly but going over the edge is technically a violation

yeah was gonna say pretty much the same thing about the band edges, my elmer drilled that into me early on. your dial frequency isnt where your whole signal is, with USB the signal goes up from there so if youre sitting on 7.300 you're already partly out of band

i mostly just stay on 7.200 area when i want to ragchew and havent had any real issues. the dx guys can get a little territorial around certain frequencies but honestly most of the time if youre just having a normal qso people leave you alone