I'm retarded!! How do I find FSS...

SkyHog

Touchdown! Greaser!
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I know, I know, its like "Be A Pilot 101" but I can't for the life of me remember how to contact FSS enroute. Where do I find the frequencies? I literally NEVER call FSS except by calling flight watch on 122.0 to file PIREPS.

I'm dumb. Please don't lecture, just give me the answer :(
 
look around navaid boxes, 99% of the time, VOR boxes. Freq's are usually on the top, with the name of the FSS on the bottom.
 
Look on the sectional... Above certain VORS will be something like 121.5R, which means you should transmit on that frequency and listen to the VOR's frequency on your Nav radio.
 
So then here, I would contact FSS on 122.5?
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yep

and if it said 122.5R, then you would transmit on 122.5 and listen on 113.2
 
Look on the sectional... Above certain VORS will be something like 121.5R, which means you should transmit on that frequency and listen to the VOR's frequency on your Nav radio.

Thanks Todd!
 
affirm on the year.

whats so confusing. some of the frequencies are two way, others are receive only.
 
yep

and if it said 122.5R, then you would transmit on 122.5 and listen on 113.2

Don't think that's going to happen, Tony. Duplex is exclusively 122.1 (although I have been wrong before...just ask my wife.

Bob Gardner
SAY AGAIN, PLEASE
 
In addition to looking on the front of the sectional, check the legend on the back. Also, use the Airport/Facility Directory....it is your best reference.

AIM Chapter 4, section 2 is worth reading, especially 4-2-14.

Bob Gardner
SAY AGAIN, PLEASE
 
In addition to looking on the front of the sectional, check the legend on the back. Also, use the Airport/Facility Directory....it is your best reference.

AIM Chapter 4, section 2 is worth reading, especially 4-2-14.

Bob Gardner
SAY AGAIN, PLEASE

Yeah, the AFD didn't have the answer, that was where I was looking when I got stumped.
 
Don't think that's going to happen, Tony. Duplex is exclusively 122.1 (although I have been wrong before...just ask my wife.

Bob Gardner
SAY AGAIN, PLEASE

yea i think you are right. I can't recall ever seeing anything else besides 122.1 with the R.
 
affirm on the year.

whats so confusing. some of the frequencies are two way, others are receive only.
You would think by now they would've upgraded their radios so that they could transmit and receive on the same frequency. How difficult is that?
 
Don't think that's going to happen, Tony. Duplex is exclusively 122.1 (although I have been wrong before...just ask my wife.

Bob Gardner
SAY AGAIN, PLEASE
I make it a practice to say something like "listening 113.2"
 
122.2 is also a universal FSS - or used to be.
 
I make it a practice to say something like "listening 113.2"

I do also.
Something like xxxxx radio, piper xxxx transmitting on xxx.x, receiving on xxx.x or xxx VOR.

Many moons ago when I took a tour of a FSS they had a HUGE board with all the different freq's that they monitor. They told me it makes their life much easier if the pilot tells them what freq they are using instead of them having to try and figure it out, which they could only do when the pilot was transmitting. At least they told me that was the reason it took two or three calls before they answered sometimes. They were trying to see which light was actually lighting up when the pilot was transmitting.
 
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You would think by now they would've upgraded their radios so that they could transmit and receive on the same frequency. How difficult is that?

Well sweetie it is 2009 and it take a act of congress to get anything new out of the Gov. :rofl:
Dave G.:blueplane:
 
Well It cost's a lot to get new frequency crystals for your whistle stop tuning radio....:D
 
Wow, ok, I remember this now. Holy hell thats a confusing system. lol. Its 2009, isn't it?

Thanks for taking the words right out of my mouth.

But it is cool to have a PAX hear you listen to morse code to identify a VOR, and say "yup, that's B - A - E - yea we need to know morse code to be a pilot." Most PAX think that's the coolest thing - so retro. The others think I'm a dork. Both are right I guess. :blush:
 
In addition to looking on the front of the sectional, check the legend on the back. ...
the one biggest single thing I recall from my primary instructor ... everything you ever wanted to know and more is usually printed on the sectional somewhere - and explained somewhere else on it.
 
You would think by now they would've upgraded their radios so that they could transmit and receive on the same frequency. How difficult is that?

They do the duplex to keep the frequencies open. If they had 121.n everywhere there could only be one conversation going on. This way they have receivers at the VOR and can talk to you while another briefer is talking to somebody else 50 miles away.

And consider that everybody monitoring the VOR gets the information, ....or something. :redface:
 
They do the duplex to keep the frequencies open. If they had 121.n everywhere there could only be one conversation going on. This way they have receivers at the VOR and can talk to you while another briefer is talking to somebody else 50 miles away.
I wasn't suggesting that they use the same frequency everywhere. They could use different frequencies for different VORs. The way it is now you could get a number of pilots talking on 122.1 and listening over different VORs. Seems like that would be just as confusing to the FSS person who is working 122.1 as it would be to the pilots. Granted, I haven't used this system in... forever, so I don't know how likely it would be these days that people were trying to talk at the same time.
 
I do also.
Something like xxxxx radio, piper xxxx transmitting on xxx.x, receiving on xxx.x or xxx VOR.

