Non-motoring > radio receiver Miscellaneous
Thread Author: zookeeper Replies: 8
View Threaded 

New Fri 31 May 13 05:52 
 radio receiver - zookeeper
hi gang, im interested in buying one of those hand held radio receivers that you can listen to air traffic control, and pilot conversations...the sort of thing that airshow enthusiasts use?
any reccomendations would be appreciated ...something in the order of £100 tops
thanks ...zoo
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 31 May 13 08:00 
 radio receiver - Zero
Most newbies go for the Maycom AR108


bout 50 quid, commonly available on the bay and up the jungle.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 31 May 13 08:53 
 radio receiver - diddy1234
Depends if you want to be portable or not.

These days with a cheap USB TV card, pc and an outside antenna you can pick up airband very easily with a reception range of about 50 odd miles from aircraft.

Not many people have heard of the software but it becoming quite popular.
The type of software is called 'Software Defined Radio'.

If you want to be portable then I also recommend the Maycom AR108
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 31 May 13 09:24 
 radio receiver - Bromptonaut
As others say the Maycom is as good as anything currently available.

The only downside is that it appears not to support the current 8.33mhz channel seperation. The steps offered will probably get you near enough to resolve a specific frequency but the scan may not stop for them.

8.33 channels a re mostly used for upper airways control rather than tower/approach at airfields.

Does Zero have any thoughts on that subject?

Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 31 May 13 09:36 
 radio receiver - helicopter
I live not too far from Gatwick and have on occasion picked up ATC on my Sony bedside clock radio.....
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 31 May 13 09:47 
 radio receiver - Bromptonaut
>> I live not too far from Gatwick and have on occasion picked up ATC on
>> my Sony bedside clock radio.....

Fairly common I think. Something to do with the radio's intermediate frequency and poor internal design allowing it to pick up signals 2*IF above or below that you're tuned to.

Had a cassette/radio as a kid which picked up Leeds Approach, then 123.75, when tuned slightly above then upper limit of VHF/FM. Very useful to a budding plane spotter.

Conversley one of the early scanners, the WIN108, was useless for the Tower, 120.3, in the vicinity of LBA because Radio 1 Holme Moss at approx 22mhz below the tuned frequency was breaking through. A 'notch' filter would have cured it.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Fri 31 May 13 at 09:48
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 31 May 13 10:37 
 radio receiver - Mike Hannon
I have a mint Sony Air 8 I picked up in the UK for 15 quid a few years ago. Best airband set I've ever had. I see they go for loads on the Bay of Evil. I also have a Sony ICF2001D portable I bought new about 20 years ago that also works well on airband. Before I moved to France I had an AOR 8000 scanner that didn't do airband particularly well.
I live at 1,000ft on the southern slope of a range of hills and I can get virtually the whole of SW France sector control plus a long list of airports.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 31 May 13 10:45 
 radio receiver - Bromptonaut
I have the successor to the Air 8, a Sony ICF 1 Wavehawk. A US model covering 30mhz to 2ghz. Good for airband on its own aerial but overloads if connected to my external discone. Also covers marine and quite a bit of other stuff.

Dedicated airband receiver is an old Yupiteru VT225. Scans faster than the Sony and being airband specific has better resolution. Also handles the external OK and with that I can get traffic on ground at BHX - 40 miles away,
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sat 1 Jun 13 14:27 
 radio receiver - Bigtee
Yupiteru make cracking scaners and do short wave these used to be £300.00 but prices have fallen quite a lot they do fm/am/usb/lsb so with a simple wire antenna slung down the garden or over a tree you could plot the aircraft leaving the uk air space to Shannon then across the pond to New York you could listen all the way.

Computers spoil the fun of real radio listening it's not the same as listening on the radio.!!
Reply to this message | Report message
      1  
Latest Forum Posts