ABLE downlinks

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JoeyC
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2005 10:02 pm

ABLE downlinks

Post by JoeyC »

Does anyone have any information about this technology that ABLE apparently has allowing video to be seen from the helicopter in real-time on the ground? I have heard on several occasions dispatchers ask ABLE if they could turn on the downlink. What kind of equipment is required to see that video if its even possible?
SkipSanders
Posts: 165
Joined: Sun Dec 03, 2006 10:12 pm

Post by SkipSanders »

Standard Electronic News Gathering link transmitters on Able.

They're in the 1.99 GHz to 2.5 GHz range, normally.

There are also available link ranges from:

2.30 GHz – 2.70 GHz
6.43 GHz – 7.12 GHz

The units are low power (around 5 watts), and highly directional unless being used for very short range like from cameraman to a nearby van.

They may be either FM modulation, or digital (newer).

Exact channels (In New York, probably pretty standard) are:

01) 1999.0
02) 2016.5
03) 2033.5
04) 2050.5
05) 2067.5
06) 2084.5
07) 2101.5
08) 2458.5
09) 2475.5
10) 2492.0

All channels have 'minus', 'center', and 'plus' settings to create slight frequency offsets used to help avoid interference when multiple links are up.
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