BC125AT: Uniden BC125AT not picking up local air traffic control.

[domtheavgeek]

Hello,
I recently got the Uniden BC125AT, I got it to listen to air traffic control and local law enforcement. I set up the frequencies and programmed them, but the air traffic control is not working. The law enforcement I can hear perfectly and I am very happy about that. But I cannot hear my local air traffic control. I am able to hear the center, but not the airport I live 5 miles away from. I know that the frequency is active because I listen on my phone and I can hear chatting, but not on my scanner.
Thanks,
Dominic

 

[a417]

You are probably too far from the tower, those frequencies are optimized to be "up and away" from the tower, not recieved 5 ground miles behind vegetation, buildings and terrain. I can only recieve my local tower when I am within a mile of the actual building.

What you are hearing on your phone is from a reciever at / very near the airport and streamed to the service you are listening to.

Take the BC125AT to the airport with those frequencies, set your phone to the app that listens to them...and see how long the delay is between the live broadcast and your streamed broadcast. You'll be surprised.

 

[jaspence]

If you are using the stock antenna and can hear some traffic, that may be your problem. The tower antennas are often mounted to send the signal upward, which cuts their range. Try setting the radio for the ATIS frequency and moving around inside and outside the house. You may need an elevated external antenna. Hearing on your phone is not a true test because you are not listening to the airport radios, you are listening to the conversations rebroadcast over the internet.

 

[jaspence]

a417, I wonder if we are on the same wave length. The 125 is a good inexpensive radio, but the tower is almost always the problem. I live within 20 miles of a major airport and only get two of several tower frequencies clearly.

 

[a417]

a417, I wonder if we are on the same wave length. The 125 is a good inexpensive radio, but the tower is almost always the problem. I live within 20 miles of a major airport and only get two of several tower frequencies clearly.

I am 6 miles from our big airport and get zero of the posted tower frequencies at my house.

 

[mass-man]

To drive home the point of the above posts...I used to live 4 miles from Love Field in Dallas. In my downstairs living room, with a BC125, I could not hear the tower. Walk upstairs and it was clear. By being up there, there was nothing but a few trees between the tower and the receiver.

 

[MStep]

Unless you are within sight of the airport tower, or have a very high antenna clear of any obstacles, it is very difficult, in not impossible, to hear the tower properly. I live within 5 - 10 miles of 3 major airports, and even with decent external antennas (albeit mounted near ground level), monitoring the tower and other related ground frequencies just does not happen.

I know of aircraft enthusiasts who actually spent days in motel rooms near airports just to be able to monitor tower communications.

 

[Icanhearit]

The OP does not just mention the tower frequency. I aware the RR database does not include my nearby airport departure and approach frequencies, just ground and tower freq. The dep/arr frequencies can be found from liveATC.net site. You should expect to hear some pilot talking when fly high and not too far away from you and airport (in which case they may not talking that much anymore until handover to the next control center)

As for Tower frequency, yes they are low powered. I live 5 and 10 mils away from 2 airports, I can hear them randomly. By definition, the tower is to orchestra runways and in between, ground is taxi-to-runway, ground clearence delivery is for IFR ground checklist. All do not require high power, not sure the transmission antenna is also directional as I live on the take off direction (unless, when there is storm with wind change).

Also getting a diamond RH77CA antenna helps somewhat (for both air band and Ham).

 

[natedawg1604]

Get an external antenna and get it up as high as you can. I got an antenna recently that you can tune by cutting an inner rod based on a frequency chart, I cut it to the vhf airband spectrum and it works great.

 

[domtheavgeek]

You are probably too far from the tower, those frequencies are optimized to be "up and away" from the tower, not recieved 5 ground miles behind vegetation, buildings and terrain. I can only recieve my local tower when I am within a mile of the actual building.

What you are hearing on your phone is from a reciever at / very near the airport and streamed to the service you are listening to.

Take the BC125AT to the airport with those frequencies, set your phone to the app that listens to them...and see how long the delay is between the live broadcast and your streamed broadcast. You'll be surprised.

Will try!

Thank you all for the answers! I will do all of the solutions.

If you are using the stock antenna and can hear some traffic, that may be your problem. The tower antennas are often mounted to send the signal upward, which cuts their range. Try setting the radio for the ATIS frequency and moving around inside and outside the house. You may need an elevated external antenna. Hearing on your phone is not a true test because you are not listening to the airport radios, you are listening to the conversations rebroadcast over the internet.

Do you know what antenna would be good? I don’t want it to be outside and external, it would be attached to the scanner

 

[mass-man]

Is the scanner going to setting on a table, or are you going to carry it around? A collapsible whip extended to 23 or so inches would probably be best...and set the scanner near a window!
Good Luck....

 

[natedawg1604]

For airband I use a Comet CA-F22FG(N), it's a bit of a beast but it's awesome. I bought mine from the Antenna Farm with an N connector, I use it outside (currently in a tree with ratchet straps) with LMR-400 running into the house. If at all possible, get it up and outside and really high. If you have trees around you, maybe be creative and try to hide something in the trees that doesn't look like an antenna. Some people actually put up a flagpole and hide an antenna inside.

 

[N9JCQ]

Do you know what antenna would be good? I don’t want it to be outside and external, it would be attached to the scanner

I use the Diamond RH-77 for aviation listening. Its a good, inexpensive solution. You might give us all an idea as to what airport you are trying to listen to and about how far away you are from it. That would help us help you.

 

[domtheavgeek]

I use the Diamond RH-77 for aviation listening. Its a good, inexpensive solution. You might give us all an idea as to what airport you are trying to listen to and about how far away you are from it. That would help us help you.

I live near the Albany International Airport, 5 miles away.

Is the scanner going to setting on a table, or are you going to carry it around? A collapsible whip extended to 23 or so inches would probably be best...and set the scanner near a window!
Good Luck....

I am going to be carrying it around, I will check that antenna out!

 

[Scan125]

Not mentioned is that published frequencies and ATC called on 8.33kHz steps as certainly used in EU are NOT the actual frequency that are transmitted on. Real / certified Airband radios take the published / ATC frequencies and then use the "real" frequency.

The UBC125XLT (and I believe the BC125AT) do not correctly handle all 8.33kHz steps so using the published ATC frequencies to program the scanner can result in out of band conditions.

See here: Scan125 Control Program User Manual

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

My Icom IC-R20's my receiver of choice for air band and if I point the stock telescopic up and towards the direction of the tower I can receive KPHL tower to planes starting from about 20 miles out on ground if I'm right below the pattern

 

[natedawg1604]

My Icom IC-R20's my receiver of choice for air band and if I point the stock telescopic up and towards the direction of the tower I can receive KPHL tower to planes starting from about 20 miles out on ground if I'm right below the pattern

Does the Icom A120 perform similarly? How big are the scan lists? I need a mobile Airband scanner for my vehicle, and I'm debating about whether to get something like a BCT15X or an actual airband radio.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Does the Icom A120 perform similarly? How big are the scan lists?

Don't know, never owned one. Specs are here

 

[domtheavgeek]

My Icom IC-R20's my receiver of choice for air band and if I point the stock telescopic up and towards the direction of the tower I can receive KPHL tower to planes starting from about 20 miles out on ground if I'm right below the pattern

Can you send me the link to that one please?

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Can you send me the link to that one please?

The IC-R20? Specs are here. Radio is only available second hand, they don't make them new anymore. I was fortunate enough to get a new-old stock one on ebay recently never unboxed. I'd suggest checking there & also the Radioreference classifieds section periodically. Every so often someone will post one for sale here