Graham Duke has kindly supplied the following information with regard to the new 8.33Khz airband frequencies for the UK:
The following list gives all existing and planned 8.33 kHz channels in UK airspace:
132.840 Introduced approximately 2 years ago, covers London Upper West sector.
135.580 replaces 135.575 14 February 2006
132.860 replaces 131.050 15 February 2006
132.130 replaces 129.100 16 February 2006
127.880 replaces 127.875 23 February 2006
127.430 replaces 127.425 22 March 2006
128.160 replaces 127.825 5 April 2006
126.780 replaces 126.775 12 April 2006
Some points to remember:
You don't need a scanner with 8.33 channels, just a scanner with steps of 5kHz or lower;
The transmissions do not take place exactly on the published channels. For example, a channel of 134.005 is actually transmitted on 134.000.
Where a frequency and its replacement channel are only 5kHz apart apart, they can often both be heard on a scanner, due to their proximity. Listen to the controller handing over an aircraft to find out the correct frequency being used.
Later this year, probably in May, the terms channel and frequency will be discontinued. Only frequencies will be used.Also, all frequencies will be spoken in 6 digits ie 127.275 except where the last 2 digits are zeros.
More information on 8.33 channels:
These concern the major resectorisation which took place over South Wales and the West of England on 16 March 2006, with several new air routes, and lots of new reporting points.
This is known as the WestEnd resectorisation.
Two new channels are now in use:
Flight Levels 340 and above 135.255
Flight Levels 300 and above 135.540
In practice, these channels are only being used at busy periods. Most of the time, they are "bandboxed" with the existing frequencies.
Thanks go to Graham Duke for this very informative and comprehensive guide to 8.33KHz allocations.
Mark.
Books on: Airband Aviation
1 comment:
Hi Mark, that was useful info from Graham. I wish I'd had it before I bought a new scanner with 8.33 channels that now can't hear the controllers because it doesn't have the 5khz step and, as I mentioned in an earlier post, defaults in my case to 132.863 and 132.125.These scanners are advertised erroneously as being "future proof". I started by hearing the controller on my scanners default of 132.125 but can't anymore. I can sometimes hear him on 135.583 but it comes and goes. Money wasted and very frustrating! Any advice on a reasonably price scanner that WILL work?
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