Are all CAP and Military frequencies now encrypted?

[wlattery]

I have a BCD996T receiver and living in MN. Through this site and many others I have found many Military and Civil Air Patrol frequencies and programmed them into my system.

But, each time my radio detects a signal and stops on these frequencies, all I hear is static, waterfalls, or weird noises. Do I need a different kind of radio for listening to these bands?

 

[Hooligan]

Nope.

 

[KIKINWING]

, all I hear is static, waterfalls, or weird noises. Do I need a different kind of radio for listening to these bands?

It's all about the antenna. You could have a 996T on steroids and without the proper antenna youll be sukin air!!! How close are you to these broadcasts?

 

[ecps92]

Nope - Not All.

What Freq's [be specific] are you listening to ?

CAP [Civil Air Patrol] can go P25, but I have not experienced them using Encryption as yet.

Maybe the P25 needs to be adjusted? or you might be too far from the Transmitter [on the edge]

I have a BCD996T receiver and living in MN. Through this site and many others I have found many Military and Civil Air Patrol frequencies and programmed them into my system.

But, each time my radio detects a signal and stops on these frequencies, all I hear is static, waterfalls, or weird noises. Do I need a different kind of radio for listening to these bands?

 

[wlattery]

Well I am just using the telescoping antenna i got with the unit. I am going to buy a external dipole antenna and pole and put it on roof of house when it is warmer outside.

Some of the local military frequencies I did catch a signal on are: 240.1500, 252.1000, 314.2000, 384.000, 41.4000, 148.1000, 148.1250, 148.1500. But the signal is just noise.

I do adjust my P25 level and no change. I don't see any LNK, DAT, or P25 indicators on the display so I didn't think they were digital. I do get very good P25 signals from local Police, State Patrol, Federal Law Enforcement, etc.

 

[N9JCQ]

I think rather that a dipole, you'd be better served by a discone or an antenna specifically suited for MILAIR frequencies

 

[wlattery]

Sorry about that. I had said it wrong. The antenna I had my eye on is a Discone. This antenna has elements which are resonant in the 30-54 MHz, 108-174 MHz, 450-470 MHz, 470-512 MHz, and 800-912 MHz bands. The full frequency coverage is from 30 MHz to 1300 MHz.

 

[n2nov]

Sorry about that. I had said it wrong. The antenna I had my eye on is a Discone. This antenna has elements which are resonant in the 30-54 MHz, 108-174 MHz, 450-470 MHz, 470-512 MHz, and 800-912 MHz bands. The full frequency coverage is from 30 MHz to 1300 MHz.

A discone is "resonant" on all frequencies that it covers. It is designed to have unity gain (0dB gain) across the entire working range that will start with a particular frequncy and top off at 10 times higher. Hobbiest discones are made to go from 130Mhz to 1300Mhz. A recent development is the base loaded whip that is added to it to bring the lower frequency down to 30-50Mhz. I personally use the Diamond discone that is configured that way. They go for about $100. Whatever you do, use the best/thickest coax for it like RG-8, RG-213 or LMR-400 so that you get the lowest signal loss as it travels down to the radio.

 

[skywarrior]

Hi,
What mode are you in when you are listening to the Milair? It sounds like you are not in AM for the 220-400 and the 138-148 MHz range. Of course the 30-88 MHz chatter is FM.
This might be your problem.
Bruce
Monitoring in the Desert Southwest

 

[wlattery]

I was using AUTO mode for type of signal. I should set these bands to AM only?

I have AM set for all my civilian air traffic,. I get all of them just fine from the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport (only 20 minutes from me). I also can listen to most of the ARTCC stations throughout Minnesota and some from Iowa.

 

[MaximumVerbosity]

Some of the local military frequencies I did catch a signal on are: 240.1500, 252.1000, 314.2000, 384.000, 41.4000, 148.1000, 148.1250, 148.1500. But the signal is just noise.

I live about 10 mi NW of Minneapolis. I've heard transmissions a couple of weeks ago on 148.150 FM. It was full scale, but the quality wasn't all that great. Haven't heard anything on the rest of those frequencies, but I'll plug 'em into my scanner (PSR-500) and see what I can hear.

Traditionally, 240.15 - 384.0 should be AM and the rest in the list FM.

 

[INDY72]

230-380 AM.. very little left above 380 as its being converted for the Fed/Mil P-25 TRS's. 138-144 AM, with a few exceptions. VHF Low mostly FM, with a few exceptions. 400-420 FM.

 

[BMT]

There are 80+ freqs that are not LMR in the 380.0-399.9.

BMT

 

[fmoo7]

Oi master BMT, why dont yeh share those 80+ (380.0 MHz to 399.9875 MHz) non-lmr military communications signal channels with the rest of us blokes and are they dial ups just for American fields and forts or are they shared with the NATO communications signal scheme?

 

[BMT]

The only one's I have confirmed are all ATC freqs!!
NORAD also is using 381.35.

Time will tell if my WAG is correct.

BMT

 

[kcoleman]

I can also add the following from that range;

-380.225 App/Dep @ KMGM (Montgomery Dannelly Field)
-396.900 HANK OPNS @ KMXF (Maxwell AFB)
-392.100 Tyndall AFB App or RAPCON

Cheers,
Keith

 

[wlattery]

230-380 AM.. very little left above 380 as its being converted for the Fed/Mil P-25 TRS's. 138-144 AM, with a few exceptions. VHF Low mostly FM, with a few exceptions. 400-420 FM.

Well I changed my modulation for these bands and I am still just getting sounds similar to a waterfall or vacuum cleaner.

I will soon put up an external antenna to see if my reception does get better.

But I want to share some good news. I finally did get a hit on a military air band. I left my scanner on with ProScan recording any hits and went out to dinner, As I drove I saw a Army National Guard helicopter flying in the area. After I got back home 2 hrs later, I found a recorded and readable audio from the pilot on 343.5000 Mhz AM.

Also if some have gone to P25, does any one know the control channel frequency for the Minneapolis area?

 

[BMT]

388.2 Tyndall AFB Approach/Departure

BMT