CATV - TV - FM Frequencies: Information Useful For Working Out RFI Problems
CATV - TV - FM Frequencies: Information Useful For Working Out RFI Problems
CATV - TV - FM Frequencies: Information Useful For Working Out RFI Problems
CATV - TV - FM Frequencies
Information Useful for Working Out RFI Problems
In the US, a TV channel is a 6 MHz wide chunk of bandspace. The bottom edge of the over-the-air channel 2 is
54 MHz and the upper edge is 60 MHz. Within this 6 MHz space is a video carrier, a color carrier, and an audio
carrier.
The frequency of the video carrier is 1.25 MHz above the lower edge, so for TV Channel 2 the video is at 55.25
MHz.
The color carrier is approx. 3.58 MHz above the video carrier (N.B. not the lower edge), so for TV Channel 2 it
is 58.83 MHz.
The audio carrier is 4.5 MHz above the video carrier, so for TV Channel 2 it is 59.75 MHz.
The reason I mention all of this is that you have to be careful to note how a channel frequency is being specified.
The two common methods are
1. Specifying the lower edge (e.g. 54 MHz, but often as a range of lower edge to upper edge like 54-60
MHz)
2. Specifying the frequency of the video carrier (e.g. 55.25 MHz).
In the following lists I always use the latter method, specifying the video carrier.
CATV has channels with frequencies below channel 2. They are designated T-7 (tee seven or tee dash seven)
through T-14 and are usually used for transmission in the reverse direction. If your local city council meeting is
broadcast live, the camera is being modulated onto one of those T channels and sent back up to the cable system
headend whereupon it is broadcast outbound on the community cable access channel.
In the list I have some channels with the designation A-1 (A minus one, not A dash one) through A-8. They are
so designated because their frequencies immediately precede that of the CATV channel known as A.
In the CATV listing, the column labeled Common gives the common industry parlance for that channel. The
next column labeled EIA gives the new EIA standardized designation. Column STD shows the standard CATV
frequency which usually matches IRC. IRC stands for Incrementally Related Carrier and means that the lower
edge of the channel space is on the nice, round-numbered boundary such as 54 MHz, 60 MHz, 66 MHz etc.
HRC stands for Harmonically Related Carrier, and as you can see means that it is the video carrier that is
assigned the nice round number (6 MHz harmonics, hence). Some cable systems use IRC, some use HRC.
The number of channels on a given cable system varies. Very old systems might only go up to 300 or 350 MHz.
Most common in the past ten years or so is 450 MHz. Newer systems may be 550 MHz. The latest and greatest
with any meaningful installed base is 800 or 860 MHz (somebody correct me), but it is rare and pricey. The list
herein only goes up to 550 MHz.
This stuff was gathered from several sources. My thanks to all of them. Error reports are welcome.
http://www.chem.hawaii.edu/uham/catvfreq.html 4/7
9/7/2018 CATV/FM/TV Frequencies
FM 1 88.10 FM
FM 2 88.30 FM
FM 3 88.50 FM
FM 4 88.70 FM
FM 5 88.90 FM
FM 6 89.10 FM
FM 7 89.30 FM
FM 8 89.50 FM
FM 9 89.70 FM
FM 10 89.90 FM
FM 11 90.10 FM
FM 12 90.30 FM
FM 13 90.50 FM
FM 14 90.70 FM
FM 15 90.90 FM
FM 16 91.10 FM
FM 17 91.30 FM
FM 18 91.50 FM
FM 19 91.70 FM
FM 20 91.90 FM
FM 21 92.10 FM
FM 22 92.30 FM
FM 23 92.50 FM
FM 24 92.70 FM
FM 25 92.90 FM
FM 26 93.10 FM
FM 27 93.30 FM
FM 28 93.50 FM
FM 29 93.70 FM
FM 30 93.90 FM
FM 31 94.10 FM
FM 32 94.30 FM
FM 33 94.50 FM
FM 34 94.70 FM
FM 35 94.90 FM
FM 36 95.10 FM
FM 37 95.30 FM
FM 38 95.50 FM
FM 39 95.70 FM
FM 40 95.90 FM
FM 41 96.10 FM
FM 42 96.30 FM
FM 43 96.50 FM
FM 44 96.70 FM
FM 45 96.90 FM
FM 46 97.10 FM
FM 47 97.30 FM
FM 48 97.50 FM
FM 49 97.70 FM
FM 50 97.90 FM
FM 51 98.10 FM
FM 52 98.30 FM
FM 53 98.50 FM
FM 54 98.70 FM
FM 55 98.90 FM
FM 56 99.10 FM
FM 57 99.30 FM
FM 58 99.50 FM
FM 59 99.70 FM
FM 60 99.90 FM
http://www.chem.hawaii.edu/uham/catvfreq.html 5/7
9/7/2018 CATV/FM/TV Frequencies
FM 61 100.10 FM
FM 62 100.30 FM
FM 63 100.50 FM
FM 64 100.70 FM
FM 65 100.90 FM
FM 66 101.10 FM
FM 67 101.30 FM
FM 68 101.50 FM
FM 69 101.70 FM
FM 70 101.90 FM
FM 71 102.10 FM
FM 72 102.30 FM
FM 73 102.50 FM
FM 74 102.70 FM
FM 75 102.90 FM
FM 76 103.10 FM
FM 77 103.30 FM
FM 78 103.50 FM
FM 79 103.70 FM
FM 80 103.90 FM
FM 81 104.10 FM
FM 82 104.30 FM
FM 83 104.50 FM
FM 84 104.70 FM
FM 85 104.90 FM
FM 86 105.10 FM
FM 87 105.30 FM
FM 88 105.50 FM
FM 89 105.70 FM
FM 90 105.90 FM
FM 91 106.10 FM
FM 92 106.30 FM
FM 93 106.50 FM
FM 94 106.70 FM
FM 95 106.90 FM
FM 96 107.10 FM
FM 97 107.30 FM
FM 98 107.50 FM
FM 98 107.70 FM
FM 100 107.90 FM
Andy Davenport
Harvey Mudd College
Andy@HMCVAX.Claremont.Edu
http://www.chem.hawaii.edu/uham/catvfreq.html 7/7