Bill's Site
Opening page last updated May 13, 2012
             e-mail me:  marscan1 AT gmail.com

This is the former Maritimes Scanning Site (2000 to 2010), that was at one time THE place to come to for detailed information for scanning throughout the Maritimes.  I tried to cover it all, with the support of many contributors, but the bigger it got, the harder it was to maintain a quality updated site.  As time has gone on the excellent database and forum sites ScanMaritimes and RadioReference and the more specialized ScanPEI have come along and are now the places to go for discussion and for frequency information.   Having said that, I feel that I still have the best lists for NS fire departments, and as well the aero and marine bands.

My site is now downsized and contracted to include just a few of my special interest radio topics, including some that are historical in nature.  Other than that I have happily conceded most radio topics to the sites mentioned above.  In addition to the remaining radio topics I have other topics one or two degrees separated from radio, and some that are far away.  Much of this is for my own convenience, to cater to my many other interests, but you of course are welcome to read these pages, and use the links.   My thanks to the many contributors over the years,  some of you very major back in the formative years and some in the later ones... you know who you are, and as well those who contributed once or a few times.   I have heard from some of you that this site was what really got you going in scanning back when we were still trying to figure out the TMR, and in the years since.  I am very pleased to hear that the site was of some use and inspiration to you.  It was a pleasure!

Please continue to send me changes or comments regarding the following:   Aero and Marine throughout the Maritimes,  Fire and government and transportation within NS, and as well anything new on the TMR.   If instead you post it on ScanMaritimes I will also see it there and update my pages from that. 

Visit www.ScanMaritimes.com
for up to the minute discussion of the broad spectrum of scanning in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.   This is where you are likely to see the most recent changes reported by fellow listeners. You must join in order to see the vast majority of this forum site and of course to post your own comments. ScanMaritimes also contains a database for our region.  
Note that  www.scanmaritime.com  without the s is a cruise ship frequency website.  See below in my marine section.

Looking for a scanner, antenna, cable, computer or more? Check out this local small business whose owner is an active member of the Maritimes radio hobby:

www.littlemac.ca 

His primary business is deejay services but may be able to help you get the equipment you want!

