close call ?

[bearcatrp]

Anyone ever sat at a air show or similar and used close call to find the frequencies instead of scanning the band? Thanks.

 

[nessnet]

I'd say that close call is not reliable enough.
Most all airshow (and demonstration team's freqs) are in Radio Reference.
I'd build a favorite list before I go to the show...

 

[mciupa]

Yes. Actually, you got me thinking about a Wiki article addition I made back in 2011.

2011 Hamilton(Ontario) Air Show​

• captured on Close Call
• 467.33750 Parking
• 453.06250 EMS 2
• 121.60000 Ground
• 119.70000 Boss Control
• 125.00000 Mount Hope Airport
• 451.78750 Un-id itinerant

EMS2 and Boss Control identified themselves as such when I heard them.

 

[gary123]

Close call needs a relatively strong signal for it to lock in. Base stations at 30W+ can be grabbed 200+ feet away where as portables are good about 20 feet away.

if you want to extend the capture distance a band pass filter and in band amp and antenna will double the distances. I have captured some new aircraft frequencies at airports using this method. It is surprising how many company air frequencies are used at or near airports

 

[wtp]

at the last one i went to i got to park across the street.
i brought 3 scanners with me.
one was set up with preset freqs that were gathered over time.
one was searching bands
one was on close call. i was holding that one so i could hit hold when needed.
the first two were also on cheap computer speakers powered by an inverter.
i don't know your radios, but many uniden ones can scan/search/closecall at the same time.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Never know unless you try it. My 536HP has close call captured planes thousands of feet but directly above me in the past

 

[bearcatrp]

I have a 325P2 handheld.

 

[wtp]

i would set up a system with any known air freqs from the airfield.
set up a search with scan custom with 121.5 to 123.5
and also have close call on. (function and then hold)

 

[n1chu]

As an avid air show fan, I have used close call but only after I had programmed all known frequencies into my scanner. The close call was used to pickup frequencies I was not aware of, but as stated in other posts it’s hit or miss as the range is antenuated greatly. On the up side, standing near the air show boss’es platform and/or the tower greatly increases your chances of hearing close call transmissions. Since I’ve been attending air shows at various military bases in the northeast from NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach, Va, up to Maine since well before the pandemic, I’ve accumulated many frequencies used by the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds over the years that I keep in a master file, and allow the scanner to do its thing, single-ing out the ones in use and then attaching them to a new file for that particular air show. (Previously used frequencies come in handy when demo teams encounter issues with the published frequencies and need to make a comms change. It doesn’t happen often. It’s never happened to me but there are others who have mentioned they have experienced these infrequent changes.

 

[RaleighGuy]

Works great at small race tracks for NASCAR regional cars where frequencies aren't published.

 

[bearcatrp]

Another reason why I asked was considered selling it. Had a 4 1/4 hour camping trip up to northern Wisconsin to bayfield. I picked up 1 stinkin transmission. Allot of encrypted transmission though. But decided to keep it for other stuff. Do have DMR enabled so this and airband will be available to use. Still picking up P25 on my SDS200 at home logging 24/7 but that’s been thinning out lately. Maybe time to sell that soon. Oh well, comes with the times.

 

[ScanRafael]

Never know unless you try it. My 536HP has close call captured planes thousands of feet but directly above me in the past

Interesting. I my BCD436HP has close call captured while traveling onboard planes and I only heard one side of the conversation.

 

[pb_lonny]

I have my BC125AT running in Close call most of the time and often get hits for aircraft overhead.

 

[aundromeada]

I have been struggling to Capture the operating frequency used by ground staff at our Airline, they use Motorola R2 radios, I haven’t been able to get my BC125AT Close call to pick a hit when am in close proximity to a user, and I haven’t had the opportunity to physically get their radio close enough to try. Does anyone know if those R2 have low power transmissions and i would have to place them side by side to get a hit?

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

I have been struggling to Capture the operating frequency used by ground staff at our Airline,, I haven’t been able to get my BC125AT Close call to pick a hit when am in close proximity to a user

Have you ensured the correct C-Call band is enabled? Page 60 of the manual

they use Motorola R2 radios

Are ops analog (not DMR)? The 125AT won't handle DMR

 

[hiegtx]

I have been struggling to Capture the operating frequency used by ground staff at our Airline, they use Motorola R2 radios, I haven’t been able to get my BC125AT Close call to pick a hit when am in close proximity to a user, and I haven’t had the opportunity to physically get their radio close enough to try. Does anyone know if those R2 have low power transmissions and i would have to place them side by side to get a hit?

Looking at the details for that model online, the R2 appears to be a MotoTRBO (DMR) radio. Your BC125AT is not capable of handling DMR transmissions. Also, the DMR radios do not use a constant transmit signal. Instead, they flip back and forth between Slot 1 & Slot 2, in effect using the equivalent of two different channels. Close Call, to work reliably, requires a constant, unbroken, transmission. Those R2s are alternating the slots, so there is not a constant, unbroken, transmission for Close Call to capture.

 

[ecps92]

I'd say that close call is not reliable enough.
Most all airshow (and demonstration team's freqs) are in Radio Reference.
I'd build a favorite list before I go to the show...

and bring a 2nd/3rd/4th/5th scanner to "SEARCH" for those others maybe not reported/found

 

[aundromeada]

Have you ensured the correct C-Call band is enabled? Page 60 of the manual


Are ops analog (not DMR)? The 125AT won't handle DMR

I only have 3 and 5 i.e VHF and UHF enabled on the 125AT for CC, hoping it gets a hit

As for the ops i cant make it out if its digital or analog, we only deal with ground staff for short periods then its a rush for departure etc.

I am hoping even if its DMR the 125AT will capture it and i’ll hear the DMR Signal and that will be half the problem solved.
Unfortunately about a month ago, my BCD436HP no longer decodes Digital signals so am stuck with conventional on both radios until i can get a 436 replacement or send it in for repairs. But I read the 125 is good with close call.

 

[aundromeada]

Looking at the details for that model online, the R2 appears to be a MotoTRBO (DMR) radio. Your BC125AT is not capable of handling DMR transmissions. Also, the DMR radios do not use a constant transmit signal. Instead, they flip back and forth between Slot 1 & Slot 2, in effect using the equivalent of two different channels. Close Call, to work reliably, requires a constant, unbroken, transmission. Those R2s are alternating the slots, so there is not a constant, unbroken, transmission for Close Call to capture.

That makes sense. Thank you.

I do know the 125 is an analog only radio, may immediate aim is to get the frequency, then I can use my BCD436 (when i get a new one) or DSD or a Baofeng DM32 to figure out the rest later when am off work.
My 125AT has picked up a strong DMR signal used by airport ground operations at another airport even though all I heard was the digital audio.

Any ideas to figuring out the frequency on the R2 without kidnapping a radio is welcomed.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Any ideas to figuring out the frequency on the R2 without kidnapping a radio is welcomed.

Are you in the USA or elsewhere? If you let us know the specific airport /airline we can look up licenses to try and narrow the search down for you. Have you checked the RR database to see if already ID'ed?