Band III

Band III is the name of a radio frequency range within the very high frequency part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Band III ranges from 174 to 230 MHz, and it is primarily used for radio and television broadcasting.

Television

North America

The band is subdivided into seven channels for television broadcasting, each occupying 6 MHz.

Radio

The band has only come into use for radio broadcasting within the last decade, and is used for Digital Audio Broadcasting. It is subdivided into a number of frequency blocks

Worldwide Usage

In the UK and part of Ireland, Band III was originally used for monochrome 405-line television. However this was discontinued by the mid 1980s. Some European countries (including Ireland) still use Band III for higher definition colour television, although this is now being gradually phased out. The use of sub-band 2 and sub-band 3 band for Digital Audio Broadcasting is now being widely adopted. Sub-band 1 is used for MPT-1327 trunked PMR radio, remote wireless microphones and PMSE links.

In North America, use of the band for colour television broadcasts is still widespread. Favourable propagation characteristics and reasonable power limits (up to 65kW for full-power digital television, versus 20kW or less on VHF Band I) have caused many US broadcasters to elect to move full-power ATSC stations to Band III VHF once NTSC US analog television is shut down in 2009. [ [http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?state=&call=&arn=&city=&chan=&cha2=13&serv=DT&type=4&facid=&list=1&dist=&dlat2=&mlat2=&slat2=&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=&size=9 FCC TV Query: US DTV construction permit listings for VHF Band I (ch 2-6) and III (ch 7-13)] ]

References

ee also

*Band I
*Band II
*Band IV
*Band V