Military Low VHF Comms are active!

[Teotwaki]

I didn't see a recent thread for just this topic so here goes. I have a dedicated IC-R7100 scanner and a mil surplus low VHF antenna. I'm sure you've heard of the good skip in the Ham 10 Meter band and the CB 11 meter band. It's also a good time for Mil Low VHF skip too!

Almost every day I hear Range Control at Fort Bragg, North Carolina on 38.90 MHz FM and almost as often hear Fort Hood ,Texas on 30.45 FM
Locally you can catch Camp Pendleton on 30.350 FM and Los Alamitos on 41.50 FM talking to helos.


Here is the list I use to help to ID some transmissions.
30.100 Army National Guard at ALB. UH-60's, Albany, New York
30.300 Los Alamitos ARNG ground units Calif
30.350 Camp Pendleton Range Control Calif (active)
30.450 Ft. Hood Texas, range operations (active)
31.200 heard by Iden in NorCal 2/24/23
32.050 Yuma range control, Texas, RAPTOR Net
32.150 66RQS HH-60, Nellis
32.350 34WPS HH-60, Nellis
32.450 66WPS A-10, Nellis
32.650 66WPS A-10, Nellis
32.675 Unknown
32.700 BYS Range Control, Nellis & Fort Irwin North Range Control Calif
32.750 Medic Net, Texas
32.850 66WPS A-10, Nellis
34.050 66RQS HH-60, Nellis
34.100 R-2501 FAC-JTAC-TACP, Nellis and Sacramento Mather airfield C/1-168th base ops Calif
34.200 Range Control, Camp Bullis TX
34.850 Los Alamitos helo base ops Calif (active)
36.525 NTC Desert South (Old?)
36.600 Unknown
36.700 NTC Command Post (Old?)
36.775 Los Alamitos 1-140th tac Calif
36.800 NTC ROZ 1 (Old?) and Army Helos, Texas
36.900 Martindale Army Heliport Ops, San Antonio, Texas
38.200 Camp San Luis Obispo range control Calif
38.475 NTC Dustoff (Old?)
38.500 Bearmat, Ft Irwin Rng Sfty bckup, 29 Palms rng cntrl, Ft Chaffee Rng Cntrl, R-2501 Grnd Scndry
38.600 NTC Coyote Metro (Old?)
38.675 Unknown (active)
38.900 Ft. Bragg (verified 2/2023) Ft Irwin Bicycle Lake Medevac/Rnge Cntrl, Cmp Roberts range control, BYS Desert Radio, Nellis
40.150 422TES A-10, Nellis
40.350 Camp Pendleton, LongRifle Ground Safety Net, Calif
40.500 Mil Common | SAR
40.600 Helos, Texas
40.800 Red Flag CRWO, Nellis
40.825 Yuma range control, Arizona
41.000 NTC Desert South
41.050 Fort Hunter Liggett range control Calif
41.450 422TES A-10, Nellis
41.500 Army Aviation and NTC ROZ 1, possibly Los Alamitos (active with helos)
41.650 NTC Desert North
41.700 NXP Ground, Nellis
41.950 Bearmat, Ft Irwin Rng Sfty, 29 Palms rnge cntrl, 422TES A-10, Nellis/R-2501 Grnd Pri, Nellis
46.700 B/2916th AVN UH-60A, Nellis
46.750 Fort Bragg, range operations, verified 2/2023
46.775 549CTS Green Flag West, Nellis
46.800 29 Palms range safety Calif
46.850 549CTS Green Flag West, Nellis
47.000 NTC Crash/Rescue (Old?)
48.450 BYS Fire Control, Nellis
49.000 Stockton airport B/1-126th base ops Calif
60.300 BYS Metro, Nellis
61.200 NTC Desert Radio
62.300 BYS Metro, Nellis
62.850 Army Aviation
65.050 National Guard Helos Calif
66.100 R-2502 AIC 'Desert Radio', Nellis
66.300 NTC Desert Radio
71.300 NTC Helipad

My USMC surplus COM-120B antenna, painted gray.



Jim
Orange County, Calif.

 

[vagrant]

For those that are curious about the antenna, that is a COM201B and it favors 30-88 MHz. No gain, but plenty of bountiful bandwidth. I wish I had one, or even a RAMI231.

