2020 VHF Low Band Logs

[Dispatrick]

Happy new year to all!

1-9-2020

45.980 203.5 Alabama DOC Morse ID received multiple times between 0325 and 0327 in the morning.

42.060 203.5 MO HP Troop D Springfield. between 1530 and 1820 this evening.

both stations very clear. Surprised by the AL DOC channel that early in the morning.

What are the predicted conditions for 2020 ?

 

[spongella]

Pretty good intercepts from NJ Dispatrick. Here, low band VHF is dead most of the time, but as you've shown, it can come to life at any time and be very interesting. I've experienced CB band openings late winter nights with snow falling, those were definitely a surprise.

 

[kkn50]

Recent Logs
San Antonio, Texas
Uniden BCD996XT scanner with 10 meter dipole antenna

Very little activity.

FREQ......SQ......DESCRIPTION
31.1750 150.0 US MIL
32.0500 150.0 US MIL
32.1800 77.0 Taxi, Alajuela, Costa Rica
32.7500 150.0 US MIL - Medic training
34.2000 150.0 US MIL - Range Control, Camp Bullis TX
36.9000 150.0 US MIL - Martindale Army Heliport Ops, San Antonio TX
39.2200 192.8 KMA801 CA HP
39.3400 162.2 WPHM449 CA HP
39.4000 186.2 KTN273 CA HP
39.5200 173.8 CA Orange County Freeway Service Patrol
39.6000 162.2 WPHM348 CA HP
39.6800 118.8 KDG272 CA HP
42.4400 146.2 CA HP
42.5000 127.3 KLM513 CA HP
42.5600 118.8 KMH962 CA HP
43.5200 77.0 Ingram Readymix, San Antonio TX
49.4800 67.0 Pike Electric Ch 12 <nationwide contractors>
49.5400 67.0 Pike Electric Ch 2 <nationwide contractors>
49.5800 67.0 Pike Electric Ch 3 <nationwide contractors>

 

[marvinsuggs]

What's the best base antenna for low band skip?
Thanks
Marvin

 

[bc780l]

Cushcraft Ringo AR-6 for FM

You are being redirected...

If SSB, horizontally polarized dipole or beams will be the choice.

 

[nd5y]

What's the best base antenna for low band skip?

How much money are you willing to spend?
You won't find a cheap commercially manufactured antenna that covers the whole band.
A 6 meter Ringo won't cover the entire band.
If you are only interested in skip then polarization doesn't matter.
Probably the cheapest and easiest way is making a multi element dipole (fan dipole).

 

[W8UU]

What are you primarily interested in monitoring? Skip tends to "work its way up" from the lower frequencies (the "Maximum Usable Frequency') so the 30-36 MHz channels will always see action before the higher freqs get crazy. I've used a CB (27 MHz) ground plane with about 8 inches cut off the vertical element and had decent results. Also used a 33 Mhz Decibel Products DB-201 that was abandoned in place with good luck. Good coax and tight antenna connections also improve your ability to hear those weak and fleeting signals. Hope this helps.

 

[marvinsuggs]

Thanks everybody I i just want to get ready for the skip season. Mainly the 33 mhz band.

 

[trashman43]

Monitored from Central Ky using a BCT15X, Freescan and a 6 meter Ringo Ranger on 2-8-20

FREQ	SQ	CALL	DESCRIPTION
31.000	150.0	91B20	US.mil
32.675	150.0		JSTARS

 

[kkn50]

A 25-88 MHz log periodic would always be my first choice but I've had great results with dipoles over the past 45 years. As you are not transmitting, one cut for 35 MHz will work.

What's the best base antenna for low band skip?

 

[trashman43]

Monitored from Central Ky using a BCT15X, Freescan and a 6 meter Ringo Ranger on 2-24-20

FREQ	SQ	CALL	DESCRIPTION
30.550	150.0		US.mil
30.7125	150.0		US.mil
30.725	150.0		US,mil
52.525	csq		6 Meter FM calling freq

 

[trashman43]

Monitored from Central Ky using a BCT15X, Freescan and a 6 meter Ringo Ranger on 2-27-20

FREQ	SQ	CALL	DESCRIPTION
32.850	150.0		US.mil Helo
38.900	150.0		US.mil

 

[empireco]

For you guys receiving 150 Hz mil coms on VHF Low what deviation are they using (especially helicopter air to air coms)?I’m wondering EXACTLY what modulation I should set my BCT15X to to properly hear these coms, NFM, FM, or WFM.

 

[nd5y]

For you guys receiving 150 Hz mil coms on VHF Low what deviation are they using (especially helicopter air to air coms)?I’m wondering EXACTLY what modulation I should set my BCT15X to to properly hear these coms, NFM, FM, or WFM.

SINCGARS military radios can transmit up tp 15 kHz deviation or up to 36 kHz bandwidth.

In most scanners:
NFM is 12.5 kHz bandwidth or 25 kHz if there is no separate NFM filter.
FM is 25 kHz
WFM is 200 kHz (basically useless for anything but FM broadcast stations)

Scanners don't have a modulation setting for 36 kHz.
You will probably have the best luck using FM but the audio may be distorted and drop out of the receiver pass band on voice peaks which can make the squelch close and chop the audio on voice peaks.

 

[empireco]

Thanks. Reason I asked because in the 90’s I received .mil helo on 41.5 in standard NFM mode on my Alinco DJ-X10 which was 12.5 KHz and the transmissions were crystal clear.
A buddy of mine recently received helo air to air in the “Mid Band” between 54 and 88 MHz and had his older Radio Shack Scanner tuned in WFM mode.
There is some confusion about NFM vs standard FM because of the new 6.25kHz narrow band channels and I’ve read that some new radios and scanners now label 6.25kHz deviation as NFM and The old standard 12.5 kHz deviation as simply FM. Not sure what the BCT15X does.
Are most helicopter coms in VHF low range using these SINCGARS radios?

 

[nd5y]

Are most helicopter coms in VHF low range using these SINCGARS radios?

In the past yes. Now there are multi band multi mode radios. I don't know how many older radios are left.

 

[trashman43]

Monitored from Central Ky using a BCT15X, Freescan and a 6 meter Ringo Ranger on 2-28-20

FREQ	SQ	CALL	DESCRIPTION
30.200	150.0		US.mil JSTARS
30.300	150.0		US.mil Razor
30.450	150.0		US,mil Ft. Hood
30.725	150.0		US.mil
32.675	150.0		US.mil JSTARS
34.850	150.0		TNSG ?

 

[trashman43]

Monitored from Central Ky using a BCT15X, Freescan and a 6 meter Ringo Ranger on 2-29-20

FREQ	SQ	CALL	DESCRIPTION
30.450	150.0		US.mil Ft. Hood
75.500			? Helo A-A Piolts talking and 1 laughing

 

[trashman43]

Monitored from Central Ky using a BCT15X, Freescan and a 6 meter Ringo Ranger on 3-1-20 thru 3-4-20

FREQ	SQ	CALL	DESCRIPTION
38.900	150.0		Helo
41.100	150.0		Helo

 

[empireco]

Home today monitoring and got a close call hit on 43.280 DCS 654 on my BCT15X and Cushcraft AR-6 Ringo.

Wondering if anyone can help me identify the users. They were mobile and at least one was driving a truck. Came through Central
Kentucky.