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==Receivers/Scanners==
+
==The VHF/UHF Milcom Receiver==
===Mini Handhelds===
+
A receiver for monitoring VHF and UHF Milcom must cover, at a minimum, the 225-400 and 138-144 mhz ranges. Mil flights sometimes also use the civil air band (118-136 mhz) range. With the exception of the civil air band (where [[AM]] mode is the norm) and the VHF Low/162/406 Mhz bands ([[FM]]), either AM or FM mode transmissions may be heard in these ranges, so the ability to change mode independent of the frequency being received is very important.
Care should be used when connecting any large antenna to these handhelds. Receivers in this range will likely overload,
 
as their front ends simply can't handle the amount of RF such antennas may deliver. They are most useful in airshows, or
 
if a base is geographically close to the user. A good set of earphones is strongly recommended.
 
  
*Wiki Pages
 
** Alinco [[DJ-X2]]
 
** Alinco [[DJ-X3]]
 
** Alinco [[DJ-X5]]
 
** Alinco [[DJ-X7]]
 
** Alinco [[DJ-X30]]
 
** AOR [[AR16]]
 
** Icom [[IC-R1]]
 
** Icom [[IC-R2]]
 
** Icom [[IC-R5]]
 
** [[Yaesu VR-120]]
 
** [[Yaesu VR-500]]
 
  
===Handhelds (full size)===
+
If you are using a scanner, one with a fast scan rate is necessary when scanning a large number of milcom channels.  Most milcom aircraft communications are short in duration, and after a while you will be accumulating and scanning a large number of frequencies.  What qualifies as a 'fast' scanner is subjective.  As an example, the Uniden [[BC780XLT]] is a popular mil air scanner which can scan 100 channels per second.
  
*EHam.Net Reviews
 
**[http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/3294 RS PRO-60]
 
**[http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/1298 Trident TRX-100]
 
**[http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/2601 Trident TRX-200]
 
  
* Wiki Pages
+
Good sensitivity in the above frequency ranges is a must. You will be receiving milcom aircraft signals originating from hundreds of miles away, and they can be relatively weak. Dynamic range (resistance to overloading) is also important, particularly if you live in an urban area. This will help you avoid hearing signals such as FM and TV where they don't belong. It's not unusual to find that you need to add filtering. This is very much determined by your local RF environment. See our [[Scanner Accessories]] page for links for various kinds of filters
** Alinco [[DJ-X1]]
 
** Alinco [[DJ-X10]]
 
** Alinco [[DJ-X20]]
 
** Alinco [[DJ-X2000]]
 
** AOR [[AR900]]
 
** AOR [[AR1000/2000]]
 
** AOR [[AR1500]]
 
** AOR [[AR2700]]
 
** AOR [[AR8000]]
 
** AOR [[AR8200]]
 
** GRE [[PSR-300]]
 
** GRE [[PSR-500]] '''Note 5'''
 
** Icom [[IC-R3]]
 
** Icom [[IC-R10]]  
 
** Icom [[IC-R20]] '''Note 2'''
 
** RS [[Pro-26]]
 
** RS [[Pro-96]] '''Note 1'''
 
** RS [[Pro-97]]
 
** RS [[Pro-162]]
 
** RS [[Pro-164]]
 
** Uniden [[BC125AT]]
 
** Uniden [[BC250D]]
 
** Uniden [[BC296D]]
 
** Uniden [[BCD325P2]] '''Note 5''' 
 
** Uniden [[BCD396T]] '''Note 5'''
 
** Uniden [[BCD396XT]] '''Note 5'''
 
** Uniden [[BR330T]]
 
** Yupiteru [[MVT-5000]]
 
** Yupiteru [[MVT-7000]]
 
** Yupiteru [[VT-225/MVT-3100]]
 
** Yupiteru [[MVT-3300]]
 
** Yupiteru [[MVT-3400/7300]]
 
** Yupiteru [[MVT-7100/7200]]
 
** Yupiteru [[MVT-9000]]
 
  
* '''Note 1''' Programming UHF military air frequencies in the PRO-96 is only possible using [http://www.starrsoft.com/software/win96/ Win96]. In addition, sensitivity may not be optimum because the receiver was not designed for it. It's operation is otherwise normal in all other respects.
 
