Background warning tone?

KingAir

KingAir

Well-Known Member
Occasionally whilst receiving transmissions from ATC, I will hear, what I would call, a warning tone or alert in the background. What might this be?
 
An MCI/MSAW alert.

Mode C Intruder Alert: Conflict alert, designed to alert the controller to existing or pending situations between tracked targets that require immediate attention.

Minimum Safe Altitude Warning: Alerts the controller when a tracked Mode C equipped aircraft is below, or predicted to go below a predetermined minimum safe altitude.
 
In some terminal facilities there is also a warning tone when an aircraft squawks 75/76/7700. An ILS PRM NTZ breach will also generate a computerized verbal warning.
 
Many of the low altitude, or conflict, alerts are invalid or otherwise already known and resolved situations. So don't be too worried if the controller doesn't sound disturbed by the presence of the alarm.
 
Wish I could find audio files of the different types of alerts. ARTS vs STARS, MSAW vs CA vs EM alerts. STARS has two different intensities for MSAW and CA alerts too, when it thinks stuff is getting really bad the alarm gets louder and more annoying.
 
I like testing the alarm while I'm transmitting. :)

Actually the most annoying one to me is flipping the ILS to a closed satellite airport from the TRACON. Its 60's space capsule technology that you grope for in the dark that emits a constant whine until you remember which button shuts the dang thing up.
 
Oh, I forgot another one:

It could be the alarm that the ARTS is in the process of failing.

If you hear a steady alarm, combined with a crap storm of chaos in the background...that may be the alarm you're hearing :)
 
It amazed me how many tags showed CA and how much damn beeping was going on in the radar room I got to visit. What also amazed me was how many 1200 targets were buzzing around in an old practice area of mine. It never looked that busy when I was training. Esh. What I didn't know didn't hurt right, right??
 
There are so many alarms it could be. Just to name a few I have at my facility: wind shear, microburst, ILS localizer or glideslope or both, radar failure, beacon channel failure, wx display alarm, new METAR transmitted from contract weather office, not to mention all the radar alarms such as collision alert, low altitude, emergency, radio failure, etc.
 
We have an assortment of alert tones that we hear throughout the day. To add to the list ATCtexas posted, our facility also uses a computerized information board to keep the controllers up to date on current restrictions, NOTAMs, wind speed/direction read-out, etc. Every time something major changes such as the ATIS code, the new METAR, a new restriction... it plays a specific sound.
 
Heard an alert in the background as we had controller issue a collision avoidance alert for us today in the middle of class G farm land
 
genot said:
In some terminal facilities there is also a warning tone when an aircraft squawks 75/76/7700. An ILS PRM NTZ breach will also generate a computerized verbal warning.
Click to expand...

Used to warn of a 3100 code too.

Some facilities monitor the VOR, Glide Slope, Localizer and the like. That will set off a alarm.
 
Ours has an audible tone, plus a British lady speaking whatever the issue is, in a rather sultry tone of voice too.

Makes an otherwise unpleasant situation a little easier
 
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