weirdjim
Ejection Handle Pulled
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2008
- Messages
- 4,171
- Location
- Grass Valley, CA (KGOO)
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weirdjim
There is some widespread believe in the community that 123.4 and 123.45 are legitimate chatter frequencies. The probably stems from long-haul airliners going across the pond to Europe or the other pond to Asia.
These frequencies are widely used over International waters where there is absolutely nothing wrong with using them ... over International waters.
When it comes to using them over the United States and coastal waters, there is a BIG problem. The FCC reserves these two frequencies to stations individually licensed to commercial aircraft and accessory manufacturers to use as flight test frequencies. They go on further to say that the aircraft may ONLY communicate with their associated company ground stations and may NOT be used for air to air communications of any sort.
Here is the deal. A manufacturer sets up a test for (let's say, antennas) and rents an aircraft and pilot, sets up a lot of engineering equipment, starts the test, and an hour into it Bubba comes on the data downlink frequency chatting with Billy Bob about the ribs over at Sally's diner. So goes a couple of thousand dollars worth of test data.
Each manufacturer is required to go through a coordinating agency and check with other manufacturers within a 200 mile radius to eliminate any confusion.
The FCC fine for using these frequencies illegally is $10k for EACH transmission ... each time the PTT is pushed.
Like Clint Eastwood said, "Feel lucky, Punk, well, do 'ya?"
It isn't rocket science to do a direction finding operation and track an offending aircraft to their home airport. And there are ways from there to figure out what aircraft it was. Not rocket science, especially with ADSB.
Jim
These frequencies are widely used over International waters where there is absolutely nothing wrong with using them ... over International waters.
When it comes to using them over the United States and coastal waters, there is a BIG problem. The FCC reserves these two frequencies to stations individually licensed to commercial aircraft and accessory manufacturers to use as flight test frequencies. They go on further to say that the aircraft may ONLY communicate with their associated company ground stations and may NOT be used for air to air communications of any sort.
Here is the deal. A manufacturer sets up a test for (let's say, antennas) and rents an aircraft and pilot, sets up a lot of engineering equipment, starts the test, and an hour into it Bubba comes on the data downlink frequency chatting with Billy Bob about the ribs over at Sally's diner. So goes a couple of thousand dollars worth of test data.
Each manufacturer is required to go through a coordinating agency and check with other manufacturers within a 200 mile radius to eliminate any confusion.
The FCC fine for using these frequencies illegally is $10k for EACH transmission ... each time the PTT is pushed.
Like Clint Eastwood said, "Feel lucky, Punk, well, do 'ya?"
It isn't rocket science to do a direction finding operation and track an offending aircraft to their home airport. And there are ways from there to figure out what aircraft it was. Not rocket science, especially with ADSB.
Jim
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