Confusing RCAG labels

[jaymatt1978]

Was reading a thread and some mentioned a ZDC frequency and labelled it "Sea Isle.", I went to the ZDC Page it was actually the CASINO label in Sea Isle City section. I was wondering to prevent further confusion we include the Sector # when talking about ARTCC frequencies

 

[TerryPavlick]

Why not tie the frequency to the RCAG location instead. CASINO and the related sector number are for FAA use - radio monitors would be better off knowing that Washington Center frequency 127.700 which is located at the Sea Isle VOR in Cape May County New Jersey covers the area over that area. If I mention CASINO - you have to look up where that is (same thing for the sector number). If I tell you an aircraft is on 127.700 you can presume it is located within the coverage area of that RCAG location in Southern New Jersey.

On my radios if I had to give the frequency a name - I would call it Sea Isle - because that is where the location of the ground site is ... that is talking to the aircraft.

I have listened to radio on the aircraft band since the late 60s and have never heard the controller tell an aircraft to switch to CASINO or Sector #. It is always 127.700 and that is what you hear on the radio.

 

[freqhopping]

RCAG locations are not always within the sectors the frequencies control.

 

[spacellamaman]

RCAG locations are not always within the sectors the frequencies control.

furthering the confusion

 

[k2hz]

furthering the confusion

As has been stated, the RCAG may not actually be in the controlled sector and some sector frequencies are present at more than one RCAG site. So knowing both the sector frequency and the associated RCAGs are important for knowing what frequency to monitor and your possibility of hearing the ground site.

I attempting to updated RRDB listings it appears the ZNY no longer lists sector names, only numbers, in their recent documentation. So we may have to rely on the numbers in the future.

Also, with the FAA staffing shortage sector are often combined, at least on certain shifts, to add to the confusion of what frequencies to monitor.

ATC monitoring presents different challenges from conventional monitoring which the RRDB format is designed to support. So the present format of listing ATC data by Center and then by RCAG sites with their associated sector frequencies is the best way to meet the objective of providing frequency info to program your scanner based on geographic location. A fundamental principle of the RRDB is all frequencies are geocoded to facilitate location based scanner programming. So this is tied to the associated base station transmitter site coordinates.

 

[TerryPavlick]

Great explanation - 127.700 is based at Sea Isle VOR site and usually controls the area above and around it at lower altitudes. Referencing CASINO has no purpose for us. The closest casinos are in Atlantic City and the waypoint on the IFR low altitude chart (which is closer to the Atlantic City casinos then the Sea Isle VOR ...