Aeronautical Listening Pages I have the double interest of radio and aircraft!   The VHF aero band is my most-listened aspect of radio.   Others in the Halifax area are even more into this than I am! Stanfield International: Listening and Watching This gives the lowdown on what is there, where to go, what the frequencies are, and the whole cycle of aircraft movements beginning with pushback at the terminal, to the time the aircraft goes out of range of your scanner several hundred miles away, and again as aircraft arrive, make their approach, and eventually taxi to the gate.  A comprehensive guide.   Have a look and send me any suggestions for improvement. General outline of the Aero Scene  in the Halifax area and the Maritimes. Aero Frequency List for the Maritimes compiled by Bill Aero Call Signs List  What airline is Jetlink 2851 and other questions answered. U.S. Military Aerial Refueling over Nova Scotia  This is a very common occurrence. Runway designations.   What does Runway 35 really mean?   and why did the designations at Halifax change a while back?  Read all about runways here. Civil registration marks such as C-GBDF and N234TF.  Favourite Aero Links www.flightaware.com       Flightaware is wonderful.    You can check on flights in and out of any airport in various ways.  Check it out.   I use it a lot!     NTSB (United States National Transportation Safety Board) reports on incidents.  This has reports on all aviation incidents that the NTSB has been involved in since 1962.  This includes some incidents outside the USA in which for some reason the NTSB played an official role. Very interesting as it gives more details on accidents and incidents than you would find in the press. Canadian Aeronautical Communications Website, which covers the country with frequency information. YYZ News. Despite its YYZ (Toronto) title, this approximately weekly digest covers aeronatautical news from across Canada.  Keep in touch with what airlines serving Canada are planning and doing, and as other air industry news www. aviation.ca VATCAN Moncton This is one of many sites from around the world established for the benefit of serious flight simulation enthusiasts.  This site provides airport maps, along with diagrams of standard approaches and departures at the major airports in the Maritimes, all of which originate in Nav Canada publications and reproduced superbly at the simulator site. Nav Canada's Airport Diagram Site. See a chart of practically any significant airport in Canada. Link to LiveATC.net (aero) live streaming many areas of the world Official Airport websites from our region: · Halifax Stanfield International official site       www.hiaa.ca · Moncton Airport official site. · Fredericton airport official site. · Saint John airport official site. · Charlottetown airport official site. · Sydney airport official site. · Yarmouth airport official site.
	Halifax weather Halifax Radar from Environment Canada, Portland Maine Radar (see what weather is coming), Bangor Weather. Fredericton Wx, Moncton Wx. Highway Cameras NS.  Road Conditions NS. Highway conditions and Cameras in NB  Highway conditions, weather, gas prices, etc. in Maine U.S. National Hurricane Center, Miami, Canadian Hurricane Centre, Dartmouth Weatheradio Canada  NOAA Weatheradio now called "All Hazards Radio"
	Marine Band and Ships Links Today's shipping uses four main radio bands:  MF/HF (2 MHz - 30 MHz), VHF Marine Band, the UHF 400 MHz on-board bands, and various Satellite services.   This website deals with the VHF and UHF aspects only. Start here for a description of the VHF marine band, especially in relation to Canada, and a channel by channel guide for the Halifax area and beyond.    For details of channels used by Canada's Coast Guard radio stations and vessel traffic systems go to  CCG Radio Aids to Marine Navigation Large ships may also use on-board radio to coordinate cargo handling, passengers and events.  Usually this is on UHF: UHF frequencies commonly used on-board cruise ships and other large vessels.  For even more detail go to Bill Dunn's Cruise Ship Frequency website:  www.scanmaritime.com Port of Halifax website, with daily berthing and sailing reports and the current CRUISE SHIP SCHEDULE. Shipfax - shipping news blog from Halifax Tugfax - tugs blog from Halifax Armchair Captain - another Halifax shipping blog Shipspotting.com a worldwide ship photo site Hurricane Havens Handbook - descriptions of many ports along the Atlantic coast including an interesting description of Halifax NOAA's Charts of the US Coasts, showing coastal Weatheradio sites and USCG stations. Excellent! Fond BC memories for me: CPR's BC Coast Steamships.   BC Tugs forum West Coast Ferries Forum Tugboat Photo Site
	The Maritime Amateur from Jim VE1JBL.  This is your starting point if you are looking for Amateur Radio frequencies for scanning, or if you might be interested in becoming a ham yourself.  This site links to repeater lists as well as most of the local area ham radio clubs.  I am a ham though almost inactive, but I value my licence very much. Some Halifax area and key ham sites: Halifax Amateur Radio Club (HARC) Dartmouth Amateur Radio Club Paul's VE1DY Website NSARA NS Amateur Radio Association  RAC  Radio Amateurs of Canada  (Canada's national organization)