* '''Note 2''' In the November 2004 edition of Monitoring Times magazine, in the 'Scanner Equipment' column, author Bob Parnass AJ9S noted a pronounced loss of sensitivity in the 280-295 Mhz range.
 
* '''Note 3''' Icom receivers typically have a slow scan rate. Scanning large lists of frequencies effectively may not be possible. Software such as [http://www.datadeliverydevices.com/RadioMax.htm Radiomax] '''may''' increase the available scan rate.
 
* '''Note 4''' Computer control and other logging functions using RS/GRE radios is not possible. Only up/download operations are supported.
 
* '''Note 5''' These scanners are capable of decoding the new 380 Mhz unencrypted P25 trunk systems being implemented at federal and military facilities
 
  
===Base/Mobile===
+
As a rule, handheld models will be more susceptible to overloading than base radios. Handhelds are not always able to cope with a signal coming from a large antenna; they're simply not designed for it.
  
*EHam.Net Reviews
 
** [http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/865 RS PRO-2004]
 
** [http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/864 RS PRO-2005]
 
** [http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/861 RS PRO-2006]
 
** [http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/2298 Uniden BC-9000XLT]
 
** [http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/1186 Uniden BC-9000XLT]
 
  
* Wiki Pages
+
===Software Defined Radios===
** AOR [[AR-one]]
+
This is easily the king of the hill. Very fast searches and flexibility are just two attributes; in addition you can get a RTL-SDR for next to nothing. See our [[Software Defined Radios]] article for a great deal more on this subject, including links to applications and plug ins.
** AOR [[AR950]]
+
 
** AOR [[AR2001]]
 
** AOR [[AR2002]]
 
** AOR [[AR2500]]
 
** AOR [[AR2515]]
 
** AOR [[AR7000]]
 
** AOR [[AR3000]]
 
** AOR [[AR5000]]
 
** AOR [[AR8600]]
 
** AOR [[AR-Alpha]]
 
** GRE [[PSR-400]]
 
** GRE [[PSR-600]]  '''Note 6'''
 
** Icom [[IC-R7000]]
 
** Icom [[IC-R7100]]
 
** Icom [[IC-R100]]
 
** Icom [[IC-R8500]]
 
** Icom [[IC-R9000]]
 
** RS [[Pro-160]]
 
** RS [[Pro-163]]
 
** RS [[Pro-433]]
 
** RS [[Pro-2052]] '''Note 5'''
 
** RS [[Pro-2055]]
 
** RS [[Pro-2096]] '''Note 1'''
 
** Uniden [[BC370CRS]]
 
** Uniden [[BC895XLT]] '''Note 2'''
 
** Uniden [[BC898T]]  
 
** Uniden [[BC780XLT]]
 
** Uniden [[BC785D]]
 
** Uniden [[BC796D]]
 
** Uniden [[BCD996T]]  '''Note 6'''
 
** Uniden [[BCD996XT]] '''Note 6'''
 
** Uniden [[BCD996P2]] '''Note 6'''
 
** Uniden [[BCT15]]
 
** Uniden [[HomePatrol-1]]
 
** Uniden [[HomePatrol-2]]
 
** [[Yaesu FRG-9600]]
 
** [[Yaesu VR-5000]]
 
** Yupiteru [[MVT-6000]]
 
** Yupiteru [[MVT-8000]]
 
 
   
 
   
* '''Note 1''' Programming UHF military air frequencies in the PRO-2096 is only possible using [http://www.starrsoft.com/software/win96/ Win96]. In addition, sensitivity may not be optimum because the receiver was not designed for it. It's operation is otherwise normal in all other respects.
+
Hobby level SDRs have a serious fault with overloading. Most simply don't have enough filtering in the front end (or any at all) to prevent FM, TV and other signals from intruding. 
* '''Note 2''' The BC895XLT cannot receive the 138-144 mhz range in AM modeThe BC898T is capable of this operation
+
 
