Airport-Aircraft Radio Monitoring

[schroeder6th]

Thanks for all the replies.
I got a bit confused.
My problem maybe my old bearcat isn’t digital?

 

[schroeder6th]

PS:
I tried a few of the apps for tracking, useless in real time.

 

[sar104]

Thanks for all the replies.
I got a bit confused.
My problem maybe my old bearcat isn’t digital?

You don't need digital. You need analog AM (not FM) in the 118 - 136 MHz band. And then you need to know the tower or Unicom frequencies - you are unlikely to find them by random scanning.

 

[BarryWilson]

You don't need digital. You need analog AM (not FM) in the 118 - 136 MHz band. And then you need to know the tower or Unicom frequencies - you are unlikely to find them by random scanning.

Better than radomly scanning, pull out a sectional chart. All the frequencies needed are on the sectional and program those in. If you dont have paper charts use SkyVector, Avare or similar charts and or Airport Directory

 

[schroeder6th]

Thanks again to everyone.
I’ve found the listed ‘Tower” and “approach” frequencys ill retry programming them in today.

 

[epicdoom]

No civil aviation communications are either digital or encrypted. They are all analog AM.

its not encryption its terminology that unless you know aviation or have read about language used over air traffic you wont know. same as we do here, I say RC, AC, TX, RX to someone who has never touched a radio controlled device, the look you get is like WTH did you just say lol I haven't flown since my heart attack in 2005 so I wasn't sure if they switched over yet or not.

 

[epicdoom]

What are you pretty sure it’s digital?

Just a guess?

Curious.

don't know I haven't flown since 2005 but that's the way communication was headed all police, fire, county, city infrastructure has all changed over to digital at least here where I live. we were all on analog

 

[sar104]

its not encryption its terminology that unless you know aviation or have read about language used over air traffic you wont know. same as we do here, I say RC, AC, TX, RX to someone who has never touched a radio controlled device, the look you get is like WTH did you just say lol I haven't flown since my heart attack in 2005 so I wasn't sure if they switched over yet or not.

The comment that you made that I was replying to was that the communications are digital. They are not. Another poster suggested that they were encrypted, hence my comment regarding the lack of encryption.

As for the terminology - yes, but it's easy to pick up if you spend a little time listening to ATC, tower or unicom. The essentials of aviation communications are in plain English - they were never intended to obfuscate in the way that some other radio communications are.

 

[captainmilehigh]

“Obfuscate”. That’s the perfect word to describe a center/tower controller that has had way too much coffee......[emoji12]

 

[PhantomHero]

30%!?!? WOW had no idea that kind of traffic was up there. Thanks for the heads up. Literally!

 

[RodPad]

Yes, they are Analog, Am 118 - 136. I could never imagine that they would every go digital, same as marine, "not for voice"
Can you imagine how the digital signal would work with the background noise? It would be like using phone in speaker mode in the hot tub.

You need to hear everything that is possible, no matter how faint, weak or noisy.

My dad is a Pilot he explained, well from what I understood, only the planes that get a transponder will show up on flight radar.
So anything that he flies, isn't going to. Also it is not required that a plane has a working radio.

I like the flghtradar24 app and the website. Friday, when I as at home, I heard the fire-dept calling for a life flight. I knew it would be coming over my house. I watched go by at was 3000'.

The main landing pad is a 2 min walk from a work, I hear about three a week come and go. I can watch what hospital the take them to. The call sign name will be blocked, but you can see the speed, etc.

With the app there is a sky view, it uses your camera and look in the sky through you tablet at the planes.

Another note, the airport here doesn't have a tower, and the frequency is 122.800. So if more than one is flying together I will here the say lets switch 2.5, they will switch to 122.500, etc. Easy to switch from .5 from .8 on a radio.

The Frequency of 121.500 is kind of the emergency channel, pilots are asked to listen to this for distress calls.

Dang, I hope all my info is correct.

Rod

 

[N017RW]

True dat RP.

Also, AM is preferred over FM to eliminate ‘capture’ associated with it so even weak signals can be heard.