I’m looking to head to Jacksonville for a vacation in August and planning to do some bandscans. En route, I’ll have to fly into Atlanta at least once during the trip, and will be bringing my Grundig S350 along. Because of the way airport security is now, can one do bandscans inside a terminal safely? (I would have to take out batteries before the detector, etc., and then put them back in, which is fine.) Also, for those who have flown through Hartsfield-Jackson, what is one of the more quiet areas so one can do a couple scans? (I’m looking into the Minute Suites to use for an hour.) (Also, leaving the airport to head downtown or any other location is not an option; I’ll have someone else with me, and the layover is only 3 hours.)
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Bandscans in airport terminals
- Thread starter ksradiogeek
- Start date
The Atlanta Airport is full of RF interference making bandscanning on AM virtually impossible. FM? You’ll be able to hear some stronger stations. I’ve been through there dozens of times and can tell you, from experience, the Atlanta Airport is NOT a DXers Paradise. As for any security hassles? I don’t think you’ll have any problems. I never have been hassled and I always pack a multiband amateur HT, a Tecsun PL-606 and often a scanner in my briefcase.
I’m mostly looking for local signals (long distance DXing will have to wait until I spend more time there). Would local signals be affected that badly due to RF?
I’m debating about going out to the top of the parking deck and trying to do some scans there. Would that net better results?
Also, flying through Charlotte may be a possibility instead. Is the RF terrible in the terminal?
I've done it too. It's very difficult to DX especially on an airplane unless you're right by the window.
As far as TSA checkpoints are concerned: no need to take batteries out or anything like that. I routinely travel with a camera bag packed to the gill with radios, recorders, cords, etc. It almost never even gets opened. (On the other hand, I also have PreCheck and wouldn't travel without it, so I don't know if things are different these days in the regular TSA lines.)
Most airport terminals aren't any worse than any other steel building when it comes to FM. Not ideal, by any means, but not ragingly awful, either. For AM, of course, the typical steel-framed terminal is practically a Faraday cage. If I really need to grab some AM IDs during a layover, I usually find an empty gate area and park myself right in a window. I think I did a couple of stations that way on my last trip through ATL last fall.
If you have a long enough layover and don't mind going out and back through security again, there are areas where you can get away from the worst electrical noise. The free shuttle train to the rental car center makes an intermediate stop at "Gateway Center," where you can get outdoors in a relatively open area between the airport hotels and the convention center. You can be on the train within 10-15 minutes from the gate if you move briskly, the ride to Gateway Center is another 5 minutes or so - but keep an eye on the length of the security line to get back in. It can be long, especially if you're not PreCheck.
Most airport terminals aren't any worse than any other steel building when it comes to FM. Not ideal, by any means, but not ragingly awful, either. For AM, of course, the typical steel-framed terminal is practically a Faraday cage. If I really need to grab some AM IDs during a layover, I usually find an empty gate area and park myself right in a window. I think I did a couple of stations that way on my last trip through ATL last fall.
If you have a long enough layover and don't mind going out and back through security again, there are areas where you can get away from the worst electrical noise. The free shuttle train to the rental car center makes an intermediate stop at "Gateway Center," where you can get outdoors in a relatively open area between the airport hotels and the convention center. You can be on the train within 10-15 minutes from the gate if you move briskly, the ride to Gateway Center is another 5 minutes or so - but keep an eye on the length of the security line to get back in. It can be long, especially if you're not PreCheck.
I posted a similar response to the Atlanta 'best bandscans' thread, but...
If you are flying Delta, and only Delta, AFAIK they still allow AM/FM radios in flight (thus, at 35,000 feet). They started being more lenient a few years ago. However, your results may vary depending on the flight attendants. From what I know, the band at 35,000 feet is wild - with 300-400 miles being the maximum distance and sometimes 3-4 stations in and out on a frequency. As long as you're over populated land, of course. Won't work in the middle of the Pacific!
If you are flying Delta, and only Delta, AFAIK they still allow AM/FM radios in flight (thus, at 35,000 feet). They started being more lenient a few years ago. However, your results may vary depending on the flight attendants. From what I know, the band at 35,000 feet is wild - with 300-400 miles being the maximum distance and sometimes 3-4 stations in and out on a frequency. As long as you're over populated land, of course. Won't work in the middle of the Pacific!
