3 new ACARS channels

[DaveNF2G]

Three channels that had been allocated for a planned data system upgrade known as "VDL-3" have been reallocated for ACARS following the cancellation of the project.

So far, I logged these airlines using them today:

136.675 Delta and JetBlue

136.725 Delta

136.775 Air Canada, Air Transat, American, Delta, JetBlue, United

 

[ATCTech]

Thanks Dave, I'll add them to the list here and see what pops up. No Canadian ground station licenses for them showing up in the Industry Canada database so far.

It's odd that you'd see Air Canada *and* Air Transat on the same frequency as ACA uses ARINC and TSC uses SITA, that's worth exploring.

Cheers!

Bob

 

[DaveNF2G]

It might have been an older aircraft. I've seen that a lot with the merged airlines, where their older aircraft are coded with IATA prefixes for the defunct line (like CO for United and NW for Delta).

 

[ATCTech]

That could be Dave, Transat has picked up some 737-800s in the past few months and they aren't all new.

I've been sitting on 136.775 and so far have seen no downlinks at all. Did you keep any captured data by chance? I'm curious about the flight numbers.

Cheers!

Bob

 

[DaveNF2G]

I've been analyzing my ACARS logs in order to interpret the message labels. Every list I've seen so far has been way off from the types of messages I'm receiving. I suspect that, as with a lot of other aviation related data, the information was gathered in Europe and is only accurate there.

I don't have any logs with me right now from the new channels. I'll try to remember to grab some for you.

I might be seeing the activity because I am along arrival routes for New York City, Newark and Boston.

 

[ATCTech]

I've been thinking the same thing, these frequencies may be in very limited use so far and perhaps only operating at BOS, LGA/JFK/EWR and/or IAD/DCA, There's sure no sign of high-fliers on them directly south of Lake Erie or western Lake Ontario.

I'm curious about the log data you're finding different than what you normally see or expect to see. The system is of course global for both ARINC and Sita and the 2-digit message codes are standardized up to a point, then there are extended message types that can be company-specific.

Seeing some examples would be appreciated when you have a chance.

Bob

 

[DaveNF2G]

Here is my list so far:

10, WX Request,
11, FDX In Range Report,
13, Gate Request,
14, Position Report,
15, Bizjet Position Report,
16, GA Position Report,
17, Progress Report,
18, Bizjet ????,
21, ????,
23, Cargo Report,
25, ????,
28, Delay Report,
29, ASQ Departure Report,
30, DAL Request,
32, ????,
33, ????,
35, ASQ Departure Report,
36, ROU Departure Report,
39, Prearrival Request,
41, JBU Miscellaneous Request,
42, JBU WX Request,
43, JBU ATIS Request,
44, GA Progress Report,
45, JBU Squitter,
4R, ACA Departure Report,
4S, ACA Maintenance Report,
4T, ACA ETA Report,
5D, AWE Miscellaneous,
5U, AWE Enroute,
5Z, Prearrival Request,
80, Message to Dispatch,
81, Position Report,
83, ROU Maintenance Report,
8X, ACA Rejection Message,
B9, ATIS Request,
BA, Downlink,
H1, Aircraft Systems Report,
H2, PIREP,
Q2, ????,
Q7, ????,
SA, In Range Report,

 

[ATCTech]

It took a long time Dave but I finally copied traffic on 136.575 from near Toronto. In the matter of less than an hour I have both ACARS *and* voice traffic with two different RPA flights:

DCA to BUF:

01/14/15 21:37:02 UTC
Mode: 2 Identifier: N118HQ Ack.: {NAK}
Message type: 26
Block: 7
Message: M32AYX4502TAX01YX4502/14142050KDCAKBUF2050 104

and DCA to ROC:

01/14/15 21:33:19 UTC
Mode: 2 Identifier: N120HQ Ack.: W
Message type: _ (General response. Demand mode. No information to transmit) Block: 2
Message: M21AYX4565

To add to this a few moments later I also copied voice traffic, this time a RPA4907 DHC-8/Q400 inbound to Toronto CYYZ looking for his gate on arrival.

Republic (YX) #4907

Unusual that they're using both voice and data on the same freq., albeit on opposite sides of the border but the same operator.

Bob

 

[DaveNF2G]

Did the RPA flight get an answer? Sometimes they call on the wrong channel.

 

[ATCTech]

Yes he did get his gate and confirmation of his request for 2 wheelchairs. 136.575 is licensed to "Airport Terminal Services Canada" here at Toronto. I'll have to scope out the ground station antenna location, I can hear some but not all of the various on-airport sites from about 16NM west of YYZ.

FYI I also captured ACARS on 136.700 today, only two downlinks when both aircraft were in northern Pennsylvania. (UAL flights 803 & 807.)

