Bands & the band plan
The ATS Mini doesn’t tune as one long dial. It organises its coverage into named bands, each with its own frequency range, a default mode, and a memory of where you last were. This guide explains the bands and how to move between them.
What the radio covers
Two worlds, really. There is VHF FM broadcast from 64 to 108 MHz. And there is everything from 150 kHz to 30 MHz, which covers longwave, mediumwave and the whole shortwave range, in AM and single sideband. How much of that you actually hear depends mostly on what you plug into the antenna jack; see the antenna guide.
The named bands
- VHF. The FM broadcast band (64 to 108 MHz). FM is only available here.
- ALL. A catch-all from 150 to 30000 kHz for tuning freely across longwave, mediumwave and shortwave without band limits.
- Shortwave broadcast bands. The classic "meter bands" (90M, 75M, 60M, 49M, 41M, 31M, 25M, 22M, 19M, 16M, 15M, 13M, 11M), preset to AM, where the international broadcasters live.
- Mediumwave (MW1, MW2, MW3). The AM broadcast band and its edges.
- Amateur (ham) bands. 160M, 80M, 40M and 30M default to LSB; 20M, 17M, 15M, 12M and 10M default to USB.
- CB. The Citizens’ Band around 27 MHz, in AM.
Switching bands
Use the previous and next band buttons, or pick a band from the list. The app takes the shortest way around the band list to get there, and each band remembers the frequency and mode you last used in it. Hop over to FM and back, and you land right where you left off.
Default mode is just a starting point
Each band opens in a sensible default mode: FM on VHF, AM on the broadcast bands, LSB or USB on the ham bands. You can change mode freely afterwards, except on VHF, which is FM-only. See Reception modes.
Recommended gear
- XHDATA AN-80 reel antennaAntennaA reel of wire hung out of a window is the cheapest way to hear the shortwave bands listed here.
- Telescopic whip antennaAntennaFM and the VHF airband work straight off the whip — length is the only upgrade they ask for.
- SMA-M to coaxial adapterAdapter / connectorAnything bigger than a whip meets the radio at its SMA jack, so settle the adapter before buying the antenna.