Got my Scanner

[Alex]

I finally went out and bought a scanner today, the Uniden 72XLT. After trying all morning to program a frequency into it I went to www.nzscanners.org.nz and browsed their forums and found how to do it!

I'm gonna have a good time listening to the Tower, and to a lesser extent, the ATIS.

Alex

[Alex]

This thing gets Christchurch Control on 119.5 as well, I'm a happy chappy now.

Alex

[Jimmy]

yay for you! that sounds wicked

Got quite a range has it, can ya pick up other comunications too? Like phone calls hehe (I used to get my am radio and listen to my mum on the phone )

How much do they cost?

I'm gonna have a good time listening to the Tower, and to a lesser extent, the ATIS

haha, an atis could actuly be quite interesting, just don't get to obsesed with the latest weather lol

James

[ardypilot]

Yea man, scanning is an awesome hobby! I also have a 72XLT, it is surprising what it can pick up for a thing of it's size. From my house in Auckland, I can hear Whangerai and Corromandal traffic on a good day!

Here is my list of frequency's, some of them may be helpfull to you, although it is mainly based around Auckland ATC:

Bank 1) Auckland International

1 NZAA Tower Primary 118.700
2 NZAA Tower Secondary 120.800
3 NZAA Delivery 128.200
4 NZAA Ground 121.900
5 NZAA Apron 123.000
6 NZAA ATIS 1 127.800
7 NZAA ATIS 2 127.000
8 Ramp (Air NZ Int'l) 131.900
9 Ramp (Air NZ Domestic) 132.900
10 Ramp (Air NZ Link) 131.000

Bank 2) Auckland Regional Control

11 Auckland Control 129.500
12 Auckland Area Control 120.500
13 Auckland Control North 124.300
14 Auckland North Control 125.500 or 119.500???
15 Auckland Control South (ChCh) 126.0
16 Auckland Control Central North Island (ChCh) 119.500 or 125.500???
17 Auckland Control RADAR 129.6
18 Auckland Oceanic Control Primary 123.9
19 Auckland Oceanic Control Secondary 134.0
20 Auckland Information (ChCh) 118.500

Bank 3) General Aviation Frequencies

21 Ardmore Traffic (Unicom) 118.100
22 Ardmore ATIS 121.000
23 Auckland Aero Club 133.700
24 Ardmore Flying School 133.825
25 Massy University 133.650
26 Auckland VFR MBZ (Waiheke) Traffic 120.400
27 Kaipara Flats VFR MBZ (Parakai) Traffic 119.100
28 North Shore VFR MBZ (Dairy Flat) Traffic 118.000
29 Great Barrier Island VFR MBZ Traffic 124.400
30 Mercer VFR MBZ (Pokeno) Traffic 133.05

Bank 4) Large Airlines

31 Air New Zealand (Star Alliance) 131.900
32 Air New Zealand Domestic 130.300
33 Air NZ link (Eagle) 130.900
34 Air NZ link (Nelson) ???.???
35 Air NZ link (Mount Cook) 131.800
36 Great Barrier Airlines 130.600
37 Mountain Air ???.???
38 Qantas Int'l 134.050
39 Garuda / Argentina / Cathay / 133.950
40 Origin Pacific Airways 131.100

Bank 5) Smaller Airline Companys

41 Westpac Rescue 129.900
42 Police Eagle 131.300
43 Coastguard 133.050
44 NZ Warbirds 122.100
45 Christian Aviation 133.300
46 Drury Gliding Club 134.450
47 NZ Post 131.600
48
49
50

Bank 6) Military

51 Whenuapai Tower Primary 134.500
52 Whenuapai Tower Secondary 119.900
53 Whenuapai Tower Back Up 255.400
54 Whenuapai ATIS 270.600
55 Whenuapai PAR Primary 125.700
56 Whenuapai PAR Secondary 128.300
57 RNZAF Air Operations 135.100
58 RNZAF Northern Ops ???.???
59 RNZAF 40 Squadron 135.400
60

