Military Aircraft Freqs

[USAPatriot]

I'm using a 796D which does not allow SSB reception. Does this completely wipe out monitoring military aircraft for me? If not, I'm looking for known freqs/ranges for the S. California area but also interested in transients as well. Thx.

 

[trap5858]

There are plenty of Mil UHF frequencies in the 225-400mhz range. As long as your scanner can receive that range in the AM mode you are all set. Try a yahoo group for military montoring for your state or get a mil air guide.

 

[MacombMonitor]

I think SSB would apply mostly to HF frequencies. As the other post mentions, there is a lot of activity in UHF...and also VHF. Click here, you'll should be able to find what you're looking for. At the home page, look to the left, where it says Military VHF/UHF Freqs:

http://www.milaircomms.com/

Also check ARTCC Center Freqs!

 

[n3bxv]

Check out the Socal Milcom Group, it seems pretty active and there are a few freq files too..
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/socalmilcom/

 

[Markb]

Here's a good site, too:

http://socalmilcom.bluedv.net/

 

[USAPatriot]

Question: The PDF file from socalmilcom lists FL221/222 as the closest flight paths to me, but the freq section just shows blanks. Does this mean the freqs are unknown or are they simply carried down as identical to the freqs in the flights above on the list? Are such freqs used fairly regularly? Scanning around the freq area for a day and simply recording the hits would be no problem though my cats would miss the chatter of LAPD Thx. -Rod-

 

[Videokid]

Question: The PDF file from socalmilcom lists FL221/222 as the closest flight paths to me, but the freq section just shows blanks. Does this mean the freqs are unknown or are they simply carried down as identical to the freqs in the flights above on the list? Are such freqs used fairly regularly? Scanning around the freq area for a day and simply recording the hits would be no problem though my cats would miss the chatter of LAPD Thx. -Rod-

It depends really. FL usually stands for Flight Level. Is there a designation that starts with AR (e.g. AR322) in there? Or perhaps a four or five letter designator in the first column?

 

[USAPatriot]

My mistake, sorry. I SHOULD have typed AR221/222. Those are the flight paths closest to me on the map. -Rod-

 

[USAPatriot]

Another ? I picked up something at 351.8000 and the database says it's Saddle Peak Low Discrete. I understand high/low altitude but am clueless as to what "discrete" is referring to. The only other Saddle Peak (Los Angeles ARTCC) freq currently in my 796 is at 125.8000 also a Low Discrete. The database shows one more Low Discrete and two Low's. -Rod-

 

[wa8vzq]

Discrete means that this frequency is
assigned a specific function and is
used alone i.e. not paired with another
frequency.

But in reality, there are very few
truely "discrete" frequencies in use by
ARTCC's (Centers). In my 20 year as a
tech who maintains these comm sites
this term is highly misused and over
stated. I've maintained some sites for
years and have never seen a channel
keyed VHF or UHF only.

Most "channels" as we call them are
set up as a VHF/UHF pair. At the ARTCC,
the controller DOES have the option of
keying both or either frequency but as
a general rule, both are simultaneously
keyed 99% of the time.

FWIW both the VHF and UHF transmitters
and receivers are controlled by the same
"radio control equipment". There is one RCE,
2 VHF transmitters main & standby, 2 UHF
transmitters, 2 VHF receivers and 2 UHF
receivers.

There are some noteable exceptions that
are true discrete frequencies: 121.5,
243.0 and 321.3 (or the "special use
airspace" frequency for the ARTCC nearest
you.) and there are occassionally "unpaired"
frequencies but I would estimate that this
is typically less than 5% of any ARTCC's
frequencies. (In the case of these freq's
the respective unused VHF or UHF half of the
radio control equipment is not connected.)

I think that the discrete idea is a
misperception with three causes:
1. not "simultaneously" listening to
both the VHF and UHF frequency pairs.
2. only hearing the aircraft and not the
controller.
3.only hearing the aircraft responding on
either VHF or UHF and therefore wrongly
concluding that the controller was only
transmitting on the monitored freq.

