decent radio to listen to atc?
 

morning all

i'm looking for a small radio to listen to atc - what can people recommend? i've seen loads advertised in magazines, so i was wondering what current users could suggest in terms of price etc. not looking for anything amazing, just something to plug headphones into and listen in.

thanks in advance

andoni

p.s. if this is the wrong forum, feel free to move it - as far as i know only spotters use these things :}

NOTE - sorry I've read the sticky in the ATC forum. does anyone know how to delete their own posts??? :ouch:

I thought it was illegal for spotters to eavesdrop on closed broadcasts :=

Happening on the manchester thread at the moment, some idiotic spotters debating a conversation they were beaking in on between ATC and a pilot :ugh:

Click Edit, then Delete.

Tens of thousands listen, and have done for years. Just don't stand around with your radio blaring, and don't discuss what you hear. The Yupiteru MVT7100 is a pretty good piece of kit and covers a LOT more than airband.

It's voyeurism.

Have a look at the Maycom AR-108. Very small and neat with excellent reception.

I agree with Frostbite above, have had an MVT7100 since it came out and it is a great piece of kit. Covers VHF / UHF and lots more with the right antenna.

I've got one of these, very small with good reception. The only drawback is the speaker which you'll struggle to hear if anywhere near planes. You can of course use headphones.

Have you met Simon?
 

He's a troll who likes to stir up s*** regardless. He's always in the spotters forum even though he hates spotters.

Anyhoo - the listening into of ATC is technically illegal, however like a great many things in a liberal 21st century democracy, it is not enforced and a common sense approach is taken by the Police. Any airshow attendee will see that all the time.

The MVT-7100 is good but I have never beaten my old and sadly lost VT-225. What's the best equivalent to that?


Hey Simon, just tell me if this is your opinion why are you in this part of the forum? I mean all you ever do is insult people. Does it make you feel like a big boy?

I hate to be rude, but this something like the 6 forum about recommending an airband radio / Scanner and its quite boring having to recommend and dicuss this topic so many times :ugh:

I use a PSR282 200 Channel Scanner.

I also use a Yupiteru MVT-7100 - best airband receiver I've ever used (pretty good for other bands as well!).

Only available second hand now sadly. I picked mine up from someone on eBay.

And before anyone asks...I use it to check the ATIS before leaving for the airfield to go flying:rolleyes:

Adam
TrafficPilot

Question : I understand that listening to ATC broadcasts is not regarded as an offence as long as you don't pass on the contents.

If this is the case, how do websites such as Listen to Live ATC (Air Traffic Control) Communications | LiveATC.net manage to operate?

Capetonian if you perform a whois request on liveatc.net you'll see that the website is based in the United States. The radio communication laws in the U.S.A are less antiquated than they are here in the U.K.;)

Regards

Adam
TrafficPilot

<<Question : I understand that listening to ATC broadcasts is not regarded as an offence as long as you don't pass on the contents.>>

Sorry, that is wrong. It is absolutely illegal to monitor the airband. Full stop. It's stupid using the argument that many people do it..... many people break the speed limit but it is still illegal. So long as the user is fully aware that he is contravening the law and if he gets prosecuted then he knows why.

<<If this is the case, how do websites such as Listen to Live ATC (Air Traffic Control) Communications | LiveATC.net manage to operate?>>

In some other countries it is not illegal to monitor air, police, etc., and if it gets on the internet there is not much that can be done. Any web site operating in the UK and doing so would be breaking the law.

Since the end of the Second World War, some 65 years ago, how many aviation enthusiasts have been prosecuted?

How many have been prosecuted full stop?

There's your answer....

It may be illegal to listen in to ATC but as far as I know no-one has ever been prosecuted for listening to the airband. A law that is never enforced is not a law worth having.
Speeding is also illegal and many do it. It is also dangerous in many cases and many have been prosecuted for breaking that particular law. I cannot see any reason why listening to the airband could in any way be construed as dangerous. Probably the reason it isn't illegal in many other countries.

http://www.pprune.org/spectators-bal...iles-away.html

As I said earlier there have been many posts regarding purchasing and legality of listening in to ATC.

And yes people in the past have been prosecuted for listening in. (there's post somewhere on pprune about it)

Could an enthusiast explain why it is acceptable to listen in on communication which is not public, not addressed to them and by law off limits?

Because these idoits seem to think that as "spotters "they have some god given right to interfere with and listen in to people carrying out their legal duties and to post what they have quite unlawfully gathered on forums such as this,.. complete morons, a few need to be prosecuted to get the message across to these numpties:ugh:

simonchowder - are you kevlarcarl again?


