Part of our Getting On The Air: Modes, Operations, and Making Contacts guide.
Ask most hams about VHF and UHF and they will talk about 2 meters and 70 centimeters. Those two bands get all the attention, and nearly every handheld and mobile radio covers them. But there is a third band sitting quietly in between that a lot of operators overlook: the 1.25 meter band, better known by its frequencies around 220 MHz. It is one of the more interesting corners of the hobby, precisely because so few people are on it.
What the 1.25 meter band is
The 1.25 meter band sits at 222 to 225 MHz in the United States, tucked between the 2 meter band (around 144 MHz) and the 70 centimeter band (around 440 MHz). It is a VHF band available to Technician class licensees and up, which means it is open to newcomers right from their first license.
Propagation-wise, it behaves a lot like 2 meters and 70 centimeters. It is mostly line-of-sight, works great through repeaters, and is well suited to local and regional communication. In some respects it splits the difference between the two more popular bands: it penetrates buildings a bit better than 70 cm while offering slightly more compact antennas than 2 meters.
The catch, which is also the opportunity
Here is the interesting part. Most radios cannot transmit on 220. The overwhelming majority of dual-band handhelds and mobiles do 2 meters and 70 centimeters and skip 1.25 meters entirely. Only a limited number of radios include it, either as a third band on a tri-band radio or as a dedicated 220 rig.
You might think low radio availability is a downside, and in one sense it is. But flip it around. Because so few people have radios for it, the band is wide open. And that lack of utilization is exactly what makes it valuable:
- It is quiet. When 2 meters is congested or a repeater is busy, 220 is often wide open. Less traffic means less interference and easier conversations.
- Repeaters are underused. Many areas have 220 repeaters that sit nearly idle. If you have the radio, you have easy access to infrastructure that few others are using.
- It is a resiliency play. For emergency and preparedness minded operators, having a band that most people cannot access is a feature. If 2 meters is jammed during an event, a 220 net can keep working.
- A tight-knit community. The people who are active on 220 tend to be enthusiasts, and there is a certain camaraderie in using a band that flies under the radar.
Getting on 220
You do need a radio that covers the band. Options exist at a range of price points, from inexpensive single-band 220 handhelds to tri-band radios that add 1.25 meters alongside the usual 2 meters and 70 centimeters. Some multi-band mobiles include it as well. Once you have a capable radio, you will want an antenna cut for 220, since a 2 meter or 70 cm antenna will not perform well there.
From there, look up the 220 repeaters in your area (repeater directories list them), listen around, and check whether any local nets meet on the band. You may be surprised to find a small but dedicated group already there.
Worth the effort
The 1.25 meter band is a bit of a hidden gem. The very thing that makes it obscure, the fact that so few radios support it, is what keeps it clear and available for those who do. If you enjoy exploring the less-traveled parts of the hobby, or you want a quiet band in your back pocket for when the popular ones get crowded, adding 220 capability is a small investment that opens up a whole underused slice of spectrum.
That obscurity has practical uses too, see Private, Secure, or Obscure? for why 220 shows up in operational security discussions.