military air frequency's am or fm

[lugoffman]

Can someone tell me if military air frequency for Shaw and Fort Jackson are pretty much all AM or FM ? I live really close to the air base and only get a little bit of stuff on my scanner and i bet there must be hundreds of plans ,jets and helicopters fly over me each day and i dont pick up nothing

 

[RMPDCOP]

Can someone tell me if military air frequency for Shaw and Fort Jackson are pretty much all AM or FM ? I live really close to the air base and only get a little bit of stuff on my scanner and i bet there must be hundreds of plans ,jets and helicopters fly over me each day and i dont pick up nothing

They are AM. Have you tried posting in the SC Forum. Maybe someone there has some info but if not shoot me an email and I can give you some. brown_bg@earthlink.net

 

[ka3jjz]

In addition, milair is all about antennas. A standard duckie is a very poor choice, except in the cases where flights are nearby - and even then you need to be johnny on the spot with the right freqs (which I see you're going to get). If you can put something outdoors - even in an attic will work, although not as well - like a discone or ScanTenna that scanner should wake up with mil traffic.

73 Mike

 

[iMONITOR]

FM mode is also occasionally used by military in the VHF bands.

 

[lugoffman]

In addition, milair is all about antennas. A standard duckie is a very poor choice, except in the cases where flights are nearby - and even then you need to be johnny on the spot with the right freqs (which I see you're going to get). If you can put something outdoors - even in an attic will work, although not as well - like a discone or ScanTenna that scanner should wake up with mil traffic.

73 Mike

well I live in a apartment near Fort Jackson and I cant use a out side antenna but i got me a larsen nmo 150/450/800 mhz antenna i put out on the balconey will that be fine to use ??

 

[lugoffman]

FM mode is also occasionally used by military in the VHF bands.

well I had people tell me that but dont know how to determine if they are FM OR AM it is very confusing as to what is what lol !!! cause someone told me if it is above 138.000 MHZ change the mode to AM. Everything should be in the AM mode. does this mean if i put a frequency in that is somthing like this i need to put it in FM mode (43.4857 just a made up example ) not a real frequency

 

[ka3jjz]

Probably not. You'll need something a bit more broadbanded - that antenna is fine for public service work, though. I seem to recall that ComTelco or Scanner Master had advertised on RR a mag mount antenna that covered 25-1300 mhz. Now I know it's not going to cover all bands equally - no antenna, not even a discone - can do that all the time. But it's a start.

Hmm, even an off center fed dipole would work pretty well, if you can camoflauge it somehow (say, if there's a wooden post about 6 foot high near the end of the balcony)...in theory, you could also put that air band duckie I've heard about on a mag mount, then put that on the balcony. It would be pretty hard to spot... 73 Mike

[edit] Here's the air band duckie I meant...

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/scanants/1687.html

As for frequencies, generally speaking 30-50 mhz is all FM - rarely have I seen a report of a milcom freq in this range that was AM. In the 250-270 mhz area, where satellites are heard, freqs can be FM, sideband and other things, too. By and large if you stick with AM in the 225-380 mhz band you will be fine for most apps. However, there are many mil and fed bases moving FM trunks into the 380-390 Mhz area. If you hear control channels in that area you know what you have found.

The 296 cannot trunk these freqs. The 396, 996 and PSR 500 and 600 can. 73 Mike

 

[DPD1]

Just stick with AM, either UHF or VHF. The majority of what you want will be there. What they were talking about was tactical freqs for the AF. The air force uses VHF frequencies outside the normal civilian VHF air band to do tactical comms. Most scanners automatically default to an FM mode when you go to those freqs, so if your radio can change modes, you would need to change it to AM on those freqs to hear air properly. But start off with the basic air traffic control. Looking up the freqs for the fields and also the center freqs for your area should get you going on that. Keep in mind that helicopters are ironically harder to monitor, even though they're closer... because they're low, they talk a lot less to ATC and also the signals don't go far at all. Even with a handheld you should hear planes passing through on UHF ATC center with a handheld antenna.

