[MilCom] Shuttle Atlantis Road Trip

Tue May 12 00:08:05 EDT 2009

This morning around 7 AM Guy McDonald, K4GTM and I departed Savannah to
watch the Space Shuttle Atlantis takeoff this afternoon. The trip provided
not only a good opportunity to monitor the shuttle launch, but also the
opportunity to monitor some radio systems and areas that I don't normally
get to monitor. We were riding in Guy's truck, so I armed myself with the
Uniden BC-396, the Alinco DJ-X10T, the Yaesu VX-7R, and the Icom IC-91AD.
Most of the monitoring was done with the BC-396 with the others filling in
the gaps on some conventional frequencies. The 91AD was also used to monitor
the NASA audio on the 146.940 repeater from Merritt Island. Thanks go to Al
and Mike from Florida for pointing me in the right direction on frequencies
and talkgroups. Their assistance made it possible for the scanning to
enhance the launch experience.

We arrived in the Titusville area shortly after 11 AM, grabbed some lunch at
a local Chinese Restaurant and headed to the Max Brewer Memorial Parkway in
Titusville. From a good area there, we set up to watch the launch next to a
ham that had come from Tallahassee. We were able to monitor a good two hours
of support communications prior to the launch from the Patrick AFB/Kennedy
Space Center TRS, military VHF/UHF, VHF airband, and Marine VHF frequencies.
We also kept tabs on the progress via NASA audio from the aforementioned
146.940 repeater. Perhaps the most interesting frequency to listen to was
126.650, where NASA 947 was passing weather information; they were checking
out several cloud formations that almost became "constraints." Luckily, the
formations dissipated just before the launch and Atlantis took off as
scheduled just after 2:01 PM.

Launch Communications
---------------------
259.700 - Shuttle Air-to-Ground
   -Shuttle ATLANTIS

133.800/264.800 - CAPE CONTROL
   -HARASS 33/34 (F-15C, 1 FW)
   -HARASS 35/36 (F-15C, 1 FW)
   -KING 01 (HC-130)
   -RELAY 01
   -NASA 902
   -NASA 947

141.300/294.600 - VARIETY
   -VARIETY 1
   -CAPE(?) #

138.400/349.600 - DOD CAPE
   -RELAY 01 relaying traffic from 123.100 123.100 
   -RELAY 01 wkg ????? ref vessels operating in area, then
    relaying traffic to DOD CAPE on 349.600

126.650 - Weather
   -NASA 902
   -NASA 947 passing information on weather conditions, cloud
    formations in launch area, particularly concerned with 2
    formations near the launch pad right up until launch

260.900 - NORAD Discrete
   -HARASS 33/34 (F-15C, 1 FW) for CAP
   -HARASS 35/36 (F-15C, 1 FW) for CAP
228.900 - NORAD Discrete
   -HARASS 35/36 wkg TANKER 03 for Aerial Refueling

269.300 - Miami ARTCC
   -HARASS 33/34 (F-15C, 1 FW) 
   -HARASS 35/36 (F-15C, 1 FW)
348.700 - Miami ARTCC
   -HARASS 33/34 (F-15C, 1 FW) 
   -HARASS 35/36 (F-15C, 1 FW) 

157.075   Marine VHF Ch. 81 
   -RANGE CONTROL (mention of Blue Force Trackers)
   -COAST GUARD 47321
   -COAST GUARD 25438
   -USCGC Kingfisher
157.125   Marine VHF Ch. 23
   -BAIRS COVE wkg 25523
157.050   Marine VHF Ch. 21
   -HH-65 air-to-air

Patrick AFB/Kennedy Space Center TRS
------------------------------------
976 - KSC Fire (116)
1136 - KSC Fire Tac 1
1296 - KSC Medical (117)
 - DOD SURGEON, AIRDOC # (in helos?), EMS, RESCUE ##, TRIAGE
1616 - KSC Safety (105)
1648 - KSC Orbiter Ops (110)
1680 - KSC Safety (205)
1760 - CCAFS Safety Net-B
1936 - KSC Security (103)
1952 - Traffic from RED RESCUE ref access to pad
2016 - KSC Security Vehicle Escorts
5392 - EH Base
6736 - Timing/Photo Net
9936 - unknown
11600 - KSC NASA Tower
12496 - KSC Support 104
16336 - CCAFS Cape Fire
16656 - CCAFS Cape Security
18256 - unid passing antenna data

The trip down presented a good opportunity to monitor the NSB Kings Bay TRS,
which I rarely get a chance to do and to monitor the relatively new
Department of Defense Southeastern TRS. I heard two talkgroups on the Kings
Bay system which I've not heard before (nor are they listed at Radio
Reference). While traveling through the Camden County and Jacksonville area,
I was able to pick up the DOD Southeast TRS SB Kings Bay, NAS Jacksonville,
and NS Mayport sites. Only a few talkgroups are listed for these sites at
RadioReference; I picked up a good list of talkgroups this trip,
unfortunately I just didn't have the time to identify any of them. The
exception is 28146 which, based on some traffic I heard, I am guessing is
NAS Jax Fire.

NSB Kings Bay TRS (new TGs)
-----------------
5040 - unknown
 -611, 613, 615, sounded civilian
6448 - unknown 

DOD Southeast TRS - NAS Kings Bay
386.050 Control Channel
---------------------------------
28050 - Encrypted, NSB Kings Bay Waterfront Security
28051 - Encrypted
28053 - Encrypted
28057 - Encrypted
28058 - Encrypted
28081 - Encrypted
28087
28118
28146 - Page Tones for Fire/EMS?
28148
28214
28647
28749 - "100 in Service at White House"

DOD Southeast TRS - NS Mayport
380.4375 Control Channel
------------------------------
28283
28323

DOD Southeast TRS - NAS Jacksonville
386.225 Control Channel
------------------------------------
28118
28130 - NAS Jax Police
 - COMMAND POST clg MAYPORT EOD
28146 - Fire/EMS?
 -"CHIEF 2 on the air at the Security Command Post"
28161
28173
28211 - Aircraft Maintenance Net?, ref to Paint Shops, APUs
28222 - unid ref P-3
28229

Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
Savannah, GA
http://kf4lmt.blogspot.com/
http://home.comcast.net/~kf4lmt/ 