* '''Note 3''' Icom receivers typically have a slow scan rate. Scanning large lists of frequencies effectively may not be possible. Software such as [http://www.datadeliverydevices.com/RadioMax.htm Radiomax] '''may''' increase the available scan rate.
+
 
* '''Note 4''' Computer control and other logging functions using RS/GRE radios is not possible. Only up/download operations are supported.
+
===Widebanded Radios===
* '''Note 5''' The PRO-2052 can be forced into AM mode in the VHF land mobile band (138-144 Mhz); a circuit modification is required
+
See the following links for extensive lists of receivers;
* '''Note 6''' These scanners are capable of decoding the new 380 Mhz unencrypted P25 trunk systems being implemented at federal and military facilities
+
*[[Widebanded Receivers]]
 +
*[[Alinco Radios]]
 +
*[[Yupiteru Radios]]
 +
 
 +
 
 +
There has been no known development from either Alinco or Javiation regarding wide banded handhelds in several years. In the 80s, Javiation radios used to be very popular for many applications that required wide frequency flexibility.  Getting service if needed may not be possible.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
====Base Models====
 +
Older Icom radios like the [[IC-R7000]] aren't really set up to sample many frequencies quickly; they are best used to monitor one or a few channels.  This is because their scan rate is very slow.
 +
 
 +
However the [[IC-R8600]] is proving to be very popular. It has a much faster scan speed and numerous advanced features.  There have been numerous comments in the Icom forum at RadioReference. See the links for more information.
 +
 
 +
AOR has had many issues with their base units, and recent traffic suggests that trying to get service is difficult. Their old [[AR8600]] has many issues with overloading; software that runs under Windows 10 is difficult to find. The [[DV1]] initially started off strong, but a recent development involving failures of the USB ports has been a serious issueThis radio has virtually disappeared from dealerships, and the future status of this radio is uncertain.
 +
 
 +
AOR's [[AR5700D]] seems to have issues of its own. It's been reported that, in order to update the firmware, it needs to be returned to AOR Japan, sometimes more than once. See the linked thread in the wiki article for more information.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
====Radios in a box====
 +
In the 80s and 90s, Icom came out with their 'radios in a box'. These weren't SDRs, but were instead radios whose basic functions were accessed by a PC. A couple could work without a PC at all.  These were;
 +
*[[IC-PCR100]]
 +
*[[IC-PCR1000]]
 +
*[[IC PCR1500/IC-R1500]]
 +
*[[IC PCR2500/IC-R2500]]
 +
 
 +
Generally speaking these radios were hot for their time, but had numerous issues with overloading. In addition, the 100 and 1000 wouldn't allow the user to change the default mode assigned to a frequency. Trunking [[Project 25]] systems is possible but may need some modifications to make this work. These units have since disappeared from the market, but you might find them on places like eBay.
 +
 
 +
Bonito's [https://www.bonito.net/hamradio/en/bonito-radiojet-1305-plus Radiojet 1305] on paper, looks to be an impressive unit, but there has been very little written about it. The native software has a serious flaw- it is incompatible with Windows 10. To their credit, Bonito has admitted to this issue, but it is unknown whether it has ever been addressed.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
====Handhelds====
 +
Icom's older handhelds like the [[IC-R20]] could make a decent radio; however it's a bit slow in sampling frequencies. In addition, Windows 10 compatible software is becoming harder to find.  The [[IC-R30]] is a much better performer, with a much faster sample rate. See the links for more information.
 +
 
 +
AOR's older [[AR8200]] was generally thought of as a good performer, but it was greatly hindered by an overly-complex user manual and programming interface. The [[DV10]] has been plagued with many issues, including firmware problems. Like the DV1, this radio has virtually disappeared from dealers, and whether the many faults it has will ever be addressed is questionable.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
===Scanners===
 +
This is where milcom scanning started, and still has a large base today. Various models can be found on the [[Uniden Scanners]] and [[Whistler Scanners]] pages. Be sure to check their specifications carefully - older models such as the [[BC796D]] can't trunktrack in the 380 Mhz band, where many bases have installed [[Project 25]] systems. Some can't change the default mode for a frequency (for example the 138 Mhz band is set for FM mode and it can't be changed)
 +
 
