121.5

[INDY72]

121.5 is the Civilian Gaurd
UHF is the Military/Federal Gaurd

And there is a second VHF used by the USFS as Guard for Firefighting Aircraft.

 

[kny2xb]

Back between 1988-1990; I lived in Rochester, N.Y. One evening I listened to a conversation between the co-pilot of an Air Canada 747 and a civilian pilot who were over Toronto, Ontario. The civilian had stolen a small passenger type plane and was intending to fly it into the CN Tower. The co-pilot had the guy talking about his problems, and after 45 minutes or so, they both dropped too low in altitude for me to hear them anymore. I found out the next day that the co-pilot had talked the guy down and that the co-pilot and the atc controller were going to be recommended for awards.

 

[Grog]

121.5 is the Civilian Gaurd
UHF is the Military/Federal Gaurd

And there is a second VHF used by the USFS as Guard for Firefighting Aircraft.

Do you have the 2nd freq?

 

[nd5y]

40.5 FM guard
121.5 VHF guard
243.0 UHF guard

Tom

 

[loumaag]

And there is a second VHF used by the USFS as Guard for Firefighting Aircraft.

Do you have the 2nd freq?

And...

40.5 FM guard
121.5 VHF guard
243.0 UHF guard

I think he was looking for the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) Air Guard frequency:
168.6250 FM
Used as a general federal government FM air guard freq.

 

[Victor69]

GUARD FREQS

Hello, I am a USAF Fire Fighter and a pilot, the 121.5 is used on civilian aircraft VHF-AM and the 243.0 is military UHF-AM, BOTH are called guard, sometimes you hear a pilot talking on the channel to thier dispatch, thinking he turned the channel, when in reality he didnt, you will hear another pilot come on the freq. and jump :lol: in his butt for doing it, after 9-11, they try to control BS on it for emergencies only, ALSO, aircraft elt's like mine, transmit on both 121.5 vhf and 243.0 uhf at the same time... Hope this helps. A-10's kick butt.

 

[colheli]

And there is a second VHF used by the USFS as Guard for Firefighting Aircraft.

Do you have the 2nd freq?

And...

40.5 FM guard
121.5 VHF guard
243.0 UHF guard

I think he was looking for the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) Air Guard frequency:
168.6250 FM
Used as a general federal government FM air guard freq.

Add to that, 167.950 (FM), which is the BLM Guard frequency.

 

[Halfpint]

40.5 FM guard
121.5 VHF guard
243.0 UHF guard

Tom

OK, I'll `take the bait'. Who or what is 40.5 FM guard? I'm familiar with the other two but I haven't seen/heard that one.

 

[nmfire10]

Where I live, I can get air traffic for Bradley, JFK, Laguardia, Boston, and many many little airports here and there. I'm just in between all of them. I won't hear the airports or ATC centers, but I do hear the aircraft. I have 121.5 on at all times at home and in the truck. There is traffic on it many times a day. It is often someone on the wrong channel ("Your on guard!") or someone trying to contact a plane that is on the wrong frequency. Though I can see how someone that isn't an area with dense air traffic might not hear anything or very little.

 

[K2GOG]

I have one receiver with just a few emergency frequencies and 121.5 is pretty active at times. It seems a common practice recently at LGA that jet blue use this as a testing/call frequency more often than not.

I guess you can say I am lucky I have not heard any distress calls on 121.5 or 243.0 for that matter as well.

 

[FlyGuy16352]

121.5/243.0

I'm in the Civil Air Patrol and I've done an ELT search twice. ELT's now are required to transmit on 121.5 and 243.0. I think the new 406 MHz will be required in aircraft by 2007 but I'm not sure on the year. It transmits the digital information of the aircraft it is in. Tail number, registration, and the current coordinates which will make searching for them less tedious, but I think it will still transmit the beacon sound on 121.5.

 

[IdleMonitor]

Here in Ontario Canada you may catch the odd Search and Rescue OP's coming from choppers out of CFB Trenton on 157.125 . I believe this frequency is in the marine band as well. I forget what the actual call sign is, but I hear reference to 311 each time.

I'm also curious too, how they are able to contact Trenton on the VHF-FM frequency at such far distances. I know they're high enough up in altitude, but still you can only talk so far on VHF-FM even at high altitudes.

How/who would they contact them if they were in a remote region of northern Ontario?

 

[K5MAR]

I'm also curious too, how they are able to contact Trenton on the VHF-FM frequency at such far distances. I know they're high enough up in altitude, but still you can only talk so far on VHF-FM even at high altitudes.