Spelling "idiots" as "idoits" - are you being ironic?

jimmytap
 

nice to see that you've sussed aswell that chowder and kevlarcarl make the same school boy errors when it comes to spelling.

Oh dear, i did not even know this was against the law no one said anything about this when we spent a lot of money buying our radio:uhoh:

It's not "acceptable" in the legal term. However if you were British, like I am, an many posters on here, you would know what the "British" attitude to such matters is. If it does no harm, is enjoyed by a great many, brings excitement to adults and kids alike, informs people about how things work and makes grown men get out of the house on occasion, we treat it as generally a good thing.
There are always fusspot who like to over react, men (generally men) who need the protection of rules and lots of them. We have just escaped 13 years of more rules introduced into our country than ever before. It is for this common sense reason, that we must allow the authorities to focus on criminals who cause pain, nuisance and suffering. Arresting people who like to listen to ATC, something happily legal in many other enlightened countries isn't a key priority. Why on Earth should it be?

I have had NUMEROUS chats with the armed Police at LCY and LHR with them wanting to know what I am up to, with the camera. Not once in all of those conversations has the readily apparent air band scanner been mentioned even once. Busy men, the Police!

The clinching argument is that it hacks off that poisonous man-child that is Simon Chowder. He who lurks in spotters corner to call other people names. Proud of yourself are we Simon? Run along old thing, mum must have the tea ready by now I think.

SOE.................

Couldn't have put it better myself........!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is too be hoped that one of the spin offs of a change of government will be much less rule making and general prying into our affairs by government....

Planemike

guys, thanks for all your replies.

i understand the process is technically illegal.

as I am doing my ppl i am desperate to learn more about RT discipline (as that's one thing i'm not very confident on), and also use it for airshows. i wouldn't think of regurgitating stuff i hear on the internet, i wouldn't see the point.

hah, Malaysian28:
Thanks for participating in the very thread you're criticising. Well done :ok:

Mods. Is their anyway you can ban simonchowder from this forum ? He's just Trolling.

Planemike , thats rather rich , spotters who by their own admissions enjoy eavesdropping illegally on closed private radio broadcasts (and then often as not discussing those private broadcasts here) then have the gall to whine about other people prying into their "hobby" :hmm::hmm:

simonchowder;
"often as not" ? I think you exaggerate somewhat. Thousands "eavesdrop" as you call it every day; there is currently ONE thread discussing an R/T conversation.

If listening to ATC really was a problem and "private" then they should encrypt their radio transmissions.

Why do you care so much anyway what others do as a hobby?

I wonder how many of those on here who encourage flouting the law would like to have members of the public spying on them while they are working? Like someone listening in to your phone calls, or listening and watching over your shoulders would you? That's what you are doing when you listen to the air, police or other utilities. These people are doing their jobs and need to speak to others just as if they were in the same office. Radio gives them the facility to carry out that work over long distance.

What they don't understand is that it's not just the airband which is confidential, but ALL radio comms for which they do not have proper authority. They just need to understand that that is the LAW, whether they like it or not. It has nothing to do with recent governments; it has been law for decades. When I did my Flight R/T Operator Licence in about 1962 the examiner pointed out that the licence only entitled me to use the airband whilst I was flying as part of a crew.

I don't particularly care what the anoraks get up to, just as long as they know where they stand in law. I have had PMs thanking me for that advice from the more sensible individuals on PpruNe over the years.

Acting on what you hear!!
 

A few years back I lived near Cambridge Airfield, and used to scan the Airwaves.
One Sat afternooon.
On selecting 121.5 I heard a Distress beacon , quite feint but audible.

I am ex RAF Radio Technician so felt I had to do something.
I ran the local plod and explained the situation, qualified my call by saying that I was maybe out of order but I felt it was important.

They agreed and said they would look into it.
A few minuites later I had a call from the main rescue centre in Scotland asking if they could listen to my Scanner over the phone to verify the situation.
They agreed it was genuine and said they would update me on the outcome.

Awhile later they called and said they had monitored the area and had located the Beacon as coming from Marshalls Airport. On further local investigation found it to be from a C-130 in a hanger,
someone had left the emergency transmitter switched to activate.
They thanked me very much and on my remarks about responding to something I had picked up while scanning said "no worries you carry on scanning with our blessing"!!!!!!!!

The reason I do have a scanner is to help me when at an Airport/Airfield
to identify in advance Aircraft which may be of interest to Photograph, giving me time to set myself up in the best position.
(I am of an age where I prefer to sit in the comfort of my car and move only when I feel it is worth it)

OPF

H D................

Have seen what you have said but do you not think it might be more sensible to repeal the law which is widely flouted and appears to serve little if any useful purpose? Were it vital the communications remained confidential I am sure some form of encrypted form of communication could be used.

