The VHF aircraft or airband can be boring, but also quite interesting at times. The receiver I use is the Realistic PRO-2042 scanner, shown below. I also have a Tecsun S-2000 receiver which covers the air craft frequencies and the Icom A24 handheld, shown below left. I use a Flowerpot antenna sited in the loft. See how to make the Flowerpot antenna. There’s an airband frequency list which might be useful.
Update 1/5/2022.
I took the radio to Shoreham Airport today. Shoreham, or Brighton City Airport as they like to be known, is on 123.150MHz. Obviously, I can’t transmit on the aircraft band but it’s nice to have a professional radio which I believe is used by pilots as a standby radio. To the north of my QTH near Amberley is a gliding club. I listen to them when I visit Amberley Museum.
There’s a nice place to eat at the airport, if you’re hungry. It’s called The Hummingbird Café. Above is a view of the airport and one of me looking scruffy. Oh, and a pic of the Icom handheld.
Icom IC-A24 handheld airband transceiver
The Icom IC-A24 is a portable VHF aviation radio designed for communication between aircraft and air traffic control. It is a rugged handheld transceiver, intended primarily for pilots and aviation ground operations.
The IC-A24 is particularly interesting from a radio enthusiast's perspective because it combines a conventional VHF transmitter and receiver with aviation-specific features, including navigation assistance.
Main features
The IC-A24 has several useful features:
- VHF airband communication – transmits and receives aircraft AM voice communications.
- VOR navigation – receives VOR navigation signals and helps the pilot determine their bearing relative to a VOR station.
- Emergency frequency button – dedicated access to 121.5 MHz, the international aviation emergency frequency.
- 200 memory channels – arranged into 20 banks of 10 channels.
- Channel recall – quickly recalls the ten most recently used frequencies.
- ANL noise reduction – Automatic Noise Limiter helps reduce unwanted receiver noise.
- Side tone – allows the operator to hear their own transmitted voice through a suitable headset.
- Water resistance – Icom specifies protection equivalent to IPX4.
These features are documented by Icom UK.
Technical specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Transmit frequency | 118–136.9917 MHz |
| Receive frequency | 108–136.9917 MHz |
| Modulation | AM |
| Channel spacing | 25 kHz / 8.33 kHz, depending on version |
| Transmitter power | 5 W PEP typical |
| Receiver type | Double-conversion superheterodyne |
| Memory channels | 200 |
| Antenna connection | BNC, 50 ohms |
| Audio output | Approximately 500 mW |
| External DC input | 11 V |
| Dimensions | 54 × 129.3 × 35.5 mm |