Weekend Project: Aircraft Band Receiver 

Thanks for the helpful video. This was a fun little project. After searching around I was able to finally able to find an analog tuner and listen to the AWOS of the local airport. The signal's not very strong, but I was just happy to hear it work.

first learned how to do this back in the 70ies...article in flying magazine I believe. Been looking for the info on how to do it so as to show others! Thanks a million!!!

This took m back to the early 80s when I did this to an FM radio and then did it to a number of friends who also wanted to listen to ATC. I originally found the idea in an electronics magazine, tried it and it worked like a charm. Results were awesome, with good sensitivity (could hear airplanes over 100km away and ATC over 15km away) and good selectivity (could individually tune in to several different frequencies at will, without each interfering in the next). Thanks for bringing back the good memories.

Actually, I am correct. Aircraft do indeed use VHF for voice transmissions, 118-137 for voice(108-117.95 reserved for navigation). These transmissions are however Amplitude Modulated, the frequency of a signal has nothing to do with how it is modulated. AM is not limited to the commercial broadcast band that I believe you are referring to.(although those freqs can also be used for navigation) I'm an avionics tech, I might know what I'm talking about.

Holy crap i haven't seen kipkay in forever, been watching this guy since the days before youtube.

I tried this on two radios. My bedside clockradio and a clockradio I picked up at a big box store for $15. Expanding the reception range worked as described. My tuning range grew so I could tune in 107 MHz at around 98. Adjusting the "tuning transformer" was less apparent. One had diodes nearby, but tuning that one had no effect like it does in the vid. So I tuned the other, which did. I never could pick up VHF from airport 3/4 miles away, which has a constant weather broadcast around 132 MHz.

I can't imagine the conversation too exciting

since i live near to an airport i hear the radio transmissions of the traffic control through my fm radio i dont need to adjust anything . just i set the band in between 104 Mhz and 104.5 Mhz and i start listening to it . without any modification to the board or something . great video BTW

I did this back in the 70 ,s ,Got the idea I think from a electronics magazine ,I thought it was on the AM band ,now I need a cheap AM / FM radio .

As far as I know , for vhf communication in air band Amplitude Modulation is used . Carrier frequency is 118 to 136 mhz , but it is amplitude modulated.Then how the fm receiver circuit is able to pick up that signal...!!!!????

Whoever thinks this is illegal needs to think. I'm a pilot and thinking this is illegal is like saying a pilot can't listen to the regular radio. Anyways thanks kipkay I was looking for an easy scanner to have a backup if my avionics shut down. What I really need is a mod for a two way radio to do this.

Do you recive an image channel 108-128MHz? How about an amplitude limitter in a final FM stage?If a signal is smal you can to recive it whereas a big signal is limitted(no sound from the speaker).In airband use AM.

2023 still with you 😂😂😂

finally! something from Make that i can actually do!

2:21 you can start hearing jimmy page's solo on stairway to heaven.. xD

@FishTheMargins no. there are navigation stations called NDB's that are AM bands which used KHz, but communications are VHF bands between 118.00-135.975MHz. There are other navigation stations called VORs that operate between 108.00-117.95MHz

So you can only tune to just above the 108 to the lower Airband, or as far as the knob will turn? or does spreading the coils essentially make the the lower knob limit tune to the low end of airband, and the maximum knob turn limit tune to the maximum airband range

@MrJokerjr Nope its not.. A standard scanner operates in that band. I believe they use AM Transmitters cause its NOT directional like FM is.

this video is awesome. and listening in on Air Traffic isnt a bad thing. this is a great way to learn about radio waves and is way cheaper then buying a scanner at your local RadioHut. and a dioed isnt only that thing on a dvd player. some of them dont put out light ya know, just the LED's

Now I have something to do with my cheap FM radios laying about. I own a few Skywaves and Jetstream radios, I made videos of if your interested. It is cool to listen to the tower traffic and the pilots above.

He and the professor from Gilligans Island would make a great team!.

I work on a flight line and have picked up transmissions with a standard FM radio station set to the right station.

Sir, I want to ask, I have an AM FM radio ... FM 88 to 108 frkunsi ... how do I change the lower frequency starting from 64 to 108 ... do I increase the inductor coil or reduce it ... please ask answer .... !!!

I'm not surprised that it works.

hehehe nice! I made that with my old walkman when I was a kid :)

I have an AM one dangit, even though I already have a few scanners this is really cool

@outatime1955 Depends on how much the inductor's value can be changed but I would not recommend it. The IF or intermediate frequency bandwidth might be far too wide for the receiver to be selective enough. Amateur radio and two way transmissions use narrow band FM which does not deviate or move as far away from the listed carrier frequency and only goes about 20 KHz at the most rather than 50 or 150 KHz as wideband FM used for broadcasting does.

I tried that before using a Sanyo cassette with AM/FM radio receiver but I didn't touch any coils. I just turn the screws of tuning capacitor so that FM 107.9 MHz moved down to around 102 MHz on the dial. But when I turn the dial to around 108 MHz what I received was unmodulated carrier frequency that randomly turns on and off which appears to be a 2 way radio. The receiver's FM detector can't demodulate the AM transmission of aircraft band.

The beep is from a walkie talky next to an air band receiver!

@MrJokerjr (im a pilot so trust me on this) it is not illegal to listen to air traffic. however, it IS illegal to impersonate either an aircraft or especially a controller

Thks for sharing mate!

