HF Aircraft Freqs...just for fun

[K2KOH]

Ever get bored with the scanner? Fire up the HF rig

2.899 3.016 5.550 5.598 6.577 6.586 6.622 6.628 8.891 2.872 2.962 2.887 3.476 4.675 8.831 8.864 8.879 5.616 5.649 5.520
11.309 11.330 11.336 11.396 13.306 13.354 13.297 11.279

North Atlantic Air Traffic Control, all USB...sometimes hear some great stuff on there

 

[mciupa]

You reminded me of something I used to do in the late '80's.
When a friend was flying out of Toronto to Europe, I would listen
first on the scanner to local Air comms,then listened to subsequent hand-offs and switch to an ICOM 71A and try to follow the flight as far as I could.
8)

 

[K2KOH]

No problem...I do the same thing here; I can listen to the aircraft on 132.150, and I hear the handoffs in reverse from HF to VHF. It's really cool! R7100 for VHF and Drake R8 for HF. Enjoy!

 

[mlevin]

I do the same thing, but I don't have an HF rig. I once called my dad right as he was walking up the jetway, he couldn't believe how I knew he just landed

 

[blantonl]

Oh yea...

My father is a retired navy pilot, and during a cross country flight I had him come up at a predetermined time on a pre-determined freq in the 8 MHz band to say "hello" and let me know when he was going to be landing (while flying over the Atlantic).

I used a monster Collins R-390A to hear it....

Only did it once, but it was cool!

 

[Chris-M]

Airliners and HF

Due to pilot and controller workload, a new method of communication is being developed. It's called CPDLC, and uses SATCOM and HF ACARS for datalink of messages between pilots and controllers. HF will probably always be used but the major airlines that criss-cross the North Atlantic, and have the most traffic, are using CPDLC in select aircraft such as the Boeing 777, 767 and 757. Mainly the NAT-tracks (North Atlantic) due to the large amount of aircraft that cross every day and night.

Here's more info:

http://www.faa.gov/programs/oep/Archive/v5/er-3a.htm

I lived on Guam for three years, 1995-1998, and had my Yaesu FT900 on 24/7 when I was home, monitoring the HF position reports, or downloading WEFAX and other digital HF stuff.

One thing I miss about the older radios, such as the ones we had in our B727-200's, was that the tuner would go from .5 to 30 MHz, and do AM/USB/LSB. The new generation of radios, such as the ones in the B737-700/800/900, only do AM or USB. So much for using them on 40/80/160 meters Ham bands.

Here are a couple of WEFAX images I received while on Guam, using a DOS based program called AEA FAX III. (Sorry, not trying to change the subject here, just bringing up some other cool stuff to do on HF!) :wink:

 

[mr_hankey]

FWIW:

HF CIVIL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL FREQUENCIES

North Atlantic area
2872 2899 2962 2971 3476 4675 5598 5601 5616 5649 6622 6628 8825 8831
8864 8879
8891 8906 10018 11279 11309 11336 13306 13288 13291 13354 17946

South Atlantic area
2854 3452 5565 6535 8861 11291 13315 13357 17955

North Pacific area
2932 5628 6655 8951 10048 11300 13273

South Pacific area
3467 5643 8867 13261 17904

African area
2878 3419 3452 3467 3476 5493 5517 5634 5652 6586 6535 6673 8861 8879
8894 8903 11300 13273 13288 13294 13306 13357 17955 17961

Carribean area
2887 3455 5520 5550 6577 6586 8846 8918 11387 11396 13297 17907

Central Pacific area
2869 2988 3413 3455 4666 5547 5574 6532 6673 8843 8903 10057 11282
11384 13288 13300
17904

East Asia area
3016 3470 6556 8897 10066

Southeast Asia area
3485 3470 5655 6556 8942 11285 11396 13297 13309 13318 17907

Europe area
3479 5661 6598 10084 13288 17961

Middle East area
2992 3467 5601 5658 5667 8918 10018 13288 13312

Long Distance Operational Control (LDOC) frequencies
5535 5545 6637 6640 8921 8930 11342 13205 13330 13339

The LDOC frequencies can provide some of the more interesting
monitoring since these are similar to VHF Company freqs that will be
used to discuss things like mechanical problems with the aircraft,
medical problems with passengers, etc.

