121.5

[olderairhead]

Probably done before but time again.

Having flown in SE Asia recently for 3 weeks I never heard ANY chatter on 121.5

But returning to OZ it is very evident that there is no appreciation as to what this frequency is really for.

To the point where 2 airline "professionals" were having a dialogue as one would expect on the "numbers".

When reminded they were chatting on guard, back came the reply " Oh here comes the guard police"!

Is this just a dunnunda thing or is it prevalent elsewhere?

[Capt. Queeg]

for the record:

GUARD and 121.5 are not the same thing.


On a set that has a Guard channel, any frequency can be selected to be guarded. Usually, it is 121.5 or 243.

All the twits who call out "Guard...!!!' when they hear someone transmitting on 121.5 are just as ridiculous as thoe ones doing the chattering.

As for Aust vs Asia (and beyond), you've got to be kidding me right??? The biggest worry in Aust is listening to someone calling Ops on the wrong set.

In Asia, ME, Africa, you are listening to every man and his dog discussing weather, ride, relays, repeated relays, confirming the relays, advising success of the relays, thanking for the relays, saying your welcome for the relays, etc etc etc.

Don't even START with the aussie/121.5 crock, puh-lease!!


PS If you fly in Australia, you don't know how bloody good you have it. Try flying around Africa or Asia and you will find what you used to think worth whinging about in Aussie will become a breath of fresh air.

[Capt. Queeg]

Another PS... I also hate listening to people chatting on 121.5.

[olderairhead]

Settle down.

Yes I am well aware what GUARD is, but only used that reference because not all pilots are as well educated as we are.

Relays I do not have a problem with, idle chatter I do. I did not hear any idle chatter in SE Asia but continually do in Oz, hence my post.

As far as Africa etc, no desire to fly there (no offence intended).

Over and out.

[Cactus Jak]

I think i'm missing something here. Can someone of higher intelligence please explain why "guard" and the freq. being guarded (in this caes 121.5) are two different things.

[18-Wheeler]

I too find the use of the term 'guard' to be very annoying.
It's not mentioned anywhere in any offical Aus publication AFAIK.
121.5 is though, many times.

[the wizard of auz]

I remember seeing quite a few referances to "Guard" in jepps docs.

[Capt. Queeg]

I think i'm missing something here. Can someone of higher intelligence please explain why "guard" and the freq. being guarded (in this case 121.5) are two different things.Well what does "Guard" actually mean to you Jak? The straight answer is, if it was the guard freq, they wouldn't be able to transmit on it. But it's not a guarded freq, it's just the freq to which they tuned the other radio. If you want to be precise, that's what guard is. That's why it sh!ts some people to hear the term mis-used. I suppose we should all get a life.

On some of the old sets, particularly MIL sets, a second frequency could be set (for reception only, I believe) in addition to the active two-way setting. This enabled the user to listen (only) to a second frequency which is handy if you want to be able to "guard" a freq like, for example, the VHF or UHF emergency freq.

The Mil guys normally guard 243 on their UHF sets. Presumably they guard 121.5 on VHF?? They then refer to these guarded freqs which would be determined by USOs or SOPs or whatever, as "guard".

The practice spread into civvy flying but without the axplanation, hence the widespread but ignorant belief that 121.5 = guard. he point is, it might be any freq being guarded. Company, Sqn ops, Air BP, numbers, 126.9, whatever.

This is annoying to some people in much the same way that refering to an aircraft as a "plane" is to others.

Ah yes... finally something I can lecture on. I feel so high and mighty.....


As for relays, they can take it down the street to 123.45 if they want to blabber on. You keep up the good work as guard police, airhead.




edit: typos

[Dexter]

Well YOU must be the only one who's right then Queeg.

Guard frequency is universally accepted (except by Queeg) as 121.5

End of story.

[Capt. Queeg]

HAHAHA..... whatever, Dexter.

Please let us know where you got your Official List of "Universally" Accepted Terminology.

[jetstar1]

Who really gives a flying f*ck? Don't transmit on 121.5. End of story.

[AerocatS2A]

Well YOU must be the only one who's right then Queeg.
Guard frequency is universally accepted (except by Queeg) as 121.5
End of story.

