MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR

Hello and Welcome Back...Well, Its that time of year again...

Just wanted to say a big 'MERRY CHRISTMAS' and Happy New Year to all readers of this site.

Hope Santa brings you your desired pressie, whatever it may be..

Stay safe and see you in 2017...

P.S .. I'm available to program your Uniden UBCD396 scanner...SEE HERE..

VOYAGER OF THE SEAS

Hello and welcome back... Currently moored at Sydney Harbour is one of the largest ships in the world.. The Voyager of the Seas.

The Voyager of the Seas is operated by Royal Caribbean International (RCI).

In 1999, the Voyager of the Seas cruise ship was the Largest in the world only to be overtaken by her sister 'Explorer of the Seas'

In October 2014, Voyager of the Seas underwent a $80million refurbishment while in dry-dock. Upgrades included an Outdoor Movie Screen, Surf Simulator, various restaurants and Ship Wide WI-FI.

Voyager of the Sea is due to depart 20th Dec to the South Pacific.

INFO
Callsign - C6SE5
Weight - 138,194 GT (Gross Ton)
Length - 1,020Ft
Max Beam - 157.5 ft
Top Speed - 43.9km/h (22knots)
Passengers - Nearly 4000
Crew - 1200
Decks - 15
Pools - 10 (including spa, whirlpools, etc)
Includes - Rock Climbing Wall, Ice Skating Rink, FlowRider Surf Simulator, Mini Golf Course, Japanese Restaurant, Wedding Chapel and Video Arcade (you would find me here)


FREQUENCIES
Casino - 467.800
Ch1 - 467.750 (repeater - 457.525)
Ch2 Bridge - 467.775 (repeater - 457.550)
Ch3 - 467.800 (repeater - 457.575)

LINKS

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/vanity/voyager


VIDEOS





LAYOUT

NOTES - My dad is sailing on this cruise, the only thing he noted was that everything on this boat is in American dollars.
The Australian dollar is not very good at the moment against the American dollar so i hope he has deep pockets...
Other than that, he is looking forward to his holiday :)

*** Please, Don't forget to shout me a coffee (see link top right corner).. Any amount big or small is much appreciated and it keeps this site happening :)***

#VoyagerOf TheSeas
#Voyager of the Seas

COMPONENT PARTS OF A CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

Hello and welcome back... A vintage look at Component parts used in a Circuit Diagram.

To read... tap on page, then when opened in new window, right click "View Image".. Tap again to zoom and read..

REMEMBER WHEN

Hello and welcome back... Going back to around mid 1990's when things were a bit different.

I had the AOR1000, Similar to the Camnis you see above, same price too.
Bloody good radio :)

TRAIN DRIVERS VIEW

Hello and welcome back... Found this interesting.

My dad was a Train Driver, started out as a Fireman on Steam Trains (shoveling coal), then made it to driver for Diesels and eventually Electrics around the City Circle (and suburbs)

He is a nervous wreak..

He smokes a pack a day of cigarettes to try and keep his nerves at bay and has had a failed marriage.

His fatality count was around 8. (he doesn't talk about it) so its what i remember.

He is now retired, but is still scarred by experience.

Next time you travel by train, have a think about the person driving the train, who probably got up at 2am to start their shift, has to put up with near misses, rocks being thrown at the train, people spitting and yelling at them and the nightmares that continue long after their shift finishes..

That was never in the job description...

UNIDEN BEARCAT BC895XLT (Flashback)

Hello and welcome back... The Uniden Bearcat BC895XLT was a 300ch desktop scanner, which in its time could scan 100ch a second.. That's pretty good, even in today's standard.

This beast was chunky, had 300chs (10 bank) of storage and sported 'Trunktracker' technology. (Motorola Type I, II, IIi Hybrid, Smartnet and Privacy Plus).. analogue only.

Released in 1997, other features include: LCD dimmer, S-indicator, channel lockout, count key, weather alert, autosort and ten priority channels.

The BC-895XLT even has built-in CTCSS decode.

Other claim to fame was the ability to update the scanners firmware (a serial port on the back of the scanner supported this function)

FREQUENCY COVERAGE

• 29-54 in 5 khz steps
• 137-174 in 5 khz steps
• 108-137 in 12.5 khz steps
• 137-144 in 5 khz steps (NOTE: AM mode reception in this band is not possible due to firmware limitations)
• 216-225 in 5 khz steps
• 225-400 in 5 khz steps
• 400-512 in 12.5 khz steps
• 806-956 in 12.5 khz steps 

RESET SCANNER
With power off press and hold the MAN, 2, and 9 keys. Turn the radio on and release the keys after a few seconds.


MANUAL - https://www.manualslib.com/manual/334337/Uniden-Bc895xlt.html#manual

MODS - http://www.radioreference.com/digital/dig/bc895-tap.txt

NOTES = Cant really comment, never owned one of these radios. It looks the part, covers the spectrum really well and scan rate is amazing..

