- #HF ACARS FREQUENCIES INSTALL#
- #HF ACARS FREQUENCIES MANUAL#
- #HF ACARS FREQUENCIES SOFTWARE#
- #HF ACARS FREQUENCIES CODE#
#HF ACARS FREQUENCIES SOFTWARE#
Using a scanner and software you can receive the same data from aircraft in. As with VHF ACARS monitoring, the best results are achieved by leaving the HF receiver on one frequency and monitoring for a while. Also available is the VHF ACARS system on 131.550 (or 136.975 at some locations). Transmissions are in the form of data bursts as on the VHF frequencies, but the bursts will sound different as they are sent at a slower data rate than the VHF ACARS signal. HF ACARS is transmitted on several HF frequencies including the following:Īll frequencies will be in upper sideband (USB) mode. As the VHF radio only provides a local service, they use HF on the long haul.
#HF ACARS FREQUENCIES MANUAL#
Be sure to read the manual file which will help you get started.
#HF ACARS FREQUENCIES INSTALL#
Just install it, hook your shortwave receiver to your sound card, and you’re ready to go. HFDL (High Frequency Data Link) monitoring. PC-HFDL is a fairly simple and straightforward program to run.
As with VHF ACARS, there are several programs available that will decode it. This is the same way as monitoring VHF ACARS. This document lists frequencies of digital aeronautical systems that can be heard on HF, VHF, UHF and satellite.
HF ACARS, or HFDL (High Frequency Data Link) can be monitored by using a shortwave receiver and computer program. HFDL does not require pilots to dial in specific frequencies, as with HF voice, the data radios constantly scan and select the most efficient frequency to use making operation seamless for flight crews.HF ACARS HFDL High Frequency Data Link I have not used the software below but will be experimenting with it soon as I also use WACARS often to check VHF propogation. This was proven during the 2003 Halloween Solar Storm when aircraft were still using HFDL on polar routes when voice was unusable. Stations are actively monitored for traffic load and can determine when additional channels needs to be added by the service providers.ĭue to the digital nature of HFDL, it uses between 1/3 and 1/2 of the bandwidth that voice requires, so data can continue to be decoded when voice is unusable. 3 others are using 3 of the 4 designed channels. Currently, 12 stations are only using ½ of the designed capacity. The design of the system allows for 4 channels per ground station. In 2009 eight new operating frequencies were added which brings the total number of frequencies to 167 worldwide. There is continued investment in the HFDL infrastructure and there is a long term strategy in place to ensure its success.ĪRINC have been quoted as saying that the system and its use have grown at rates above 20% for each of the past ten years and it now supports over sixty airlines with well over 1,200 aircraft sending more than 1 million messages a month. Recent innovations in avionics software developed by both Honeywell and Collins have enhanced performance and contribute to the service’s outstanding message success rates. In the video he shows how hes been able to receive HFDL from all over the world using a simple HF dipole antenna and an Airspy HF+ Discovery. It is an alternative to VHF or satellite ACARS communications methods. The HFDL network and avionics are a continuing evolution. HFDL is short for 'high frequency data link', and is a method aircraft use for sending text and data communications to ground stations. These 15 stations provide nearly complete global coverage, including both poles, and system availability is 100 percent. HF ACARS, or HFDL (High Frequency Data Link) can be monitored by using a shortwave receiver and computer program. There are around 15 HF ground stations (HGS) available today, and, like a canopy within a jungle, the stations provide overlap and redundancy in the unlikely event of a HGS failure. Today, HFDL is an air/ground data link standard with coverage in virtually every corner of the globe, approximately 168,000,000 square miles (440,000,000 km 2) where aircraft are never out of touch both in the air and on the ground. Standard ACARS transmits at a frequency of 131.550 MHz, which is in the receivable range of the RTL-SDR. The CMU is an airborne communications router that interfaces with many aircraft communications systems including SATCOM, VHF, HFDL, FMS and others. ACARS is an acronym for Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System which is a digital communications system that aircraft use to send and receive short messages to and from ground stations. With CPDLC and ACARS, one day, HF will become obsolete.
#HF ACARS FREQUENCIES CODE#
To use the service, an aircraft only needs a Communications Management Unit (CMU), or equivalent and an HFDL data radio. Due to the limiting numbers of a 4-letter combination, there can be the same code applied to more than one aircraft, but unlikely to cause confusion, as the chances of that aircraft being in the same part of the world monitoring the same frequency are slim.