puzzling problem (noob)

[cobra64]

Hi there. I just bought my first scanner, a UNIDEN CD72XLT (the cheapest one i could find) since i often enjoy going down to the airport after a hard day at work to unwind and relax a bit watching the planes. anyways, i dialed in the freq for air traffic in the area, and when i am at home about 15 miles NW of the airport (CYQF- REd Deer Alberta) i can hear inboud aircraft but not the tower. but tonight i went down to the airport and could hear the tower loud and clear, but everytime an aircraft made a transmission the scanner picked up some other frequencies. not positive but it sounded like the ATIS and ATC from Edmonton. I'm confident in saying that this interference was caused when pilots were making transmissions on the channel since i observed the interference always right after the tower made his call and the pilot would be reading back or acknowledging the tower.

So...i'm wondering if maybe it was because of were i was sitting? I was directly north of the tower/terminal building and the traffic was coming in from the south. i was close enough to the stucture that it probably would have gotten in the way. pardon my ignorance in the matter but this was most likely my issue no? but i can get why that would not allow me to hear the planes coming in, but why would other frequencies be bleeding into the one i had the scanner set on?

thanks for any input.

Tim

 

[sjcscanner]

checked the database...can you tell me the freqs concerned.

 

[cobra64]

City: Red Deer
County : Red Deer County
Province: Alberta
Airport: CYQF

freq in question 118.500

 

[sjcscanner]

thanks, but can you tell me the frequencies that are bleeding into each other

 

[N4JNW]

If you were that close, you should have heard tower comms.. Check the frequencies and make sure they're up to date.

www.airnav.com is a good site for aviation only freqquencies as well.

 

[cobra64]

no i can't tell you definitevely. bear in mind that the mystery sound was very hard to understand and scratchy and just a nuisance. the ATIS for the airport is 124.000 and the Edmonton Center (ATC) for the area is 132.85. I think that these are the problems but can't be certain.

 

[loumaag]

Sounds as if the selectivity of the scanner is just not up to the overpowering signals. I mean what what is happening is when the aircraft answers, it is just enough added signal to break the squelch and the closer (ground based signals around you) signals at the airport just overpower the front end of the scanner. It also explains why you don't have the problem while not at the airport. I would imagine that a compromise could be found by being close to, but not at, the airport where you can hear the tower and replies without overloading the front end. I would imagine the Edmonton signal is coming from a RCAG right at the airport as well as the ATIS; hence a little distance should solve the problem.

As for the AirNav suggestion, that doesn't work for Canadian airports.

 

[N4JNW]

As for the AirNav suggestion, that doesn't work for Canadian airports.

Really? Dang.. I didn't know that. Sorry!! :lol:

 

[DaveH]

As for the AirNav suggestion, that doesn't work for Canadian airports.

How about http://www.canairradio.com/
Dave

 

[cobra64]

Sounds as if the selectivity of the scanner is just not up to the overpowering signals. I mean what what is happening is when the aircraft answers, it is just enough added signal to break the squelch and the closer (ground based signals around you) signals at the airport just overpower the front end of the scanner. It also explains why you don't have the problem while not at the airport. I would imagine that a compromise could be found by being close to, but not at, the airport where you can hear the tower and replies without overloading the front end. I would imagine the Edmonton signal is coming from a RCAG right at the airport as well as the ATIS; hence a little distance should solve the problem.

As for the AirNav suggestion, that doesn't work for Canadian airports.

sounds good thanks.