Would i buy one? ... Yes

Anyone else have any thoughts about this radio... Good / Bad

Comment below..


#BC895XLT

POLAIR 3

Hello and welcome back... Taken this afternoon while buzzing around Springwood.

Apart from Radios and Music, Photography is a huge hobby of mine. Very impressed with this photo, i don't own an expensive camera (Nikon L310), so i get excited when my photos turn out sharp and reasonable size.

AIRPORT CHAOS AFTER HOAX CALL

Hello and welcome back... Sometimes, I can't believe the stupidity of people.

Someone has decided that it would be funny to start transmitting on aircraft radio and issuing directions to airplanes saying they were from control towers, they even made a hoax mayday call to Avalon and Melbourne (Tullamarine) airports.

This happened 15 times...

Unauthorized transmissions on non-public radio channels is an offence, and the person responsible could face up to 20 years in prison.

Apart from the obvious danger to passengers and crew, this is the sort of behavior is what will make authority's say 'How can we stop this thing from happening again'
The result will be, that changes will be made and the hobby of Aviation listening will be a thing of the past.. all thanks to some dickhead.

This sort of shit pisses me off...I love Aviation monitoring, its about the only thing that hasn't changed much in 30 years which means you can still get a cheap receiver (or an old scanner), as long as it covers the aviation bands and be sure to hear something within a few mins.

If anyone knows who is doing this, please contact Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000
before its too late.

Oh yeah, and if you know them personally, give them a good smack in the head and tell them to wake up to themselves, courtesy of the aviation loving community. 

LINKS

http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/afp-investigating-15-unauthorised-radio-transmissions/news-story/f2792505af8e83bce39b1dd904c5e55b

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-07/afp-investigating-hoax-calls-made-to-passenger-plane/7995502

COCKPIT TALES - KLM AIRLINES

Hello and welcome back... Found this interesting, very informative if you love aviation. Everything you wanted to know about flying commercial airlines and how things work





















LINKS

http://www.klm.com/

https://www.facebook.com/klm

https://twitter.com/klm

Thanks to KLM Airlines for the videos

*** Please, Don't forget to shout me a coffee (see link top right corner).. Any amount big or small is much appreciated and it keeps this site happening :)***

#KLM
#NSWRadio&Communications

BUILD YOUR OWN FLOWER POT ANTENNA

Hello and welcome back... I'm going to try this, looks really good.

Build your own 6db gain Flower Pot Antenna from coax that you probably have laying around your house.

Its called a Flower Pot Antenna because, the original antenna was cleverly disguised in a flower pot.

The clever inventor of this antenna is a NSW amateur radio operator  (VK2ZOI) and the instructions to build this antenna are on his website. (see links below)

View the instructions on how to build this antenna here

LINKS (other)

http://vk2zoi.com/articles/dual-band-high-gain-flower-pot/

http://vk2zoi.com/

http://vk2zoi.com/articles/half-wave-flower-pot/

http://vk2zoi.com/articles/dual-band-half-wave-flower-pot/

http://vk2zoi.com/articles/single-five-eighth-flower-pot/

http://vk2zoi.com/articles/double-five-eighth-flower-pot/

Thanks to VK2ZOI for the information.


*** Please, Don't forget to shout me a coffee (see link top right corner).. Any amount big or small is much appreciated and it keeps this site happening :)***

NEW HELICOPTERS FOR CH7 & 9

TV News Ch7 and 9 have entered a contract with Camden (NSW) based United Aero Helicopters.

Both 7 and 9 have done away with their helicopters, with both helicopters being repainted white with a dark blue tail and no network branding.

Read the full story HERE
 

QANTAS RETRO ROO 2 - SPOTTED

Hello and welcome back... Spotted at Sydney Airport.

The Retro Roo 2 from Qantas. Would love the travel on this, like going back in time.

#RetroRoo
#Retro Roo
#NSW Radio & Communications

RADIO ANTENNA'S

Hello and welcome back... Antenna's or Aerials (American?) are the lifeblood of our radios. Without them they would not work properly.

So many Antenna's are on the market these days, its hard to decide which one is right for you.

While i'm not an expert, i have been using radios since i was 16 (now 46) and have used a fair few antenna's, some good, some not so good, and some are just crap.


*****SHORTWAVE*****

 Shortwave is low band starting about 0.5Mhz to 30Mhz.

The Longwire antenna is a popular choice.

Its basically, attach a rope or string to a tree, end with an egg insulator and attach a very long piece of copper wire to the other end, the longer the better and up high, the higher the better. Tie the end to an egg insulator and attach to a tree. (see below)

Other HF/Shortwave antennas to use would be Whips similar to what the Army use.

