60m Band ARES & AuxComm

The 60-meter band (5 MHz) is a crucial HF frequency allocation used by Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and Auxiliary Communications (AUXCOMM) groups for emergency and disaster relief communications, often in coordination with government primary users. Amateur radio operators use the 60m band as a secondary user, meaning they must not cause interference to primary U.S. government users. It provides reliable NVIS (Near Vertical Incidence Skywave) for short-to-medium range emergency/public service links using USB, CW, and digital modes (max 100W PEP, 5 channels). AuxComm operations benefit from the band's unique propagation characteristics for local/regional deployments.

60m Frequencies for ARES/AUXCOMM (US) 

The ARRL specifies five specific shared channels for amateur use within the 60-meter band. 

Channel	Dial Frequency (kHz)
Channel 1	5330.5
Channel 2	5346.5
Channel 3	5357.0
Channel 4	5371.5
Channel 5	5403.5

-- Key operating procedures for ARES/AUXCOMM on 60m include:

• Net Operations: ARES and AUXCOMM groups conduct training nets and emergency operations on these frequencies. For example, some regional ARES groups have designated Channel 5 (5403.5 kHz) as a primary net frequency, with Channel 4 (5371.5 kHz) as a fallback if the primary channel is in use by a government station.

• Coordination: Amateurs must clear the frequency immediately if requested by a primary federal or military station, though sometimes they may be asked to stay on frequency to assist.

• Interoperability: The band is valuable for interoperability between amateur operators and federal entities like DHS, FEMA, and the DoD, which have primary use authorization. Used for cross-service exercises with MARS (Army/Air Force) on specific nets (e.g., Channel 1).

• Channels (USA): Five discrete channels, primarily around 5.3305 MHz, 5.3465 MHz, 5.3570 MHz, 5.3715 MHz, and 5.4035 MHz (Suppressed Carrier for USB/Data).

• Modes: Primarily Upper Sideband (USB) voice, CW (center frequency), and authorized digital modes (e.g., PSK31, PACTOR, RTTY < 60Hz).

• Bandwidth: Max 2.8 kHz for phone/data (2K80J3E/2K80J2D), 150 Hz for CW, 60 Hz for RTTY.

• Power: Typically limited to 100W PEP (ERP).

• Rules: Must not interfere with primary government/federal users, requires monitoring, and has no automatic operation. 

  
  

AUXCOMM utilizes these channels for regional/national emergency communications when other bands might be less reliable.