Airband scanners

[Craig.]

i have just seen over at the Anet forums that some people take airband scanners and GPS recievers, on board planes and use them during flight. Now with radios themselves being banned(or as far as i am aware) i would have thought these two devices would be to. Any ideas??

[Fozzer]

Hi Craig...
Interesting thought mate... ...!

I keep wondering wether or not to buy a, (cheap

[Craig.]

i have a really cheap one that works quite well.(

[loomex]

I have two scanners. My 200 channel one scans all public service (law enforcement, fire, etc..), I also scan FRS/GMRS in the area. I need to get another antenna for the other scanner so i can hear the air traffic...what little there is

[Wing Nut]

It seems like at one time or another I found online where you could listen to ATC on-line, but I can't remember where.  In fact I know I did, because I remember turning it on while flying FS98.  Hmm...  Does anyone know where to find it again?

[ozzy72]

Fozzer,

Many Security Patrol personnel here carry the same type of scanner to listen in to Police band conversations. Some of our Patrolmen carry them, although I never did when I was 'out and about' (instead of in monitoring room).

They are only used for eave's dropping etc and to pass the time........lol.
These scanners cannot pick up Air traffic control, even when right next to the Airport Tower. This stuff is on a frequency that it is (as far as I am aware) illegal to have access to, in case of mishap or interference etc.

[loomex]

Aircraft/airport freq. are 108-136.975 mHZ

[Paz]

[Wing Nut]

Ahh, there it is,  I new I could find it somewhere...  If you can afford the ram, it really helps when you are playing bus driver.  I love it!


http://www.atchelp.com/hear_live_atc.shtml

[ozzy72]

Brensec in the UK scanners are legal. You see loads of people at every airshow walking around with them.
Also I don't see that a scanner would cause problems on an aircraft as it is a recieve only device, it doesn't make any transmissions (other than noise through the speaker), so it won't interfere with the crew or aircraft in any way, unlike mobile phones.......

Ozzy

[Craig.]

thanks ozzy i found it weird as they show radios as being banned on board and they dont transmit??? . also ozzy in the UK they are actully illeagal but nothing is ever done about it, as it would be to much hassle.
they are legal in the US though

[ozzy72]

When did they become illegal Craig? A lot of my friends still use them regularly, including a police officer! Eeek

[Craig.]

i am not quite sure, but i remember being rather suspicious when i was told untill another person told me. but as others including yourslef have mentioned, so many people use them so they dont bother with that law(which makes you wonder why it hasnt been scrapped) i will have a look round see if i can find the info on it:)

[Craig.]

after a quick check, apparently it is legal to own and use them but it is illegal to listen to airband Freqs(go figure on that one):)

[Woodlouse2002]

Brensec in the UK scanners are legal. You see loads of people at every airshow walking around with them.

You have reminded me of an incident that involved my uncle at an airshow a few years back.

This man with a large scanner was looking at the red arrows and trying to tune into there frequency so as to hear what they were saying. Anyway, my uncle walks up to this guy looks at what he's doing, then to the red's and goes "Your controlling those planes very well!"