First Time listeners

[ka3jjz]

Y'know, scanning the forums for any milair questions, I keep seeing the same kind of questions from newcomers over and over again; where do I get frequencies for [fill in your favorite site or area here]?

It's hard enough trying to find which freqs your local Air National Guard, National Guard, NORAD or Giant Killer, ect. are using in your area - and that, I'm sure, is a source of frustration. So how about a list of easy targets - something that someone just starting out can use as a baseline?

I can think of a few places...

- If your local airport is large enough, many times they are also communicating on UHF freqs, as well as civ air VHF. Besides the databases here, and maybe on Airnav, and apart from the 800 page monster of a FLIP (dial up downloads are ugly!) where else would you go for this information?

- If your area is one of those covered by these aerial refueling routes (like those shown here ) these are a possibility.

- An ARTCC center is quite likely to communicate on both VHF and UHF for handeling military flights. But apart from the sources above, where would you go for accurate information?

This might be a very valuable addition to the wiki, if we can get enough sources.

Any additions? 73s Mike

[n4voxgill]

One source is to buy an aviation map from the fixed base operator at your local airport. The maps show airports and the frequencies to use. If there are any military air bases the frequencies for it are usually shown also.

When I moved here near Randolph Air Force Base I set up four scanners with UHF milair capability and had each searching 10 MHz. I would write down the frequencies that they stopped on. It took several days to cover all of the UHF air band. I picked up about 15 frequencies that are in regular use. I still use one scanner on a daily search looking for more use. I live under their military operating area. I can sit on my porch in the morning and drink coffee listen to them conducting training flights. Its fun to hear one plane say on the count of three break left and watch two planes turn together. With all the pilots in training this is one busy air base. Then I also pick up the big cargo planes heading into Kelly Field in San Antonio. It is supposed to be closed as an air force base, but there is sure alot of airforce traffic going into it each day.

[oregontreehugger]

Eh, not sure if this is recent enough or not:

http://www.afa.org/magazine/july2001/0701kelly.asp

[ka3jjz]

Hmm, interesting link, but it has no frequencies this is the sort of thing a newcomer would need.
N4Voxgill - would such a chart include the UHF freqs the airport uses? I would think after 9/11 that information might be somewhat more difficult to obtain. In addition, approach and departure frequencies aren't always serviced at an airport - my area here in Maryland is serviced by a TRACON, which covers 4 or 5 big airports in 2 states. The TRACON uses both UHF and VHF freqs. I don't think their website lists the UHF stuff....73s Mike

[loumaag]

Originally Posted by ka3jjz

...This might be a very valuable addition to the wiki, if we can get enough sources.

Mike, good idea.

I have "stuck" this thread and if you get enough information to add to that treasure trove you are building over there on the wiki, let me know and we can "un-stick" it later. Once again, you have stepped up.

[eorange]

Sometimes the frequencies are published. For example, the Selfridge home page for the Michigan Air National Guard (http://www.miself.ang.af.mil/) has a link called Mid Air Collision Avoidance under the Programs heading. This document contains good frequency information. However, I think this is a rare publication among ANG sites.

Another good source of freqs is the milcom list at mailman.qth.net.

Finding mil air freqs definitely takes collaboration and detective work; I have never run across any kind of comprehensive listing.

[gcgrotz]

Try www.airnav.com and click on airports. Put in the 3 letter code and you will get all the charts with freqs. Listen to them and log the handoffs you hear and then monitor them. I use this site when I travel, load up banks with airports I'll be passing thru. Makes the layovers go fast.

If you're in a busy area, like Norfolk, you'll fill up your mil-air banks in a few nights.

[chgomonitor]

They are being discontinued but the flight supplements are still available for free download at:

https://164.214.2.62/products/digitalaero/index.cfm

Get the IFR Sup, AP1B and perhaps other files from this site. Most are either Adobe PDF or delimited text.