Bank 7) Other New Zealand Airports

61 New Plymouth Tower 124.700
62 New Plymouth Approach 118.100
63 Hamilton Tower Primary 122.900
64 Hamilton Tower Secondary 125.900
65 Tauranga Tower Primary 118.300
66 Tauranga Tower Secondary 123.400
67 Whangarei Tower (Unattended) 118.600
68 Taupo (Unattended) 118.400
69
70

Perhaps Towerguy can help us out here

[Alex]

Wow, thats quite a list you have there Trolly. Thanks, I might be able to get Tauranga Tower on it sometimes, if only there wasn't a great heap of mountain in the way.

If your mum has an 025 phone then its possible James, the 027 and 021 phones are digital and require a different type of scanner. I got it for $178 at Dick Smith, the last one I think (they got it out of the display cabinet).

Alex

[ZK-KAG]

an atis could actuly be quite interesting

I used to listen to it all the time (AA's one that is), but i found a much easier way of getting that info... Auckland ATIS (Just change the ICAO code at the end of the URL address to whatever airport you want

Also I have a good look at a weather page recommended on here by someone... Manurewa Weather

I want a police scanner too, not for avoiding them, but just to listen in...

~KAG~

[ardypilot]

Alex, our scanner is capable of picking up Police, Fire, Ambulance, Railway and TV sound too.

Here is a more complete list for you:

Auckland Airport Tower has four operators who talk planes in and out on set frequencies.
INWARD:  123.9, 124.3, 129.6, 118.7.

AMBULANCE  AM 141.3875 CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND
AMBULANCE  AM 142.315
AMBULANCE  AM 142.48
AMBULANCE SOUTH  AM 141.37
AMBULANCE NORTH SHORE AM 141.415
FIRE    FM 75.935  Main Freq, there are others, search nearby
FIRE  UHF  FM 457.400
FIRE  HANDHELDS FM 455.1375
MARINE CH 16  FM 161.475  COASTGUARD
MARINE CH 21  FM 161.650  COASTGUARD
MARINE CH 22  FM 161.700  COASTGUARD
MARINE CH 23  FM 161.750  COASTGUARD
MARINE CH 83  FM 161.775  COASTGUARD
MILITARY AIR HOBSONVILLE AM 119.9  TOWER
MILITARY AIR HOBSONVILLE AM 255.7  TOWER
MILITARY AIR OHAKEA AM 258.5
MILITARY AIR OHAKEA AM 263.4
MILITARY AIR OHAKEA  AM 269.3
MILITARY AIR RNZAF  AM 134.5  BASES TOWER
MILITARY AIR RNZAF  AM 135.1  OPERATIONS
MILITARY AIR RNZAF  AM 255.4
MILITARY AIR WHENUAPAI AM 128.3  ATIS
MILITARY AIR HOBSONVILLE AM 119.9  TOWER
MILITARY AIR WHENUAPAI AM 270.6  TOWER