I think the fact no individual has ever been prosecuted for listening to airband and the receiving equipment is widely on sale tends to indicate that "the authorities" have other rather important matters to attend to and are not in the least concerned about the practise.

Planemike

Should it not be enough that the practice is illegal?

A great many things legally on sale can be used illegally. Does that justify the illegal
use?

It seems that the attitude is; Because I find it interesting and because I can and because I can get away with it then it is ok.

And interesting pick and choose approach to the law.

Firstly....... I am not a user of airband equipment.

My point is, if it were important the contents of the transmissions remained confidential something would be done about it. Nothing is done about it, no prosecutions, equipment still legally on sale, why not bring the law into harmony with what is actually happening??

Both HD and OO explain that listening to airband is illegal, which indeed it is, but neither say what HARM is being done by the practice. As no harm is being done I guess the "authorities" are willing to leave things as there are.

Planemike

Laws such as this have to remain in place to provide the authorities for a framework in order to be able to prosecute when someone has clearly misused information obtained. That is why there is a tolerance. Removing the law would be 'carte blanche'.

I agree with Capetonian. As a long-time and regular monitor of airband and other transmissions, I fully understand that what I am doing is illegal under current UK legislation, and I could not argue otherwise.

However it seems to be the norm that the authorities mostly turn a blind eye to this practice, as long as common sense is applied. My 'overhearing' a transmission between ATC and aircraft giving, for example, a clearance to a new height or heading, is pretty innocent and harms no-one. And of course I keep this to myself. I note that these types of routine transmissions are reproduced without hindrance, in such publications as "Flying the big jets" and several ATC guides.

However, hearing sensitive/confidential information and relaying this to all and sundry, well then I would expect to be hit with a big hammer and could have no defence. I think for these reasons (and to frustrate the criminal classes) the emergency services moved away from open FM transmissions to secure TETRA.

Regarding the comparison to the speed limit, it's the same. On a motorway 77mph is illegal, but you would not expect to be pulled over. However, 95mph is different, you are pushing it too far beyond the spirit of the law!

I think Heathrow Director is from the old school which is not a criticism pre se, but the world has really moved on. Taking photos of the lines of aircraft on delivery during the Second World War at Prestwick may have been seen as an act of spying, nowadays we view it as a priceless historical archive.

Context is everything. There is little harm that can be done by telling the press what you hear on ATC. If it's important enough to upset people and end up in the press, they'd get it from another chatty pilot IMHO. Such is life. To be honest, I'd be more concerned if they really did try and stop us listening because we'd then be convinced they had something to hide! We now know we have good reason to suspect "the authorities" as they've been caught BS'ing once too often. I mean for the love of God the Head of the CAA has no Aviation Experience and came from Worst Great Western Railways, something which I have painful experience of. Somehow leave it to the professionals isn't the defenece it once was....if ever!

Transparency is often a good thing gentlemen, calm yourselves to a frenzy please. If an ATCO vectors two aircraft into each other, the spotter informing the press is really the least of his worries.

Think of context. Next to no-one ever gets proesecuted for "tweaking" their CV a little. However in the wrong circumstances, the CPS shouts public interest and you'll get prosecuted. Think of Maxine Carr who lied on her CV in a way that many do. I ask again, how many spotters / enthusiasts have been prosecuted for listening to the airband since 1945?

Can someone outline the real world harm that this does and outline a top level case for sending someone to court? The courts are busy places I believe (!)

All seems a bit creepy to me, its bad enough adults spending all day scribbling aircraft reg numbers in a little book but wishing to listen in on private conversations is pushing it a bit , i wonder if they also tune their little boxes to the police /ambulance /fire frequencies as well, that must be very tempting for these characaters:sad:

Actually Simon you're the living definition of creepy. I see you post only in the Engineering, Airlines and Spotters sections. I see you're not a Professional Pilot but a backroom techie of some sort. Now that's fine. But you hate spotters yet most of your recent postings are in the spotters section. You remind of the school bully's scrawny little mate, never out in the open, always in the wings sneering.

What I also find pathetic is your clear intolerance of other people. I struggle to find any recent posts that you have made that adds anything worthwhile to a thread.

You mock, you name call, you belittle and you sneer with your little emoticons. And yet I don't see you as someone who has much to be superior about really. Indeed your ignorance that one cannot listen to Police band shows you know less a about radio comms than most of the other subjects you speak about with the threat of information or relevant facts!

Mods, WHY is he still on allowed on here given he adds NOTHING to any argument and goes out of his way riling good men and women who enjoy pprune?

I find the various references to ATC "private conversations" an exaggeration.

They are no more than routine exchanges of information.