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FM Frequency Of The Week: 108.1 MHz

Bongwater

Bongwater

You're probably thinking "Uhh....108.1 isn't a legitimate FM frequency" And you're right. It isn't. And most manufactured digital tuners only go to 107.9. But that hasn't stopped a few, shall we say, enterprising people from going, uh, one step beyond.....

I had a strange little cheap multiband radio made by Tecsun. The dial was digital, but the tuning was analog. That thing tuned every FM frequency correctly BUT, it also went as far up as 109.7! (on the opposite end, it went as far down as 74.9!) But most full analog radios can pick up 108.1 to about 108.5 pretty easily. Even though 108.1 is in the Aircraft band, I don't think I ever heard any aircraft radios at that low in their spectrum.

Since I think we already went through all the other FM frequencies, I thought I'd throw this out.

I do recall an old guy up the block from where I lived in Mountlake Terrace, WA who ran a pirate on 108.1 in the late '70s. He had it running for about six months, running Broadway/Show Tunes, then suddenly disappeared.

Have you heard anything on 108.1 (or up) in your areas?
 
108.1...Hmmmm...I would think the VHF aircraft frequencies are in the AM mode instead of FM. On an analog radio like my GE Superadio II, I get nothing. On digital radios, I can't get past 108.0.
 
5 or 6 summer breaks ago, I set up a low-power transmitter on 108.1 and rebroadcast (then) OPB's "Golden Hours" radio reading service (http://omnimedianetworks.org/). It was fed by my VCR set to receive channel 10's SAP subcarrier. I was able to get that xmitter to throw a signal out at least 2 1/2 blocks, or most of the neighbourhood I was living in at the time. Then I moved out, packed away my FM TX gear and it hasn't seen the light of day since.

That was the last time I heard anything on 108.1 around here.
 
A very, very long time ago...in the 60's...I believe there was an aircraft beacon at or very near 108.1 in Chicago, probably Meigs Field, and that frequency would have been changed when 107.9 at the time with its transmitter out near Aurora, IL (on Eola Road) was increased in power. Of course, now with 107.9 WLEY operating off of the WSCR tower, that's definitely impossible to not interfere with 108.1!
 
Bleed from 107.7 on weak cheapo radios here. 108.1 is also a aircraft beacon frequency. Check during big E-skip around 108.0-108.5 mHz, you might find a 1000 mile aircraft beacon in and out!

-crainbebo
 
Yeah, I'm using a Denon Stereo 400 watt out and I get 4 out of 5 leds showing signal, 5 out of 5 for noise in South Seattle, it sounds really bad, but you can make out what they are saying well, I have to release the mute button and it sounds like a dx fm station otherwise it cannot be heard, stereo rejects when engaged.
 
Where does the aircraft band start??

On the Radio I just bought it goes up to I think to 108.7..I have my Wireless FM Transmitter on 108.5 with my Music on
 
MarioMania said:
Where does the aircraft band start??
Click to expand...

The VHF aircraft band starts at 108.0 MHz and extends to about 138.0 Mhz, though the first assigned frequency is likely to be 108.1, as the VOR (VHF Omnidirectional Range) beacon must protect FM Broadcasting, so there is a small "guard band" between the end of the FM Broadcast Band and the beginning of the Aircraft Band. The FM Broadcasting band ends at 108.0 MHz (107.9, and all other assigned FM Broadcasting stations from 87.9 to 107.9 may occupy a maximum channel width of 200 kHz (±100 kHz), so in the case of an FM Broadcasting station with its center frequency of 107.9 MHz, may occupy 107.8-108.0 at the most, though the maximum carrier deviation is supposed to be ± 75kHz, so well within the assigned channel. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airband http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim/Chap1/aim0101.html
 
Location: Vermilion, OH
I have a handheld FM/AM/SW radio that will tune as high as 108.5. The only thing I've ever heard on 108.1 is some slop from WENZ/107.9 (Cleveland, OH) and that's only with the antenna oriented just right.
 
No, but you could probably make one, if you have access to a camera and a fairly basic police scanner or multiband receiver! ;o)

@stormy01--
The lowest VOR (or anything) I have ever heard on the airband 'round here is the beacon at PDX on 111.100 or something like that (I do at least know it's in the 111 megahertz spectrum.) There's a pretty decent guardband as a result.

[size=8pt]The tuners in my old Marantz Superscope QR-450 (R.I.P.) had enough overtuning to pull in that one. My Grampa's Pioneer SX-1000TW can pull in the localiser at 114-something and the approach (?) voice channel on 118.700!

Oh, the fun I used to have playing with his stereo when I was a kid...... ;o)
 
Darth_vader said:
No, but you could probably make one, if you have access to a camera and a fairly basic police scanner or multiband receiver! ;o)

@stormy01--
The lowest VOR (or anything) I have ever heard on the airband 'round here is the beacon at PDX on 111.100 or something like that (I do at least know it's in the 111 megahertz spectrum.) There's a pretty decent guardband as a result.

[size=8pt]The tuners in my old Marantz Superscope QR-450 (R.I.P.) had enough overtuning to pull in that one. My Grampa's Pioneer SX-1000TW can pull in the localiser at 114-something and the approach (?) voice channel on 118.700!

Oh, the fun I used to have playing with his stereo when I was a kid...... ;o)
Click to expand...

Well I'm in Vallejo, I don't know who's on Air Craft Band in the Bay Area on like 108.7
 
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