For indoor use, the old twin antenna wire (or ribbon wire) worked well, just make sure your radio is away from TV, Microwave ovens, florescent lights, etc,etc.
Tac the ribbon cable across one end of the room, across the roof line is best and all the way around if you can, then solder the ends together and attach coax to the solder and coax to radio.

   
I am currently using a Mobile One SCATX antenna on a rooftop pole. The antenna is rated to 30Mhz but for Shortwave, It just booms in..I'm very impressed.
Been able to get stations in the U.S, Japan, China and even Russia using the Icom IC-R1000 radio.
 

*****SCANNER*****

The worlds your oyster, or so the saying goes.

The Discone Antenna is the most popular.
With unity gain, its a trusty performer but at times not cheap.
Also there's the problem that if your discone is on a mast outside, everyone knows you own a scanner. (pic below)

Whip antenna's are also a good choice, ether stainless steel or fiberglass.

The Mobile One SCATX antenna is my current choice, it has gain on UHF (4.5db), Airband (2.1db) and VHF Low (Unity). Like i stated in the Shortwave post, it picks up pretty good as well.

TV Antenna's can also be used in fringe areas.

The 50 - 75ohm difference will not cause a problem. (Scanners are 50ohm while TV is 75ohm). TV Antenna's are rated to 30Mhz to 800Mhz, good enough for scanner use.

Keep in mind that TV Antenna's are very directional.

The only thing to be careful of, is if the TV antenna has a pre-amp attached, it can cause signal overload that can damage your scanner.

I was living in an area (Faulconbridge) and it was down in the sticks. I went to the top of the property, mounted a scanner antenna in a tree, ran super thick coax down to the house to minimize loss but it was still a crap signal.
In desperation i plugged my scanner into the TV Antenna socket and 'Boom', everything came in clear, problem solved.

Other Scanner base antennas I have tried is the Mobile One SCBASE antenna.

I was not impressed. Thankfully, i did not pay for this 'bit of tube and wire'.

Asking price at the time was $160 and was sold at Dick Smiths.

The SCBASE antenna is a white plumbers tube attached to a smaller aluminum tube for mast mounting. Inside this antenna was coax to the center where very thin wire was wound up and down inside a smaller tube.

I wonder if the makers actually tested this antenna before putting it on the market.

My mind was taken back to when i spoke to Peter Pride (Owner of Mobile One) and he stated that they had to import these antennas because Dick Smith wanted them to. (don't quote me on that, its going by memory and was about 10 years ago but its similar to what i remember)

He told me to save my money and buy the antenna i have now, an antenna he designed and made..The SCATX.
An antenna that has outperformed my expectations.

Handheld antennas for scanners can have a BNC or SMA connectors.

Diamond Antennas make some good antennas.

I was using a amateur band antenna where 144Mhz and 400Mhz had between 2.4 to 4.5db gain.
Sadly this antenna bent really easy and lasted about 6 months.

Mobile one has BNCSCAN or SMASCAN antenna.
This is my current antenna i use on my scanner, its longer than the stock antenna and performs pretty well. Sells for $40/45

The best antennas for handhelds, i have found, are the ones similar to the previous Diamond antenna.

Amateur band antennas that have gain for 144Mhz (also good for Airband) and gain in UHF band.

In fact, i think the handheld market is the hardest of all, some antennas of the Chinese variety claim to have gain but the proof is in the pudding.
Most times they struggle to give good reception and are cheaply made.
  

*****UHF*****

Brand 'RFI' have some of the best UHF antennas around.
I am currently using the stainless steel whip with a elevated feed for GRN reception.
Even in strong wind, it performs very well and has around 6.5db gain. (see below)

Benelec Antennas are other i would recommend.
One Benelec base antenna which is a 477Mhz  is rated at 9db gain, that's pretty good. See Here, as does Mobile One (COL9) see here
Other brands include GME, ZCG, Uniden, Minespec and Aerpro.

Beam antennas are very effective for home UHF setups, they're directional, offer decent gain and are durable to weather conditions.

Handheld antennas often include the 'stubbie' quarter wave (seen on most 2-ways),most are unity gain with longer antennas offering db gain.

Antennas are available from Icom, Mobile One, GME, Vertex, Motorola and various 'Chinese' brands.
A small selection here


*****AIRBAND*****

Base antennas for Airband are hard to get, not many suppliers sell Airband antennas.  (that i know of)

Mobile One sell both Base and whip variety see here

I sort of made my my own Airband Antenna
Ive currently got a elevated feed from 27Mhz (2.1db gain) and a long VHF stainless steel whip (made for 76Mhz?).
Picks up really well, so good in fact, it beats my Mobile One antenna on the roof which has 2db gain.

From Springwood, I can recieve Sydney ATIS (5bar/full), Richmond (4bar), Camden (2-3bar) and Bankstown (1bar) (bar = signal strength)
With the Mobile One roof antenna, I only get about half of what I receive on the above whip setup. (Airband only).

