FighterControl

I'm new to military spotting, whilst at raf kinloss last I noticed other spotters with radios listening to control communication, I'm interested in getting one can anyone advise on vhf/uhf radio. My main spotter function is photography and I feel having a radio could buy me more set up time for incoming or outgoing air craft total newbie so please be patient. Thanks

Hi David

I would go for a UNIDEN UBC125XLT along with a R881 aerial from Radio World @ £129.95 and £19.96

you will find a lot of information on this site

Brian

I'll second that for the UBC125XLT, but I found the R881 antenna a bit cumbersome. I got it with a second 125XLT I bought off Gumtree but I put it in the back of a drawer and forgot about it. I use Watson W-889 telescopic antennas instead with both scanners.

Another vote for the UBC 125XLT scanner. I also use a telescopic antenna and this does all I need. Another benefit of this scanner us the availability of the excellent programming software Scan125. This is free but a donation to Nick’s charity is appreciated.

Hi David

I am new to the hobby to, I bought a uniden ubc125XLT, must say it’s very good also if you go to a well known auction site and search for darrenshiels he makes his own antennas for a fraction of the cost of mainstream brands, I have the one cut for military use which is shorter and easier to deal with!

Cheers Nick

Cheers guys bought the 125 Xlt, going to change the antenna again bought a broadsword general Mil, Marine but its a tad long and awkward in the car. Looking at the 881 or telescopic one.

I find the Watson W-889 telescopic antenna handy in the car because I can put the scanner on its side on the dash so I can see the display, and swivel the knuckle so the antenna points upwards.

I also have a VHF/UHF airband magmount antenna I stick on the car if I'm going to be hanging around for a while. Better reception.

Hi David,
You won’t be disappointed with the 125 xlt, I have a telescopic antenna on both my scanners, they perform very well and are not expensive. These can be bought from a well known online auction site, mine are the silver finish ones.

Hi David,

Have just purchased a 125xlt in the last few days and very impressed even with the std. antenna.
Fairly easy to get started even for noob like me! I have never used one and started receiving transmissions pretty quickly.
Can also recommend Scan 125 software to use with it, seems to make frequencies easier to enter along with scanning different frequencies if you are interested in anything other than aircraft.
Have just bought a mag mount antenna rather than a replacement for standard rubber one for when we can get back to Lakenheath/Mildenhall............

Good luck
Moldy

I too have just purchased my 125XLT. Should hopefully arrive this week. I also purchased 2 dipole antennas and look forward to Spring when I can sit in the garden and watch our US friends land / takeoff whilst listening to not just their engines.

Regarding aftermarket antenna, you could also consider the Watson 901 - https://hamradiostore.co.uk/scanners-an ... w-901.html as these are quite compact and tuned to air band frequencies.

I used a Yupiteru 7001 for over 15 years whilst on site at airfields both Civil and Military. The Yupiteru has a range 0 to 1300 mhz. 1000 memories. Nbfm, fm, am, wbfm, and ssb modes. 10x banks of 10 memories. One bank of 10 is ideal if on site at the airfield. You only need a 100mm vhf bnc rubber duck antenna when on site at an airfield. Before buying an old Yupiteru configure a frequency and save to a memory. Switch the radio off for five minutes. Switch on and check the programmed channel is still there. If its gone don't buy the radio!
Cheers

There is a long and kind of endless debate about Baofeng radios and quite a few articles about that (and some good technical NRC radio websites): the problem (in CH but as well elsewhere) is that those radios are almost never certified according to local standards (just a commercial choice, since the certification is a long and relatively expensive process) and therefore it is not excluded that those devices will cause interference.

The fallback position of any administrative body is simple: If is it not certified, then we cannot state it will work properly, so we forbid its use just in case.

Bakom itself (Swiss people are correct) says:

"Das BAKOM hat gegen diese Anlage ein Verkaufsverbot verhängt, da deren Nutzung Störungen im Funkverkehr oder beim Radio- und Fernsehempfang verursachen kann"

or, in the English version:

"OFCOM has pronounced a ban on the sale of this equipment, given that its use may cause interference to radiocommunication traffic or the reception of radio or television programme services"

Which, for paraglider pilots, is quite a remote occurrence given the fact we do not like to fly close to Telco Towers or aerials on roofs, but that's another issue...