	Link to Land Force Area Atlantic website.   This is the Canadian Army in the Atlantic area.  Onward links to all units.
	Link to Canadian Forces Military Police Group website.  Will link you onwards to the organization and units of the entire MP system in the Canadian Forces.
	Link to MARLANT (the RCN on the East Coast)
	Link to 14 Wing Greenwood      Link to 12 Wing Shearwater   (the Air Force on the East Coast)
	Search Industry Canada's TAFL
	Easier to Read Manual for 396XT
	Hepburn's DX Information Centre, including predictions for tropospheric ducting.  If you are looking for a lift, this is where to go!
	Radio Mobile About the program that allows you to produce radio propagation maps.  Used by "Nick"
	See the chart of US frequency allocations by service.  This is the whole radio spectrum.  Some differences from Canada, but mostly the same.
	NS Provincial Radio Systems: The NSTMR and NSIMRS  Check here for extensive descriptions of these systems, as well as commentary on how to listen. Please note that while the TMR description is lengthy regarding sites and frequencies, you will have to go to ScanMaritimes or RadioReference for talk group lists. Maritimes Radio Communications Initiative  dead or just asleep? Nova Scotia Fire Railways of the Maritimes Nova Scotia Police.  Description of law enforcement agencies in NS. Does NOT include talk group info for RCMP and HRP which is found on ScanMaritimes and Radioreference. Canada's Band Plans:   800 MHz (with specific local use)   VHF 138 174 MHz Atlas of NS showing radio sites       Calculating bearings and distances Bill's Radio History Bill's Call Letters page (A peculiar fascination of mine)    Codes used in radio.. ten, Q, CW etc About GMRS, FRS and MURS    The old Mobile Telephone Service and the introduction of the cell phone
Broadcast Listening Pages These pages should be very useful if you are interested in getting into broadcast listening but they are not being updated as of 2011.   My broadcast listening interest comes and goes, and at present is at a low point!  AM, FM, TV Start here Sorry, I do not cover international shortwave broadcasting! Current list of FM broadcast stations in the Maritimes and Maine, including Bill's loggings from within and outside this region This must be considered to be somewhat out of date as a few changes do occur, especially in formats, but for the most part it is quite accurate. Broadcast Links TVFool.  See what the closest tv stations to you are, with distances and azimuth, and more.  Meant as an aid to DTV reception but great for DX'ers I had intended on trying for US tv signals and had installed a UHF/VHF High antenna with amp, but now realize that without something more sophisticated or without constant scanning the channels, I am not going to be successful.   It is impossible to achieve consistent over the air TV reception from the USA here in Halifax. Northeast Radio Watch. Scott Fybush's weekly roundup of all happenings in NE USA and in Ontario and east in Canada.  Excellent!  As of 2011 this site became "by subscription only." Recent Broadcast Decisions from the CRTC Northwest Broadcasters (AM, FM, TV developments and Lists from the Seattle/Vancouver area) (I am from there, that's why!) Ontario DX Association.   The #1 Canada-oriented shortwave listeners club, but there may be some AM and VHF info here too. National Radio Club. Perhaps the premer organization dedicated to the hobby of monitoring and dx'ing the AM broadcast band Worldwide TV-FM DX Association (WTFDA) This is the top club for those interested in TV, FM and related DX'ing...including up to the minute forums on ducting and other skip phenomena) Digital Home's Digital Forum.  Canadian site.  I go here mostly for the OTA (Over the Air) reception discussion. FM Reception Guide		Equipment Suppliers Littlemac Custom Computers & Electronics (see top of page) Local seller of scanners, antennas, computers, etc Radio Shack (USA)  (For many this is the easiest option if you happen to be going to the US anyway) Solid Signal A1 Components Durham Radio Scanner World Scanner Master Grove Enterprises Ham Radio Outlet (HRO) DPD Productions - Antennas & Accessories for the RF Professional & Radio Hobbyist
		Webcams of particular interest to me Highway Conditions and Weather NS Highway Webcams index page Kelly Lake Webcam Highway 102 Lake Charlotte Webcam Highway 7 Bedford/Sackville Interchange Highway 102 close to home Halifax Harbour: Harbour and Halifax from Dartmouth side  Pier 21 showing cruise ships (if any)  Harbour..looking out to entrance   Halifax Stanfield International Airport: Halifax Airport:  a view from the terminal towards Jct 05 and 14 Close to where  I grew up:  Parksville Beach, Vancouver Island Canadian Airport Weather Cameras

