(WARNING: over-analyzing follows ....)
hfxChris,
Regarding the database, if there's any specific suggestions, additions or corrections, let me know and I'll see what I can do. You're saying 132.50 is Digby sector low level?
I'm not sure officially what sector 132.500 is ? From what I've seen and heard it appears to cover the same area as the Digby Sector. I think it is relatively new frequency so they may have tweeked the boundaries ? I'd hold off updating the database until more up to date info. can be obtained. The other low frequency that is missing is the Grindstone one on 134.350, I can confirm the frequency and location but again not 100% sure what sector it's in, most likely Cape Breton.
Novascotian,
I am thinking immediately of the typical progression of an aircraft from Halifax heading to Montreal or Toronto.. Usually it will be 119.2 Terminal, then 124.3 ...
From the few times I have been in the area I noticed the same thing as well. Sometimes terminal will handoff to 124.30 and sometimes 132.50. And as I mentioned earlier as well with the arrivals from the same direction, sometimes on 124.30 and sometimes on 123.90.
It might, I'm just guessing here, have something to do with how they have the sectors configured. From the few times I have monitored that area in YHZ it seemed they used 132.50 during busier times ? Maybe they use 132.50 when the Digby sector is split from Fredericton sector ?
When you are monitoring 135.30 are you able to tell what other sectors it's combined with. Maybe you will notice a pattern ? Having the Moncton LiveATC radio is a big help here.
is there a part-time TCU for Moncton using 124.4 or is there no TCU and that frequency is just another CZQM sector frequency?
From what I've been able to determine from monitoring 124.40 on the LiveATC radio at Moncton so far is that this sector (actually called Moncton Radar according to the database) is usually combined with another sector or all sectors when it's slow. Yesterday afternoon it was clearly combined with the Cape Breton sector and split from the other western sectors. At the time 124.40 was cross-coupled with 135.65, but only simulcasting with 135.30 and 118.60.
I suspect, given the training traffic at the Moncton Flight College, that there are times when it's split off and separated from the other sectors. More listening required.
Now back to high altitude Re: 133.950
I was in the area recently (Sydney) and had a brief time to monitor the high altitude sectors. My reception of the controllers was good but aircraft reception was poor.
I heard the controller on 125.25 respond to 2 flights as they intially checked on (I could not hear the aircraft - see flightaware links below). The controller acknowledged the initial call then told the first flight to "switch to my frequency 125.25" right away, the second flight a short time later was similar but the controller instructed the flight "call my frequency 125.25 over CARAC".
Both these flights were routing out of New York Oceanic airspace via airway M201 (over NOVOK). NOVOK is on the New York/Moncton border.
Back in the "old days" before CPDLC, it was standard to hear aircraft on that route (M201, although it was called something different back then) on New York HF be instructed to call Moncton Center on 133.95 over NOVOK (or whatever it was called back then). I suspect that this is still the case, though hard to confirm now as it's so rare to hear a "voice" handoff from HF on that route.
If you look at a chart you will see there is a small section of Moncton airspace in the southwest corner of the southern most eastern sector, in the area of NOVOK, that is closer to Halifax than Sydney. I suspect that this, aircraft on M201 over NOVOK, is one of the uses for 133.95 ? I couldn't confirm it from Syndey at the time because I could not hear the aircraft that far away.
Watch for traffic routing via M201 (mostly Florida to Europe stuff) and I suspect you will hear them briefly on 133.95 from Halifax (if your reception is good enough).
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/VIR28/history/20150802/2215Z/KMCO/EGKK
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/TCX325/history/20150802/2057Z/MMUN/EGCC
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