SSTV frequencies — the Centres of Activity
Most SSTV frequency lists are a row of numbers with no source and no explanation of what they oblige you to do. The RSGB band plan names two of them outright — 14,230 kHz as the Image Centre of Activity and 144.500 MHz as the Image Modes Centre — and the useful part is understanding what a Centre of Activity is, because it is not a channel reserved for you.
Named in the band plan
Two frequencies are not convention or folklore. They are written into the RSGB band plan, which follows the IARU Region 1 recommendations:
| Frequency | Band plan entry | Bandwidth |
|---|---|---|
| 14,230 kHz | Image Centre of Activity | 2.7 kHz |
| 144.500 MHz | Image Modes Centre (SSTV, FAX, etc) | 20 kHz |
“Image Modes” is a defined term in the plan: any analogue or digital image modes within the appropriate bandwidth, for example SSTV and FAX. That definition covers error-corrected digital picture modes as well as classic SSTV — both belong here.
What a Centre of Activity is not
It is not a reserved channel, and it confers no priority. 14,230 kHz sits inside a wider segment:
14,125-14,300 kHz 2.7 kHz
All Modes – SSB Contest Preferred Segment
14,130 kHz – Digital Voice Centre of Activity
14,195 ±5 kHz – Priority for DXpeditions
14,230 kHz – Image Centre of Activity
14,285 kHz – QRP Centre of ActivityNote what that segment is also called: SSB Contest Preferred. On a contest weekend, 14.230 will have voice on it, entirely legitimately, and the band plan does not take your side. A Centre of Activity tells you where to look for like-minded operators — nothing more.
The same is true on 2 metres, where 144.500 MHz opens a shared All Modes segment running to 144.794 MHz that also carries the Data Centre of Activity at 144.600 and ATV talk-back at 144.750.
Bandwidth is the real constraint
The number beside each segment is the necessary bandwidth — the width just sufficient to carry your information at the required rate and quality.
- 2.7 kHz on 20 metres. Analogue SSTV fits easily. So do digital picture modes designed for an SSB channel — Open Signal’s own waveform occupies about 2.4 kHz.
- 20 kHz on the 2 m All Modes segment. Far more generous, which is precisely why FM SSTV is practical there and not on HF.
Other bands
Away from 20 metres and 2 metres, the frequencies below are the customary gathering points rather than entries I have verified against the current plan. Treat them as places to listen, and check your own national band plan before transmitting.
| Band | Commonly used |
|---|---|
| 15 m | 21.340 MHz |
| 10 m | 28.680 MHz |
| 40 m | 7.165 / 7.171 MHz — regional |
| 80 m | 3.730 (R1) / 3.845 MHz (R2) |
Sideband
The band plan’s guidance is LSB below 10 MHz, USB above — and it frames the lower half around voice, noting the lowest dial settings specifically for “LSB Voice modes”.
In practice image and data modes are worked USB on every band, including 40 and 80 metres, which is the convention you will find in use. Since most SSTV activity is on 20 metres and above, USB is the answer nearly all of the time regardless. On the lower bands, listen first rather than assuming — a picture tuned on the wrong sideband decodes as noise, and that is the single most common reason a newcomer sees nothing.
The satellite exception
One frequency on 2 metres has a dedicated entry rather than a shared one: 145.800 MHz, listed as FM/DV Space Communications, space-to-Earth. That is the ISS downlink, and it is where ARISS SSTV events transmit — covered in receiving SSTV from the ISS.
Do not transmit there. It is a downlink; the corresponding uplink is 145.200 MHz.
Sources and currency
The 14 MHz and 144 MHz entries on this page were taken from the RSGB Amateur Radio Band Plans as published in the January 2026 examination reference data. Band plans are revised, usually each January.
The authoritative source is the RSGB band plan. Outside the UK, your national society publishes the equivalent. And a band plan is not your licence — what you may actually transmit is set by your licence conditions.
SSTV frequencies — FAQ
What frequency is SSTV on?
14.230 MHz USB on 20 metres, and 144.500 MHz on 2 metres. Both are named in the RSGB band plan — 14,230 kHz as the Image Centre of Activity and 144.500 MHz as the Image Modes Centre. They are centres of activity rather than exclusive channels, so you share the segment with other modes.
What is a Centre of Activity?
A frequency the band plan names as the place a particular mode gathers, inside a wider shared segment. It is not a reserved channel and it grants no priority — 14.230 kHz sits within the 14,125–14,300 kHz All Modes SSB Contest Preferred Segment, so on a contest weekend you will be sharing it.
What bandwidth am I allowed?
On 20 metres the necessary bandwidth for that segment is 2.7 kHz, which comfortably fits analogue SSTV and digital picture modes designed for an SSB channel. On the 2 metre All Modes segment at 144.500–144.794 MHz it is 20 kHz, which is why FM SSTV works there.
Which sideband do I use?
USB above 10 MHz, which covers 20, 15 and 10 metres — the bands where most SSTV happens. The band plan's guidance below 10 MHz is LSB, though it frames that around voice, and image and data modes are conventionally worked USB throughout. On 40 and 80 metres, listen before assuming.
More about Open Signal
Know where to listen? Go and listen
Open Signal decodes every common SSTV mode automatically from the incoming VIS header — tune to 14.230, leave it running, and pictures appear as they arrive. Receiving is free, permanently.