Another good base Airband antenna is the Diamond D-103, Its has 2.15dBi (120MHz), 5.5dBi (300MHz) See Here

Handheld antennas are sold by Mobile One as well.

You can also get replacement Airband antennas from Icom and other makers of Airband radios, just be sure check that the connection is the right one for your radio, eg BNC or SMA


*****AMATEUR RADIO*****

The most popular base Ham/Amateur radio antennas would have to be the huge beam antennas.

Depending on which band your interested in, some require a high mast, guy wires and council permission before you can start transmitting (license required) check em out here

Also Dipole or Wire Antenna's are popular with Ham radio.

Makers of Antenna's to check out for Ham/Amateur radio include Cushcraft, Diamond, Hy-Gain, T.G.M, & Ultrabeam, 

Amateur Radio handheld antennas are also excellent for scanners because most have gain in the 144 / 400Mhz range.

Once again Mobile One (see here) sell a good range of Ham Antenna's as does Chinese brands that have flooded the market.
Brands like Baofeng, Wouxen,Quansheng, Puxing have replacement antennas available. Some good, some not so good.

One of the best I have found is a brand called Sainsonic, cute little antenna, kinda looks like a toy but picks up really well. (better than the stock antenna) and has 2.1 db gain. (see below)

Please add anything i may have missed in the comments below.
I started writing this 4 hours ago and my brain is now mush. hahaha

Do you have a favorite Antenna you wish to share with readers? Comment below.

Also if you have a company that sells radio antenna's, feel free to advertise below in the comments section. (no spamming)     
  
Don't forget to shout me a coffee (see link top right corner).. Any amount big or small is much appreciated and it keeps this site happening :)

LINKS

http://mobileone.com.au/1a_index.html

http://www.prestigecom.net.au/

http://actioncommunications.net.au/

http://www.andrewscom.com.au/Antennas

http://www.strictlyham.com.au/

https://baofengtech.com/


#Antenna
#Shortwave
#scanner
#UHF
#VHF
#Amateur
#Airband

#Disclaimer - This post is not an advertisement for Mobile One antennas or any other company. Its the products that i have used and they work well (and i'm very picky.)
If i find products that work well, i'm more than happy to tell the world, if its rubbish.. well, i will try to let you down gently in a hope you will fix the problem.
Thanks.

WARBIRDS FLYPAST

Hello and welcome back... While on holiday with the family (first in 6 years) on the Gold Coast, these stunning war birds did several flybys.

I love the Gold Coast, would gladly move there in a heartbeat.. There is always something happening, excellent for the photographer in me and i love the hot weather :)

WARBIRDS FLYPAST

#warbirds
#RAAF
#GoldCoast

BUILD YOUR OWN 2 METER ANTENNA 144-148Mhz

Hello and welcome back... I'm currently in the process of making or constructing my own Airband radio antenna (receive only).

Once I work out how to do this, i will post here..

This video from radio user 'Margaret' (callsign VK4MH) and shows you how to build your own Antenna. It can be changed to be of any frequency you like as Margaret explains in her video.

MAKE YOUR OWN 2 METER ANTENNA


Many thanks to vk4jgh for the video.

#2 Meter Antenna

TOUR THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

Hello and welcome back... I did a page a while back on the International Space Station SEE HERE

This video goes into more detail, and is a bit clearer...

I love videos like this.. :)

GRN (Government Radio Network) APCO BANDPLAN

Hello and welcome back... Found out about this by mistake...

I decided to reprogram my Uniden UBCD396XT Radio Scanner and make things a little more organized.

Upon programing GRN (Digital P25) into the radio i found that i was receiving towers from Kurrajong, & Gov Phillip Tower but not Glenbrook or Razorback (Picton).

Living in Springwood, NSW, my main tower is Glenbrook and wondering is the tower was not transmitting, i programmed in the control channel into another analogue radio and confirmed that it was, in fact.. still working.

Next step was to check settings and i noted that the two working channels had found its bandplan but the the two that was dead had no bandplan in place.

The bandplan is used to set parameters into the radio along with step frequencies as well.

You will find the bandplan in your Freescan setup. Once you load your setup, head the your GRN setup and click on the Base (or Tower), in my case its Glenbrook as a start.

There are 3 tables in front of you... Site Setup, Trunk Frequencies and APCO Band Plan. The APCO bandplan is what you want.

All your towers should have a Bandplan like the pic below.

If you try to enter the frequencies manually, the software will tell you that the 762mhz frequencies are out of band, just click OK. 

FREQUENCY(Mhz)     SPACING (Khz)
851.00625                       6.25
762.00625                       6.25
851.0125                         12.5
762.00625                       12.5
412.47500                       6.25
420.00000                       6.25

After setting the bandplan, I then plugged my radio into an outdoor antenna and Bingo..Glenbrook was now working (also did the same to Razorback and it too started to work)

So, if you are programming your radio and wondering why its not picking anything up... Check the bandplan.
Normally, it programs the bandplan automatically (as it did for Gov Phillip Tower & Kurrajong) but failed to do Glenbrook & Razoback.

