Post
by k8jd » Fri Nov 22, 2019 12:27 pm
I have had a portable, handheld analog scanner for decades, like to take it on vacations and search for VHF and UHF traffic,.
I had it programmed for the Marine freqs and in Hawaii and the FL Keys, I heard very little.
On a short cruise I noticed a CB and a Marine VHF radio and asked the pilot how they used them.
The CB radio was for comms with the office, giving departure and arrival at checkpoints. The marine radio was for calling the coast guard if they caught fire or were sinking O N L Y.
Here in MI, near Saginaw Bay, I heard a fair amount of Marine traffic on the inter vessel channels, several , non-commercial, fishing boats reporting on the catch in different areas of tha bay.
The aero band is full of constant traffic , an airctaft flying 5 or 6 miles up can send out that little 10 watt AM signal out hundreds of miles !
Yes !
When i reach my vacation destination , I program the scanner for aircraft listening. You may be able to do it by just pushing buttons, but I use a notebook and chart the Aero band. I search 1 or 2 MHz bites and note down the frequencies with voice traffic, and then afrer I have searched 118 to 136 MHz completely, , I enter the busy freqs in my memory.
Those digital C4FM radios cost a lot more than I want to spend.