254.2 in Northern Georgia

[zguy1243]

Got a bit of a mystery here. I have been hearing distant comms on this freq for a long time here in North Georgia. Most of it has been AWACS working fighters over in the South Carolina area or when condtions are really good even in some off shore warning areas. Well tonight I am hearing a WEAK approach controller on this freq. I have my log periodic antenna pointed ESE for the best signal I can get. I have searched the IFR Supp. and every where possible and I cannot find anyone using 254.2 except NORAD or awacs discrete. I have included a link to some audio that i recorded of it. Maybe someone can help shed some light on who this could be.

http://storeandserve.com/download/720412/254.2_DX.mp3.html

Thanks
Jody
North Georgia

 

[kicktd]

Not able to download from there, just not downloading. Try hosting it somewhere such as http://www.putfile.com or another audio hosting site.

 

[zguy1243]

Well get ready for this one...Last night 254.2 started becoming active again at around 9pm. This time there was a male approach controller, vectoring aircraft to runway 34r and telling them to contact tower 118.4, just like the night before. The signals were up just a bit, enough for me to make out flight numbers and such. After listening for about 15 minutes with nothing said by this approach controller to id himself I heard United Flight 1131 being vectored for a approach to runway 34R. A quick search of the internet revealed that United flight 1131 was inbound Calgary, Alberta Canada from Chicago. WOW, How am I hearing this? I looked up the airport in Calgary and sure enough, they the 34R runway, and the Tower freq is 118.4, just exaclty what the controller is refering too. After looking up several flight numbers that the controller was talking too I am 100% for sure that this is the approach controller at Calgary airport. The question is HOW am I hearing this??? I have seen 254.2 listed as a SATCOM freq in some places. Could Calgary have a UHF approach frequency on the input of that transponder if it exist? Thats all I can come up with, as I cannot find Any listing of UHF atc freqs for Calgary Alberta. I also have another hour or so of audio I recorded last night with better signal strength than before if anyone wants to listen to it. Anyone else hear this or shed some light on the subject???

Jody
North Georgia

 

[bigbcbear]

If you have not looked here http://www.canairradio.com/alta.html there are some uhf mil freqs for calgary.

 

[blantonl]

It is a SkyNet Satcom Bird, looks like the folks over at Hearsat have been investigating this one for a few days... very interesting.

See this post on hearsat for more details:

http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/hearsat/2007-February/001904.html

 

[mancow]

Did anyone catch it yesterday afternoon? There was heavy traffic in what sounded like Spanish. I heard a male speaking in the foreign language but he pronounced helicopter in english for some reason. Then a female came on and was non stop as if it was one side of a phone conversation. She had some lungs on her and just kept yapping continuously. As luck has it everytime anything good come up I had plans and had to leave or I would have tried ot record it.

I bet it was a half hour or more of solid traffic.

 

[Declared_Hostile]

Most likely pirates.