Hope this Helps

NOTE = I have updated the 'How to setup GRN page  :)

PHONETIC ALPHABET

Hello and welcome back... The Phonetic Alphabet is used alot in radio, everything from Aircraft, Military & Police.

If you have ever wondered why Charlie is in India, Playing Golf while drinking Whiskey... Wonder no more. They were just using the Phonetic Alphabet.

A = Alpha / Alfa
B = Bravo
C = Charlie
D = Delta
E = Echo
F = Foxtrot
G = Golf
H = Hotel
I = India
J = Juliett / Juliet
K = Kilo
L = Lima
M = Mike
N = November
O = Oscar
P = Papa
Q = Quebec
R = Romeo
S = Sierra
T = Tango
U = Uniform
V = Victor
W = Whiskey
X - Xray
Y = Yankee
Z = Zulu

#Phonetic Alphabet

AIRBAND TERMINOLOGY

Hello and welcome back... A reader was asking about Airband Terminology and what various codes are used in flight procedures...

Often when listening to Airband / Aircraft radio, some of the codes used can get a bit confusing, so i will attempt to clarify what various things mean...

Hopefully by the end, you will know what a PAX is and whether you can push them under a aircraft's wheels.

CODES

AACC - Area Approach Control Centre.

ACC - Area Control Centre.

ACARS - Aircraft Communications Addressing System - Kinda like a messaging system so air and ground staff know whats happening with the aircraft.

ADF - Area Direction Finder.

AFB - Air Force Base.

ADIZ - Air Defense Identification Finder.

AFFIRMATIVE - Yes

AGL - Above Ground Level. (also a gas company but you already knew that)

AIREP - Transmitted report inc weather.

AIRSPEED - Aircraft speed in Knots.

AIRWAY - Beacon path for aircraft.

ALTERNATE - Airport used in diverted landing.

AM - Amplitude Modulation.

ANO - Air Navigation Order

ANR - Air Navigation Regulation

APU - Air Turn Back = Go back to the airport. May be due to an illness or bad weather.(can also mean Auxiliary Power Unit depending on situation)

ATA - Actual Time of Arrival.

ATC - Air Traffic Control.

ATS - Air Traffic Services.

ATIS - Automatic Terminal Information Service

AUSY - RAAF flying international route callsign.

AUSSIE - RAAF callsign.

AUW - All Up Weight.

BFO - Beat Frequency Oscillator (some shortwave radios have this)

BLOCK - Altitude clearance with lower/upper parameters.

BOGEY - Military term for 'Target Aircraft'.

BUNT - pushing the aircraft nose down into a dive (hang on to your hats)

CAT - Clear Air Turbulence (also a small fluffy animal but you already knew that)

CAVOK - Ceiling and Visibility better than expected.

CARRIER - Commercial Passenger Airline.

CBS - Cumulonimbus cloud formation (thunderstorm?)

CHARLIE CHARLIE - Slang term on HF 'Copy Your Message' (could also be a name of someone 'so good, we named you twice')

COMMS - Communications 

CONFIG - Configuration or layout of the plane (seat layout)

CSM - Customer Service Manager = The poor bastard that cops all the shit when something goes wrong.

CTA - Controlled Airspace.

CX - Cancelled = Your flight has been Cancelled. You will now want to speak to the CSM.

CVR - Cockpit Voice Recorder

CW - Continuous Wave (Morse Code)

DELTA - Suffix to flight number meaning 'delivery flight'.

DIW - Dead in the Water (not good)

DME - Distance Measuring Equipment.

DMEA - 200Mhz Distance Measuring Equipment.

DX - Long Distance Communications.

ELT - Emergency Locator Transmitter.

ETA - Estimated Time of Arrival  = 'are we there yet?'

ETD - Estimated Time Departure

ETOPS - Extended Range Twin Engine Operations = Approval for aircraft with two engines to fly long distances over water.

FIR - Flight Information Region.

FIS - Flight Information Service.

FLAMEOUT - Jet Engine Failure (do you believe in god?)

FLIGHT LEVEL - FL310 = 31,000 feet

FOD - Foreign Objects Debris = Bits and pieces found on the runway that can cause problems to aircraft when taking off or landing.

FRM - For Routine Maintenance

FREQ - Frequency = Mhz, Khz

FS - Flight Service

GCA - Ground Control Approach = sometimes used in military.

GNS - Omega Navigation System

GO ROUND - Aborted Landing = 'you screwed up, go round and try again'.

GPU - Ground Power Unit

GRADU - Gradually.