Bill's Non-radio Links.  The following links are here mostly for me to easily access wherever I am, and will be of no interest to you, except if in some cases you have similar interests.  But you are certainly welcome to check these out.    Not necessarily kept updated.

· ednet Records DMHS Pearson Power School

• Honda 90 cc trail bike.   In the mid-60's I had one of these, one of the first in Canada, and happily explored the logging roads of Vancouver Island.  Here is a specific page on the CT200, a version of that bike.

· US and Canadian military aircraft designation series: Canadian military a/c designations Duplications in the US Series Missing numbers, for example what happened to F-13?  

· AIRFIELDS, INCLUDING AERO CHARTS AND NAVAIDS:   Skyvector.com for online aero charts of the US.   Runway Finder.. an integration of maps and photos brings you to airports in the US and parts of Canada.        Airnav

· AIRFIELDS ABANDONED AND HISTORICAL especially abandoned ones in North America.  Abandoned and Little Known Airfields. This very large site covers much of North America with maps and photos.  I am most interested in abandoned and converted military airfields.  There are many of them in the United States and quite a few here in Canada.    Pennfield Ridge in New Brunswick is a completely abandoned former military field, and also in NB, the airport at Miramichi is partially unused, being downscaled from when it was CFB Chatham.  Just across the border in Maine is the former super SAC base, Loring AFB, that is pretty much abandoned.  And how about US Naval Air Station Argentia in Newfoundland, another major airfield lying abandoned. These are just examples in our area.  Here are some other sites I go to regarding airfields and air charts as well:    Listing of Airfields Open/Closed (in the US SW/SC states), Alabama WWII Army Airfields,  Arizona WWII Army Airfields,  California WWII Army Airfields,  Colorado WWII Army Airfields,  Kansas WWII Army Airfields,  Texas WWII Army Airfields, Defunct WWII US Army Air Force Fields. Strategic Air Command.com ,  Joe McCusker's Air Force Base List.  Scott Murdoch's database of WWII US Army Airfields and what became of them. Global Security has a section on facilities, other sections too. Globemaster Military Aviation is similar.   Also  www.RCAF.com for historical information on Canadian air stations home and abroad, and also on radar stations (see below)

· RADAR CHAINS ACROSS CANADA: present and former Radar chains across Canada:  Pinetree, Mid-Canada, 

· FLIGHT SIMULATOR... I enjoy this in a very rudimentary way, but am in the middle of a simulated flight to cover all the military airfields of North America, as well as all the major civil ones as well.     I plan to post my progress across North America... coming soon.

· Simulated Air Traffic Control... go to VATSIM and its Canadian component VATCAN    I use this for its real world information.

· AIRCRAFT MOVEMENTS AND TRACKING:     Flytecomm (track individual flights or check all flights at a particular airport)   FlightAware (similar but has map output)     Aeroseek Flight Explorer AirportMonitor is a unique online display of airplanes flying in and out of several different US airports... fascinating!

· SHIPS:  I have a residual historical interest in the tugs, liners, ferries and cargo ships of the BC Coast, and in ships of the Canadian Navy.    Also the dreadnoughts, battleships, battlecruisers, cruisers, aircraft carriers of the world's navies, again mostly historical.    Here is a site giving the naval ship classifications of the US Navy.   Always interested in seeing the cruise liners coming into Halifax, and listening to the harbour traffic on the scanner.   Here is a site about a program to see a radar like display of ships: Ship Plotter

· RAILWAYS OF NORTH AMERICA, present and past:  I am more interested in the system, the rails, present and abandoned, than I am in the rolling stock and engines.    Abandoned Railroads.com      Even though I live in Nova Scotia I am most interested in the abandoned logging railways of Vancouver Island, and also in the Kettle Valley Railway and Victoria Vancouver & Eastern in British Columbia.   Cycling the Kettle Valley Railway.    Here is a great site with lots of Maritimes rail history:  ROCA Archives.  I have several of these wonderful atlases showing active and abandoned rail lines: SPV Railroad Atlas of North America is actually a set of atlases that together now cover all of the US plus most of Canada.

· ASTRONOMY, in the sense that I do look at the sky and like to know which planets are visible, and also do watch for the space station and space shuttle when up.   In order to check what planets are visible I usually use a program on my computer Stellarium (available free) that is good for centuries to come, but for the latest on where the International Space Station is, or when and where the next Iridium flare will be, and will I be able to see them, I go to Heavens Above, a site that  you can customize to your own location.   Here is NASA's sightings site.

· Novels in the JACK RYAN UNIVERSE (novelist Tom Clancy) see Wikipedia Ryanverse   I have read this series of very large novels several times.   Hunt for Red October is just one in the series.

· Novels from LINCOLN AND PRESTON  (their website) such as Relic and Reliquary.  I have read this series several times.  

· I also have accumulated the HARDY BOYS books, nothing special, and also many National Geographics, back to 1919, and Whitakers Almanacs from Britain.

· Enid Blyton.  Like the Hardy Boys, the novels from this children's author are panned by the literary experts but I enjoyed them very much as a kid.