You'd be surprised! Altitude does alot for range! There's a ham here in Oklahoma that worked the Shuttle on his 5 watt amateur 2m HT. LOS (Line Of Sight) is a major consideration on VHF (and higher) frequencies.

Mark S.

 

[IdleMonitor]

Now that's one reason to get into ham radio.

It'd be better telling a buddy you talked to the space shuttle crew up in outer space on a hand held from earth compared to chatting with some yank on the cb radio 4000 miles away.

You'd be surprised! Altitude does alot for range! There's a ham here in Oklahoma that worked the Shuttle on his 5 watt amateur 2m HT. LOS (Line Of Sight) is a major consideration on VHF (and higher) frequencies.

Mark S.

 

[K5MAR]

Now that's one reason to get into ham radio.

It'd be better telling a buddy you talked to the space shuttle crew up in outer space on a hand held from earth compared to chatting with some yank on the cb radio 4000 miles away.

You got that right! I've done a double bounce on APRS (Automatic Position Reporting System, a digital location-beaconing system). My 25 watt signal went first to PCSat, a mini-sat. digipeater constructed by the midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy and launched into low earth orbit. It was relayed by PCSat to the amateur radio station onboard the International Space Station, which then sent the signal to a ground station. May not seem like much to some compared a live conversation with an astronaut, but I was happy! :lol:

EDIT: For the latest on the PCSat line, and what's up with ARISS (Amateur Radio - International Space Station), see this link. Part of the cargo on Discovery going to ISS. You scanner listeners can monitor this using your scanner and a PC with suitable soundcard and software.

Mark S.

 

[eorange]

I've contacted hams via the AO-51 amateur satellite (see www.amsat.org) using a 5 watt HT and a handheld beam on VHF. I think that's a distance of about 800 miles straight up. I was told I had full quieting on my signal!

Erik
KA3FYU

 

[Videokid]

Re: 121.5/243.0

I'm in the Civil Air Patrol and I've done an ELT search twice. ELT's now are required to transmit on 121.5 and 243.0. I think the new 406 MHz will be required in aircraft by 2007 but I'm not sure on the year. It transmits the digital information of the aircraft it is in. Tail number, registration, and the current coordinates which will make searching for them less tedious, but I think it will still transmit the beacon sound on 121.5.

Yes, the use of 406MHz beacons should expedite the process. It's nice to have all users on one frequency too including marine, aviation and land (hikers). That is bound to streamline search and rescue ops..

 

[dave911]

I came across this story and thought you guys would be interested.

http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/phaseout.html

February 1, 2009: The Phaseout of 121.5 MHz Beacons for Satellite Distress Alerting

In October 2000 the International Cospas-Sarsat Program, announced at its 25th Council Session held in London, UK that it plans to terminate satellite processing of distress signals from 121.5 and 243 MHz emergency beacons on February 1, 2009. All mariners, aviators, and individuals using emergency beacons on those frequencies will need to switch to those operating on the newer, more reliable, digital 406 MHz frequency if they want to be detected by satellites.

The decision to stop satellite processing of 121.5 / 243 MHz signals is due to problems in this frequency band which inundate search and rescue authorities with poor accuracy and numerous false alerts, adversely impacting the effectiveness of lifesaving services. Although the 406 MHz beacons cost more at the moment, they provide search and rescue agencies with more reliable and complete information to do their job more efficiently and effectively. The Cospas-Sarsat Program made the decision to terminate 121.5/243 MHz satellite alerting services, in part, in response to guidance from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). These two agencies of the United Nations are responsible for regulating the safety on international transits of ships and aircraft, respectively, and handling international standards and plans for maritime and aviation search and rescue. More than 180 nations are members of IMO and ICAO.

NOAA, along with the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Air Force, and NASA (the four Federal Agencies who manage, operate, and use the SARSAT system) are strongly advising users of 121.5/243 MHz beacons to make the switch to 406. Meanwhile, anyone planning to buy a new distress beacon may wish to take the Cospas-Sarsat decision into account.

You can read more info at the link above.

 

[n4jri]

I have heard 121.5 in use more times in the last year, than in my entire 45 years previous. Usually, the word "Guard" is heard. I wasn't aware of the post-911 requirement to monitor this freq, but it certainly would make sense.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[Colin9690]

Yes, every aircraft isn't REQUIRED to monitor, but they should whenever practical. Many airlines' policies say for pilots to monitor the freq. 121.5 is used to contact an aircraft that wandered in to restricted airspace, or by military aircraft to contact civilian planes that have been intercepted, to name a few uses.