GREEN - Military speak for Scrambled Speech Mode 

GROUNDSPEED - Speed in Knots = wind speed across the ground

HAC - High Altitude Chart

HEAVY - Aircraft bigger than a 707 (American slang)

HF - High Frequency (shortwave)

HOLD - Air pattern flown in a oval shape while waiting for clearance.

IAS - Indicated Airspeed

ICAO - International Civil Aviation Organisation

IFR - Instrument Flight Rules

ILS - Instrument Landing System

IMC - Instrument Meteorological Conditions

INS - Inertial Navigational System

INTER - Intermittent

J - Business Class

KHZ - Kilohertz (frequency)

KNOT - Nautical Mile per Hour.

LATITUDE - Meridians running east / west

LOCALISER - Radio aid to assist landing

LONGITUDE - Meridians running north / south

LSALT - Lowest Safe Altitude

MACH - Speed of Sound.

MAVERICK - Military speak for 'Target aircraft'

MEDEVAC - Medical Evacuation Flight

MET - Meteorology aka weather

METAR - Aviation Routine Weather Report

MISSED APPROACH - 'you screwed up, go round and try again'.

MIKE SIERRA - Maintenance Status

MLS - Microwave Landing System

MTOW - Maximum Takeoff Weight

NAUTICAL MILE - Equal to 1.151 statute miles

NAVAID - Navigational Aid

NEGATIVE - No

NDB - Non Directional Beacon

NIGHT VMC - Night Visual Meteorological (weather) Conditions

NOSAR - No Search & Rescue Watch Required

NOSIG - No Significant Change

NOTAM - Notice to Airmen = Information for pilots regardless of gender.

OAT - Outside Air Temperature

OCA - Oceanic Control Area

OCTA - Outside Controlled Airspace

OKTA - 1/8 of sky covered by cloud

OMEGA - Worldwide Navigational System using 8 Low Frequency radio stations across the globe.

OPS - Operations 

ORBIT - similar to holding pattern.

OVERSHOOT - Go round, sometimes emergency related or done in practice.

PAR - Precision Approach Radar

PAX - Passengers.

POB - Persons on board

QNH - Altimeter sub-scale setting giving elevation if the aircraft was on the ground (barometric pressure adjusted to sea level)

QSL - Conformation of Reception

RAAF - Royal Australian Air Force

RED - Military speak for  'In Clear Communications'

RNC - Radio Navigational Charts. 

RNP - Required Navigational Performance = Its a really really good GPS system in the cockpit.

RT - Radio Telephone

ROGER - Communication Acknowledged

ROMEO DELTA ALPHA - Re-despatch accepted by flight crew.

ROMEO DELTA UNIFORM - Re-despatch not accepted by flight crew.

RVR - Runway Visual Range.

SAM - US Air Force special air mission.

SAR - Search and Rescue

SARTIME - Time Search action is required to commence.

SELCAL - Selective Calling Device (used on HF (High Frequency)

SHEAR - Sudden change / speed of wind direction.

SID - Standard Instrument Departure

SKED - Schedule

SOB - Souls on Board (Passengers and crew)

SQUAWK CODE - Transponder code which identifies an aircraft on radar.

SSB - Single Sideband Radio Mode (used in Shortwave radio)

SSR - Secondary Surveillance Radar.

STOL - Short Takeoff and Landing

STUD - Frequencies for Military airfields. (also a name for myself)

TACAN - Tactical Aerial Navigation

TAS - True Air Speed

TEMPO - Temporary

TOPS - Cloud Tops (where angels live) 

TOGA - Take Off, Go Around = Throttle setting that puts the plane in max power, often used when aborting landings due to weather, or a PAX (wearing a toga) on the runway.

TOW - Takeoff Weight

UHF - Ultra High Frequency.

UM - Unaccompanied Minor.

UNDERSHOOT - Just short of the runway.

UNIFORM - Military speak for UHF Radio.

US - Unserviceable Equipment.

USAF - United States Air Force.

USB - Upper Sideband Radio (used on shortwave radio)

VASIS - Visual Approach Slope Indicator System.

VECTOR - Directional Steering Oriented by Radar.

VFR - Visual Flight Rules.

VHF - Very High Frequency

VICTOR - Military speak for VHF Radio

VMC - Visual Meteorological (weather) Conditions

VOLMET - Scheduled Aviation Terminal Weather Broadcasts.

VOR - VHF Omni-Directional Radio Range

VSB - VHF Survival Beacon.

WHEELS UP LANDING - Landing where the wheels have failed to extend.

WX - Weather

Y - Economy Class (aka cattle class)

ZULU - Universal Co-Ordinated Time

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Photo = Mike Wyss

Thanks to Qantas & Bob Bell for some of the info used ...



 

HELICOPTER FLYOVER

Hello and welcome back... Yesterday afternoon, Sydney's west and Blue Mountains was treated to an amazing site..