 

[Teotwaki]

Sorry for the typo on the antenna model. It works really well. Here is the basic description and also the data sheet's link.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0261/9441/1578/files/Antenna_COM201B_19.6.12.pdf?v=1598888035

Mine is modified with a permanent set of ground plane radials replacing the portable, telescoping radial elements.

Description​

The COM 201B antenna is a commercial (from Atlantic Microwave Corporation) VHF/UHF vertically polarized, omnidirectional antenna that has become popular due to its versatility and unique design. The antenna was originally used by the USMC and is now a standard USMC item. It has a tripod leg structure that allows the antenna to be mounted directly on the ground or in a standard communications mast and can be quickly assembled and disassembles for transport and storage which makes it ideal in situations where there is not enough time to erect the OE-254.

Note. The COM 201B is not an Army issued replacement for the OE-254 antenna.

The antennas ease of operations makes it ideal for a field expedient antenna or mounting to a vehicle if more elevation is needed. The eye fitting at the top of the antenna facilitates suspending it from buildings or trees when a mast isn’t available but more height is desired.

The COM 201B antenna has the following characteristics and capabilities

• Operates in the 30–88 MHz range.
• Vertically polarized.
• Input impedance of 50 ohms unbalanced with an average VSWR of 3:1 or less, at RF power levels up to 200 watts.
• Maximum power is directed towards the horizon with a typical antenna gain of +2dB relative to an isotropic source.
• One individual can assemble and erect.
• Assembly can be stored in a space less than 36 inches by 10 inches indiameter.

 

[vagrant]

Waiting on prcguy for some antenna porn of a Shakespeare or whatnot currently hanging in the rafters.

 

[Teotwaki]

Ha Ha - He's currently stuck with family duties. He is also the guy that got me the deal on the Cobham 201

 

[vagrant]

Grandkids for the win!

Yeah, I nabbed an AS-1404/PRC-41 from him (225-400). Although it is a manpack antenna I thought it might benefit with a ground plane, but nope, which is even better for my use. Anyways, I think your 201B would beat a RAM231 as yours has legs, even though the specs have the same numbers. I figure he has both and could tell me.

 

[prcguy]

Where is mancow, he needs to read what others are doing with their COM201Bs. Otherwise I will be checking VHF lowband from Texas tomorrow. I think I have three COM201s left, a new show unit not to be used, a pretty user unit not to get dirty and one on my roof getting rained on right now. I don’t have the vehicular version. Yet.

On my roof mounted unit I replaced the top eye bolt with a short whip and it shifted the freq range down slightly to cover CB.

 

[Teotwaki]

Grandkids for the win!

Yeah, I nabbed an AS-1404/PRC-41 from him (225-400). Although it is a manpack antenna I thought it might benefit with a ground plane, but nope, which is even better for my use. Anyways, I think your 201B would beat a RAM231 as yours has legs, even though the specs have the same numbers. I figure he has both and could tell me.

I'll bet the RAMI-231 specs assume you've bolted it to a Bradley or Abrahms that act as the ground plane

 

[Teotwaki]

On my roof mounted unit I replaced the top eye bolt with a short whip and it shifted the freq range down slightly to cover CB.

I replaced the eye bolt with a plain stainless bolt. It gave me a better lobe towards Fort Bragg.

 

[prcguy]

I'll bet the RAMI-231 specs assume you've bolted it to a Bradley or Abrahms that act as the ground plane

Yes.

 

[mancow]

Where is mancow, he needs to read what others are doing with their COM201Bs. Otherwise I will be checking VHF lowband from Texas tomorrow. I think I have three COM201s left, a new show unit not to be used, a pretty user unit not to get dirty and one on my roof getting rained on right now. I don’t have the vehicular version. Yet.

On my roof mounted unit I replaced the top eye bolt with a short whip and it shifted the freq range down slightly to cover CB.

What is the height you guys have yours at? Mine is currently sitting in the yard and the kid uses it to chase the dog around. It never impressed me AT ALL. Maybe there's something wrong with it. Maybe it was never high up enough. I took it down and replaced it with a ground plane made from 3 108" CB whips for ground plane and a 10 meter hamstick as the radiator. It's miles beyond the 201 performance wise and much lighter.

I REALLY want to use the 201 to work. Weather permitting I will try a different location soon. I think I'll try clamping the fiberglass mount section to one of the fart pipes on the roof of the house. It will only be up about 20 - 25 feet but that's about where the ground plane is too so...

