ok so i passed my technician exam like two months ago and ive been trying to figure out exactly what im allowed to do on HF. i know techs get some HF privileges but every time i try to look it up i end up more confused than when i started. like part 97 is just not written in plain english at all

from what i can tell i can do some stuff on 10 meters and maybe 15? but only certain modes? im not even sure if i can use SSB or if its just CW and digital. and someone at my local club told me something about 80 meters but i honestly dont remember what he said and didnt want to ask him to repeat it again

is there like a plain english breakdown of this somewhere or can someone just explain it to me without the legalese. i dont want to accidentally transmit somewhere im not supposed to

yeah part 97 is rough to read if youre not used to it, totally get the confusion. so basically as a tech you get a small slice of HF. on 10 meters you can use SSB phone between 28.300 and 28.500 MHz which is actually pretty useful especially when the band is open. you also get CW privileges on 10, 15, and 40 meters but only in the lower portions of those bands. and on 80 meters theres a tiny CW window too, like 3.525 to 3.600 i think.

the ARRL website has a band plan chart that lays it all out visually and its way easier than reading the actual FCC rules. just search for ARRL technician privileges and youll find it. honestly the thing that tripped me up at first was confusing band privileges with the actual part 97 subpart D stuff, they reference each other in annoying ways. just bookmark that chart and youll be fine for now until you upgrade to general

i was in the same boat not long ago honestly. what finally clicked for me was just downloading the actual technician question pool and rereading the HF questions because they kind of spell it out in simpler terms than the rule itself does. also dont stress too much about accidentally transmitting out of band when youre just starting, most modern radios have the band limits baked in anyway so its harder to mess up than you think. still worth knowing the rules though obviously