ok so i passed my general exam about 3 weeks ago and ive been trying to figure out exactly what frequencies im allowed to operate on. i read through part 97 but honestly some of it is pretty dense and i feel like im still missing something. like i know theres the privileges chart but when i look at 40 meters for example it says general class gets phone from 7.175 to 7.300 but then i saw someone mention something about RTTY and data and i have no idea where that falls for me vs extra class guys. also whats the deal with power limits, is there a situation where i as a general would be limited to less than 1500 watts or is that just an extra class thing? i dont want to accidentally transmit somewhere im not supposed to. my elmer just told me to stay above 7.200 on 40 to be safe but i thought id ask here too since he sometimes gives old info

yeah the chart is confusing at first but once it clicks it makes more sense. for 40 meters as a general you're good for phone from 7.175 up to 7.300, and then data and CW you get 7.025 to 7.125 i believe. the extra class guys have a little more room down at the bottom of the band. power limits are the same across license classes for most situations, 1500 watts PEP output is the max for everyone assuming your station is authorized, it's not like extras get more power or anything like that. the one thing that trips people up is that some bands have specific lower limits like 200 watts on certain parts of 60 meters, but that's a band-specific rule not a license class thing. your elmer's advice to stay above 7.200 for phone is pretty solid honestly, avoids any confusion near the extra-only portion. just download the arrl band plan and keep it nearby for a while until it becomes second nature

i was in the exact same boat when i upgraded lol. honestly what helped me was just using the arrl's frequency allocation page rather than trying to parse the actual part 97 text because that thing reads like stereo instructions translated from another language. the data sub-bands for general on 40 are a bit lower than where you'd do phone, so you wont be stepping on extra class territory as long as you're doing digital up around 7.080 or so. i think. someone correct me if im off on that. anyway dont stress too much about the power thing, running a kilowatt or whatever is way down the road for most people, just get on the air and dont transmit below 7.175 for phone and youll be fine