Help with chopper traffic

[ptownguy]

I've tried all the listed channels under MARCS.
The only traffic i hear is when they are on the
Fire band coordinating an LZ. I live next to a
Hospital and they fly over my house every day.
I assume they transmit upon landing and takeoff
but i cant get anything. i'm going to create a
separate list of every channel and monitor that
for a while. Possibly, my mistake is using the
"""Medical chopper""" list when Aviation channels
would be better. Thanks in advance.
Phil in Portsmouth.

 

[engine183]

Hello. I'm not familiar with your area, but UC AirCare uses the MARCS system in the Cincinnati area. It appears that they re-transmit onto the MARCS system on Talk Group 21006 from a UHF frequency. You might want to check out the Medical Transportation section of the RR MARCS system.

https://www.radioreference.com/db/sid/6643

 

[amcferrin90]

Even if you're scanning MARCS, you might need to check the services being enabled on your scanner. All the MARCS talkgroups in the scanner are still assigned to a service. If you look up the medical transportation company in the database it will tell you what service type it is. I usually have all the med transport stuff turned off and if I'm interested in Medflight, I change the medflight TGs to another service type.

Also IIRC they're not very talkative and they'll call on scene or ground before they touch down. They're also on VHF airband either on the regional Unicom or on regional approach freqs depending on the airspace they're in. When taking off and landing, during that time they're not communicating. The rules are aviate, navigate, communicate.

 

[DanKC8PAE]

Try frequencies 159.7725 226DPL. 159.7650 155DPL These are frequencies for Air EVAC Lifeteam 97 out of Portsmouth. I have been told that Air EVAC uses there Conventional radio system more often then they use there Ohio MARCS radio.

 

[tvfd700]

MARCS talk group 17517 is used quite a bit in the southern Ohio and bordering West Virginia / Kentucky areas by Medflight and Healthnet. I hear a large amount of radio traffic on this TG down the road from you in Huntington. Additionally, try monitoring 123.025 mhz. This frequency is used for air to air communications. Medevac helicopters use this frequency to coordinate their location and avoid collisions while traveling to and from accident sites. When they are approaching the Huntington area they announce on this frequency for any other helicopters in the area.

 

[wd8chl]

Yeah, in general I would assume they are talking with a control tower on an aircraft channel when they're taking off or landing...

 

[ptownguy]

Thanks guys, I'm working on these very good suggestions.

 

[N8WCP]

Try 123.025 this is the helicopter air to air freq.