A question about Radios

If I am at an airport by myself, I will often listen to my scanner. But that’s the only time really.

I have one but rarely use it now.
When I grew up living near LHR I got my first one when I was about 8 or 9 and used to sit there listening for hours. I’m glad I did because I pretty much knew most of the RT when I started flight training.

My first airband radio was also a WIN 108. The reception on vhf was fantastic. I could track aircraft out of Heathrow as they flew up the North sea. This was from my front room in a built up area in north London. When I got a mvt-7100, from the house in the loft I could only pick up aircraft about 10 miles away. But when you got clear of the built up area it came into its own. The rule is if you want to listen to airband get a scanner for airband only, like the mvt-225.

Sadly with everything else I have to do these days I very rarely get time to just turn on the radio.
I have an aerial on the roof which makes a whole world of difference when you’re listening at home.
I started about 20 years ago with a Win 108. It is battered and bruised and won’t do half of what a modern receiver will do but it is still my preferred radio when at home.
I have a modern Icom which I take with me to airshows.

As a young teenage spotter (1972ish) I had one, simply because I could see the finals of Ringway from my loft window…..but I couldn’t read the reggies. Often the reg would be called on air, but more likely the call sign and flight number, I would then tally which reg. it was from other spotters.
Oh, and the BBC 1 TV sound was on about 112FM IIRC.

I just bought this little gizmo:

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-ICF-SW7600GR-Shortwave-Receiver-Reception/dp/B00006IS4X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1241974403&sr=8-1

I haven’t had much time to play with the international short wave side of the radio due to a recent surgery, but all in all I do love it, it gets great reception from a number of local stations and I am even listening to a certain radio program thats in syndication across North America, but the kicker is I am listening to it most of the time on a Canadian staion that is i believe 1000 miles from me, and that is just on the normal AM frequency.

I dont think this is exactly what you all were talking about in this thread, but if I figured if anyone was looking for a good FM/AM/SW portable radio, this is the one to have from all my research and limited experience.

Moderator Message

UKADGE, please check your Private Messages.

Cheers

GA

I don’t have one and never have. In all truth I’m more of a ‘take it as it comes’ kind of person than someone who sits glued to the scanner. I’d rather listen to music while shooting than ATC!

Just a quick point for UKADGE, at the risk of sounding like a moaning old git could you please not post all in capitals? It kind of looks like you’re shouting everything and it’s a little annoying to read. 🙂

Paul

I OWN 2 WIDE BAND SCANNERS. A MVT 7100 AND A MVT 9000. THEY EACH CAN STORE 1000 FREQUENCYS. I USE THE MVT 7100 FOR MILLITARY AIRBAND AND THE MVT 9000 FOR CIVIL AIRBAND AND HF. THEY ARE POCKET SCANNERS BUT I USE THEM AS BOTH HOMEBASE AND MOBILE.(IN MY POCKET OR ON BELT CLIP) WHEN MOBILE OR AT AIRSHOW OR AIRFIELD IT IS BEST TO USE EAR OR HEADPHONES. BEST RECEPTION AT HOME IS VIA AERIALS SET UP IN MY LOFT. I HAVE A TUNED UHF AERIAL THAT IS PARTLY HOME MADE FEEDING INTO ONE COAX THEN INTO THE SCANNER OF CHOICE(MVT 7100 IS BETTER ON UHF) I HAVE THE SCANNER PLUGGED VIA AN AUDIO LINE, INTO A VOICE ACTIVATED TAPE RECORDER.THE TAPE RECORDER IS ON A TIMER (SO I CAN SET IT ALL UP AND LEAVE IT RUNNING WITHOUT WAKING THE WHIFE! WHEN IM ON AN EARLY START). AS I WORK LONG HOURS I FIND IT A GREAT WAY TO ENJOY MY HOBBY. ON UHF I CAN PICK UP AIRCRAFT OPERATING 150 MILES FROM MY LOCATION. I HAVE A HIGH GAIN TUNED AERIAL FOR VHF AND A PARTLY HOME MADE HF AERIAL FEEDING INTO THE SAME COAX.(IT WORKS FINE)ON VHF I CAN PICK UP AIRCRAFT WORKING WITH ATC OVER THE NORTH SEA,OVER SCOTLAND, AND AIRCRAFT OVER IRELAND OR WORKING DUBLIN ATC.I CAN PICK UP THE CONTROLERS ON UHF AND VHF FROM THE NEARBY ATC TRANSMITERS. ON HF DAY TIME I CAN PICK UP SHANWICK OCEANIC CONTROL AND AIRCRAFT OVER THE ATLANTIC. AT NIGHT I CAN PICK UP GANDER AND NEW YORK OCEANIC CONTROL AND AIRCRAFT OVER THE ATLANTIC. AZORES OCEANIC IS PARTICULARY LOUD AND CLEAR. IAN ALLAN HAS PUBLISHED A BOOK BY GRAHAM DUKE CALLED ‘AIRBAND RADIO GUIDE’ IT HAS A GUIDE TO AIRBAND USE, A GUIDE TO BUYING A GOOD AIRBAND RADIO, AND USEFULL FREQUENCY GUIDE(CHECK WHEN YOUR EDITION WAS PUBLISHED) AERONAUTICAL CHARTS, RADIO COVERAGE MAPS AND MORE. A GOOD BOOK TO GET YOU STARTED.

Hello all,

Just a question out of interest only.

How many of you have an airband radio and how often do you use it?

I got one for my Xmas and its great been out to the airport a lot with it and I listen to it ALL the time apart from school. Although I do listen to it on my way to and from of course. The one I had before Xmas was very bulky so I only used it at the airport.

There it goes “Clear land Shuttle 2946” I hear lol

Regards AJ

If you are that interested in radio, look up ham radio on the net, you will soon realize, radio doesn’t just stop with air band radio. I eventually discovered ham radio, when I heard a local radio amateur on the 145mhz VHF amateur radio band. By the way, it’s not legal to listen to aircraft radios, although you can buy them.
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Hi,the memsaab treated me to one for Christmas, i haven’t tried it out at a field just yet, but do get Leeds approach.
dave:D