· MUSIC from the top 40 era.   I have a good collection of the oldies, and like to know about the singers and groups.  I am not a musical snob, and am quite eclectic....  disco is fine with me, and I think Celine Dion is a good singer!   I also enjoy some classics and country...   Oldies Music Fifties Web (not just music)   OldiesList (links, including to radio online)   Oldies Radio Online (list/links)   KRTH Los Angeles Vancouver Radio Museum.

· REALITY TV  shows about nothing in many cases....  Big Brother is the best example of nothingness, but I do watch Survivor and Amazing Race as well, which are a little less about nothing!      I keep track on Reality News Online.

· MOVIES:  When I watch a movie I do like to look up things like "what else was that actor in?" or where was this filmed?   I sometimes go to www.imdb.com  for information, but more often just go to the Wiki article on the particular movie.  I do have favourite movies and my memory is bad enough that there are quite a few that I have watched several times!     I confess to wanting to have on DVD the complete James Bond and the 30+ Disney animated classics and other selected Disney movies.   List of Disney movies   Wiki List of Disney animated and partially animated movies. Another Disney List animated.  Excellent Wiki list of "all" Disney feature films, animated and live action

· Interested in importing a new or used vehicle from the states, click here.

· BRITISH ROYALTY and Peerage:  Here's a strange one.... the British royalty... lines of succession, etc.   Do you know the first 20 in line for the throne?  here they are as of May 2012 (this includes the 14 descendents of our present queen, as well as the 6 descendants of her deceased sister, Princess Margaret)

1. HRH The Prince of Wales (The Prince Charles; b. 1948) ^{B D W} (first son of the Queen)
2. HRH The Duke of Cambridge (Prince William; b. 1982) ^{B D W}  (first son of the prince of Wales) (married to Kate Middleton, no children)
3. HRH Prince Henry ('Harry') of Wales (b. 1984) ^{B D W} (Second son of the Prince of Wales) (not yet married)
4. HRH The Duke of York (The Prince Andrew; b. 1960) ^{B D W}  (Second son of the Queen) (divorced from Sarah Ferguson)
5. HRH Princess Beatrice of York (b. 1988) ^{B D W}  (First daughter of the Duke of York) (unmarried)
6. HRH Princess Eugenie of York (b. 1990) ^{B D W}  (Second daughter of the Duke of York) (unmarried)
7. HRH The Earl of Wessex (The Prince Edward; b. 1964) ^{B D W}  (Third son of the Queen) (married to Sophie Rhys-Jones)
8. Viscount Severn (James Mountbatten-Windsor; b. 2007) ^{B D W}  (Son of the Earl of Wessex) (child) (by right he is HRH Prince James of Wessex)
9. The Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor (b. 2003) ^{B D W} (Daughter of the Earl of Wessex) (child) (by right she is HRH Princess Louise of Wessex)
10. HRH The Princess Royal (The Princess Anne; b. 1950) ^{B D W}  (Daughter of the Queen) (divorced from Mark Phillips - who refused a peerage, married to Timothy Laurence)
11. Mr Peter Phillips (b. 1977) ^{B D W} (Son of The Princess Royal) (married to Autumn Kelly)
12. Miss Savannah Phillips (b. 2010) ^{B D W} (First daughter of Peter Phillips)
13. Miss Isla Phillips (b. 2012) ^B (Second daughter of Peter Phillips)
14. Mrs. Michael Tindall (Zara Phillips; b. 1981) ^{B D W} (Daughter of the Princess Royal)
15. Viscount Linley (David Armstrong-Jones; b. 1961) ^{B D W} (Son of Princess Margaret, deceased younger sister of our present queen who was married to Anthony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowden)
16. The Hon Charles Armstrong-Jones (b. 1999) ^{B D W} (son of Viscount Linley)
17. The Hon Margarita Armstrong-Jones (b. 2002) ^{B D W} (daughter of Viscount Linley)
18. The Lady Sarah Chatto (b. 1964) ^{B D W} (formerly The Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones) (daughter of Princess Margaret) (married to Daniel Chatto)
19. Mr Samuel Chatto (b. 1996) ^{B D W} (first son of the Lady Sarah Chatto)
20. Master Arthur Chatto (b. 1999) ^{B D W} (second son of the Lady Sarah Chatto)
    FOLLOWING THIS GROUP, DESCENT GOES NEXT TO THE OTHER SURVIVING DESCENDENTS OF QUEEN ELIZABETH'S GRANDFATHER GEORGE V:  1) The descendents of his third son the Duke of Gloucester, followed by 2) the descendents of his fourth son, the Duke of Kent.

