Arinc and United Airlines DMR DT3 System Experiment

That_Radio_Geek

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Today, I decided to go out to Rosemont, and find out if I could hear the ARINC and UAL DMR DT3 systems, or if one needs to get even closer to the airport to hear these low-power systems.

The results were mixed when it came to the UAL DMR DT3 system, but the bottom line is I heard the Arinc system full-scale.

I tested reception from three different Rosemont locations: The Fashion Outlets of Chicago, the street on foot walking to the Rosemont Public Safety Building from the Fashion Outlets, inside the Rosemont Fire Station bay, and the Rosemont CTA Blue Line station. That was all I had time for.

No matter where I was in those areas of Rosemont, the Arinc system was full-scale into my SDS-100, while my reception at the Fashion Outlets was absolutely not there with regards to the UAL system. When it comes to the UAL DMR DT3 system, my reception got stronger at the ground level around the Rosemont CTA Blue Line station, but I was also able to get decent reception at the Rosemont Public Safety building, some reception issues presented at the platform level of the Rosemont CTA Blue Line, but I noticed if I kept my antenna pointed towards ORD, my reception was nearly perfect.

UAL TGs heard:

6730101 - ORD Zone-1

6730102 - ORD Zone-2

6730104 - ORD Zone-4

6730105 - ORD Zone-5

6730110 - ORD Bag Match?

6730111 - Possibly ORD Zone-11

6730112 - ORD Zone 12

6730122 - ORD Baggage 122

6730125 - ORD Bag Runners

6730130 - ORD Ops 130

6730136 - ORD Aircraft Move Ops

6730139 - ORD Cust Svc T1

6730140 - Cust Svc T2

6730141 - ORD Cust Svc T5

6730142 - UAL Cust Svc Lobby

6730146 - ORD Ops 146

6730152 - B and E Gates Aircraft Mechanics/Avionics

6730153 - C Gates Aircraft Mechanics

6730172 - ORD Ground Svc Maintenance

6730206 - ORD Shuttle Bus

6730198 - ORD Mobility Ops

There were also a couple i-messages (radio to radio text messages?) heard that presented on the screen with multiple TGs at the same time:

i6736898

i65600

ARINC TGs heard today:

10020 - T5 Mechanics

10050 - Swissport Arrivals

10336 - Unknown

10042 - unknown

10301 - Airline Ops - Mail

10051 - Swissport

10021 - Wheelchairs

On one of these ARINC TGs, I heard an exchange that had me laughing a little. A male and a female. Male says "We got them to the gate!" Female says "We're really good at this". Male replies "The flight was a few moments delayed, so that helped"

While I was monitoring these two systems, I had a personal throwback moment to the mid to late 90s. My memory was of listening to the American Airlines radio system. I think maybe it was a trunked system. I remember they used Motorola radios, and at the end of every transmission, the tone would sound, and it sounded kinda cartoonist. It sounded like "bonk". I sometimes thought it was rather annoying.
 

kbk777

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I'm located in Northbrook and can receive the UA DMR T3 system using my SDR set up with an indoor discone antenna tuned to UHF T-Band thru a low-noise amplifier. AIRINC does not come in at all on my 800/900 Mhz tuned antenna. It's low-power and only heard within the immediate O'Hare area. You can also try to listen to the Rivers Casino DMR trunked system, but that one is very low-power and can only be received within a mile or two of the casino.
 
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