Dave
www.DPDProductions.com
Antennas & Accessories for the RF Professional & Radio Hobbyist

 

[N8IAA]

well I live in a apartment near Fort Jackson and I cant use a out side antenna but i got me a larsen nmo 150/450/800 mhz antenna i put out on the balconey will that be fine to use ??

Not a good antenna if you want to monitor the VHF/UHF milair band. I would suggest an antenna that monitors 2m/220mhz bands. Even a full size dualband 2m/440 antenna will do better for you. The Radio Shack discone is another good antenna. There are other antennas that will work with the milair bands. My suggestion is to go to the South Carolina forum and find out what there is to listen to. Fort Jackson is P-25 digital on there base system.
HTH,
Larry

 

[Mainsail]

It would be helpful to know what you are trying to listen to specifically. If you are talking about air to ground comms like an aircraft to ATC or a Command Post, it’s all going to be AM.

Looking at the US IFR Supp, Shaw Pilot to Dispatch is 139.600 and 327.200, ATIS is 132.125 and 270.100, Shaw Tower is 126.650 and 254.250, Shaw Ground is 126.100 and 275.800, Clearance Delivery is 121.8 and 289.400, Shaw Command Post is 381.300, and Shaw Metro is 342.500.

 

[lugoffman]

I tried in the past to post in south carolina fourm but they keep on moving it to the military fourm and I have people tell me to go to the yahoo group and I have and all I get is porn email and spam junk mail so I just tri to avoid the yahoo thing also i had asked my apartment manager about my hobby and about a antenna she told me as long as it is at least hard to see she dont see a problem with it and she dont want me to have a nasa sub station look on the balconey lol !!! but what would be good to hang on the ceiling of the balconey cause my ceiling is kind of flat and slanted and you would not be able to see anything if I was to put somthing up there any i deas ????

 

[lugoffman]

It would be helpful to know what you are trying to listen to specifically. If you are talking about air to ground comms like an aircraft to ATC or a Command Post, it’s all going to be AM.

Looking at the US IFR Supp, Shaw Pilot to Dispatch is 139.600 and 327.200, ATIS is 132.125 and 270.100, Shaw Tower is 126.650 and 254.250, Shaw Ground is 126.100 and 275.800, Clearance Delivery is 121.8 and 289.400, Shaw Command Post is 381.300, and Shaw Metro is 342.500.

well were i live i get helicopters and fighting jets and big o planes like airbuses i think that all the time fly over and i get apatchies that fly over and do some type of exercise and i would love to be nosy and listen in to see if there talking or not so really all i want to monitor is Shaw , Fort Jackson ,and mcintire and of course the helicopters and Black Halks that fly over but here is the thing I'M about 10 miles from Fort Jackson and maybe 20 or 30 from Shaw so i really dont know what to monitor any sugestions

 

[jerk]

well I had people tell me that but dont know how to determine if they are FM OR AM it is very confusing as to what is what lol !!! cause someone told me if it is above 138.000 MHZ change the mode to AM. Everything should be in the AM mode. does this mean if i put a frequency in that is somthing like this i need to put it in FM mode (43.4857 just a made up example ) not a real frequency

If it's AM on an FM setting, it will sound muffled, and different. Just switch to AM mode and it will clear up.

Low Band VHF is generally FM, 138-144 could be AM or FM, aircraft is generally AM, 225-380 is generally Am unless FM for satellites.

Just general rules, but you will know/hear if AM when should be FM or vice versa. Experiment if not sure. If you are that close to Jackson/Gordon, and can hear their trunked systems, you should hear aircraft just fine. I'm 80 miles from a base and hear air traffic all the time.

 

[lugoffman]

If it's AM on an FM setting, it will sound muffled, and different. Just switch to AM mode and it will clear up.

Low Band VHF is generally FM, 138-144 could be AM or FM, aircraft is generally AM, 225-380 is generally Am unless FM for satellites.

