8.33

[Bob Upanddown]

As I understand the rules, ground stations had until the beginning of this year to upgrade their radios and so we should all be talking on 8.33 spaced "channels" by now (apart from the odd exceptions such as 121.5).

Looking at the available information, I noticed that one airport owner and operator, the Rigby Group, does not seem to have changed to 8.33 channels. Blackpool to Lee on Solent, their frequencies all seem to have stayed the same 25kHz ones (apart from one airport). If everyone should have changed by now, how can they carry on without 8.33 channels? According to CAA UK, everyone should have converted but none of their airports still using 25kHz frequencies seem to be in the list of "exeptions" published in the AIP Supplement 069/2018.

It is all very confusing.

[NutLoose]

Might well have a handheld on board

[ShyTorque]

According to CAA UK, everyone should have converted but none of their airports still using 25kHz frequencies seem to be in the list of "exeptions" published in the AIP Supplement 069/2018.

The "old" frequencies are still spaced by 8.33 kHz!

Seems to me that this is an exercise in wasting millions of everyone's money for no good reason. Most of the frequencies that have changed remain almost as per the original ones, but with 0.005 added on. Unless there was interference on the original frequency, what is the point of changing them? Have these frequencies been changed just for the sake of "justifying" unnecessary legislation?

[ChickenHouse]

Quite some fields did not change their documentation, but they all have to be changed now from frequencies to channels. I know of some which did not bother with publication, but simply changed to the new channels, especially since many kept their frequencies underlying the new channels.

[ETOPS]

Bob Upanddown

I've got the info on Blackpool - based there. They have been asked by the RAF to delay until the back end of 2020 as there are numerous Tucano training sorties landing there on a daily basis. New aircraft are on order so the MOD is saving the cost of refitting 8.33 radios to a dying fleet.

[chevvron]

The 3 Farnborough LARS frequencies will not change as they are each transmitted from multiple sites and hence use offset carriers to avoid interference.

[TheOddOne]

We had an old Icom A110 in the Tower. We thought originally that we'd have to fork out £850 or so for a new A120. Upon investigation, to transpires that the A110's receiver and transmitter already conform to 8.33 bandwidth. We asked Icom and they said that a firmware upgrade at about £50 (I think) would do the job and so it does. Excellent service from Icom. We spent some of the savings on a new power supply and some other gubbins (headset adaptor and PTT switch) - all good to go on our new 'channel' (which is the same frequency we had before). Locally, the Navy haven't changed, probably for the same reason as quoted by ETOPS above.

TOO

[frazmac]

Bob Upanddown

I've got the info on Blackpool - based there. They have been asked by the RAF to delay until the back end of 2020 as there are numerous Tucano training sorties landing there on a daily basis. New aircraft are on order so the MOD is saving the cost of refitting 8.33 radios to a dying fleet.

Prestwick has also been asked by the MOD to delay the switch over for certain frequencies.

[Whopity]

Prestwick has also been asked by the MOD to delay the switch over for certain frequencies. The transmitted frequencies of the ground stations have not change one iota, its only the dials on the equipment that have changed. The transmitters all have the same bandwidth, its only the receivers that have had to be narrowed to accomodate the in between frequencies. The MOD equipment would still work perfectly well with those who have adopted the new designators, so asking them to delay is pointless.
The driving force behind the move is the spectrum tax imposed by Offcomm on the ground stations. Its 1/3 the price for an 8.33 channel.

[BEagle]

How typical of MoD to lag behind the rest of the world! It was the same when the VHF band was extended to 137 MHz and our radios only went to 136. Then along came FM immunity and we had to soldier on using non-immune radios both for R/T and VOR / ILS....:rolleyes:

The first fleet at Brize to be fully compliant was....the Brize Norton Flying Club! Also the first fleet to be fully fitted with panel-mounted GPS!

[Sam Rutherford]

Thank you TOO for this, our A110 about to get it's upgrade I hope!

[Sam Rutherford]

And confirmation for anyone else:

Hi Sam,If returned to us in Herne Bay it'll take around a week and the cost is £32.50 ex VAT + return carriage of £7.50 ex VATIcom UK Ltd
Altira Park
Herne Bay
Kent
CT6 6GZ

Thanks
Virgil