•  Also in general the system of peerage and nobility in the United Kingdom.   Let's see:  King, Prince, Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, Baron, Baronet, Knight of an order, Knight Bachelor.. that's the order...  I like for some reason to know for example what the courtesy title of the eldest son of a marquess would be! Another on  .  Official site of the British Monarchy Unofficial site re the British Monarchy

· ORDERS, MEDALS AND DECORATIONS of Canada and the British based countries, and am a member of the Orders and Medals Research Society in the UK.  Some sites:  The Orders and Medals Society of America -- my father was member #4 of this one.    Military Collectors Club of Canada.  Honours (decorations and medals) of Canada, at the Governor General's site.   Dept of Veterans Affairs Medal Page

· Where I am from: Qualicum Beach, BC Parksville-Qualicum Beach News

Flight Simulator Description:      I am in the middle of an ambitious plan to tour North America on Flight Simulator!  [currently in April 2012 on hold]  This is no ordinary tour that visits a few airports around the continent.   My plan is to visit not only all major airports, i.e. those currently with control towers, but also all airfields still in existence that are or were at one time military airfields, including those in use during World War II.   Some of those wartime fields no longer exist so I can't visit those, but all in all I will be visiting well over a thousand airfields.    I am using Flight Simulator 2002 and flying the basic aircraft, the Cessna 172.   While I like the idea of adding in rain and wind and flying at night I do not do so because I do not want to miss any of the scenery!  In fact I am mostly interested in visiting these airports and "seeing" the land along the way.  Sure the 172 is slow, so on long flights I double or quadruple the speed of the simulation!    I use radio aids when I can, e.g. NDB's, VOR's and ILS.   I have not been using GPS but plan to do so before I am through.    My plan is being carried out by way of long sections or legs.   I began at Inuvik, Northwest Territories and headed west along the north shore of Alaska, and down the west side with a side trip over to Siberia, then south and southwest to the tip of the Aleutians and again over to Siberia, then back up the Aleutians, over to Whitehorse and down along the Alaska Panhandle and BC coast.  Essentially after that I have flown south legs to the Mexican border then north legs into northern Canada, alternating.    As of December 2011 I have already covered the Western mountains (that was fun!) and the western most part of the plains.   I am flying south now on a zig-zag leg from Churchill, Manitoba to New Orleans, Louisiana.   On the whole due to the flat terrain this area is not as enjoyable as in the mountains.  Some of what I did in the mountains was unrealistic for the real Cessna 172, such as flying via the 12000 foot Independence Pass  (that I have had the pleasure of driving over in real life) and landing at the highest airport in North America at Lead, Colorado (10000 feet).   After I reach Churchill, the next leg will be south to New Orleans, and so on.      When I reach western Florida I will then start a major divergence to fly around the rim of the Gulf of Mexico counter-clockwise to visit only the very large city airports in Mexico, Central America and along the shores of Colombia and Venezuela and up the West Indies back to Florida and resume my north and south legs.  Eventually I will reach CFS Alert, Nunavut and will finish off with a south leg along Greenland to end at Keflavik, Iceland.   This will be a natural start for a European project; however that will be quite a while in the future.   I have already been flying this North American tour for over two years, off and on, mostly in the winter seasons and in terms of numbers of airports visited I am not yet half way through.   As I fly I usually just touch and go at most airports and land and stop only at the end of a daily session.   As I fly I use actual FAA and Nav Canada charts, as well as the website www.airnav.com.     I also in most cases read about the airports on wiki and historical sites, and use the airphotos on line to see the land and airports, better than what appears on the rather rudimentary (though still amazing) detail of FS2002.   It is amazing how much I have learned in doing this, not that I am claiming it is important information, but for a traveller and geographer like me it has been a lot of fun doing this.

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