Author Topic: ARINC extended range VHF  (Read 12222 times)

Offline dave

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ARINC extended range VHF
« on: August 10, 2008, 08:06:28 PM »
Does anyone know much about the ARINC extended range VHF frequencies?

For example:

129.90 MHz     Extended range VHF. Coverage area includes Canadian Maritime Provinces, and oceanic routes to Bermuda and the Caribbean, from Boston, New York and Washington areas to approximately 250 nautical miles from the East Coast

Has anyone ever heard much activity on 129.9 MHz?
Anyone know where the transmitter(s) are?

I believe there are some extended range VHF stations in Greenland and/or Iceland and/or Ireland, but don't know much about them.

Inquiring minds want to know...



Offline dave

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Offline JetScan1

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Re: ARINC extended range VHF
« Reply #2 on: August 12, 2008, 12:34:22 AM »
dave,

Quote
Has anyone ever heard much activity on 129.9 MHz? Anyone know where the transmitter(s) are?

In the New York City area 129.900 is used by ARINC to relay position reports to ATC (the same guys you hear on HF) for southbound traffic entering WATRS (West ATlantic Route System) airspace, the frequency is used for the initial position report over OKONU, ROLLE, RESQU, SAVIK, SQUAD, KINNG, MARIG, KAYYT as well as for HF frequency assignment. NAT traffic over DOVEY, JOBOC and SLATN use it as well. You can hear the ARINC operator loud and clear on the ground at JFK, but I'm not sure where the other transmitter sites are located ? Maybe Nantucket ? This frequency is not generally used for "company" traffic (phone patches) as the other published frequencies (from your link) are used for that purpose. Going the other way northbound into WATRS airspace from San Juan ARINC use 130.700.

You can download the updated charts here to see the above waypoints ....

http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/enroute/oceanic/WATRS_Plus/

Quote
I believe there are some extended range VHF stations in Greenland and/or Iceland and/or Ireland, but don't know much about them.

Gander and Iceland Radio both have VHF transmitters in Greenland. Gander Radio on 127.900 located at Prins Christian Sund is used to relay position reports on northen NAT tracks. Iceland Radio on 127.850 located at Kangerlussuaq (Sondre Stromfjord) is used to relay position reports over central Greenland (traffic between Europe and the west coast of North America). Iceland Radio also uses 126.550 over Iceland and have another transmitter on 127.850 in range of northern Scotland, I'm not sure where the transmitter is but you can get them about 50 miles south of Stornaway (STN) at cruise altitude, mostly used by that Europe to North American west coast traffic to get their Oceanic Clearance. Gander and Shanwick Radio also have long range VHF frequencies used for southern NAT traffic at their initial fix .... see page 31

http://www.nat-pco.org/nat/CurrentNAT%20IGA.pdf

DJ

Offline dave

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Re: ARINC extended range VHF
« Reply #3 on: August 12, 2008, 07:24:44 AM »
Excellent info...thanks DJ!  I got to listen to Iceland Radio when I was there last month.  It was odd hearing SELCAL on VHF!

Dave