Airband Radios & Scanners
Many Air-band radios/scanners are available today costing from just a few pounds to well over £700.
The cheaper radio is usually able to pick up transmissions from civilian aircraft but are limited by the
absence of accurate tuning so you have little idea of what frequency you are listening to and you are often tuned into more than one frequency at the same time.
A scanner, while more costly (£70+), usually consists of a keypad to enter a particular frequency, LCD display, a memory which will remember stored frequencies, and the ability to scan through a certain set
of frequencies. There isn't any frequency overlap that you get on the cheaper Air-band radio. You can
get either a hand-held scanner, ideal for air shows etc, or a larger desk top/base station model.
The cheaper scanners can receive just the VHF aircraft band (108-137MHz) which is ideal if you want to listen to civilian aircraft transmissions. More expensive models allow you to receive the UHF aircraft band
(225-400MHz) in addition to the VHF aircraft band. These scanners can receive military aircraft transmissions
as well as civilian. In order to listen to the Red Arrows display team at an air show talking to each other you would require the UHF band. Both VHF and UHF are short range, line-of-sight radio transmissions which are
restricted to a maximum range of about 200 miles due to the curvature of the earth and usually considerably
less depending on the surroundings (hills etc). Some scanners can receive the HF (short wave) aircraft band in addition to the VHF and UHF aircraft bands. The HF band is not restricted to line-of-sight radio transmissions and can be used to monitor Shanwick and the trans-Atlantic routes etc. There are also multi-band scanners which cover much more than just the aircraft bands.
|
 Yupiteru VT-225 Scanner
|
 Icom IC-R2 Scanner
|
Which scanner should i buy?
It all depends on how much you are willing to pay for a scanner and what you want to use it for.
I mainly use a scanner when i go to an air show so a small hand held dedicated air-band model is ideal for my use.
There are many air-band models on the market today all packed with various features making it hard to choose which
is the best scanner for you. I will mention a few popular hand-held air-band scanners that are good value for money
and ideal for listening to aviation broadcasts at air shows or airports etc. Firstly i will mention the Yupiteru VT-225 (about £200+) as
this is the scanner that i use. The VT-225 is a dedicated air-band scanner that can receive VHF and UHF aircraft transmissions.
This scanner has many features including a 100 channel memory which are organised into 10 banks. Each bank can be programmed
with 10 frequencies and then you can scan one or more banks of frequencies continuously. You can also select a priority channel
which monitors a certain frequency every 5 seconds. The Yupiteru VT-125 (about £150) is similar to the VT-225 but can receive only VHF air-band frequencies. The Maycom AR108 is a small VHF air-band scanner (about £70) which has 198 memory channels and looks to be very good value. A popular VHF/UHF air-band scanner is the Icom IC-R2 (about £150), and IC-R5 which is a tiny scanner with many features including 400 memory channels. The IC-R2 and AR108 lack a keypad for entering frequencies and so are a little harder to
use but once mastered you will find them very impressive scanners. The Yupiteru MVT-7100 (about £230) is a very popular and
capable air-band scanner that can receive VHF/UHF and long range HF transmissions and has 1000 memory channels. Presently the
AR8200 (about £370) is probably the most advanced hand-held scanner with coverage from 530KHz-2030MHz, 1000 memories expandable with an optional card, and optional computer control. Check out the Javiation website for details on these and other scanners. Another good scanner for the price is the Uniden UBC3500XLT..
|
Using a scanner at Air shows
Actually listening to conversations on VHF/UHF/HF air bands in the UK is illegal but the authorities usually aren't
concerned. If you go to a UK air show you will see many people using air-band scanners. When visiting air shows
in other countrys it is advisable to check if using a scanner is acceptable.
A scanner can be invaluable at an air show for listening to the tower and hearing what is going on. You will hear
the pilot talking to the tower and know exactly when a display aircraft is to take-off, ideal if you want to be in the right place at the right time to get that photograph.
|
 Air Shows
|
 Airwaves 2000
|
Which frequencies do i use?
You can get a complete HF/VHF/UHF aviation frequency listing along with maps and other info in the excellent
Airwaves book by Photavia Press. Photavia Press also publish
a book which is a directory of civilian and military callsigns. You can order these books on their website or you can usually
obtain a copy at an air show.
There are UK air show frequencies throughout this website and in particular on the frequencies page.
It is a good idea when visiting an air show to find an air-band scanner stall as they usually have a list of frequencies that are being used.
|
Airband Listening
Got A Radio Scanner? Interested In Airband? Then Share Your News With Fellow Enthusiasts Here, Wether It Be Air Show Related, Frequencies, Scanner Recommendations Etc. Just Post It Here!
|
|