01/15/15 18:05:23 UTC
Mode: 2 Identifier: N220UA Ack.: D
Message type: _ (General response. Demand mode. No information to transmit) Block: 5
Message: S87AUA0807

01/15/15 18:07:31 UTC
Mode: 2 Identifier: N782UA Ack.: X
Message type: _ (General response. Demand mode. No information to transmit) Block: 2
Message: S95AUA0803

 

[ATCTech]

License info for 136.575 at Toronto CYYZ shows it located atop a nearby hotel (which does have air band Sinclair antennas on the roof) and today I'm hearing lots of voice testing from the base station. He just called himself "United Operations" a couple of times. Mixed with that is ACARS data from aircraft over northwestern PA just like last week, so the frequency is dual use between the U.S. and Canada by choice or through poor coordination.

UPS flights using it in the last few minutes:

01/20/15 20:40:37 UTC
Mode: 2 Identifier: N289UP Ack.: {NAK}
Message type: H1 (Uplink or Downlink - Message to/from terminal) Block: 3
Message: D90AUP2930#DFB*POS
01202040N4104W07922360276061818M5260872


01/20/15 20:42:23 UTC
Mode: 2 Identifier: N319UP Ack.: {NAK}
Message type: H1 (Uplink or Downlink - Message to/from terminal) Block: 5
Message: D24AUP2956#DFB*POS
01202041N4110W07910340273079819M5410631

 

[AZ645]

Is VDL not going to be used at all?

 

[ATCTech]

Professionally speaking I think the transition to VDL will be based more on aircraft replacement versus avionics upgrades unless the airframe is going to operate in areas where enhanced VDL capabilities are an advantage, CPDLC for en route ATC contact being a primary consideration. Given that only Canada is using CPDLC domestically in North America to date there's little if any need to upgrade most U.S. carrier's aircraft that aren't operating in oceanic or arctic ATC-controlled airspace, and that won't be VHF based in very many areas anyway.

 

[Spleen]

So 136.700 can be added to the Wiki....? I get this at a location just north of KBWI..

Ø2/26/15 17:Ø3:57 UTC
Mode: 2 Identifier: N918FR Ack.: S
Message type: _ (General response. Demand mode. No information to transmit) Block: Ø
Message: S35AF91347

Ø2/26/15 17:Ø4:Ø3 UTC
Mode: 2 Identifier: N918FR Ack.: T
Message type: _ (General response. Demand mode. No information to transmit) Block: 1
Message: S36AF91347

Ø2/26/15 17:Ø5:21 UTC
Mode: 2 Identifier: N459UA Ack.: R
Message type: _ (General response. Demand mode. No information to transmit) Block: 3
Message: S87AUAØ725

 

[AZ645]

ATCTech, do you think VHF Acars is eventually going to go away? I didn't realize CPDLC was going to be used domestically? I know that it is used over remote areas regularly now.

 

[DaveNF2G]

Frequency congestion could also be a major driver to VDL. I hear activity on almost every known ACARS frequency (and have found a new one at 130.825) and the VDL channel. Aircraft pass within 200 miles of my station going to and from JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, Boston, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec, Ottawa and all of the airports in between. Sometimes the ACARS subband looks like a snowstorm on my SDR bandscope.

 

[ATCTech]

Certainly at some time in the future VDLx will be the de-facto standard as data exchange takes on a larger role in delivery of ATC services. As Dave says, the conventional ACARS frequencies are jammed here in the northeast U.S. and southeast Canadian airspace and message delivery delays cannot be tolerated in controlling aircraft. My guess is the next big transition is when the FAA gets on board with CPDLC domestically, which I think has been pushed back to 2020 if I'm not mistaken.

 

[ATCTech]

Dave, I saw 130.825 a few weeks ago too. Do you have 131.125 logged as well? I've seen traffic in the SYR & ALB area and west around DTW using that one. 131.725 seems busy at times with aircraft around KPIT.

136.650 and 136.750 in use as well as 136.575 that we talked about a few weeks back.

For Spleen, 136.7 doesn't appear to have been assigned for ACARS this far north yet. It's licensed in Canada to Westjet here in Toronto (voice channel) but I've never logged a peep on it. Their ops remain on 123.575 at YYZ to date.

Bob

 

[Spleen]

Not very busy but still a peep now and then...