I used to be in airports all the time for my business travels. The big ones, and most of the smaller ones, are lousy places for DX. Combination of the way the buidings are constructed and LOADS of RF interference. Your only hope for AM is if you can park yourself next to a remote area with a lot of windows and a panoramic view. FM is usually....but not always....a different story. But again, close to a window is better.
As for Atlanta, the FM sticks are in the north end of the metro. The airport is on the south end. I don't have any specific memory of using a radio in there. Partly because, as often as not, I was hustling to get from one terminal to another one via the subway shuttle in order to catch a connecting flight.
As for Atlanta, the FM sticks are in the north end of the metro. The airport is on the south end. I don't have any specific memory of using a radio in there. Partly because, as often as not, I was hustling to get from one terminal to another one via the subway shuttle in order to catch a connecting flight.
I haven't had a transistor radio in many years, unfortunately, but I used to take mine pretty much everywhere with me in the 90s. That included on trips, and I did have a decent chance to DX from inside Port Columbus' terminal as well as a handful of others.
Local FM stations came in pretty well. AM was spotty but drastically better next to a window than even a few rows away. One of our local AMs (WBNS on 1460) transmits from about three miles south of the airport and it had the best signal inside, followed by 610 WTVN, with 5,000 watts from about 15 miles to the south-southwest.
WSCR, WGN and WBBM all can be heard pretty well inside O'Hare IIRC, given how close their towers are to the airport.
I DXed FM several times inside airplanes during flights between the Midwest and Houston and commonly heard stations from a couple hundred miles away. AM snuck through sometimes. I remember listening to KMOX a few times during flights between Ohio and Houston, but of course AM is much, much harder to hear in flight.
Local FM stations came in pretty well. AM was spotty but drastically better next to a window than even a few rows away. One of our local AMs (WBNS on 1460) transmits from about three miles south of the airport and it had the best signal inside, followed by 610 WTVN, with 5,000 watts from about 15 miles to the south-southwest.
WSCR, WGN and WBBM all can be heard pretty well inside O'Hare IIRC, given how close their towers are to the airport.
I DXed FM several times inside airplanes during flights between the Midwest and Houston and commonly heard stations from a couple hundred miles away. AM snuck through sometimes. I remember listening to KMOX a few times during flights between Ohio and Houston, but of course AM is much, much harder to hear in flight.
Yeah, me too. As discussed previously. But....
I live in an area where a number of pilots live. I'm friends with some of them, and to a man, every one of them I've talked to doesn't think a walkman or similar type of "mini" portable would even remotely cause a problem...even upfront in first class. IME, FM is something of a non starter except in some areas west of the Rockies. In the eastern half of the country, some FM channels can sound like the AM graveyard channels when you're seven miles above the ground.
AM is another story. If you're in a window seat, place (or more probably "hold") your small radio DIRECTLY next to the window, You can usually get decent, but not great, reception.
I have done both and as you stated it's amazing the stuff you can hear on FM when you're up in the sky. Also as you stated you better have your radio against the window for AM.
With AM being mostly ground-based during the daytime, I'm not surprised the reception isn't too amazing. Even at 30,000 feet I wouldn't think KBOI would be S9+ over Yakima at 1PM unless it was the dead of winter. Night may be a bit more interesting, less interference at 30K feet.
FM a different story. I'm sure if I was pointed in the right direction and window seat (and it better be a Delta flight because they are the only ones that even let you use them), Boise FMs would be heard over Yakima on some of their channels. Or eastern BC stuff, Kelowna and what not.
Wonder how far out in the ocean I'd hear Seattle FMs on a SEA-HNL flight for example?
FM a different story. I'm sure if I was pointed in the right direction and window seat (and it better be a Delta flight because they are the only ones that even let you use them), Boise FMs would be heard over Yakima on some of their channels. Or eastern BC stuff, Kelowna and what not.
Wonder how far out in the ocean I'd hear Seattle FMs on a SEA-HNL flight for example?
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