Originally Posted by 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 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