SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/ham-ssb-3khz

What is the approximate bandwidth of a typical single sideband voice signal?

About 3 kHz.

  1. 1 kHz
  2. 15 kHz
  3. 3 kHz ✔

Why: An SSB voice signal takes up roughly 3 kHz of spectrum. That is narrower than AM or FM voice, which helps it stay strong over long distances.

Huh, didn't know that: AM voice uses about twice as much bandwidth as SSB, since it sends both sidebands.

The dad joke
Why does SSB never overeat? It sticks to a 3 kHz diet.
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Sources

  1. NCVEC 2026-2030 Technician Question Pool (Feb 19, 2026 release) https://www.ncvec.org/downloads/2026-2030%20Technician%20Pool%20and%20Syllabus%20Public%20Release%20Feb%2019%202026.pdf

Test yourself in the game

Ham RadioWhich voice mode is often used for long-distance, weak signal contacts on VHF and UHF?Ham RadioWhich of these signal types has the narrowest bandwidth?Ham RadioWhich sideband is normally used for 10-meter HF, VHF, and UHF single-sideband communications?

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