POLICE  KAITAIA FM 75.765
POLICE  KAITAIA FM 75.52 (75.53?)
POLICE  CENTRAL FM  75.350
POLICE  CENTRAL FM  75.475
POLICE  CENTRAL FM  75.650
POLICE  CENTRAL FM  75.9625
POLICE  CENTRAL FM 485.250
POLICE  CENTRAL FM 486.050
POLICE  CENTRAL 2 FM  75.275 
POLICE  CENTRAL 2 FM  75.625 
POLICE  CENTRAL 2 FM  75.837  ROTORUA
POLICE  CENTRAL 2 FM  75.9125 
POLICE  CENTRAL 2 FM 485.350
POLICE  CENTRAL 2 FM 486.600
POLICE  MANUKAU FM  75.375
POLICE  MANUKAU FM  75.9265
POLICE  MANUKAU FM 485.275
POLICE  MANUKAU FM 487.275
POLICE  PAPAKURA FM  75.7875
POLICE  PAPAKURA FM  75.8125
POLICE  PAPAKURA FM  76.0375
POLICE  PAPAKURA FM 486.575
POLICE  PAPAKURA FM 487.8500
POLICE  SHORE  FM  75.250  HAMILTON
POLICE  SHORE  FM  75.300  ROTORUA RURAL
POLICE  SHORE  FM 485.200
POLICE  SHORE  FM 485.425
POLICE  SHORE 2 FM  75.9375
POLICE  SHORE 2 FM  76.1125
POLICE  WEST  FM  75.7125  HAMILTON
POLICE  WEST  FM  76.0625
POLICE  WEST  FM 485.225
POLICE  WEST  FM 486.675
POLICE  CENTRAL FM 485.950
POLICE  CENTRAL 2 FM 486.725
POLICE  SHORE  FM 485.300
POLICE  SHORE 2 FM  76.1625
POLICE  WEST  FM  75.325
POLICE  PORTABLE 1 FM 485.225
POLICE  PORTABLE 1 FM 486.625
POLICE  PORTABLE 2 FM 485.275
RAILWAYS  FM 151.800
RAILWAYS  FM 151.950
RAILWAYS  FM 152.050 NORTH LINE
RAILWAYS  FM 152.350
RAILWAYS  FM 153.430
RAILWAYS  FM 153.455
RAILWAYS  FM 153.45625
RAILWAYS  FM 153.462
RAILWAYS  FM 153.730
RAILWAYS  FM 153.830
RAILWAYS  FM 154.130
RAILWAYS  FM 420.212
RAILWAYS  FM 426.425 BOMBAY REPEATER
RAILWAYS  FM 453.350 SOUTH ISLAND?
RAILWAYS  FM 453.562
RAILWAYS  FM 476.206  AFC SOUTHDOWN
RAILWAYS  FM 489.29375

TRANZRAIL locomotives are fitted with four channels on the E band which they scan.
Channel 1 - 153.45625 - is for simplex local comms.
Channel 2 - 151.95, Channel 3 - 152.05 and Channel 4 - 152.35 are for repeaters with the TCO responsible for that area. A Sel-call system is used to identify callers on the TCO computer. When the driver leaves the loco he takes a UFH hand held which transmits back to the loco and is relayed to the TCO.
There may be up to about 10 new frequencies not noted.

SATELLITE COMMS:    250 - 450 & 269 - 950
SPACE SHUTTLE:  259 - 700 & 296 - 800


TV SOUND CHANNEL 1 FM  50.750 (TVONE "“ Waikato)
TV SOUND CHANNEL 2 FM  60.750 (TVONE "“ Auckland)
TV SOUND CHANNEL 3 FM  67.750
TV SOUND CHANNEL 4 FM 180.750 (TV2 - Auckland)
TV SOUND CHANNEL 5 FM 187.750
TV SOUND CHANNEL 6 FM 194.750
TV SOUND CHANNEL 7 FM 201.750
TV SOUND CHANNEL 8 FM 208.750


SEARCH FREQUENCIES: 

AIRCRAFT 118.000      --      136.000
FIRE:  75.100        --    77.000 "“ same area as Police. Some freqs shared with rural Police
MARINE 156.000    --      162.025
MILITARY AIR 253.000      --      273.000
POLICE: 75.100        --      77.000  485.000    --    487.100
RAILWAYS: 151.000      --  153.400  420          --    460  (approx)

P.S. I can also pick up cordless homephones on mine somehow

[Zöltuger]

bah. i have a 92XLT and i can't hear squat on the airband from my house. i think it's because i live in a valley (in central auckland) and aircraft broadcasts are low power and require line of sight tho sometimes i hear a garbled message of aircraft above.
when i was in wellington late last year, i went to the mountain that overlooks the airport (the one with the wind turbine)- i got crystal clear reception. probably the best place in NZ to plane spot and listen to scanners.


p.s. make sure you don't plagarise anything you got from scanners.org.nz - they're really finicky about plagarism

[Jimmy]

I can also pick up cordless homephones on mine somehow

I can do that with my radio! Thats what I as talking about in my previous post, just switch to AM on your radio and scan around for a while and youl hear the home phone Not that we would ever do that anyway...........