 +
 
 +
While [[Radio Shack Scanners]] and [[GRE Scanners]] are an attractive alternative, keep in mind that both companies have left the scanner market. Therefore getting any servicing might be very difficult (the exceptions are the GRE PSR-800, RS Pro-18 and 668, which can be upgraded to a Whistler WS1080 via the [[Whistler Official Upgrade (WOU)]]). In general, these scanners have more issues with overloading than the Unidens.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
Note that the Unidens, starting with the HP1, and the Whistler object oriented scanners (except the WS1040 and WS1065) contain a copy of the RadioReference database on a SD card. This also includes GRE's PSR-800, Radio Shack's Pro-107, Pro-668 and Pro-18. How they are accessed between the distributors is quite different. See the individual models for more details.
 +
 
  
===Computer Controlled Receivers===
+
See the [[Radio Control Software]] article for software support of these radios.
* These receivers can be used with a PC (utilzing an USB port) or stand alone with their own control head
+
 
* [http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/widerxvr/1500.html R1500 page at Universal]
+
 
** [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PCR1500/ PCR1500 Yahoo Group]
+
Each of these manufacturers are extensively covered in the RadioReference forums. Be sure to ask your questions there.
** [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ICOM-IC-R1500/ Icom-IC-R1500 Yahoo Group]
+
* [https://forums.radioreference.com/forums/gre-scanners.117/ GRE Forum]
<br>
+
* [https://forums.radioreference.com/forums/radio-shack-scanners.81/ Radio Shack Forum]
* [[IC PCR2500/IC-R2500]]
+
* [https://forums.radioreference.com/forums/uniden-forums.82/ Uniden Forums]
** '''NOTE:''' It appears the 2500 has breaks in its UHF milair coverage
+
* [https://forums.radioreference.com/forums/whistler-scanners.247/ Whistler Forum]
<br>
 
* These receivers require the use of a PC to be useful
 
**[[IC-PCR100]]
 
**[[IC-PCR1000]]
 
<br>
 
*See our [[Software Defined Radios]] article for information on using SDRs on Milcom
 
  
===Other Sources of Reviews===
 
* [http://parnass.org/pubs.htm Bob Parnass AJ9S Publications list]
 
  
 
==Antennas==
 
==Antennas==
* See our [[Scanner Antennas]] page for a large number of links.
+
Antennas for milcom cover a large amount of frequencies. Sometimes (especially in urban areas) this can contribute to hearing signals where they don't belong, especially when using radios (or even SDRs) with poor resistance to overloading. Additional filtering is often required in these situations.
* Picking the right coax for your setup is very important. As you go higher in frequency, the loss from a cheap cable can be significant. [http://www.strongsignals.net/access/content/co-ax.html Here's] a good page on the subject.
+
 
 +
 
 +
Here are a few examples of widebanded antennas.  See our [[Scanner Antennas]] page for antenna links as well as coax suppliers.
 +
* [https://antennaproducts.com/product/bcv-116/ Antenna Products BCV-116 VHF/UHF Bicone]
 +
* [[Homebrewed Off-Center Fed Dipole]] A homebrew antenna which might be desirable if one wishes to keep the antenna as low profile as possible. There is a version for indoor use at the bottom
 +
* [https://tinyurl.com/yy3kejs3 Diamond D-130NJ]
 +
* [https://dpdproductions.com/collections/military-vhf-uhf-base-mobile-antennas DPD Productions Milcom antennas - including mobile versions]
 +
** Their [https://dpdproductions.com/collections/military-vhf-uhf-base-mobile-antennas/products/mil-uhf-225-400-mhz-1-4-wave-mobile-antenna-wideband mobile] antenna could be an alternative for use indoors with a suitable ground plane
 +
* [https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/ico-ah-8000 Icom AH 8000]
 +
* [https://tinyurl.com/yydvh2ny  Sirio SD2000N (via Amazon)]
 +
* [https://www.sirio.store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=49_52&products_id=220 Sirio GP430 LB/N]
  
