News Choppers Philly area

[RES27CUE]

Was curious i had four UHF frequencies plugged in for news choppers 3,6,10,29. I still hear 3 and 29 on the listed occasionally but no 6 or 10. Did they switch to DMR or are they no longer using radios? I know the 6 ground cars use to run VHF simplex not sure if they are still a thing anymore i normally just see vans.

 

[trentbob]

I listen to them everyday, just program the 400 MHz frequencies that are in the database and you will hear KYW and fox regularly. They actually share the Choppers between the two Networks, last I had heard Channel 6 was on a communication system called sunshine Communications, never bothered with it myself.

The two most important frequencies to be listening to are 135.875 and 135.975, these are the air to air frequencies used by news media across the country, Philly uses Channel 1 and New York when they come down to visit will be on channel 2 but will switch over.

You also want to be listening to 126.900. That's Northeast Philly Tower. Some news Choppers take off from there and some take off from Penn's Landing but you can follow them on 123.025 also, that's Unicom for helicopters in the Philadelphia area, sort of a collision avoidance system, all Choppers announce their location and intentions on this frequency. Private carriers, medivac, police and news Choppers.

 

[RES27CUE]

I listen to them everyday, just program the 400 MHz frequencies that are in the database and you will hear KYW and fox regularly. They actually share the Choppers between the two Networks, last I had heard Channel 6 was on a communication system called sunshine Communications, never bothered with it myself.

The two most important frequencies to be listening to are 135.875 and 135.975, these are the air to air frequencies used by news media across the country, Philly uses Channel 1 and New York when they come down to visit will be on channel 2 but will switch over.

You also want to be listening to 126.900. That's Northeast Philly Tower. Some news Choppers take off from there and some take off from Penn's Landing but you can follow them on 123.025 also, that's Unicom for helicopters in the Philadelphia area, sort of a collision avoidance system, all Choppers announce their location and intentions on this frequency. Private carriers, medivac, police and news Choppers.

I'm about 15 miles west of those locations in montco. I hear traffic traffic on cbs and fox repeaters often, there looks to be two listed frequencies for 6's chopper but haven't heard any activity in some time. 10 also has a listed frequency but also no luck. I believe i heard some time ago 10 switched to DMR but never confirmed. I will plug into some of the ATC freqs but i rather more hear the activity of the incident thanks for the info.

 

[trentbob]

I'm about 15 miles west of those locations in montco. I hear traffic traffic on cbs and fox repeaters often, there looks to be two listed frequencies for 6's chopper but haven't heard any activity in some time. 10 also has a listed frequency but also no luck. I believe i heard some time ago 10 switched to DMR but never confirmed. I will plug into some of the ATC freqs but i rather more hear the activity of the incident thanks for the info.

They know people are listening and although they are pretty loose-lipped they use coordinates for locations, all you have to do is get ads b Exchange aircraft app that will monitor all the locations of the Choppers, you might hear two communicating with the news desk but often there are three and I guess that's Channel 6. Again last I heard they were on Sunshine Communications which is in the database.

It's all shootings and car wrecks anyway which happen multiple times a day, all day, everyday, so it's kind of non-climatic. The news desk is always paranoid about getting the body in the shot so it's a waste of time anyway LOL. Bad car wrecks and shootings.

The reason I suggested you listen to the one Chopper to Chopper Aviation frequency 135.875 is, it's simplex AM and if there's something going on nearby you, you hear the Choppers talking to each other. The news desk cannot monitor Aviation frequencies and these Pilots share everything, details details details. They also give each other tips on where they're going next. That's the frequency you want to be listening to.

You really need a rooftop obviously, I'm retired news media out of Trenton, New Jersey LOL.

 

[RES27CUE]

I have a few of the tracking apps on my phone and i normally can hear them a ways out before they are over top of me. Im going to plug the AM stuff into one of my units thats tied into a roof mount antenna i'll see what i can come up with thanks again.

 

[trentbob]

I have a few of the tracking apps on my phone and i normally can hear them a ways out before they are over top of me. Im going to plug the AM stuff into one of my units thats tied into a roof mount antenna i'll see what i can come up with thanks again.

No problem.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

You'll also hear them communicate with KPHL ATC when in their class Bravo airspace

 

[captaincab]

They know people are listening and although they are pretty loose-lipped they use coordinates for locations, all you have to do is get ads b Exchange aircraft app that will monitor all the locations of the Choppers, you might hear two communicating with the news desk but often there are three and I guess that's Channel 6. Again last I heard they were on Sunshine Communications which is in the database.

It's all shootings and car wrecks anyway which happen multiple times a day, all day, everyday, so it's kind of non-climatic. The news desk is always paranoid about getting the body in the shot so it's a waste of time anyway LOL. Bad car wrecks and shootings.

The reason I suggested you listen to the one Chopper to Chopper Aviation frequency 135.875 is, it's simplex AM and if there's something going on nearby you, you hear the Choppers talking to each other. The news desk cannot monitor Aviation frequencies and these Pilots share everything, details details details. They also give each other tips on where they're going next. That's the frequency you want to be listening to.

You really need a rooftop obviously, I'm retired news media out of Trenton, New Jersey LOL.

Correct they have both vhf and uhf on sunshine Ltr system in roxborough and center city. At least they did as of two years when i stopped monitoring them.

 

[trentbob]

Correct they have both vhf and uhf on sunshine Ltr system in roxborough and center city. At least they did as of two years when i stopped monitoring them.

Yes I remember when they went over to the sunshine system. I think they may also have a tower in Penndel? I never bothered to program it, to me it wasn't worth it and we still had Fox and KYW. Channel 6 does talk on the aviation air to air frequency.