For those who might not be aware, if you're in the footprint of the PAC region UHF TACSAT satellites, this is an interesting time to be tuning in. Operation "Deep Freeze", the USAF's support mission that shuttles people and supplies to the US Antarctic research station, has started up for the season. The flights use UHF TACSAT as one of their main communications channels.
Because of the extreme conditions even in the Antarctic summer, it's a very interesting and unusual operation, involving, among other things, a fleet of LC130 cargo planes, which are basically C130s with retractable skis and JATO boosters that allow them to take off and land on snow and ice. Most of the flights shuttle between Christchurch, NZ and McMurdo station, although there are also occasional "domestic" flights between McMurdo and the more remote outposts down there.
Because this is a completely unclassified scientific mission (funded by the NSF rather than the military), a great deal of the SATCOM traffic is in the clear (on FM). 263.625 is a particularly busy channel, but you'll hear traffic on many of the other PAC region channels as well.
Here's a sample, with "Skier 81" heading to McMurdo, where it was a balmy -12 degrees: http://www.crypto.com/misc/uhf-sats/263625-20121022-4.mp3 .
Because of the extreme conditions even in the Antarctic summer, it's a very interesting and unusual operation, involving, among other things, a fleet of LC130 cargo planes, which are basically C130s with retractable skis and JATO boosters that allow them to take off and land on snow and ice. Most of the flights shuttle between Christchurch, NZ and McMurdo station, although there are also occasional "domestic" flights between McMurdo and the more remote outposts down there.
Because this is a completely unclassified scientific mission (funded by the NSF rather than the military), a great deal of the SATCOM traffic is in the clear (on FM). 263.625 is a particularly busy channel, but you'll hear traffic on many of the other PAC region channels as well.
Here's a sample, with "Skier 81" heading to McMurdo, where it was a balmy -12 degrees: http://www.crypto.com/misc/uhf-sats/263625-20121022-4.mp3 .
