LowFER (Low-Frequency Experimental Radio) refers to experimental radio communication practiced by hobbyists on frequencies below 300 kHz, a part of the

radio spectrum The radio spectrum is the part of the electromagnetic spectrum with frequencies from 0 Hz to 3,000 GHz (3 THz). Electromagnetic waves in this frequency range, called radio waves, are widely used in modern technology, particula ...

known as low frequency. The practitioners are known as "''LowFERs''".

Practices

LowFER operation is practiced in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

radio frequencies Radio frequency (RF) is the oscillation rate of an alternating electric current or voltage or of a magnetic, electric or electromagnetic field or mechanical system in the frequency range from around to around . This is roughly between the upper ...

between 160 kHz and 190 kHz which is sometimes referred to as the 1750-meter band. and in the past as the 1875 Meters band In much of the world, including the U.S. there is an adjacent amateur radio band at 136–138 kHz with a number of U.S.

amateur radio operator An amateur radio operator is someone who uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other amateur operators on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service. Amateur radio operators ...

s authorized to transmit on that frequency (notification and lack of objection from power utilities is required). Radio operators who conduct low-frequency experimental operations on the LowFER band are known as ''LowFERs'' (pronounced "loafers"). Many LowFERs are also licensed radio amateurs, although an amateur radio license is not required for LowFER communications in those countries in Region 2, as long as the power is below a nationally prescribed limit, often 1 W.

Equipment

Practical antennas at these frequencies are much shorter than the wavelength, making it difficult to efficiently radiate much useful power. By current U.S. and Canadian regulations, LowFER transmitters may not have antenna and feed line lengths longer than 15 Meters or 49.2 feet, or final RF stage input powers that exceeds 1

watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James ...

Telegraphy Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...

and digital modes are the most commonly used for communications, but speech transmission via amplitude modulation (AM) or single-sideband modulation (SSB) is also allowed. Even with such short antennas and low transmit power, LowFER stations have been heard at distances approaching 1,000 miles by listeners using sophisticated receiving setups.

Similar activities

LF amateur radio allocation

In Europe, and generally in ITU Region 1, the LowFER frequency range (160–190 kHz) is used for broadcasting and is unavailable for two-way communications use. In the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

there was an allocation for radio amateurs at 73 kHz from 1998–2002. The

International Telecommunication Union The International Telecommunication Union is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for many matters related to information and communication technologies. It was established on 17 May 1865 as the International Telegraph Unio ...

's 2007

World Radiocommunication Conference The World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) is a conference organized by the ITU to review and, as necessary, revise the Radio Regulations, the international treaty governing the use of the radio-frequency spectrum as well as geostationary and ...

(WRC-07) in

Geneva , neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier , website = https://www.geneve.ch/ Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevr ...

agreed a secondary allocation 135.7–137.8 kHz (the so-named 2200 meter band) to the Amateur Service on 9 November 2007, marking the first time since amateur allocations began that there has been an amateur band below the Medium Wave broadcast band. Transmitter power is limited to one watt ERP (meaning an inefficient antenna can be fed a higher power).

MedFER

In the U.S., license-free operation is also allowed on the medium frequency band, also known as the AM Broadcast Band. Similar to LowFER, MedFER is medium-frequency experimental radio. MedFER enthusiasts operate under FCC Part 15 rules using 0.1 W (a tenth of a watt) and a three-meter-long antenna between 510 kHz and 1705 kHz, coinciding with the U.S.

AM radio AM broadcasting is radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation (AM) transmissions. It was the first method developed for making audio radio transmissions, and is still used worldwide, primarily for medium wave (also known as "AM band") transmis ...

band.

HiFER

HiFER is high frequency experimental radio operating within a 14 kHz-wide band centered at 13.56 MHz. This frequency range is allocated to industrial, scientific and medical uses as well as Low Power Communication devices under FCC Part 15 rules where a small level of radio frequency radiation is allowed without licensing. (See RFID for other uses of this frequency).

References

{{reflist, 25em

External links

Longwave Club of America

Medfer site
Amateur radio Radio hobbies