KATV "Chopper 7" Helicopter Question

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KB5FAS

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Dec 19, 2002
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I saw the recent posting under the database section for KATV Channel 7's News Helicopter on 161.670. I have monitored it for a couple of days and have found it to be a live audio feed (whenever the helicopter is flying) with a person (I'm assuming in the control room) prompting the Helicopter crew on upcoming shots --- this is pretty cool!

However, I seem to be hearing only the audio from the control room and not the audio from the people on-board the helicopter. I hear the control room ask a question and somewhere out there the signal from the helicopter is coming through to them. But I'm not getting the helicopter audio. It's not a question of range, the thing was directly over my head earlier this morning and I didn't copy them.

Anyone know what the audio feed FROM the helicopter reporter/pilot to the control room would be? Thanks in advance
 

wadeless28

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Oct 1, 2002
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Severn, Maryland
Two things could happen here. There would be another frequency that is assigned to the TV Station that the engineers or producers would use to coordinate their crews. Or, most likely, they are talking to the studio over the microwave shot that is used for broadcast. Most of the time, if the Helo is up they will be shooting video back to the station just to keep from have to repatch the signal again and again.
 

kg4ynx

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Aug 28, 2006
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Just to answer for anyone who comes across this thread...

Wadeless28 is correct. Every television station I have work for that has a chopper will microwave the signal back to the station. This includes video and audio. When you hear audio on 161.67 you're hearing what is called IFB. It's where like you said the control room gives cues. All the reporter or pilot has to do is talk into their microphone and it goes through the microwave link back to the station where the producer can punch up the audio from the chopper. This is done the same way with the microwave news vans. Good luck everyone, and happy monitoring, especially to the news media.

Aron
KG4YNX
 

ke4ppj

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Prior to powering the microwave up and tuning the signal in the chopper has to be able to communicate with the guys in master control ops. They are the ones that make sure the receiver at the station is pointed in the right direction and also they need to know the general area the chopper is in. You call them before you turn it on...so stations normally have to use a 2-way at first.
And that signal you were hearing is IFB.....Interrupt Feed Back.
At the station I work for we sometimes talk over the microwave.. especially if you don't want the competition in town to know you're up and flying to some location.....but the 2-way is where the initial calls are made. BTW....it's too loud for a cell phone. One option is also the Nextel direct connect...they have a radio style phone that looks just like a 2-way radio that you can plug headphones. That would be a secure way to talk where the other stations couldn't hear.
 
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