Author Topic: What am I hearing?  (Read 3960 times)

Offline Skittzo

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What am I hearing?
« on: June 24, 2017, 01:32:42 PM »
Hi there,

I just started listening to the local ATC frequencies in So CA and I'm hooked. My question is, what type of traffic am I listening too, and what area does it cover? I'm in the So Ca area and the 2 frequencies I mostly listen to are below.

132.85 (LA Center)
124.900

Any other interesting frequencies with lots of traffic that you can recommend would be appreciated.

Thank you



Offline Fryy/Avocadoflight

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Re: What am I hearing?
« Reply #1 on: June 25, 2017, 12:28:01 AM »
Are you listening through LiveATC or a personal scanner?

Offline Skittzo

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Re: What am I hearing?
« Reply #2 on: June 25, 2017, 12:56:07 AM »
I'm listening on a 2m/440m Ham Radio that gets air frequencies. These 2 frequencies seem to have the most activity, so I just wondered what I was listening too, and what part of the airspace they're covering.

Offline tyketto

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Re: What am I hearing?
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2017, 01:55:37 AM »


IIRC, 124.9 is Socal Approach, Downey sector for LAX. Final approach for the North side.

Correspondingly, 128.5 should be Stadium sector, which is Final approach for the South side.

BL.

Offline JetScan1

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Re: What am I hearing?
« Reply #4 on: June 25, 2017, 12:24:33 PM »
Quote
132.85 (LA Center)

132.850 is a Los Angeles Center low altitude sector, sector 21, covers the airspace above the TRACON (SoCal Approach) from around 14,000 feet I believe up to FL230 (23,000 feet). Most of the traffic you are hearing are departures out of LAX heading southeast and south. You will also hear San Diego arrivals and departuers to/from the north. FYI the high sector above this one, Sector 30, extending from FL240 and above, on 119.950, is combined with Sector 21 when traffic is light. 

Do you have good controller reception from your location on these Center frequencies ? More LiveATC feeds covering these Center frequencies always appreciated.

JS
« Last Edit: June 28, 2017, 01:26:32 AM by JetScan1 »

Offline Skittzo

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Re: What am I hearing?
« Reply #5 on: June 25, 2017, 08:30:21 PM »
On 132.85 I sometimes hear the controller only, and other times I only hear the pilots. I NEVER hear both ends of the transmissions. When I do hear the controllers, they are very loud here 2 miles from SNA.


Quote
132.85 (LA Center)

132.850 is a Los Angeles Center low altitude sector, sector 21, covers the airspace above the TRACON (SoCal Approach) from around 14,000 feet I believe up to FL230 (23,000 feet). Most of the traffic you are hearing are departures out of LAX heading southwest and south. You will also hear San Diego arrivals and departuers to/from the north. FYI the high sector above this one, Sector 30, extending from FL240 and above, on 119.950, is combined with Sector 21 when traffic is light. 

Do you have good controller reception from your location on these Center frequencies ? More LiveATC feeds covering these Center frequencies always appreciated.

JS

Offline tyketto

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Re: What am I hearing?
« Reply #6 on: June 27, 2017, 01:36:46 PM »
On 132.85 I sometimes hear the controller only, and other times I only hear the pilots. I NEVER hear both ends of the transmissions. When I do hear the controllers, they are very loud here 2 miles from SNA.

Since what you are hearing is coming from scanners actively scanning the frequency, the scanner being used or the antennas connected to those scanners being used would require line-of-sight to the facility broadcasting the frequency. you could have a time when, and I've witnessed this first hand, lost of line-of-sight to the facility due to that heavy marine layer coming in every night. Though, I could hear everything clear from most of the SoCal feeds during the day, because that marine layer had burned off.

So it all depends on how the conditions are around the area of the scanner, in addition to the facility.

BL.

Offline JetScan1

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Re: What am I hearing?
« Reply #7 on: June 28, 2017, 01:18:26 AM »
Quote
On 132.85 I sometimes hear the controller only, and other times I only hear the pilots. I NEVER hear both ends of the transmissions.

The FAA lists 2 different transmitter sites used for 132.850. I suspect they are switching between the two and you can only hear the one closest to you. The adjacent sectors can be combined at times and the aircraft could be on these other frequencies. Although it's odd that you never hear both the controller and the aircraft at the same time ? Any chance you can provide a date and time when you can only hear the controller and the same for when you are only hearing the aircraft ? I can cross reference the LiveATC feeds that covers this frequency and maybe figure out what is going on ?

JS