 

[K2KOH]

Listen some afternoon (Eastern time) to 11.300, which is in the AFI 1 area. Equipment there is most off frequency and badly maintained, and you can listen to the different ground stations passing traffic back and forth as they track flights over Africa. It's quite the thing to listen to!

 

[Cobra_Commander]

What would i need to listen to these broadcasts? does radioshack anything that i could use to hear these?

 

[Chris-M]

What would i need to listen to these broadcasts? does radioshack anything that i could use to hear these?

Any good SSB shortwave receiver will work. Atmospheric conditions and weather will effect reception. (Lightning strikes, etc in the far distant can be heard on some nights). Preferrably a good SSB (Single Side Band) receiver with a VFO, so you can fine tune the Upper Side Band (USB).

Grundig makes a good product and most if not all RS stores carry them.

 

[K2KOH]

I was going to say, Radio Shack was selling the Grundig Yachtboy 400PE, which is good for listening to HF Aero frequencies. The problem I have with it, though it's a good portable, is that you need to "fine tune" the SSB signals without a frequency readout.

Try it out, Don...I take it with me when I go to Florida, and intend to take it Colorado with me as well.

 

[The-Mad-Titan]

Re: Airliners and HF

I lived on Guam for three years, 1995-1998, and had my Yaesu FT900 on 24/7 when I was home, monitoring the HF position reports, or downloading WEFAX and other digital HF stuff.

No kidding!
I was on Guam from '97 to '99 working in the base radio shop on Andersen AFB.
I showed up right after the HF Tx and Rx sites were turned over to the Navy.
All I got to play with were the ANCIENT control consoles that the HF operators used.

What were you doing on Guam?

 

[Waldo325mvfd]

Hears one for ya 5.612.0 Unknown ATC(my location MD).
8)

 

[Waldo325mvfd]

8912 has been transmiting ATC non stop from 1500 so far.

 

[Waldo325mvfd]

2.899 from 5.612. It appears that 5.612 is a artc Frequ.

 

[Waldo325mvfd]

And some more around D.C, 6640,6630 or 6628,5598,8912.

 

[Starion]

8.809 is fairly active at night EST or after 2000 UTC / GMT / Zulu.

13.306 is active during the day EST or between about 1000 and 2000 UTC / GMT / Zulu.

Here is a link to the "Major World Air Route Area - North Atlantic Area." This page has a map.
http://www.milaircomms.com/mwara_north_america.html

Here is another webpage: Major World Air Route Areas (MWARA) Frequencies
http://www.canairradio.com/hf.html

Don't forget to set your shortwave reciever of ham radio to USB when listening to the transmissions.

 

[ka3jjz]

As you may notice, frequencies are grouped by region into what are called a 'family'. These frequencies rotate due to propagation and other factors within a family. So if you tune to 8809 tonight and don't hear anything, check the other frequencies for that family, and you may start picking up traffic.

73s Mike

 

[K2KOH]

As you may notice, frequencies are grouped by region into what are called a 'family'. These frequencies rotate due to propagation and other factors within a family. So if you tune to 8809 tonight and don't hear anything, check the other frequencies for that family, and you may start picking up traffic.

73s Mike

This is true...however, depending upon amount of traffic, I've actually heard aircraft "cross families," since certain North Atlantic areas overlap each other. Half the fun of listening to the NAT MWARA's is figuring out where they are tonight!

 

[CSL126]

would the Grundig Yachtboy 400PE that was mentioned above be a good radio to start out with for HF as far as aviation goes? I'm looking for something cheap to start out with until I get used to everything...