ELT Tuner?

[cinenosin]

I find it so amazing that the Droid X has an FM tuner that I am a little embarrased to ask this.  The FM radio band is 88 to 108 MHz.  Is it possible to tune other frequencies, speciically 121.5 MHz?  This is the Emergency Locator Transmitter frequency used for locating downed aircraft.  Thanks!

[Wildman]

I do not think it supports emergancy radio signals without special configurations settings, can you recieve this channel on your regular radio becasue most emergancy transmission requires a radio made to recieve the signal....   I have seen online radio apps that has reported having emergancy radio support but I never used them to know how well they work.

[droidsw]

TuneIn Radio by Radio Time is one of said apps. It includes AM and FM, shortwave, police and weather bands, podcasts and even air traffic control. I don't see ELT and you have to install the paid version to add another preset, but it sounds like a worthwhile investment for someone that needs it. I would suggest emailing the developer of the app to see if ELT is an option, or peruse the Market for another app that might if TuneIn Radio doesn't.

[cinenosin]

Thanks for your responses.  There is a pre-installed app on the Droid X called FM Radio.  It is an actual FM radio tuner.  It even requires that something is plugged into the audio jack to act as an antenna.  The TuneIn Radio app is a really neat app, but it is getting the stations over the Internet--not a live radio signal being received by the Droid in my hand.

I am a member of the Civil Air Patrol.  When an aircraft crashes, a device called an ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) on the airplane sends a beacon signal at 121.5 MHz.  I need an application like the FM Radio app that can tune to 121.5 MHz.  I have a directional antenna that I can use to home-in on this signal, thus find the downed aircraft.  The FM radio on the Droid X tunes as high as 108 MHz, just a little higher and it could be used to find downed aircraft.

[droidsw]

I see. Just wondering........What is the difference between radio, i.e. shortwave, police bands, etc, that are simulcast over the internet and "live" radio. Isn't it just a matter of the broadcast method involved to obtain the signal?

Truly just asking to learn. I have no vested interest in the TuneIn Radio app. You're the second person that has dismissed internet broadcasts as unacceptable. For music fidelity, I understand. For other content, I don't follow.

Thanks and I hope you find something that works. Stay safe in your work.

[gerio]

My guess on that question would be that using the broadcast over the internet would indeed require a solid internet connection, a prospect that might be difficult in remote areas when searching for a crash site. Certainly, it would work if a cellular data connection were available. But that might not always be the case.

As I said, just a Saturday afternoon shop day speaker-repair-glue-induced guess...)

Geri O

[droidsw]

But one I hadn't thought of Gerio. Makes perfect sense.

[cinenosin]

This is a really great discussion, but somehow I'm not making myself clear.  There is an ELT transmitter on every aircraft.  This transmitter is activated on a crash landing.  In the CAP, we use a directional antenna and a handheld radio to find only that one specific transmitter.  Since the Droid X is able to tune uo to 108 Mhz, I thought with a little ingenuity someone may have written an application to also tune 121.5 MHz to hear and locate the ELT beacon.  Is this making more sense?  Thanks again for all the thoughtful feedback.

[gerio]

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cinenosin wrote:

This is a really great discussion, but somehow I'm not making myself clear.  There is an ELT transmitter on every aircraft.  This transmitter is activated on a crash landing.  In the CAP, we use a directional antenna and a handheld radio to find only that one specific transmitter.  Since the Droid X is able to tune uo to 108 Mhz, I thought with a little ingenuity someone may have written an application to also tune 121.5 MHz to hear and locate the ELT beacon.  Is this making more sense?  Thanks again for all the thoughtful feedback.

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You have made yourself perfectly clear. From the time I was 16 until I turned 20, I was with the volunteer fire department and while I can't remember the name of it, we learned about a beacon system on aircraft that broadcast its location. This was all 30 years ago, so the details aren't clear. But my still stands, this system will not broadcast over internet radio since it's an RF broadcast. That point isn't meant for you, you probably already know that.

And apparently, there is not an app for tuning the FM receiver of the X to tune it to that frequency. But it would certainly be handy. And it's hard to believe that it hasn't been thought of yet. Perhaps, if this is seen, it will be.

Well, now I'm curious, so I'm gonna look around. Be back shortly, 

Geri O

[ScooterCat]

I seriously doubt that the Droid X even has hardware capable of tuning to 121.5 MHz, so there's likely no possibility of an app adding that capability.

[droidsw]

Definitely one of the more interesting threads in this forum, lately................

Not once did the OP belittle Moto or Verizon, or call the Droid X a piece of junk. People offered suggestions. Some new things were learned (speaking for myself).

The only thing that is missing is a true resolution, but sometimes the resolution is that there isn't one.