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Air Traffic Monitoring => Listener Forum => Topic started by: HeathrowATC on July 31, 2007, 01:02:50 PM

Title: Will this scanner reiceive a signal of up to 15 miles.
Post by: HeathrowATC on July 31, 2007, 01:02:50 PM

Well i Live 15 mile from EGLL and am going to buy this scanner      to listen to EGLL tower and Co.http://www.radioscan.co.uk/uniden_ubc30xlt.html (http://www.radioscan.co.uk/uniden_ubc30xlt.html)
Will this scanner pick up the freq.

Please Help me as this will be great to help me develop my ATC skills.
Thanks Robbie.

Title: Re: Will this scanner reiceive a signal of up to 15 miles.
Post by: Lezam on August 01, 2007, 10:00:20 AM

You will prob need to buy an antenna, and mount it outside  :-)

Title: Re: Will this scanner reiceive a signal of up to 15 miles.
Post by: ORD Don on August 01, 2007, 11:55:42 AM

   The scanner will pick up all the frequencies you need, but from that distance
   you will probably hear the pilots in the air but not the tower. You can hear
   all that if you drive close to the airport or get a better antenna, as Lezam said.

   Glad to have you with us...

Title: Re: Will this scanner reiceive a signal of up to 15 miles.
Post by: edro20 on August 01, 2007, 11:48:22 PM

I am 6 NM from my airport and have trouble receiving aircraft on the ground. The tower is almost always hearable, but there is no guarantee that I can hear any transmision on any day. I did manage to hear a Piper Comanche from 35 miles south of the airport recently. Stay cool and legal.

Title: Re: Will this scanner reiceive a signal of up to 15 miles.
Post by: HeathrowATC on August 02, 2007, 09:55:37 AM

Oh I Suspected that LOL.

Title: Re: Will this scanner reiceive a signal of up to 15 miles.
Post by: Panop on August 04, 2007, 02:37:16 PM

The issue is less likely to be range than line of sight.  Most half decent receivers will pick up transmissions from quite long distances if the transmitting station (fixed or mobile) has reasonable power - and most aircraft and aviation fixed stations have - though some will be more powerful than others.  However, any obstruction to radio waves such as hills, some buildings, vehicles, etc - even the curvature of the earth - will reduce or eliminate any chance of reasonable reception.  Some careful positioning of your receiver and antenna with a bit of trial and error may help and if you are right on the margin of the reception area you may find some days are better than others as even atmospheric conditions can play a part.

Title: Re: Will this scanner reiceive a signal of up to 15 miles.
Post by: HeathrowATC on August 05, 2007, 05:17:06 PM

Im directly Below the Glide slope and turning point for 27R currently my house to the airport is a magnetic bearing of 272 the same as the runway.

Title: Re: Will this scanner reiceive a signal of up to 15 miles.
Post by: edro20 on August 11, 2007, 11:17:50 PM

I imagine that you should be able to receive anything if you have no geographic obstructions and no interference (i.e. TV, Commercial Radio, etc.).  I am guessing that this will be an antenna/filter problem. Get the antenna as far above ground as possible.