posted on Aug, 17 2012 @ 09:48 PM
reply to post by Jocko Flocko
I don't think there is much if any HF being used at Groom. The testing as far as I know is local. It isn't like the old days where they flew actual
missions out of Groom Lake, i.e. the A-12 days. Further, Nellis (99th comm) has what are referred to as repeaters, though I suspect they are
microwave linked "satellite" (as in remote) radio sites. Even though the range is big, they can use multiple sites so that aircraft are never out of
range of some remote radio facility. Nellis needs to maintain remote sites for ACMI (short range L band cooms) so it isn't all that much more work
to maintain UHF remote sites too.
HF is usually only on cargo planes (toss in the AC-130), choppers (with dubious effectiveness) and bombers. I don't know if fighter aircraft or UAVs
use HF, but I doubt it. Basically you have a "want" to hear Groom, but there is no "need." Consider the antenna switching Groom Tower does just to
make it harder to hear the tower signals on the east side of the range. [The planes on the ground sound better.] The base owns a great mountain top
(Baldie), but it can hit 5 states if they don't use some caution.
You might have some luck with PC-HFDL
wiki.radioreference.com...
It looks like it is free now, but if Charles still charges, I can vouch for the program. I haven't run it though in maybe two years. It even worked
under "wine". I used to have an ACARS, HFDL dedicated computer, but had to repurpose it when some other gear croaked. I never caught any Janet
doing ACARS. You can hear on my recordings that they just handle fuel requests by voice. Tonopah is a big ACARS location. Planes hit Tonopah ACARS
before landing in the SF Bay Area.
There was someone in Rachel that had a scanner which you could monitor remotely for $5 a month or something like that. The service didn't last long.
That leaves the liveatc website.
If you want to hear Groom Lake live, book a flight! The next best thing is just to listen to a recording.
Incidentally, Base Camp has a nice HF antenna.
I have no idea how they use it. MARS perhaps?