ACARS: Most Likely ?

[BOBRR]

Hello,

Thought it might be interesting to get the Black Cat Systms ACARS Decoder.

I have the big list of Acars freq's., but am having trouble seeing any signals on any.

I am outside of Boston.

What would be the most likely freq's to pick up transmissions ?

Suggestions different for am and pm ?
Would these be air to ground, or ground to air ?

Thanks,
Bob

 

[kg4ehv]

I use a Universal M-400 on 131.550 and pick up many planes coming into Atlanta.

 

[N1FKO]

Right now, I decode an average of one message per minute on 131.55. I'm about 10 miles west of Logan. Listening to LiveATC, it's pretty quiet.

 

[morfis]

Never used that decoder but as per the previous replies the main freq for your area is 131.550. If in range of a ground station you'll get uplinks AND downlinks. If not in range of a GS you'll only get the downlinks.
If in range of Logan you should be able to get the uplinked clearances on whichever frequency they use for that.

A 'long' list of frequencies suggests you have frequencies which you probably don't need (eg. VDL2 frequencies which the blackcat software doesn't decode). Check each frequency audio for the characteristic chip sound (plenty of examples online). If you aren't hearing them fairly often then the frequency is unlikley to be of use to you. When you do find one with frequent chirps feed it to the decoder and see how you go from there.

You also don't say how you are feeding audio to the decoder. Some decoders can take the hassle of cables/virtual cables away and monitor multiple frequencies simultaneously with an rtl type device. Many have much more interesting display of the message information if you like graphic web pages with augmented info (rather than the plain blackcat output or the M-400 output).

 

[N1FKO]

Scanning all the ARINC/SITA frequencies, I'm seeing about 10 messages/minute (peaked at 30 m/m) now (60 flights over the last couple of hours).

 

[mhamozz]

Is anyone still using acarsdeco2 to decode acars? I use acarsdeco2 with my rtl sdr blog v4 but it doesn't work even though i have updated the rtl sdr driver with the latest one.

Note: previously I used my old rtl sdr device it worked fine

 

[morfis]

Is anyone still using acarsdeco2 to decode acars? I use acarsdeco2 with my rtl sdr blog v4 but it doesn't work even though i have updated the rtl sdr driver with the latest one.

Hadn't tried it with a "V4" so just tested.
Device is recognised and works with other software but NOT with acarsdeco2

 

[ka3jjz]

Try leaving the squelch on whatever you are using for a receiver off. There is a quick data burst before each transmission; if the unit doesn't hear it, you won't get decodes.

Mike

 

[morfis]

@BOBRR How is it going? A couple of weeks and no response?

(when I said I'd never used the black cat acars decoder that wasn't strictly true...I did install it briefly to trouble shoot an issue for someone else on RR a few years ago!)