Regards

Dan
Apple Valley, MN

 

[Videokid]

My mistake, sorry. I SHOULD have typed AR221/222. Those are the flight paths closest to me on the map. -Rod-

The AR221 and 222 tracks are restricted refueling tracks to be used only by the 129th Rescue Wing out of Moffett Airfield. Here's some information about Moffett comms. http://www.airnav.com/airport/KNUQ. I saw a few HF frequencies on that page too.

 

[USAPatriot]

Videokid,

Wow. Information overload. Some of that I can't decipher, most is obvious. Any of it the air-to-air freqs they'd be using? -Rod-

 

[DPD1]

FWIW both the VHF and UHF transmitters
and receivers are controlled by the same
"radio control equipment". There is one RCE,
2 VHF transmitters main & standby, 2 UHF
transmitters, 2 VHF receivers and 2 UHF
receivers.

So that's what is used at each site, or that's what is used for each freq pair? Is there a set number of different transmitter locations for each assigned sector/freq, or do they just go by the need dictated by topography and other things that dictate reception? I would think the latter, since some sectors need larger coverage areas then others.

Dave
-DPD Productions - Featuring the NEW MilTenna LP Gain Scanner Antenna-
http://eje.railfan.net/dpdp/

 

[wa8vzq]

Dave,

In this part of the country, 99.9% of the sectors have a single set of equipment. Ideally, the ground site, known as an RCAG - remote center air to ground - is located near the center of the sector. But that isn't always the case because of resectoring over years. Some centers extensively use multi-sites sharing the same frequency set for large sectors. The equipment at the center automatically selects the site which presents the best quality signal to the controller. We only have one sector using that configuration. There is also usually a backup emergency communications site - buec - that uses a single transmitter-receiver pair for VHF and UHF respectively. These are not located at the same physical location and may be 10's of miles from the RCAG.

Dan

 

[Videokid]

Videokid,

Wow. Information overload. Some of that I can't decipher, most is obvious. Any of it the air-to-air freqs they'd be using? -Rod-

I have checked four different files that I have, but couldn’t find any air to air frequencies for that particular track. They could be using the same frequency for all their refueling flights, or they could be changing it every time. I would store the following frequencies and listen for an air to air refueling frequency. ALCP (Area Local Control Panel): 349.4, RDR (Radar): 300.4 325.2 328.4 363.6, Rescue 390.9, and UHF Guard: 243 MHz.

 

[DPD1]

Dave,

In this part of the country, 99.9% of the sectors have a single set of equipment. Ideally, the ground site, known as an RCAG - remote center air to ground - is located near the center of the sector. But that isn't always the case because of resectoring over years. Some centers extensively use multi-sites sharing the same frequency set for large sectors. The equipment at the center automatically selects the site which presents the best quality signal to the controller. We only have one sector using that configuration. There is also usually a backup emergency communications site - buec - that uses a single transmitter-receiver pair for VHF and UHF respectively. These are not located at the same physical location and may be 10's of miles from the RCAG.

OK, thanks... I was curious how it works, because I know there's certain freqs in ZLA that I physically hear the controller change. The way I can tell is that I either can or can't hear the ATC side (depending on the situation), then sometimes if they have a problem with the AC hearing them, all of the sudden I can hear them, and they ask "how do you hear this transmitter". This is basically UHF I've heard this on, since I don't listen to VHF much, so as to keep my sanity.

I've also noticed the named location given for some of the sites doesn't seem to coincide with the actual physical site. For instance, Lebec gives a location way up on the East side of the Central Valley. I would have assumed it would actually be up at Lebec, which is obviously a high altitude spot and seems ideal for the North-South routes to L.A. In fact I thought I spotted the site once, but maybe that was something else.

Dave
-DPD Productions - Featuring the NEW MilTenna LP Gain Scanner Antenna-
http://eje.railfan.net/dpdp/