Not a Bad Day on the Radios

Location: Savannah, GA

April has been a slow military monitoring month for me. First, I've not had as many chances to play radio as I'd like and it seems that when I have had the chances there hasn't been much to hear. Today I've had the opportunity and it's been pretty fun. Overcast skies have kept down Townsend Range activity, but W-157 has been pretty busy with activity from MCAS Beaufort F/A-18s. A couple of flights have also gone to the Bulldog MOA.

I've also played around with ID Tracker on one of the BC-780s to do some recording. I'll be leaving out shortly to do some volunteer work on the B-17 at the Mighty Eighth Air Force museum and I'm going to let ID Tracker run on the 780 with the SUA and Range frequencies in it to see what I miss while I'm gone.

Another one of the new USCG frequencies has been active this morning as well. CG 107 (150.300) has been active with encrypted digital activity. So far there hasn't been any clear traffic, so I've got no idea who is using it or where it is coming from.

Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT

Mobile MilCom

The mobile BC-780 has brought the enjoyment of military monitoring back to my daily commute. This afternoon on the way home, I was able to monitor activity in the W-157 offshore warning area and in Townsend Range, which I was never able to do when attempting to monitor such activity with the BC-996.

From between Rincon and Port Wentworth on GA 21, I was able to hear NIKEL 3# (F/A-18C, VMFA-122) and HAWK 8# (F/A-18D, VMFA-533) working in W-157 on 385.300, 283.400, and 348.825. When NIKEL 3# transitioned to work Townsend Range, I was able to hear them quite well on 228.400.

Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net

Mobile Monitoring Post Addition

For some time, I've been unhappy with my Uniden BC-996's performance on the military UHF airband. It does just fine on public safety, federal, and military land mobile frequencies and it gives me the easily ability to monitor P25 digital signals, but military aviation is my primary monitoring target. I haven't been able to hear much of my favorite thing to listen to for the last year. Recently, the opportunity presented itself to obtain a third BC-780 for use in the car.

This was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up. Another benefit to this 780 is that it has the Scanner Master remote face kit making it the perfect scanner to mount in the car. Given the limited space in the front of the Saturn and the size of the 780 and the 996, I probably couldn't have put both in if the 780 didn't have the remote face kit. The face of the 780 is mounted near the top of the dash over the AM/FM radio and the rest of it is under the front passenger seat.

Several times recently I've been asked what I'm using for antennas on the mobile radios, I never can remember the model numbers, so I'll post them here for easy reference. The Yaesu FT-8800 2-Meter/70-cm dual band transciever (center dash) uses a Comet CHL-62S. The BC-780 uses a Diamond SG7200NMO (an amateur dual band antenna that just happens to be an excellent milair antenna) and the BC-996 uses an Antennex ABSCANC.

The benefit of having both radios in the car is that I now have the ability to hear more. The 996 has been devoted to trunked and conventional public safety and federal communications. The 780 is devoted to military communications. Either radio can be used for searching, leaving the other to scan known frequencies when I'm searching for new frequencies or systems. With my 60-70 mile round trip each day, they provide an excellent way to pass the commute time.

Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT

kf4lmt@comcast.net