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Audio from the USAF Thunderbirds during Flyover at Superbowl LIII

With Superbowl LIII in town, I just had to turn this into a radio event somehow.   Then I heard about the USAF Thunderbirds arriving at Dobbins ARB for the flyover! I watched several videos and news stories of their preparation and practice runs for the event!  Then I thought, “Wonder if I can monitor their radio traffic during the big event?!?!?”

I knew the location and I knew the time.   I did not know the frequency that they would be on.  By the time that I got serious about this idea, they had already did their trial runs and I had no chance to monitor for any “practice”.  I turned to my local ham radio reflector and asked if anyone had any resources for the poss frequencies.  I received several great responses with a variety of frequencies and ranges.    I decided which range was going to be my best chance of capturing the audio and I set my SDR up for the big day!

I used the SDRPlay RSP1 with HDSDR as the software.  It is an amazing SDR that can monitor a 10MHz spectrum at once!  It has an SMA connection on the side that I usually attach to an external antenna from the shack.  For this project, I decided to go with a more portable antenna since I was planning to be outside and only 14 miles from the Mercedes Benz Stadium.  I used a SMA to BNC adapter and then attached a 2m/440 antenna from an HT.  This combination, alongside my surface pro tablet, got me portable!  I set the software to cover as many of the “possible” frequencies as possible and waited.

While Gladys Knight was singing the National Anthem, I started to see the AM carrier toward the right side of my screen.  Just after the pass was visible on TV, I started to hear some audio on the SDR.  (With the spectrum recorded on my tablet, I was able to go back and replay the pass and dig out the audio that I originally didn’t hear.)

Below is what I caught condensed down to about 18 seconds.

Lessons learned…

  1. Prepare as much and as early as you can!  I missed several of their trial runs that would have given me a good idea of their frequencies and range of my antenna.
  2. Don’t skimp on the antenna.  As well as mine worked, anything else even with the modest of elevation would have been better than the “ruber duck” attached to the SDR.  I even had a discone sitting on the ground in the back yard.  I guarantee that I would have gotten more/better audio if I had that guy mounted even 10-15 feet above ground.  Directional would have been even better.

End result…

  1. I captured audio directly from all 6 USAF Thunderbirds during the big event!
  2. I had fun doing it!
  3. And I learned from it for next time!

Till next time, 73’s! de K4NHW!

Welcome to K4NHW

Welcome to the new page of K4NHW.com.  In the near future, you will find blogs and stories of my ventures as a new ham radio operator.  Just in my first year as an amateur radio operator, I have learned ALOT from many different people and have experienced some pretty neat stuff.  Check back from time to time and see what’s new.  Hope to catch you on the air someday!  Till then, 73 de K4NHW!