Ø3/Ø2/15 18:53:49 UTC
Mode: 2 Identifier: N662UA Ack.: B
Message type: _ (General response. Demand mode. No information to transmit) Block: 6
Message: S4ØAUAØ947

Ø3/Ø2/15 18:53:58 UTC
Mode: 2 Identifier: N222UA Ack.: {NAK}
Message type: H1 (Uplink or Downlink - Message to/from terminal) Block: Ø
Message: DØ7AUAØ8Ø4#DFBE23CØ2222L8Ø4RJAAKIADØ3Ø215142ØER
179 282482127972797-31Ø5-31Ø434999349985Ø5189 7478 731511621162 9827
53781111139Ø1369ØØØØØØØ Ø 6Ø5Ø29-13443Ø6 964 41 1ØØ5
ØØ18 ØØØ3 Ø6651 9 2566 43923 44656 6

Ø3/Ø2/15 18:55:13 UTC
Mode: 2 Identifier: N222UA Ack.: {NAK}
Message type: H1 (Uplink or Downlink - Message to/from terminal) Block: Ø
Message: D1ØBUAØ8Ø4#DFBØ845 88416 1Ø
44 456248ØØ235Ø41488Ø 835ØØ 631ØØ 633ØØ222Ø4522214Ø
3366 3366269ØØØ4 13 19 Ø5 1ØØ16Ø12 1Ø 13 59 54 Ø4 ØØ3693Ø-58Ø4683
5395396 8172 816Ø 833 83137483547 982 976 955 9551Ø 79 74
8

Ø3/Ø2/15 18:55:19 UTC
Mode: 2 Identifier: N222UA Ack.: {NAK}
Message type: H1 (Uplink or Downlink - Message to/from terminal) Block: 1
Message: D1ØCUAØ8Ø4#DFB9 873773771Ø71Ø2 Ø5 Ø2 Ø1 24 -14-3Ø8-3Ø8-3Ø6-3Ø8-3Ø7-242
-244-24Ø-242-3Ø6-31Ø-3Ø7-3Ø4-3Ø6 Ø16 Ø19-371-4Ø5-Ø25
ØØØ ØØ11Ø61Ø2ØØ5Ø2Ø ØØØ ØØØ ØØØ ØØØ ØØ3Ø

 

[Spleen]

...and thanks for the headsup, I never parked on 131.425 before...

Ø3/Ø2/15 19:29:Ø5 UTC
Mode: 2 Identifier: N82ØNW Ack.: {NAK}
Message type: 3Ø
Block: 6
Message: M23ANW9867Ø2193Ø KMSP KJFK3
B
HAVE THE GATE FOR 242Ø T
O DTW


Ø3/Ø2/15 19:29:23 UTC
Mode: 2 Identifier: N121UW Ack.: {NAK}
Message type: H1 (Uplink or Downlink - Message to/from terminal) Block: 8
Message: D21AUSØ744#DFBAØ1/A32ØØ1,1,1/CCN121UW,MARØ2,185927,KCLT,KPHL,Ø744/C1Ø6,742Ø2,5ØØØ,99,ØØ1Ø,Ø,Ø1ØØ,99,X/CEN192,3Ø94Ø,276,748,1389,328,C33ØØ9/EC779865,ØØ7Ø9,Ø9Ø77,ØØ377,73,13/EE7798Ø1,ØØ538,ØØ618,ØØ275,73/N1Ø821,Ø821,Ø929,5

Ø3/Ø2/15 19:29:28 UTC
Mode: 2 Identifier: Ack.: {NAK}
Message type: SQ
Block:
Message: Ø2XABWIKBWI2391ØNØ764ØWV136975/ARINC

Ø3/Ø2/15 19:29:36 UTC
Mode: 2 Identifier: N121UW Ack.: {NAK}
Message type: H1 (Uplink or Downlink - Message to/from terminal) Block: Ø
Message: D21CUSØ744#DFBØØØØØ/V2Ø8,Ø7,276,Ø62,Ø1,ØØ,ØØØØ4/V314,Ø8,222,353,Ø616/V4Ø8,Ø7,Ø22,172,Ø616/V5XX,XX,XXX,XXX,XXXX/V6XX,XX,XXX,XXX,XXXX/V7Ø43,Ø87,ØØØ81,22222222222111/V8Ø4Ø,Ø87,ØØØ61,22222222222111,/

Ø3/Ø2/15 19:29:51 UTC
Mode: 2 Identifier: N121UW Ack.: {NAK}
Message type: H1 (Uplink or Downlink - Message to/from terminal) Block: 1
Message: D22AUSØ744#DFBA4Ø/A32Ø4Ø,1,1/C1N121UW,MARØ2,192856,KCLT,KPHL,Ø744/C271,743Ø1,ØØØ1,99,ØØ11,Ø,11ØØ,99,X/C3ØØ72,Ø9974,265,479,1368,332,C33ØØ9/C41313/

Ø3/Ø2/15 19:29:51 UTC
Mode: 2 Identifier: N661AW Ack.: {NAK}
Message type: QØ (Link Test) Block: 3
Message: S61AUS1824

Ø3/Ø2/15 19:3Ø:31 UTC
Mode: 2 Identifier: N121UW Ack.: {NAK}
Message type: 5Z (Airline designated downlink) Block: 2
Message: M44AUSØ744OS KPHL /IR KPHL1948