 

[mancow]

As for lowband here in Kansas, it's been strange this season. Everything has been really long haul. I see almost non stop frequency hopping from 30-33, some weird multi tone paging stuff, some of the French highway signals up at 37 or whatever it is and lots of 10 meter FM from California and Washington and Canada, and even Japanese stations. I used to hear the regular 33.9 and others from the East coast last year but this year they have been silent. Although I hear hundreds of amateur operators on 10 from California I never hear CHP, ever. I do hear some sort of air field tower comms on 30.025 fairly often but I don't know where they are. I haven't heard 30.450 Ft. Hood at all this year either.

I mainly use a "super discone" with the extended 10 meter whip and ground elements up about 100 feet on top of an old ATT long lines tower connected to an Airspy feeding spyserver. Locally I use the ground plane or a Yaesu HF folded dipole. I love that folded dipole. Nice flat SWR, low noise and it seems to really drag in signals.

 

[reconrider8]

What is the height you guys have yours at? Mine is currently sitting in the yard and the kid uses it to chase the dog around. It never impressed me AT ALL. Maybe there's something wrong with it. Maybe it was never high up enough. I took it down and replaced it with a ground plane made from 3 108" CB whips for ground plane and a 10 meter hamstick as the radiator. It's miles beyond the 201 performance wise and much lighter.

I REALLY want to use the 201 to work. Weather permitting I will try a different location soon. I think I'll try clamping the fiberglass mount section to one of the fart pipes on the roof of the house. It will only be up about 20 - 25 feet but that's about where the ground plane is too so...

any pictures of this setup? i wanna get some sort of lowband base setup sooner or later

 

[prcguy]

What is the height you guys have yours at? Mine is currently sitting in the yard and the kid uses it to chase the dog around. It never impressed me AT ALL. Maybe there's something wrong with it. Maybe it was never high up enough. I took it down and replaced it with a ground plane made from 3 108" CB whips for ground plane and a 10 meter hamstick as the radiator. It's miles beyond the 201 performance wise and much lighter.

I REALLY want to use the 201 to work. Weather permitting I will try a different location soon. I think I'll try clamping the fiberglass mount section to one of the fart pipes on the roof of the house. It will only be up about 20 - 25 feet but that's about where the ground plane is too so...

Mine is on a single story roof maybe 15ft off the ground.

 

[mancow]

Mine is on a single story roof maybe 15ft off the ground.

I will try to make it a priority to give it another try. I would like to use the eyebolt to hang it from a tree branch but I'm afraid of it falling on someone.

 

[mancow]

any pictures of this setup? i wanna get some sort of lowband base setup sooner or later

The groundplane or the big tower? I can try to get some of the groundplane and PM to you. It's made from one of these Wolf River Coil type 3 leg mini tripod things I found used for $20. I removed the 3 legs and the 3 108" whips screwed right in. I coupled the hamstick to the center using a 3/8" double female adapter. I used 3 pieces of plumbing strap and scrwed them into the center hub with self tapping metal screws. The coax feeds down through the support mast and the 3 plumbing straps are hose clamped to the sides of the support mast. It's very sturdy and light weight with fairly low wind cross section.

 

[prcguy]

I will try to make it a priority to give it another try. I would like to use the eyebolt to hang it from a tree branch but I'm afraid of it falling on someone.

Hang it high and make sure your insurance is paid up.

 

[chrismol1]

Interesting to see the frequencies above 50. I know green radios will do midband but I can't recall much if any reporting in that band before, nice

 

[merlin]

For those that are curious about the antenna, that is a COM201B and it favors 30-88 MHz. No gain, but plenty of bountiful bandwidth. I wish I had one, or even a RAMI231.

Now that is an antenna I need. No real estate for my dipole or beam.

 

[Teotwaki]

What is the height you guys have yours at? Mine is currently sitting in the yard and the kid uses it to chase the dog around. It never impressed me AT ALL. Maybe there's something wrong with it. Maybe it was never high up enough. I took it down and replaced it with a ground plane made from 3 108" CB whips for ground plane and a 10 meter hamstick as the radiator. It's miles beyond the 201 performance wise and much lighter.

I REALLY want to use the 201 to work. Weather permitting I will try a different location soon. I think I'll try clamping the fiberglass mount section to one of the fart pipes on the roof of the house. It will only be up about 20 - 25 feet but that's about where the ground plane is too so...

Mine is about 20' up and fed with 9913. The main advantage of the antenna is how broadband it is. A hamstick is pretty narrow