Ground Transmitter Location

[Bucko]

I have been monitoring 291.100 for a long time and have not been able to figure out what area the ground transmitter is located. I know it is Indy Center ( is not in the data base ) for I do hear the the ground station once and a while when the weather conditions are right( I do live on a hilltop in SE Ohio ). There has been an occasion that traffic from the Buckeye MOA has used it to communicate with Indy. Has anyone else listened to this ground station of Indy's and have an idea where it is located?

 

[GrayJeep]

An aviation chart would be a good place to start.

Look for a nearby VORTAC navigation beacon and see if that frequency might be remoted at that site.

In general it's likely to be co-located with another FAA or govt facility.

 

[Bucko]

I forgot to mention that the 125.550 Marietta transmitter is co- linked with this site. Thanks for the reply on this and I will do some more checking.

 

[K4DHR]

It is probably a frequency for a high altitude sector. I couldn't find it on a low altitude IFR chart.

 

[Bucko]

You maybe correct on that. I do notice when the conditions are right and I hear the ground transmitter I am also receiving Muskingum county and Belmont county ground transmitters. Thank you for your effort..

 

[K4DHR]

Listen to the altitudes the pilots are checking in with or are being assigned on that frequency. If it is above FL240, it is probably a high altitude sector.

 

[JStemann]

I think..

There is a RCAG site out near gallopolis, I know there is one at the muni airport in hillsboro. I don't know the freq's used at those locations. I do know the hillsboro site was installed to support the buckeye moa.

jeff.

 

[Yocuz]

RCAG Questions Continued

Reading this forum I am still stumped as to this situation. Today while traveling home, I took an alternate route to investigate a ZDC RCAG located not to far from my home.

The RCAG is fenced off as usual with all the FAA warning signs.

I could hear the aircraft side of the comms as usual 125.45 AM but not the center side which really threw me. Even a 1/2 mile away I was hearing the Woodstown Vortac transmit 112.8 AM

Am I missing something completely obvious. I've also experienced this trying to monitor the Sea Isle ZDC 127.7 AM RCAG while vacationing from the shore, albeit from a farther distance with no luck on the center side of the comms.

Thanks
DM
Pro-97

 

[captaincraig44]

Are you sure that RCAG was transmitting on that freq? One controller can often be using multiple transmitters on multiple freqs. Did you search VHF air or use Close Call?

 

[Yocuz]

Just to further my trying to figure this RCAG remote sites situation. Today on the way home from Atlantic City NJ I stopped by the VCN Cedar Lake Vortac. Again only hearing the aircraft side of the center freqs. Am I missing something here? Is it at all possible to hear the Center's in this case ZDC of the conversation? I have had no luck at Woodstown NJ and Cedar Lake NJ.

Is the RCAG always at the same site as the VOR or am I confused on this?

Thanks
DM

 

[rmiller818]

They are not always located at VOR sites. Even then, some sectors have more than 1 transmitter to overcome geographical issues (you wouldn't think that would be the issue here with a high altitude sector) but that is another possibility and the controller is transmitting from the other site. It will always be easier to hear the aircraft than the controller, regardless of your distance from the RCAG.

I looked at some of my low and high en-route charts and couldn't find any freqs associated with those VORs, looks like the only RCAG I can find is near the Millville airport of 132.05. (Chart puts it kinda between the Millville airport and the Vineland airport, maybe near the Rainbow NDB)

 

[Yocuz]

So you don't see anything for the sectors which should be Casino (AC) Sea Isle, Cedar Lake or Woodstown?

Has anyone ever monitored the Center's side of a transmission

 

[trainman111]

I have. You really aren't missing much. It's pretty similar to the type of communications you'd hear while listening to a TRACON controller. Basically, the aircraft repeats everything the ARTCC controller says, so if you can hear the aircraft, you'll know what's going on.

 

[rmiller818]

So you don't see anything for the sectors which should be Casino (AC) Sea Isle, Cedar Lake or Woodstown?

Has anyone ever monitored the Center's side of a transmission

The en-route low and highs that I looked at (some a few years old, some current) didn't display those freqs as an RCAG in that area. The actual transmitter could be several miles away from there, could be co-located with something else, I am not real sure but I was just noting that I didn't see it on my en-route charts.

 

[Yocuz]

RCAG Continued

I have. You really aren't missing much. It's pretty similar to the type of communications you'd hear while listening to a TRACON controller. Basically, the aircraft repeats everything the ARTCC controller says, so if you can hear the aircraft, you'll know what's going on.

How did you find the trnasmitter site or better yet how far from are/were you. It's not so much as listening as now that I have trying to figure this out for a week, I want to be able to find it and hear it to satisfy my inner whatever.

Was the transmitter listed, I'm confused because these sectors all seem to be named the same as the VORs but yet nothing is heard.

My last try will be to head towards ACY to see if the new "Casino" sector can be heard from there.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[rmiller818]

The sector's name does not necessarily indicate the location of the transmitter though, its named based on the sectors location. The transmitter really could be almost anywhere based on what the sector handles, so I wouldn't limit to just checking near the VOR the sector is named for.

 

[Yocuz]

So how am I supposed to find them? Suppose they are colocated at airports. I am going to try Millville and ACY tomorrow to see if anything pops up. If anyone has monitored the center's comms from an rcag I would love to know how you found it, or how close etc it was or wasn't from your listening location.

 

[Yocuz]

Jackpot....Today while traveling to the shore for the holiday weekend I stopped by ACY to try and monitor ZDC Atlantic City 133.125 and 281.45. Jackpot, heard both the aircraft and the center side of comms. I know it's not exciting listening, but it was the confirmation of actually hearing it for my own ears was pure joy (<<<sarcasm)) Now to find the other local RCAG Sea Isle, Woodstown, Cedar Lake, and Millville.

I basically wanted to confirm them before putting an antenna on the outside of my home.

DM

 

[Bucko]

Update, 291.100 is located in the Zanesville, Oh. ( Muskingum County ) area. I was monitoring it this past weekend on the way to Columbus.

 

[zz0468]

So how am I supposed to find them?

You're not.

Suppose they are colocated at airports. I am going to try Millville and ACY tomorrow to see if anything pops up. If anyone has monitored the center's comms from an rcag I would love to know how you found it, or how close etc it was or wasn't from your listening location.

They're not necessarily on or close to airports. Remember, some of these facilities are used for enroute communications, not for terminal areas, so proximity to an airport, or even a navaid isn't necessary. They're placed where they will provide the necessary coverage. Some of them are marked on sectional charts as RCO's, but I'm aware of some out in the western U.S. that are not marked with published locations. All a pilot needs to know is what frequency to talk to in that particular sector, and the FAA really doesn't like people skulking around it's facilities - so they don't announce where they are unless there's a reason.