[Scan-DC] Aeronautical 8.33 kHz channel spacing

[Clegg, Andrew W.]

Thanks Jeff and Larry,

 

I presume the newest scanners are capable of supporting 8.33 kHz (even
some older scanners are - my AOR 8200MKIII does). But no doubt some of
the older scanners don't support it, although with AM, you can probably
tune in close enough to understand a conversation, as at most you would
be 8.33 kHz off the correct center frequency. I have found some of the
most interesting traffic on the air bands come from the enroute
frequencies. I also tend to listen to those when I am driving far from a
city, where activity on the public safety frequencies is low.

 

Anyway, as you say, this is voluntary at this point, so it's hard to
tell how soon we will hear any significant activity on the new channels.

 

Andy

 

 

From: Jeff Krauss [mailto:jeff at krauss.ws] 
Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2011 9:45 AM
To: scan-dc at mailman.qth.net
Cc: Clegg, Andrew W.
Subject: Aeronautical 8.33 kHz channel spacing

 

As the 3rd R&O indicates, this channel splitting has been in the works
in the US since 2001.  Back then, it was opposed by the General Aviation
community because of cost, and opposed by the FAA because ACARS
[Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System] and VDL [VHF
Data Link] Mode 2 data services require 25 kHz channel spacing.  The 3rd
R&O doesn't say whether FAA took a position on channel splitting this
time around.
The 3rd R&O doesn't mention the related issue of cable TV leakage and
signal offsets in Part 76, which require video carrier frequencies to be
offset from the aeronautical frequencies.  But the offset rules were
imposed in the days of analog video, while most of the larger cable
systems have converted to digital.
Anyway, the channel splitting is permissive, not mandatory, and only
applies to aeronautical en-route frequencies operated by a private
consortium (and to flight testing frequencies), and apparently not to
air traffic control frequencies operated by the FAA.






Message: 4
Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:03:46 -0400
From: "Clegg, Andrew W." <aclegg at nsf.gov>
Subject: [Scan-DC] ULS is now ready to accept applications for
         aeronautical    enroute stations using 8.33 kHz channel spacing
To: <scan-dc at mailman.qth.net>
Message-ID:
         <36946000EC7B1E44A277E4EC11FE917F02136907 at NSF-BE-02.ad.nsf.gov>
Content-Type: text/plain;        charset="us-ascii"

A question for the aeronautical experts out there:  Would this be the
first use of 8.33 kHz channel spacing for aeronautical comms in the
U.S.? The Order referenced in the Public Notice notes that some parts of
Europe are already using 8.33 kHz spacing.

Cheers,
Andy

Public Notice:
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-1403A1.pdf

Third Report and Order referenced in Public Notice:
http://www.aerosupavionics.com/document/FCC-10-103A1.pdf