Many moons ago when I took a tour of a FSS they had a HUGE board with all the different freq's that they monitor. They told me it makes their life much easier if the pilot tells them what freq they are using instead of them having to try and figure it out, which they could only do when the pilot was transmitting. At least they told me that was the reason it took two or three calls before they answered sometimes. They were trying to see which light was actually lighting up when the pilot was transmitting.

When I visited GRB AFSS, they said they like the navaid name/location as well as the frequency. They monitor a LARGE area (even more so now) and they have quite a few freq's that are in multiple locations.
 
Thanks for taking the words right out of my mouth.

But it is cool to have a PAX hear you listen to morse code to identify a VOR, and say "yup, that's B - A - E - yea we need to know morse code to be a pilot." Most PAX think that's the coolest thing - so retro. The others think I'm a dork. Both are right I guess. :blush:

-.. --- -.-- --- ..- -.- -. --- .-- -- --- .-. ... . -.-. --- -.. . ..--..
 
Yeah, the AFD didn't have the answer, that was where I was looking when I got stumped.

From the AFD legend's discussion of Communications (duh):

"Civil Communications Frequencies—Civil communications frequencies used in the FSS air/ground system are now operated
simplex on 122.0, 122.2, 122.3, 122.4, 122.6, 123.6; emergency 121.5; plus receive-only on 122.05, 122.1, 122.15, and
123.6.
a. 122.0 is assigned as the Enroute Flight Advisory Service channel at selected FSS’s.
b. 122.2 is assigned to most FSS’s as a common enroute simplex service.
c. 123.6 is assigned as the airport advisory channel at non-tower FSS locations, however, it is still in commission at
some FSS’s collocated with towers to provide part time Local Airport Advisory Service.
d. 122.1 is the primary receive-only frequency at VOR’s. 122.05, 122.15 and 123.6 are assigned at selected VOR’s
meeting certain criteria.
e. Some FSS’s are assigned 50 kHz channels for simplex operation in the 122-123 MHz band (e.g. 122.35). Pilots
using the FSS A/G system should refer to this directory or appropriate charts to determine frequencies available at
the FSS or remoted facility through which they wish to communicate.
Emergency frequency 121.5 and 243.0 are available at all Flight Service Stations, Towers, Approach Control and RADAR
facilities, unless indicated as not available.
Frequencies published followed by the letter ‘‘T’’ or ‘‘R’’, indicate that the facility will only transmit or receive respectively on
that frequency. All radio aids to navigation frequencies are transmit only."

Bob Gardner
 
From the AFD legend's discussion of Communications (duh):

"Civil Communications Frequencies—Civil communications frequencies used in the FSS air/ground system are now operated
simplex on 122.0, 122.2, 122.3, 122.4, 122.6, 123.6; emergency 121.5; plus receive-only on 122.05, 122.1, 122.15, and
123.6.
a. 122.0 is assigned as the Enroute Flight Advisory Service channel at selected FSS’s.
b. 122.2 is assigned to most FSS’s as a common enroute simplex service.
c. 123.6 is assigned as the airport advisory channel at non-tower FSS locations, however, it is still in commission at
some FSS’s collocated with towers to provide part time Local Airport Advisory Service.
d. 122.1 is the primary receive-only frequency at VOR’s. 122.05, 122.15 and 123.6 are assigned at selected VOR’s
meeting certain criteria.
e. Some FSS’s are assigned 50 kHz channels for simplex operation in the 122-123 MHz band (e.g. 122.35). Pilots
using the FSS A/G system should refer to this directory or appropriate charts to determine frequencies available at
the FSS or remoted facility through which they wish to communicate.
Emergency frequency 121.5 and 243.0 are available at all Flight Service Stations, Towers, Approach Control and RADAR
facilities, unless indicated as not available.
Frequencies published followed by the letter ‘‘T’’ or ‘‘R’’, indicate that the facility will only transmit or receive respectively on
that frequency. All radio aids to navigation frequencies are transmit only."

Bob Gardner

Interesting. But it does not explain why Albuquerque is using 122.5. i wonder why they are deviating?

So then here, I would contact FSS on 122.5?
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Interesting. But it does not explain why Albuquerque is using 122.5. i wonder why they are deviating?

Ya got me. When I was a student back in the 60s, 122.5 was the common tower frequency. Comm radios had crystals then, with a switch to select the one you want, and 122.5 was one of the defaults...122.8 was another. Note that 122.5 at ABQ is simplex, though....there is no "transmit on 122.5, receive on the VOR" capability.

Bob
 
You would think by now they would've upgraded their radios so that they could transmit and receive on the same frequency. How difficult is that?

Simplex and duplex are two different modes of communication. Are you saying that one is enough? I kinda like alternatives, and I'm fairly sure that the FAA puts in duplex capability when there is some kind of propagation/interference problem with simplex.

Bob Gardner
SAY AGAIN, PLEASE
 
Simplex and duplex are two different modes of communication. Are you saying that one is enough?
Yes.
I kinda like alternatives, and I'm fairly sure that the FAA puts in duplex capability when there is some kind of propagation/interference problem with simplex.
I'm more in favor of simplicity and talking on one radio while listening on another one does not fit my definition of simplicity. If that was the only alternative possible I would feel differently.
 
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