N6JPA
A Ham Radio Operator With too much frequency.
President Gerald R. Ford on Air Force one conducting a telephone call on HF. I was ten years old at the time.
Your Best Airband DX Catch, [HF,VHF,UHF, Civilian or Military]?
- Thread starter Alain
- Start date
While I was just outside the northwest suburbs of Detroit, I heard someone call CQ on 146.52, from 31000 feet, off the south shore of Lake Michigan. So did everyone else, so I was not able to make contact.
gpstrackershop1
Newbie
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2024
- Messages
- 1
Wow, that’s an awesome memory! Following a 747 all the way to near touchdown in Rio sounds like a real marathon of a DX session. It’s crazy how immersive those long-haul flights can get when you're locked in for hours like that. Sounds like your setup back in the day was pretty impressive, especially with that custom memory board—over 1,000 memories must have felt like a game-changer!
As for me, one of my best DX catches happened during a quiet evening with a basic rig. I was just messing around with an old Grundig and happened to tune in to Radio New Zealand International from halfway across the world. It wasn’t the longest or most exotic, but there’s something about hearing a clear signal from so far away that just blew my mind. It really reminded me why I love this hobby—sometimes, those unexpected catches make it all worth it.
Probably about a year ago I heard a B-2 Spirit working the bombing range here in southern Idaho. Not the most interesting thing in this thread but the coolest i’ve heard.
Any more context ? Approximate date, location, VHF or UHF, name of ATC facility ? ATC often omits the decimal when they issue Mach Speed restrictions so it's not uncommon to hear "maintain mach 85 or 75". Are you sure you just didn't miss the first digit ? The SR-71 only had a top speed of around Mach 3.3. I'm sceptical unless maybe you were listening to X-15 test flights ?
jaymatt1978
Member
Ok not to take over the thread butr since moving to Cape May and putting a antenna on the roof I've had some pretty good catches one of my best were the Andrews Air Force Base on 133.675 on VHF and the Pax River Station ATIS 276.200 n UHF. It's happened a few times
Honestly I can't remember much. It was about 3 years ago, I had a load of aviation frequencies loaded in and was just letting them run through because I was just bored listening to P25 system. Absolutely didn't mis-hear anything it was as clear as a bell. I've got an RAF background and was very surprised to hear it myself. I'd take a polygraph that I'm telling the truth
XJM721
Member
Best Aeronautical SWL HF DX:
During the 1980s and 90s listening to U.S. Customs, DEA, Coast Guard and Navy assets chasing drug running aircraft out of South and Central America through the Caribbean to off the coast of Cuba and Florida where they would drop the load to waiting fast boats. These chases would go on for hours. The majority of the comms were in the clear due to interagency incompatible secure radio modes. Almost everyday during the 80s and 90s there was something interesting to listen to on the Customs Over The Horizon Enforcement Radio Network (COTHERN). Check online for June 1990 Popular Communications and February 1991 Monitoring Times Magazines for period correct info.
Ham Radio Contacts:
In 1992 on VHF 146.5200 MHZ 2 FM Meter Band I worked N9LBQ Mike who was a ham radio operator aboard W9DIA/Aeronautical Mobile the Amateur Electronic Supply Beechcraft Starship that was flying over Wisconsin. Approximately 500 miles from my QTH near Toronto. Got a nice QSL card for the contact which was actually a Beechcraft Starship Catalog with the front a back cover reprinted as the QSL card.
In December 2023 I made a contact on 28.3400 MHZ with Con a pilot of a Boeing 737 Southwest of Abilene Texas.
The most memorable was in the early 90s. I was operating a special event station VE3CNE and after calling CQ on 17 Meters I got a response from someone asking for a radio check I asked him for his callsign he responded that he was not amateur radio operator but was a pilot of a Lockheed Electra L-188 cargo plane on the tarmac in South Africa.
During the 1980s and 90s listening to U.S. Customs, DEA, Coast Guard and Navy assets chasing drug running aircraft out of South and Central America through the Caribbean to off the coast of Cuba and Florida where they would drop the load to waiting fast boats. These chases would go on for hours. The majority of the comms were in the clear due to interagency incompatible secure radio modes. Almost everyday during the 80s and 90s there was something interesting to listen to on the Customs Over The Horizon Enforcement Radio Network (COTHERN). Check online for June 1990 Popular Communications and February 1991 Monitoring Times Magazines for period correct info.
Ham Radio Contacts:
In 1992 on VHF 146.5200 MHZ 2 FM Meter Band I worked N9LBQ Mike who was a ham radio operator aboard W9DIA/Aeronautical Mobile the Amateur Electronic Supply Beechcraft Starship that was flying over Wisconsin. Approximately 500 miles from my QTH near Toronto. Got a nice QSL card for the contact which was actually a Beechcraft Starship Catalog with the front a back cover reprinted as the QSL card.
In December 2023 I made a contact on 28.3400 MHZ with Con a pilot of a Boeing 737 Southwest of Abilene Texas.
The most memorable was in the early 90s. I was operating a special event station VE3CNE and after calling CQ on 17 Meters I got a response from someone asking for a radio check I asked him for his callsign he responded that he was not amateur radio operator but was a pilot of a Lockheed Electra L-188 cargo plane on the tarmac in South Africa.