A flyover, very low by a 1966 Bell UH-1H Iroquois (Huey) (VH-UH1) registered to Pays Helicopters / Australian Native Landscapes (ex Heli-Aust) and is housed at Bankstown Airport)

It made my day...Love the Chop Chop sound :)

 Photo by a very excited Michael Bailey (Springwood NSW)

Rumor has it that its the same helicopter from the movie 'The Supremes?'

THE LEGALITY OF CHINESE RADIOS

Hello and welcome back.... With the flood of Chinese radios on the market, i'm talking about radio makers such as Baofeng, Puxting, TYT and a string of others.

These radios offer value for money with features galore (LED lights, FM Radio, Duel Receive / Transmit) who seriously put other larger radio company's to shame.

These amazing little radios are available from around $29 - $399 on Ebay and Alibaba.

There's just one problem...

In Australia, they're ILLEGAL.

Well, it is to transmit on one and if the ACMA don't like the look of you, you could be fined for just having one in your possession.

The fine is a whopping $12,000 and if your caught selling these radios its a staggering $150,000

THE ACMA SAY =

The use of non-standard radiocommunications equipment including, but not limited to, cordless phones, land mobile transceivers, CB radios and a range of low power appliances, may cause costly interference. Some of the services which may be affected by interference are cellular (mobile) phone services, broadcast radio and television, and two-way radio services, including emergency services.

The use and (sometimes) possession of radiocommunications equipment not specifically designed to comply with Australian standards may be illegal. There are severe penalties for operation, possession for the purpose of operation and supply of radiocommunications equipment that does not comply with applicable Australian standards.

It is illegal to operate any radio transmitter in Australia unless the operation of that transmitter is authorised by a licence issued by the ACMA.

Low power transmitters are generally covered by an ACMA radiocommunications class licence. Spectrum usage and equipment standards vary around the world, and it can be difficult to ensure that equipment purchased overseas complies with an ACMA class licence. The operation of most base stations, mobile and handheld transmitters can only be authorised by an apparatus licence, which incurs additional costs.

Two-way base, mobile and handheld equipment other than those used in the amateur service usually requires the assignment of individual operating frequencies. It is most unlikely that this type of equipment, which may be authorised for use in other countries, could be authorised for use in Australia without at least requiring a frequency change, and in many instances cannot be operated at all. As a result, it is generally impractical to bring such equipment into Australia.

Radiocommunications equipment approved for use in Australia has the C-Tick compliance mark, showing that it meets mandatory technical standards set by the ACMA.

If radiocommunications equipment is designed to connect to a telecommunications network it must also comply with regulations applicable to telecommunications equipment and be labelled with the A-Tick compliance mark. It is not necessary for such equipment to also bear the C-Tick mark. For such equipment, the A-Tick mark is sufficient indication that the equipment complies with both radiocommunications and telecommunications regulations.


MY SAY =

Look, i get it... These radios, if in the wrong hands can cause lots of problems, programed correctly you can start transmitting on various emergency services, business owners, State Rail, etc etc...

Also if transmitting on say, Ch19 on UHF CB there has been instances where the splatter can be heard on Ch 18,17 and sometimes 16. This apparently does not happen with a certified radio.

I own a Baofeng GT-3 and using software (Chirp) have disabled all transmitting on my radio so it is now effectively just a scanner now.
I have also gone one step further and cut a small piece of rubber from the transmit button so there is no way i can accidentally transmit on my radio (see pics below)

But is it still legal?.. I only receive now so it should be O.K (i hope)

Even if you have an Amateur radio license you may still be in trouble

BUT.. What i don't get...

Most radios that have the 'Tick' of approval are guess what??... Bloody expensive.

Why can't radio manufacturers like Alinco, Icom, Kenwood, etc, etc, make radios that don't cost the earth... Seriously, if small Chinese company's can do it then why can't larger company's.. after all, most of them are made in bloody China anyway

I hear you say, the components are better quality??

I own a Alinco scanner (DJ-X3) and while its a decent radio, my Baofeng has way better sound, its so clear and crisp and the Baofeng has a keypad, the Alinco does not...
Both receive the same...
One radio cost $59, the other cost $249
While the Alinco receives Airband Radio and a crappy Shortwave, the $200 difference is hard to swallow, may have been OK 10 years ago but not in today's market.

Still, these Chinese made radios have more features including (as mentioned before) LED lighting, FM Radio (alinco has this), Duel Receive, ....and while components may be more expensive, it still does not cover the fact that they the larger company's are $200 - $400 more expensive...

Me thinks a huge shake up in the radio communications is in order with larger company's not able to compete with Chinese company's who are able to make radios for as little as $29

Legal or Not...


HOW TO MAKE YOUR CHINESE RADIO NOT TRANSMIT

Using CHIRP SOFTWARE untick the options to turn off the transmit functions (see below)... Note, the VHF and UHF TX Transmit has been disabled

AND

If your still paranoid that you may still hit the transmit button accidentally... try this hack (note - this will void your warranty)

This hack cuts away a small piece of rubber of the transmit button and wont allow you to transmit.