[ka3jjz]

I have created a 'Where to Start' section on our military monitoring wiki at the following article:

http://wiki.radioreference.com/index..._Mailing_Lists

Of particular interest - the Milcom group on QTH.net is a national net - that being the case, it would be very easy to join the group (the link for the page to do this is provided) and simply ask. It's very likely someone there will be able to point you in the right direction.

Please feel free to add any other easy resources that you feel might prove useful to newcomers. 73s Mike

[CORN]

AirNav.com is nice. In addition to ATC freqs for that particular airport or base. It usually lists the Metro (weather dispatch) freq, Command Posts, and Dispatcher. When i started out in Milair in the early 90's I took my Pro-43 with me to Destin. I started out with Eglin basic ATC freqs then one freq led to another then another until i had most of the Eglin mission freqs as well as ACM (Air Combat Maneuvering) freqs used by the fighters. All of this by just listening. I didn't have the luxury of a computer in my hotel room. Also I second the milcom list on QTH.net. There are some knowledgeable people on there that will be more than willing to help get you started. They just ask (myself included) you to not list the freqs they give you on your post until you get a confirmed "hit". Also, and if you join, don't be a lurker. Chip in on what you hear.

[karldotcom]

http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/

Monitoring Times writers now posting to new mil blog

[eorange]

Originally Posted by Navairboss

Heck the 225-400 MHz is undergoing a huge change right now and for at least the next 3-4 years.

What kind of change?

[nd5y]

Aiviation operations are moving out of the 380 - 400 MHz range to make room for government trunked systems.

[eorange]

Thanks Tom...I did know about that. I was wondering if there was something else in this band that is happening that we should know about.

[Navairboss]

Originally Posted by eorange

Thanks Tom...I did know about that. I was wondering if there was something else in this band that is happening that we should know about.

Actually there is. Based on what I have seen it appears that at least half the frequencies in this band or more is changing its basic function. While I still see some assignments that have been previously published not changing, many, many more are and some old standards that have been published for years are changing (i.e. 344.6 will soon no longer be a nationwide Metro).

I have been documenting some of this on my blog and in my monthly MT Milcom column for those that follow this sort of thing. And older refs such as the Huntington Aero pubs and most the internet websites are now nearly useless. Seems some folks have a difficult time discarding freqs when they are no longer being used (i.e. 381.7 and 381.8).

Most of the older freq guides, especially the nationwide listings in the old Police Calls for mil, which were flawed to begin with, are also now useless. While the DoD US IFR Sup is pretty good (it will go away for good on 1 Oct 2008), it only covers info for only about 40-45% of the 225-380 MHz spectrum and none of the LMR spectrum.

My suggestion to most is what I have suggested for years, learn were your search button is and discover what really is happening in your local spectrum. Then you share that info with the best experts on the planet on the qth.net Milcom newsgroup. This is were you will get answers from people who really know this spectrum.

73 all and good hunting,

Larry

[hummn]

frequencies top left corner (I think I found this site in these forums somewhere)
http://www.milaircomms.com/

this one has some info on milair frequencies (from Ocean County,NJ)
http://hometown.aol.com/jerseymilair/jerseymilair.html

heres one that has some milair pics
http://www.milairpix.com/
http://www.aircover.nl/
http://www.milairpix.com/topsite/index.php

[ka3jjz]

Sadly George has not updated the freq lists on the milaircomms site in a good while - I would use that site only if you can't find more accurate information elsewhere. I've attempted to contact him on any number of occasions about this, but all my mail to him has gone into a black hole.
Too bad - the site has potential. It's a shame to see it wasted.

73s Mike

[hummn]

Originally Posted by mattcawby

Meet the milaircoms.com webmaster.

George Fetter, 41, was arrested at his Ponce Inlet home Monday night. He's accused of fraudulently offering to sell customers Xboxes and iPods. Officers said his list of victims is over 66 pages long, with at least 50 names per page.

http://www.wftv.com/news/10367495/detail.html

I just read this.

[jonny290]

sucks too, because he obviously loved radio =/

i guess that's how he paid for all of that.

[EFjohnsonVHF]

Does anyone know of any good military frequencies to listen to in New London County