HAM RADIO IN AVIATION
Amateur radio has truly revolutionized the world of communication. Following its universal usage in all sectors, it has also made its way into the aviation industry. Let us dive into how HAM radio is doing marvels in the aviation sector. How many of you actually know that there’s a specific band allocated for amateur radio in civil aviation? This particular band is called Air band or Air Craft Band. It operates in the VHF region and is used for air navigation and air traffic control. The frequency range employed here is 108 to 137 MHz.
HAM radio in military aircrafts and search and rescue operations
HAM radio is widely employed by search and rescue airplanes to establish communication between the rescuers and the victims. The communication is mainly made in the VHF band. The international distress frequency is used by amateur radios to establish emergency radio communication. It is licensed by an international agreement. These are the frequencies commonly used by military and civilian aircrafts for various communication and detection systems.
The International Air Distress frequency is 121.5 Mhz. Emergency locator beacons use this frequency for navigation purposes and to indicate distress.
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) military airplanes use the frequency 243 MHz.
Corpas Sarsat is a best known Canadian search and rescue programme that utilizes a group of satellites in orbiting earth to provide distress alerts. It actively utilizes amateur radio frequencies and send these alerts to search and rescue authorities. It operates at a frequency of 406- 406.1 MHz.
Amateur radio in high altitude balloons (‘the poor man’s space program’)
The process of tracking high altitude balloons such as weather balloons near space with the help of amateur radio is called Amateur Radio High Altitude Ballooning (ARHAB). The balloons can be tracked using data transmissions or APRS. The tracking equipment containing camera and sensors is sent up to high altitudes of about 30 km. At a distance of 1 metre, the balloon expands and the payload (camera and sensors) fall to the ground with the help of a parachute.
Emergency Position indicating radio-beacon station
It is a type of radio-beacon station that is powered by a radio transmitter to indicate the position of missing airplanes, vessels or people in distress. In case there is an airplane crash, the radio transmitter begins emitting a radio signal that is received by search and rescue teams that come for immediate rescue. The main purpose of this system is to help the survivors of a traumatic plane crash within ‘the golden day’. It is a period of 24 hours following the event. The operating frequency is 406 MHz.
These revolutionary mechanisms in amateur radio help the aviation sector in different ways to monitor airplanes and other vessels in times of disaster and air traffic control.
Amateur radio has truly revolutionized the world of communication. Following its universal usage in all sectors, it has also made its way into the aviation industry. Let us dive into how HAM radio is doing marvels in the aviation sector. How many of you actually know that there’s a specific band allocated for amateur radio in civil aviation? This particular band is called Air band or Air Craft Band. It operates in the VHF region and is used for air navigation and air traffic control. The frequency range employed here is 108 to 137 MHz.
HAM radio in military aircrafts and search and rescue operations
HAM radio is widely employed by search and rescue airplanes to establish communication between the rescuers and the victims. The communication is mainly made in the VHF band. The international distress frequency is used by amateur radios to establish emergency radio communication. It is licensed by an international agreement. These are the frequencies commonly used by military and civilian aircrafts for various communication and detection systems.
The International Air Distress frequency is 121.5 Mhz. Emergency locator beacons use this frequency for navigation purposes and to indicate distress.
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) military airplanes use the frequency 243 MHz.
Corpas Sarsat is a best known Canadian search and rescue programme that utilizes a group of satellites in orbiting earth to provide distress alerts. It actively utilizes amateur radio frequencies and send these alerts to search and rescue authorities. It operates at a frequency of 406- 406.1 MHz.
Amateur radio in high altitude balloons (‘the poor man’s space program’)
The process of tracking high altitude balloons such as weather balloons near space with the help of amateur radio is called Amateur Radio High Altitude Ballooning (ARHAB). The balloons can be tracked using data transmissions or APRS. The tracking equipment containing camera and sensors is sent up to high altitudes of about 30 km. At a distance of 1 metre, the balloon expands and the payload (camera and sensors) fall to the ground with the help of a parachute.
Emergency Position indicating radio-beacon station
It is a type of radio-beacon station that is powered by a radio transmitter to indicate the position of missing airplanes, vessels or people in distress. In case there is an airplane crash, the radio transmitter begins emitting a radio signal that is received by search and rescue teams that come for immediate rescue. The main purpose of this system is to help the survivors of a traumatic plane crash within ‘the golden day’. It is a period of 24 hours following the event. The operating frequency is 406 MHz.
These revolutionary mechanisms in amateur radio help the aviation sector in different ways to monitor airplanes and other vessels in times of disaster and air traffic control.
What antennae will be suitable in these VHF band amateur radio frequencies?
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