Digital Air band recivers

[Guest jimmer]

hiplease could someone recommend me some good digital air band reciversbecause i am thinking of getting an digital air band reciver and i do not no anything about them so i dont no which radio is good or rubbish so please could you recommend me some digital air band revicers thanks in advance jimmer

[John_Cillis 2,406]

Yours is a pretty complex question. First, air traffic is still broadcast on the traditional analog freqs. A "digital" airband receiver might tune digitally, but you are still grabbing analog transmissions from the airwaves. I hate the way the word "digital" is used in advertising, because it often suggests that broadcasts are transmitted and received digitally. Quite often that is not the case. Next, there's two types of air traffic you can monitor. The first question--do you live within 20-30 miles of a major airport? If so, the air traffic you can listen to is endless--comms with center, the major airport, minor airports, unicom. More often than not, you will hear the air traffic more clearly than the tower, since the receiver works on line of sight. I can pick up air traffic communicating with center more than 100 miles distant on my 14 year old Radio Shack scanner.If you have a shortwave radio that can tune SSB (Single Side Band), you have another rich source of air traffic--that which communicates with the Oceanic centers. Here in Arizona, I pick up air traffic in the Pacific and the Atlantic. It's a collage of accents as I hear airlines from all over the planet. SSB/Shortwave is used because "line of sight" doesn't work more than a couple hundred miles from the coasts.Last, the Internet offers the opportunity to listen to air traffic from an increasing number of locations every day. I often tune to Falcon Field via their website, where I do most of my GA flying, before deciding whether I want to drive out there for a flight. I listen to the pilots in the pattern and in the practice areas, to see how the chop is. I've been content with my Radio Shack scanner and my shortwave radio. Both are over a decade old. But models change and that is probably true with Radio Shack. Sangean made my Shortwave radio for Radio Shack back in the 90's. Someone else might make their equipment today. Lord knows who made the scanner. All I know is it still works great, and for that, it gets my highest praise.-John

[Mace 1,927]

>If you have a shortwave radio that can tune SSB (Single Side>Band), you have another rich source of air traffic--that which>communicates with the Oceanic centers. Here in Arizona, I>pick up air traffic in the Pacific and the Atlantic. It's a>collage of accents as I hear airlines from all over the>planet. SSB/Shortwave is used because "line of sight" doesn't>work more than a couple hundred miles from the coasts.>John,What meter-band is SSB? I have a short wave/long wave receiver that can go from 11 m band up to 120m band.RhettAMD 3700+, eVGA 7800GT 256, ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2 GB Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8, etc. etc.

[Guest Paul Heaney]

SSB (Single Side Band) isn't a Band, it's a mode, and commonly used on HF Frequecies.

[Guest tango_d]

Hi Jimmer,John Ci makes some good points. Other things are how much do you want to spend ?I have a Jupiteru MVT7100 handheld which covers airband and much more than what i require, however the quality is outstanding in reception and reliability. It cost me around

[Guest jimmer]

hithanks for replys so far. so eddy the radios which your freinds have are they any good and yes i do live in britain lol do you no any good websites or where i could get some good radios thanks jimmer

[Guest tango_d]

Hi Jimmer,Model of choice for cheap entry is the Maycom AR108 @ about

[Guest jimmer]

hithanks for all your replys. eddy would you recommend the Maycom AR108 at all for me. basically i do only want to listen to airband but would you also recommend the Uniden Bearcat UBC72 XLT please could you tell me out of the two which one you would go for. also i no there is a website where you can get the airport frequencies which is called airnav.com but i think that is only for american airports is there a website for britain airport frequencies thanks jimmer

[Cessnaflyer 56]

I deal with maycoms and I hate them I would stay away at all costs. The Uniden units are very good for the price. I don't know if radioshack store are in the UK or not but if they are their own house brand is fairly good.

[Guest jimmer]

hi hope you dont mind me asking but what is the promblem with the maycomsthanks jimmer

[Guest tango_d]

Hi Jimmer,OK - The Maycom is liked by some and not by others, which is fair enough. But as i mentioned - they have been around a while, so would lack some of the new features available like the new 8.33mhz step. The guys who use them aren't avid radio hams, but they have been solid for them.Uniden have been around a while too, and my first ever scanner was a 200XLT (at least 10 years ago !!). Had two after that. I wasn't aware of the model you mentioned, but a quick search at a trustworthy site that i've used in the past, gives a very favourable review.http://www.ukmidlandscanner.co.uk/ubc72rev.htmLooking at the features (including Close Call) i wouldn't hesitate in recommending it. Further, you can order directly with Nevada (Nevada are the UK distributor for Uniden) for

[Guest tango_d]

Hi Jimmer again,Try this site....www.ajpotts.fsnet.co.uk/ It will give you a good start, but for a full list, you should really get the cheap guide i mentioned - it covers just about every airport / field in the land.RgsEd

[Guest jimmer]

hi again so eddy do you think the Uniden Bearcat UBC72 XLT would be a better buy i think its a bit more up to date than Maycom AR108 so out of thr two would you go for the Bearcat UBC72 XLTthanks for all your replys thanks jimmer

[dseagrav 0]

Unless your reciever specifically mentions USB/LSB (Or SSB-Auto) you don't have it. SSB is usually an extra option you have to pay extra for.They aren't in any given "meter band", they are scattered around between bands to maximize coverage. They use specifc channels rather than bands.The HF system is currently being phased out in favor of a new satellite-based system due to the events of September 11th, so I don't advise buying a radio to listen to it.

[Guest tango_d]

Hi Jimmer,Definately, would recommend the Uniden.RgsEd