==Filters==
 
For those living in urban areas, putting up a good antenna (with the proper coax) can cause overloading. Sometimes this overloading shows up as pagers and other unwanted signals showing up in places where you don't want to hear them. These links show a few manufacturers that make filters for specific problem areas of the spectrum;
 
  
* [http://www.iceradioproducts.com/filtersrf.html ICE Filters Page]
 
* [http://www.parelectronics.com/ Par Electronics]
 
* [http://www.scannermaster.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=39 Scanner Master Filters page]
 
* [http://www.stridsberg.com/prod02.htm Stridsberg Engineering Filters]
 
  
==Preamps/Splitters==
+
---
* [http://www.anglelinear.com/ Angle Linear]
+
*Return to [[VHF/UHF Military Monitoring]]
* [http://www.antronix.net/Products/category.php?page=amplifiers&i=5 Antronix Amp page]
+
* Go to [[Searching for Milcom Activity]]
* [http://www.advancedreceiver.com/index.html AR2 Communications Products]
+
* Go to [[Milcom Web Pages and Mailing Lists]]
* [http://www.digital-loggers.com/multi.html Digital Loggers Wideband RF Multicoupler]
 
**[http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=110729&highlight=multicoupler Digital logger discussion]
 
* [http://www.electroline.com/en/products/drop_amplifiers/eda_ug/index.html ElectroLine Drop Amps]
 
* GRE Super Amp
 
**[https://www.greamerica.com/shop/cgi-bin/cp-app.cgi?pg=prod&ref=scan003 Purchase page at GRE]
 
* [http://www.hamtronics.com/lnk.htm Hamtronics Preamps]
 
* [http://www.milaircomms.com/antenna_mounted_amplifier.html Radio Shack Antenna Mounted Amplifiers review by George Fetter]
 
* [http://www.rfbayinc.com/ RF Bay Inc.]  
 
* [http://www.scannermaster.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=45 Scanner Master amplifiers]
 
* Stridsberg Engineering products
 
**[http://www.stridsberg.com/prod03.htm Amplifiers]
 
**[http://www.stridsberg.com/prod01.htm Multicouplers]
 
  
Return to [[VHF/UHF Military Monitoring]]
+
[[Category:Military FAQ]]
[[Category:FAQ]]
+
[[Category:Scanners FAQ]]

Revision as of 22:22, 27 November 2020

The VHF/UHF Milcom Receiver

A receiver for monitoring VHF and UHF Milcom must cover, at a minimum, the 225-400 and 138-144 mhz ranges. Mil flights sometimes also use the civil air band (118-136 mhz) range. With the exception of the civil air band (where AM mode is the norm) and the VHF Low/162/406 Mhz bands (FM), either AM or FM mode transmissions may be heard in these ranges, so the ability to change mode independent of the frequency being received is very important.


If you are using a scanner, one with a fast scan rate is necessary when scanning a large number of milcom channels. Most milcom aircraft communications are short in duration, and after a while you will be accumulating and scanning a large number of frequencies. What qualifies as a 'fast' scanner is subjective. As an example, the Uniden BC780XLT is a popular mil air scanner which can scan 100 channels per second.


Good sensitivity in the above frequency ranges is a must. You will be receiving milcom aircraft signals originating from hundreds of miles away, and they can be relatively weak. Dynamic range (resistance to overloading) is also important, particularly if you live in an urban area. This will help you avoid hearing signals such as FM and TV where they don't belong. It's not unusual to find that you need to add filtering. This is very much determined by your local RF environment. See our Scanner Accessories page for links for various kinds of filters


As a rule, handheld models will be more susceptible to overloading than base radios. Handhelds are not always able to cope with a signal coming from a large antenna; they're simply not designed for it.


Software Defined Radios

This is easily the king of the hill. Very fast searches and flexibility are just two attributes; in addition you can get a RTL-SDR for next to nothing. See our Software Defined Radios article for a great deal more on this subject, including links to applications and plug ins.


