okay so i just passed my technician exam like two weeks ago and ive been reading through part 97 trying to figure out what frequencies im actually allowed to use and its honestly kind of confusing. like i know i have HF privileges on 10 meters but i keep seeing stuff about phone vs CW vs data and i dont totally understand where those boundaries are. also someone at my club told me i can use 40 meters CW as a tech but only in a certain segment? i looked it up and i think thats true but i wasnt sure if that was current or old info. basically i just want to make sure im not accidentally transmitting somewhere im not supposed to be. is there like a simple breakdown somewhere that explains this without being a legal document

yeah the ARRL website has a frequency allocation chart that breaks it down by license class, way easier to read than the actual part 97 text. techs do get some HF privileges — 80, 40, 15, and 10 meters for CW in specific sub-bands, and then 10 meters you also get SSB phone and some data modes above 28.3 MHz. the 40 meter thing your club friend mentioned is real, its 7.025 to 7.125 MHz CW only for techs. honestly just download the ARRL band plan and keep it somewhere handy until it becomes second nature. you wont get in trouble if you're genuinely trying to stay compliant and just made an honest mistake, but yeah its good that you're being careful about it.

i was in the same boat when i first got my ticket, part 97 reads like stereo instructions sometimes. one thing that helped me was just listening on those HF bands for a while before i ever transmitted, you start to get a feel for where the activity is and what modes people are using where. also just fyi the FCC doesnt really go after new hams for honest frequency mistakes but you definitely dont want to accidentally key up on a frequency you dont have privileges on, other operators will let you know pretty quick lol