Aircraft freqs.

[MSP121]

I was wondering if anyone had or knows where i could find civilian and militairy aircraft frequencies.

 

[mstarn]

Might try here:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SouthernMDScannerForum/

 

[ka3jjz]

Which civilian airport(s) are you interested in? I have a page at Grove called 'Maryland airports' which would be a good place to start, in addition to the usual Airnav reference.

73s Mike

 

[HoDo]

What kind of antenna would you need to pick up (if you could at all) BWI from Owings Mills? I am using a BC296D. Thanks!

 

[mlevin]

A discone works best, but you should get OK results out of a mag-mount. That's what I've been using from pikesville with fairly good results. From Owings Mills though you're not going to be able to pick up the ATC controler. I barely pick him up from my location. However you'll be able to listen to planes about 100 miles around.

 

[HoDo]

Mo where can I get the antenna from? Is it too big to put it onto a handheld?

 

[fourwd1]

Mo where can I get the antenna from? Is it too big to put it onto a handheld?

A discone antenna mounts on the roof, etc.

A mag mount antenna is for a car (but can work on any piece of sheet metal).

Radio Shack carries one, as well as scanner dealers.

 

[TinEar]

HoDo, you've got to be fairly close to the airport to hear all the ground controllers which are necessary to really enjoy listening to this segment of communications. I'm within a couple of miles of BWI and hear everything with just the radio's whip antenna including even the trucks on the runways. As you move away from the airport more than a few miles, you'll need an outdoor antenna of some sort. Within about 10-15 miles you can still hear a portion of the controllers with an omni-directional antenna like a discone but the controllers that move traffic on the runways, taxiways, etc operate at lower power and are difficult to hear even with the outdoor antenna. Once you get beyond that zone you'll pretty much need a beam that covers the aircraft band of frequencies to hear much of anything from the ground. This is all very generalized of course and higher elevations make a big difference in listening ability.

 

[HoDo]

Thank you!

 

[Advent_01]

I can here the tower and the aircraft on 119.4000 from Howard county
near Route 108 and route 32. Not the clearest signal in the world, but I can hear them and understand them with a little hiss in the background when the tower is talking, the aircraft are much clearer.

I am using a discone antenna on the roof.

HoDo, you've got to be fairly close to the airport to hear all the ground controllers which are necessary to really enjoy listening to this segment of communications. I'm within a couple of miles of BWI and hear everything with just the radio's whip antenna including even the trucks on the runways. As you move away from the airport more than a few miles, you'll need an outdoor antenna of some sort. Within about 10-15 miles you can still hear a portion of the controllers with an omni-directional antenna like a discone but the controllers that move traffic on the runways, taxiways, etc operate at lower power and are difficult to hear even with the outdoor antenna. Once you get beyond that zone you'll pretty much need a beam that covers the aircraft band of frequencies to hear much of anything from the ground. This is all very generalized of course and higher elevations make a big difference in listening ability.

 

[ka3jjz]

BWI frequencies

Just to get back to frequencies for a moment (not to negate the antenna discussion, because it is important), you can find BWI's air freqs (both civilian and mil) on either Dave Schoenberger's BWI page or the Maryland Airports page. Both links can be found here:

http://henney.com/chm/links/mddatah.htm#CONVENT

MilAir freqs are very much a catch as catch can basis; sometimes with an upcoming show (like the Andrews show this weekend) many freqs come up active that aren't normally all that busy. I distributed an updated list of Andrews freqs, and posted a link to Larry Van Horn's excellant article on monitoring military demonstration groups just recently on the usual places;
you would need to be somewhat closer than Owings Mills to hear much without a good antenna, however.
73s Mike