Hobby level SDRs have a serious fault with overloading. Most simply don't have enough filtering in the front end (or any at all) to prevent FM, TV and other signals from intruding.


Widebanded Radios

See the following links for extensive lists of receivers;


There has been no known development from either Alinco or Javiation regarding wide banded handhelds in several years. In the 80s, Javiation radios used to be very popular for many applications that required wide frequency flexibility. Getting service if needed may not be possible.


Base Models

Older Icom radios like the IC-R7000 aren't really set up to sample many frequencies quickly; they are best used to monitor one or a few channels. This is because their scan rate is very slow.

However the IC-R8600 is proving to be very popular. It has a much faster scan speed and numerous advanced features. There have been numerous comments in the Icom forum at RadioReference. See the links for more information.

AOR has had many issues with their base units, and recent traffic suggests that trying to get service is difficult. Their old AR8600 has many issues with overloading; software that runs under Windows 10 is difficult to find. The DV1 initially started off strong, but a recent development involving failures of the USB ports has been a serious issue. This radio has virtually disappeared from dealerships, and the future status of this radio is uncertain.

AOR's AR5700D seems to have issues of its own. It's been reported that, in order to update the firmware, it needs to be returned to AOR Japan, sometimes more than once. See the linked thread in the wiki article for more information.


Radios in a box

In the 80s and 90s, Icom came out with their 'radios in a box'. These weren't SDRs, but were instead radios whose basic functions were accessed by a PC. A couple could work without a PC at all. These were;

Generally speaking these radios were hot for their time, but had numerous issues with overloading. In addition, the 100 and 1000 wouldn't allow the user to change the default mode assigned to a frequency. Trunking Project 25 systems is possible but may need some modifications to make this work. These units have since disappeared from the market, but you might find them on places like eBay.

Bonito's Radiojet 1305 on paper, looks to be an impressive unit, but there has been very little written about it. The native software has a serious flaw- it is incompatible with Windows 10. To their credit, Bonito has admitted to this issue, but it is unknown whether it has ever been addressed.


Handhelds

Icom's older handhelds like the IC-R20 could make a decent radio; however it's a bit slow in sampling frequencies. In addition, Windows 10 compatible software is becoming harder to find. The IC-R30 is a much better performer, with a much faster sample rate. See the links for more information.

AOR's older AR8200 was generally thought of as a good performer, but it was greatly hindered by an overly-complex user manual and programming interface. The DV10 has been plagued with many issues, including firmware problems. Like the DV1, this radio has virtually disappeared from dealers, and whether the many faults it has will ever be addressed is questionable.


Scanners

This is where milcom scanning started, and still has a large base today. Various models can be found on the Uniden Scanners and Whistler Scanners pages. Be sure to check their specifications carefully - older models such as the BC796D can't trunktrack in the 380 Mhz band, where many bases have installed Project 25 systems. Some can't change the default mode for a frequency (for example the 138 Mhz band is set for FM mode and it can't be changed).


While Radio Shack Scanners and GRE Scanners are an attractive alternative, keep in mind that both companies have left the scanner market. Therefore getting any servicing might be very difficult (the exceptions are the GRE PSR-800, RS Pro-18 and 668, which can be upgraded to a Whistler WS1080 via the Whistler Official Upgrade (WOU)). In general, these scanners have more issues with overloading than the Unidens.


Note that the Unidens, starting with the HP1, and the Whistler object oriented scanners (except the WS1040 and WS1065) contain a copy of the RadioReference database on a SD card. This also includes GRE's PSR-800, Radio Shack's Pro-107, Pro-668 and Pro-18. How they are accessed between the distributors is quite different. See the individual models for more details.


See the Radio Control Software article for software support of these radios.


Each of these manufacturers are extensively covered in the RadioReference forums. Be sure to ask your questions there.


Antennas

Antennas for milcom cover a large amount of frequencies. Sometimes (especially in urban areas) this can contribute to hearing signals where they don't belong, especially when using radios (or even SDRs) with poor resistance to overloading. Additional filtering is often required in these situations.


Here are a few examples of widebanded antennas. See our Scanner Antennas page for antenna links as well as coax suppliers.


---