This has to be fake. 1) Aviation radios use 'Amplitude Modulation', or AM, and thus cannot be received by a radio that uses 'Frequency modulation', or FM. 2) The 'air band' is from 108-136 MHz, however, 108-118 is nav-aids only. If you want to hear the aircraft, you'll have to modify the radio to go all the way up to 118 MHz and beyond (up to 136). 3) Even if the radio was on the AM setting, the upper limit of the AM broadcasting band is 1.6 MHz, which would be really hard to push high enough.

your videos are asome

You can be at home can't you? VHF broadcasts more widely than normal FM radio, and if a plane is cruising at 42,000ft and can recieve transmissions then you can probably do it at home right?

I was waiting for some guy to come out from the airport, take the radio, step on it.

Can you use it from home if your ten miles from the local airport or do you have to go to the airport?

Would it work with an AM only radio?

How far would you have to bend to go up to 160MHz for standard rail comms?

@supertoaster94 I don't know if this is fake or not, but I think it's more complicated than you suggest: "If this transformer is tuned to a frequency of approximately 1 KHz above the IF frequency, the last IF amplifier will convert NBFM to AM." (google for source as the link won't post) Your calculation of "add 9 MHz" would be accurate if this was a linear system. From what I experienced, the changes to the tuning range were far from linear.

With your modified radio can you pick up convasations from miles and miles away from a airport

i love those kind of stuff, ur the best

@cossheisnmzenna Normal FM radio IS VHF. And on top of that, FM radio stations use transmit powers hundreds of times more powerful than that of an aircraft's radio. But keep in mind, VHF is line-of-sight, with a bit of over-the-horizon propagation. So no matter how many watts of transmit power there is, don't expect it to go very far over the horizon.

I bought a $5 fm radio from a garage sale. It barely picks up any music stations. But has no problem picking up aircraft.

I'm trying to make a small fm receiver for my philips sbc hc712 transmitter. It's a wireless headphone transmitter but sadly the headphone got smashed apart. The transmitter sends frequencies over 400 MHz. Watching this video, the thing I should came most about is that the coil is spread wide? cheers

I tried doing that on a cheap IC controlled fm radio. I found no metal IF cans inside but only 3 small coils. I live about 20 miles from the airport and I could receive ATC transmissions clear as bell.

He showed how to alter the FM tuning range of the radio, but he didn't show how to modify the frequency modulation detector circuitry to demodulate full carrier double sideband amplitude modulation. I suspect he was trying to achieve maximum capture effect with this video, - PMSL. "You can fool some of the people, some of the time."

I live on a small strip so this would be cool to make.

LOL! REO Speedwagon. Kick ass.

This is what I really needed....

I have a "Motorola M120" but I want to convert it so it can run on Air Band. Can it work?

You should make a tut on how to modify a crystal radio to pick this stuff up, because i don't have an fm radio but i do have an fm crystal radio with a tuner, diode, and coil. Is it possible to do this with my crystal radio?

Everyone should get one !!!!!

WHAT A GREAT IDEA!!!

Unfortunately this won't work for the newer all digital tuned radios, sadge...

Why can't i pickup the transmishion when i move away form airport

Must you be near the airport to hear them?

can be posible that u can listen from far away from the air port?

Alas poor radio shack, I knew them well...

its not fake, it actually works i tried it, well badluck for those that failed

i thought it was powered by a 9 volt bat? but why is radio shack in it?

same with police scanners, just listening is fine as long as you do not interfere with there signals

excellent video!

LOL imagine he adds in a microphone to the circuit and says "yes your clear for take off" or "land on taxi-runway 12345678908743222" LMAO

basically anything with selectable frequencies below 86mhz and above 108mhz you need a licence to have and use up here

what is a diode and how does it look like?

Does this work in australia?

I am a radio amateur and you don't need a radio license to do this. and id like to know were you got your info from about that. its no different from buying a scanner.

Very nice

modifying an FM radio to receive and demodulate airband that runs on AM...how is that possible?

Did you really just put an ad in the middle of your video!?

2:27 OMG stairway to heaven :O !

this project rocks!

thats what i was thinking.....what a great song

Wouldn't this be illegal? haha.. Kipkay can be like the best criminal ever!

um... will this work with a walkie?

but will it blend?

No,u have 2 reverse the 2 steps 2 use it after

i can imagine taking this close to area 51 and see how long it takes to get arrested

would that be the solo for stairway to heavan? it sounds like

I got this to work with just spreading the coils alone

im not sure, check out the inside look for the coils and give it a try

Hey can you do a video on how to get police frequencies

What if this coil have more turns like 7 or nine turn

yeah i know my whole point being is that if you found a way to not only listen but talk on it it would be a different story but since you are just listening its no big deal its like listening to a police scanner they dont care but if you say one word on one of the lines you can get in big trouble

@MrJokerjr no it is not only to transmit or talk on these bands are illegal you can even listen to your local police legally idk if you can with this radio but ..

thanks joker for answering =]

Usually they are on the band at about 110.*** to i forgot,last one i checked was about 120.8?

this is cool

@MrJokerjr No, its perfectly legal to listen to the VHF civil air band in the United States along with all unencrypted stuff except cellular phones.

@MrJokerjr nope he's just recieving the signal not transmitting on it. you can buy handheld transcievers (meaning you can transmitt as well on the aviation band for a few hundred bucks.) Now if he was jamming the freq then he would be violating fcc regs....

actually aircraft use 108-136mhz FM all aroiund the globe, though i got the one in my a/c to pick up 105.3, so I got to listen to a bit of music while i was up :P

what about the drive thru radios?

I just did this with an old general electric clock radio and it works great. I moved 108 down to 100, just enough to get the signal. I live by LA and there is plenty to listen to. I guess that would mean the station is around 116Mhz or so.

2:25 STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN!!!!!

but can u still listen to fm stations????

Thats pretty damn cool.

Isn't it only illegal if it transmits aswell?

@MrJokerjr No it's a receiver not a transmitter.

Which radio's can I use:-D

true but still a fun little project