No Dexter, we have a military UHF set on our aircraft and there is a "guard" frequency (as named on the set.) You can put any frequency you like into "guard". We have it tuned to 243.0, but we could just as easily have 123.45, in either case it would be the "guard" frequency.

[Capt. Queeg]

One hates to be endlessly pedantic howeverwe could just as easily have 123.45123.45, being a VHF freq, is probably not able to be tuned on a UHF set but your point is well-taken, nonetheless, and quite correct.

[2FarCanard]

QUEEG,

At the end of the day when you accidently call the company inbound on 121.5 and someone says you are "on guard" everyone knows what you are talking about. Think about how much of your precious airtime you would lose if someone said "you are transmitting on 1 2 1 . 5 ". 7 versus 25 letters. Good grief.

[oldpinger]

Guard blah blah,

just for information, if you transmit anything on 243 in UK they can DF you to within a couple of miles. Very handy for an emergency but also explains the reluctance to blabber away on guard.

Guard freq is 243 as far as I'm concerned and 121.5 is the civil distress frequency, just as 5696 HF and channel 16 (or is it 69) on marine VHF. Regardless, someone overtransmitting mayday calls on any if these is a bit dangerous, and annoying if you are the one transmitting the mayday!:uhoh:

[N2000]

You drongoes
121.5 is the easiest distress frequency for us civilian pilots to listen in case an ELT has been intentionally, or unintentionally, activated. If you hear an ELT, you are required to report it to an ATS unit or the RCC.
Sadly 121.5 is also the easiest frequency to raise another flight which may also be monitoring 121.5. However, once you have raised the other aircraft, you should continue your discussion on 123.45, as this is the designated frequency for 'interpilot air-to-air communications'.
As you probably know, its all available in the Aussie AIP, which is of course available online. (For the 121.5 MHz bit: http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/publications/pending/aip/gen/3619.pdf and for the 123.45 MHz bit: http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/publications/pending/aip/gen/34124.pdf)
Hooroo

[Capt. Queeg]

once you have raised the other aircraft, you should continue your discussion on 123.45We already knew that... :8

[PLE Always]

G'day,

Looks like 121.5 and 243 Beacons are on the way out!

http://www.cospas-sarsat.org/FirstPage/121.5PhaseOut.htm

The page states that only 1 in 50 121.5 Alerts are genuine cases of distress. Personally having flown a search on spurious 121.5 hits in the middle of nowhere for hours on end to no avail, the move to 406 only is great.

As far as what Guard means the US pubs specfically refer to it as 121.5 and 243. Wouldn't surprise me if some sets allow you to change the preset though as mentioned by someone else.

Warning 7MB: https://164.214.2.62/dafif/dafif_0604_ed8/DAFIF_PLAN/plan/fih.pdf

For those of us that fly with radios with a built in secondary Guard receiver we fly with TR + G (Transmit Receive & Guard) always selected to listen out for distress calls (Yes it does happen!) . Besides there's nothing like hurtling down the runway and listening to someone crap on on guard about useless s..t. :ok: No really, it's ok! ;)

Bugger, I promised myself never to get dragged into one of these useless obvious threads..

Regards,

PLE..

[AerocatS2A]

One hates to be endlessly pedantic however123.45, being a VHF freq, is probably not able to be tuned on a UHF set but your point is well-taken, nonetheless, and quite correct.

Yes, good point, I just threw the first random frequency at the screen forgetting it wasn't a UHF one.

[FishHead]

channel 16 (or is it 69) on marine VHF.

Channel 16, or 156.8 MHz, is the marine guard :D freq

[karrank]

just for information, if you transmit anything on 243 in UK they can DF you to within a couple of miles. Very handy for an emergency but also explains the reluctance to blabber away on guard. Have read on the ATC forum the Brits have ground based monitors of 121.5 (can accept they have 243 also but hadn't heard that previously). Don't know if it is actually monitored or how (if it is) but they do have a screen based DF system that plots & triangulates, and returns continuous indications of people chatting away on GUARD everywhere within range...

[Capt Claret]

Given that GUARD is said on this thread not to be 121.5, I'm confused why when Capt/FO/SO Bloggs launches into a position report on 121.5, and I respond to them with en-guarde old chap, I usually get a Thanks. :}