[ardypilot]

i can't hear squat on the airband from my house.

I forgot to mention that I plug my scanner into my roof ariel to get enhanced reception. I simply bought a small connect from DSE for about $1.50 and wolah, it fits on the TV cable!

I obviously unscrew it and put the original antenna on when I go out spotting though- but I think you can buy connectors that let you use your car radio aerial via the cigarette lighter or something..

Thats what I as talking about in my previous post, just switch to AM on your radio and scan around for a while and youl hear the home phone

When I was a kid, my and my brother had a cheap set of walkie talkes. When I used to scan around, I could hear my next door neighbor (we lived in a semi detached house in England), on the phone. When not actually my next door neighbor, only the person she was having a convosation with. I felt like a spy

[squirrel350]

removed

[Alex]

Wow, thanks for the list there Trolly, I think they have something similar to that on nzscanners.

Yea, Zöltuger, I realised after I tried to right click on a link to 'Copy Shortcut' in their forum. Warning box... Anyway, I'm sure I'll survive.

Alex

[ZK-MAT]

I have a 92XLT, and find most of the time I'm listening to Police / Fire / Ambos which is a little more exciting than TG Tower at times.

I'm still learning the finerpoints of searching, logging and so on... NZ Scanners was a great starting point.

One program I got from NZ Scanners is called Scan record (on the downloads / software page - sr181.zip). It will record the voice comms to your PC only when comms are active. You can set the sensitivity of the recording threshold etc. It's a good program if you wish to do some unattended recording of the airwaves.

Other links of interest:

ATC Frequencies

Kiwi Scanner page

[Zöltuger]

I forgot to mention that I plug my scanner into my roof ariel to get enhanced reception. I simply bought a small connect from DSE for about $1.50 and wolah, it fits on the TV cable!

i might try that. i've been looking at purchasing a purpose built antenna for the airband. again tho, my house is surrounded by hills, so i'm a little dubious as to whether i'll be able to hear anything.

[ZK-MAT]

I simply bought a small connect from DSE for about $1.50 and wolah, it fits on the TV cable!

Thanks for the tip - I picked up a BNC to Coax socket adapter today from Jaycar and using the TV aerial results in the TG airport and plane comms crystal clear rather than a staticy mess

[ardypilot]

Thanks for the tip - I picked up a BNC to Coax socket adapter today from Jaycar and using the TV aerial results in the TG airport and plane comms crystal clear rather than a staticy mess

For me the main difference is I can actually hear the people on the other end at NZAA tower (although a little crackly, it's better than nothing!). I often wonder if it's towerguy I am hearing, but often it is what sounds like a Canadian women controlling there.

[ardypilot]

Today I was sitting in my kitchen having a snack, with the scanner on in the background (not hooked up to the roof aerial), and I heard an unusually clear transmission from an Airforce orion reporting it's position. I whipped out my binoculars and sure enough I could see a nice shiny RNZAF Orion at 1000 feet overhead Rangitoto, and I followed it all the way to above the harbor bridge when it turned away and descended into Whenuapai.

[squirrel350]

I was sitting up in our office at the pad a week or two ago and heard a really loud noise flying over-head 10 minutes later we spotted the RNZAF C130 Herc practicing touch and go's at the airport before carrying-on his journey south was cool to see him flying in circles but took us ages to click as to who or what it was flying over us.

[Zöltuger]

yeah, i heard an air force aircraft buzz my house last night.

[squirrel350]

It was really noisy and didnt even realise it was a C130-Herc till we thought we spotted it out at NZHN.