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Quick answer
In the United States, wireless microphones may operate in 470 to 608 MHz (unused TV channels, 50 mW unlicensed), 614 to 616 MHz at 20 mW, VHF 169 to 216 MHz, and the licence-free 902 to 928 MHz, 1.9 GHz, 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz bands. 608 to 614 MHz is prohibited, and 617 to 652, 663 to 698 and 698 to 806 MHz are closed to wireless microphones.
Every page is researched from manufacturer specifications, operator manuals, FCC rules, published standards and the consensus of verified owner reviews, not hands-on testing. Every table on this site is plain HTML you can quote, and every calculator shows its formula on the page.
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| Band | Status | Rule and licence | What it means for a church |
|---|---|---|---|
| VHF 169 to 216 MHz | Legal | Unlicensed, Part 15 | Crowded and antenna-hungry. Cheap systems live here and ranges suffer indoors. |
| UHF 470 to 608 MHz (TV 14 to 36) | Legal | Part 74 licence or unlicensed under Part 15 | The main working band. Operate only in TV channels that are locally unused. |
| 608 to 614 MHz (TV channel 37) | Prohibited | No operation permitted | Reserved for radio astronomy and wireless medical telemetry. Never legal for microphones. |
| 614 to 616 MHz guard band | Legal | Part 15, 20 mW limit | A narrow 2 MHz sliver. Perhaps two or three channels, at low power. |
| 617 to 652 and 663 to 698 MHz | Illegal to operate | Prohibited since the repack | Sold to mobile carriers. Secondhand gear tuned here is worthless. |
| 698 to 806 MHz | Prohibited | Prohibited since 2010 | Public safety and mobile broadband. Gear from before 2010 often sits here. |
| 902 to 928 MHz ISM | Legal | Unlicensed, Part 15 | Shares space with cordless phones and telemetry. Fine for a handful of channels. |
| 1920 to 1930 MHz DECT | Legal | Unlicensed | Self-coordinating digital systems. Easy to deploy, limited range and channel count. |
| 2.4 GHz ISM | Legal | Unlicensed, Part 15 | Shares the band with every Wi-Fi access point in the building. |
| 5.8 GHz ISM | Legal | Unlicensed, Part 15 | Cleaner than 2.4 GHz in most buildings, shorter range, needs line of sight. |
Source: FCC rules for wireless microphones under 47 CFR Part 15 and Part 74, and the FCC 600 MHz incentive auction band plan. This chart covers the United States only. In the UK, Ofcom licenses shared Channel 38 (606 to 614 MHz) and 863 to 865 MHz is licence exempt.
Power limits, licensing and what to do with gear in a closed band are set out in which wireless frequencies are legal for a church.
Dual band 2.4 and 5.8 GHz with automatic frequency management and a rechargeable battery, so there is no UHF coordination to do at all. The trade is range and the fact that it shares the band with the church Wi-Fi.
Best for: Small rooms with no volunteer willing to coordinate UHF frequencies
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The SM58 capsule on a BLX transmitter, which is the wireless most churches settle on. Up to twelve compatible channels per band, and the capsule is the one every singer already knows how to use.
Best for: Worship vocals and a roaming handheld in a 100 to 500 seat room
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A 2.4 GHz digital system with automatic frequency selection and three levels of diversity. No UHF licence question at all, because it is not in the TV band.
Best for: Churches that want nothing to do with the 600 MHz repack
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Digital transmission with 24 bit audio and far tighter channel spacing than analog, so many more systems fit in the shrinking legal spectrum. That density is the reason to pay the difference.
Best for: Churches running more than about six wireless channels at once
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