 Four screws hold this radio in place, they are hex type nuts (i used a small flat screwdriver), be carefull not to shred the screw heads.

The 2 gold nuts have to come off, its pretty easy, just take your time...

Should look like this...

Gently pry the bottom up while pushing on the antenna node, it should then look like this... A small bit of tape that holds the speaker the the case will now come off (this is the warranty seal)... Be careful of the small speaker wires...

Pry the rubber button out..

Pry the rubber button inside out...

Using a sharp knife cut half the rubber from the transmit button (middle)

Put back into radio pushing the rubber gently into place with a small screwdriver... NOTE = make sure the button writing is the right way up (see below)

Now, Just put the radio back together, gently watching for the speaker wires...

Casualty, even being careful, i managed to catch the little rubber holding the plug (above).. but the radio went into place better (also pry the sides apart gently while trying to place the keypad into place)

NOW there is no way you can transmit on this radio...

Pleeese, Don't forget to shout me a coffee (see link top right corner).. Any amount big or small is much appreciated and it keeps this site happening :)

MORE PICS..
http://www.stevencombs.com/ham/2015/03/22/baofeng-gt-3-mark-ii-tear-down.html

FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL AIR SHOW

Hello and welcome back... I Love Air Shows...

The sights, smells (burning aviation fuel hmmm) and the pure speed and size of Aircraft on display and in the air.

If you live in the U.K, then you are very very lucky... Why?,
Because they have an Air Show that ..(wait for it)..

Lasts all week. That right. How wicked is that?

The Air Show at Farnborough airport (Hampshire) U.K goes from Monday thru to Sunday with the first four days mostly for trade customers and then the last 3 days are for the general public.
During this time, a whopping $74 billion changes hands.

Thankfully for us on the other side of the globe, someone thought it was a good idea to document this event and (god bless their cotton socks) put it on YouTube.

Some of these videos goes for a lip smacking 5 hours, its just like being there...

Videos include commentary and professional camera work

I'm in heaven, Enjoy


MONDAY  (Day One)



TUESDAY



WEDNESDAY



THURSDAY



FRIDAY



SATURDAY



SUNDAY



Don't forget to shout me a coffee (see link top right corner).. Any amount big or small is much appreciated and it keeps this site happening :)


LINKS

http://www.farnborough.com/

#NSWRadio&Communications
#NSW Radio & Communications

Huge Thanks to Farnborough International Airshow for the videos, you guys rock...

QANTAS AIRCRAFT FORCED TO TURN BACK TO SYDNEY

Hello and welcome back... You know the feeling, you suddenly hear on the radio or TV that an aircraft is in trouble and its local... Time to fire up the scanner.

Around 4pm a Qantas A380 (QF1 / Qantas 1) Departed Sydney to Dubai.

About an hour into the flight a warning light on the dash started making itself known and the pilot decided to burn fuel before heading back to Sydney for a 'Autoland Touchdown requiring the whole length of the runway'

The problem was with a heater that takes hot air from the engine and is used to heat the cabin so everyone is warm and toasty.

I picked up the flight as it was headed south and listening to Approach (s, w) on 128.300Mhz

The plane (VH-OQI) landed safely around 7.15pm.


FREQUENCIES

128.300 Approach ( S,W)
126.100 Director
120.500 Tower
GRN Id Code 10111 - Airport Fire

There was probably company channels active but i wasn't close enough to hear.

#Qantas
#Qantas QF1
#NSW Radio & Communications

HELICOPTERS BUZZING LOWER BLUE MOUNTAINS

Hello and welcome back.... My morning was awash with the sound of Helicopters buzzing, if fact their was 2 of them. Both the same type of Helicopter.

They are McDonnell Douglas 500N type Helicopters, Rego No = VH-INY & VH-EPZ (may be more).

They are on loan by Endeavour Energy to check power lines in areas including Blue Mountains, South Coast, Sydney West, Hawkesbury (NSW to the Vic border).

These Helicopters are owned by Gunn Resources Pty Ltd according to Regosearch.com.

What makes these helicopters unique is the fact they don't have a tail rotor and sound similar to a washing machine or a strange vacuum cleaner (well, i think they do).


FREQUENCIES

Chatter between 2 pilots on 123.450Mhz

Air Clearance - 135.100

PLEASE, Don't forget to shout me a coffee (see link top right corner).. Any amount big or small is much appreciated and it keeps this site happening :)

SOUNDS LIKE A VACUUM CLEANER?    WHAT DO YOU THINK?


LINKS

Endeavour Energy info

https://www.essentialenergy.com.au/content/aerial-inspection

http://www.ausgrid.com.au/bushfirepatrols


Images/video taken by Michael Bailey

#BlueMountains
#EndeavourEnergy
#HelicopterSurvey