What could I hear at home?

KB9LIQ · #1 (**permalink**) 03-03-2009, 09:43 AM

New to military monitoring so sorry if this is a dumb questions. But I live in central Illinois, what could I hear if I try to monitor anything from this? Not sure how far air comm's can be picked up so even if I know where something is can I pick it up. Also if I try to monitor sat comm's do they encrypt all of it or is some of the stuff like training not? Hope you can understand my questions.

AlabamaRS · #2 (**permalink**) 03-03-2009, 09:50 AM

Try doing some research,, use the stickies at top of this forum

123 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-03-2009, 09:53 AM

Load some center UHF freqs in your area. You should be able to pick a few up this way.

Military Comms Monitoring. HF VHF UHF

KB9LIQ · #4 (**permalink**) 03-03-2009, 10:02 AM

I don't Have a scanner to cover allot of this yet so I'm just wondering how much I could pick up if I did. I have read thru most of what was in the stickey's but still don't understand how far away air comm's can be picked up. I do understand it can change day to day depending on allot of things but what is a rule for distance?

AlabamaRS · #5 (**permalink**) 03-03-2009, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KB9LIQ

I don't Have a scanner to cover allot of this yet so I'm just wondering how much I could pick up if I did. I have read thru most of what was in the stickey's but still don't understand how far away air comm's can be picked up. I do understand it can change day to day depending on allot of things but what is a rule for distance?

distance depends on your antenna & location

ka3jjz · #6 (**permalink**) 03-03-2009, 12:21 PM

as well as frequencies, height of the transmitter above ground (in this case, likely thousands of feet) as well as any obstructions.

With the right scanner, coax and antenna (consider it as a single system) I can't see why you wouldn't get flights from a 100 miles away or more (that might even be a bit conservative), given that much of Illinois is flat. 73 Mike

shaft · #7 (**permalink**) 03-03-2009, 01:32 PM

I would suggest you take a look at Freq of Nature and find the local RCAG's for your area and plug them in. I'm able to hear aircraft from at least 100mi out and sometimes a little further, based on looking up the aircraft (factoring in the 6ish min of delay) on Flight Aware. In central IL, you might be able to pick up three centers for a lot of air traffic monitoring.

RCAG's I would find near you:

Indianapolis
Chicago
Kansas City

ka3jjz · #8 (**permalink**) 03-03-2009, 01:37 PM

I beleive Tracy gets his information from the FAA ATA100 data, which is well known not to always be up to date. A far better resource for the Illinois area would be the CARMA website, which has the various aviation profiles. The link is in blue. Our database is another source of information - be sure to ignore the ATA100 listings. Each ARTCC is indexed by this ARTCC wiki article 73 Mike

shaft · #9 (**permalink**) 03-03-2009, 08:19 PM

I know the Kansas City stuff is up to date, so its anyones guess if Indy or Chicago is up to date or not, but its a starting point.

N8IAA · #10 (**permalink**) 03-04-2009, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KB9LIQ

New to military monitoring so sorry if this is a dumb questions. But I live in central Illinois, what could I hear if I try to monitor anything from this? Not sure how far air comm's can be picked up so even if I know where something is can I pick it up. Also if I try to monitor sat comm's do they encrypt all of it or is some of the stuff like training not? Hope you can understand my questions.

What equipment do you have for milair monitoring? I use a Pro-97, Pro-106, Pro-163 scanners. I have used ham radios: Yaesu FT-60 and an Icom IC-2720. Best ham antenna used is an older multiband antenna: Comet CA-UHV.
Larry

N9JCQ · #11 (**permalink**) 03-04-2009, 11:26 AM

Also, try CARMA's site: Home Page . There is a large amount of MILAIR data for you. a quick hit is 350.350 AM for the Red Hills Military Overflight Area (MOA) where you'll hear air to air by INANG MI ANG, IAANG and other midwest units. Also there is action down towards St. Louis as well. Thee is stuff to hear, not as much as when the ILANG used to operate out of Springfield though.

KB9LIQ · #12 (**permalink**) 03-04-2009, 05:16 PM

Thanks for all the info, guess I will just have to pick up a scanner and give it a try now that I know there should be some stuff I have hear. Can you pick up the satcom with a normal outside ant or would you have to have one pointed at the sat?

DPD1 · #13 (**permalink**) 03-04-2009, 08:48 PM

In that area you're going to get a lot of the transitional stuff... Guys moving cross country, as opposed to a much tactical stuff like you would hear more by the coasts or big work areas. But if you put in all the UHF center stuff, you should get stuff. It's really about searching to find more stuff though. It takes more patience than the average PD/fire stuff.

zguy1243 · #14 (**permalink**) 03-05-2009, 09:04 AM

You are in range of air refueling track, Military operating areas or MOA's, many air traffic control frequencies used by the military also. There is very little satcom that is in the clear, most is all encrypted.

STLmonitor · #15 (**permalink**) 03-05-2009, 03:02 PM

Monitoring from the St. Louis area, I usually hear : fighter training from IA, MO air national guard units, in the Howard/Pruitt and Red Hills MOA's over IL. Also the B-2's out of Whiteman, almost daily, train throughout the skies over MO & IL. Regular A/R activity is a daily norm also.