Aviation Emergency Frequencies

[alcahuete]

You sure it's not an ELT?

 

[mass-man]

Thankfully my scanners show no signs of birdies on 121.5! It's always being scanned and I've heard quite a few very interesting things. Yea you get the pilot on the wrong freq often, but one evening a small plane was running out of fuel, lost, at night and conducted all his comms on 121.5. Including the controller talking to other planes to try to spot the fellow in trouble. Sadly he went off radar and crashed and perished. Many times I've heard a commercial flight declare an emergency or smoke in the cabin, or cockpit on 121.5 and then after initial contact with ATC directed back to an approach or tower freq!

 

[G7RUX]

You sure it's not an ELT?

I guess it could well be that, although I would have expected some response from the relevant authorities over that sort of thing being activated.

Edit: What does the signal sound like? Is it a nice, clean and stable carrier or does it wander around?

 

[belvdr]

I guess it could well be that, although I would have expected some response from the relevant authorities over that sort of thing being activated.

Edit: What does the signal sound like? Is it a nice, clean and stable carrier or does it wander around?

It’s like a warble. I think there are YouTube videos on it.

 

[belvdr]

I guess it could well be that, although I would have expected some response from the relevant authorities over that sort of thing being activated.

Edit: What does the signal sound like? Is it a nice, clean and stable carrier or does it wander around?

Heh, I found an RR thread on it too.

What an ELT sounds like...

I was wondering what an ELT would sound like if it had been activated on 121.5. I heard some noise on 121.5 and was just wondering.

forums.radioreference.com

 

[G7RUX]

It’s like a warble. I think there are YouTube videos on it.

Sorry, I was aiming my question at the OP...I know what an ELT sounds like as I have designed them in the past.

I was wondering what the OP's reported signals on 121.5 and 243 sounded like...

 

[belvdr]

Sorry, I was aiming my question at the OP...I know what an ELT sounds like as I have designed them in the past.

I was wondering what the OP's reported signals on 121.5 and 243 sounded like...

Oh gotcha! That makes way more sense.

 

[ind224]

RS 2045 has the bird but fortunately I usually hear declarations or were not declaring just yet still working the problem on whatever the last assigned freq was. And when they switch the next controller already knows and gets fuel and souls if need be.

 

[alcahuete]

I guess it could well be that, although I would have expected some response from the relevant authorities over that sort of thing being activated.

You would be amazed. If they're the old non-406 ones, sometimes it takes days to even locate the location. This is especially true for ELTs that go off in hangars, which happens on a somewhat regular basis. Even after a crash, and the crash site is located, they will often keep going for days until either the NTSB disables it, or the battery runs out.

 

[K2KOH]

Thanks for all the replies. I get the dead carrier on pretty much all my radios...Icom R20, R8600, Uniden 436, Whistler TRX2. No matter where I am I get it. Weird stuff.

 

[G7RUX]

So, I have been digging around with this at work and have found some interesting yet disturbing things.
In short, I see this same issue in my workplace. I do not see it with a rooftop antenna but any handheld/indoor antenna suffers this way. Chasing around the building I have come to the conclusion that, in my case at least, the somewhat noisy carriers I see on these frequencies are due to EMI from aircon units and switched mode regulators.

 

[n0xvz]

...the somewhat noisy carriers I see on these frequencies are due to EMI from aircon units and switched mode regulators.

I experience something similar with my dashcam causing occasional issues with my scanner in my truck.

 

[dlwtrunked]

If you are required to monitor it, get the employer to issue you a REAL radio not a scanner

Talk to anyone who has used both, the scanner is usually more sensitive. Aviation radios do not need much sensitivity as they are used for line of site. (That is also why they are generally low powered.) I have used both as I was involved with aviation and other hobbyists who were pilots had told me the same thing before that. That has been discussed in the past in other forums. He may not though need the better sensitivity though most here will want it--so no one should knee jerk go and blindly buy an aviation radio without careful research. Not the problem with a carrier is something different, some scanner models may have a birde problem on those frequencies as any receiver will generall have frequencies where it has issued. But it may actually be a local interference issue.

 

[iMONITOR]

Thanks for all the replies. I get the dead carrier on pretty much all my radios...Icom R20, R8600, Uniden 436, Whistler TRX2. No matter where I am I get it. Weird stuff.

You're programing "AM" mode not FM correct?

 

[trentbob]

You're programing "AM" mode not FM correct?

.

 

[K2KOH]

You're programing "AM" mode not FM correct?

Yes.

 

[Edelweiss]

Have you checked if it is some intermodulation problem? Try a different make radio and see if you get the same results. If it is a genuine signal all over the area the "authorities" would probably be interested and go after it. Check your gear first, maybe you have a friend with an SDR who can have a look at he bands. Attenuators or filters may help depending on the issue of course.