Just general rules, but you will know/hear if AM when should be FM or vice versa. Experiment if not sure. If you are that close to Jackson/Gordon, and can hear their trunked systems, you should hear aircraft just fine. I'm 80 miles from a base and hear air traffic all the time.

Well i tell ya what some one here on rr sent me a list of a butt load of frequencys now here is the thing dont know which is trunk or not do you guys have a list of the trunk frequency's in my area or better yet if you was living in my area what would you program in ?? can you send me a list of just that if possiable ??? cause there is so many he gave me I dont want to put in a bunch of stuff that I really wont here lol !!! but what he sent me was good but my computer won't download the graffic stuff it said but allowed the frequency part to go through

 

[ka3jjz]

Mil freqs in the 406-411 mhz area can be trunked and usually FM. The 380-390 mhz area is less clear; there are still some air ops in this segment, mixed in with the newer trunk systems. The air ops will be AM; trunk freqs aren't (I believe...). And hearing the control channel on a frequency should be a big tipoff.

Try them - you won't damage anything, it just won't sound very good (hi) 73 Mike

 

[lugoffman]

Mil freqs in the 406-411 mhz area can be trunked and usually FM. The 380-390 mhz area is less clear; there are still some air ops in this segment, mixed in with the newer trunk systems. The air ops will be AM; trunk freqs aren't (I believe...). And hearing the control channel on a frequency should be a big tipoff.

Try them - you won't damage anything, it just won't sound very good (hi) 73 Mike

OK cool now tell me this since im using software win97 what do I set the control channel as and also do i put it as mot am or what Lol!!!!! ??? and do I need to use fleet maps or anything like that ??

This is getting fun!! but some what confusing to cause I am picking up some stuff but its fast and short what ever they are saying lol!!!! this stuff to me is like a kid with a new toy I'm glued to the scanner now

Also does anyone have a file they can send me for shaw and surrounding area they could send me for win97 that may contain some trunk stuff on it so I can get a idea on how to set up everything correctly far as trunking stuff for military air stuff or even military stuff ???

This is better than listen to local police at least I hear someone working for my country insted of robbing or stilling from people this is so cool !!!

 

[lugoffman]

Just found out that it is digital by RMPDCOP i got a digital scanner and would like to know were I can find them in the rr data base and would like to know if i can still use the data grabber for scan control for these military frequency or do i got to manualy do it also will data grabber work in the wiki fourm

 

[lugoffman]

Also would like to know what to set Fort Jackson (Richland county SC) trunk system to far as if its a LTR UHF or VHF or a EDACS system

And the same for Shaw AFB sumpter SC

 

[ka3jjz]

No the Data Grabber will not work on the wiki - it's only set up to work with the databases.

None of the radios you have will trunk in the 380 mhz area. However you will be able to listen in conventional mode, assuming that the 380 trunks are not encrypted (some are).

For those systems that are in the 400 mhz area, you will need to supply the base and offset(s). Some systems need more than one of these. If the Forts you are looking for are in the database, it should supply these (hint hint). I'm not from SC so I don't know in what county they reside. If you can find them in the db, supply the URLs so people can see what you are working with.

73 Mike

 

[N8IAA]

Fort Jackson is P-25 digital on their base system. HTH, Larry

You did read this in my earlier post? You will not be able to decode the system to hear it. It requires a digital scanner. Period. You will be able to input the 138-144mhz range in AM with the Win97 software. The choppers use a mixture of 40-47mhz in FM, any 118-137mhz is in AM, 225-380mhz in AM. You need to go to Monitoring Times and check out the milcom blog there. I don't understand why they keep moving from the South Carolina forum to here. But, keep asking your questions. It is a lot to learn for someone just getting into milcom listening. Somedays, it is non-stop. Others you can scan for hours and hear absolutely nothing. It is like any other hobby, take it slow, and have fun. I've been listening to milcoms since around 1989. It literally takes years of moniitoring to know where to go and what to program into the radio.
Take it slow and have fun!
Larry