BATFE Update

Just as the May issue of The Spectrum Monitor came out, with my column concerning the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), I received an update regarding the channel usage by this agency.

For as long as I've been listening to federal stuff, the ATF has always used 165.2875 MHz as their primary channel. However, with the eventual refarming of the VHF 162-174 MHz federal band to make a standard repeater offset (see the January Federal Wavelengths column for more information), this was bound to change. Information is that at least one major metro area, the ATF has already changed their primary repeater output to 170.9625 MHz, N650 with 165.2875 MHz as the input frequency. I have not run into this change in my travels yet, but will definitely keep an eye out for it.

NYC FBI Interop Check-In

I finally had a chance to catch the weekly (I think) test of the Federal Interoperability repeater in the New York City area. The test started at 10AM with "FBI Operations" calling a list of participating agencies on 167.7875 MHz, P-25 digital. The agencies that checked in with FBI Control included:

ATF New York
ATF Newark
US Attorney Eastern District
DEA New York
DEA Newark
FEMA
US Marshals Southern District
US Marshals Eastern District
US Marshals New Jersey
ICE New York
ICE New Jersey
CBP New York
CBP Tactical JFK
Coast Guard Sector New York
Secret Service New York
Secret Service New Jersey
IRS New York
Park Police Manhattan
Park Police Brooklyn
Postal Inspectors New York
Postal Inspectors New Jersey
US Attorney Long Island
Air Marshals New York
Essex County SO
Nassau County Police

Previous reports that I had received on this interop repeater said that they had heard this repeater tied to 414.750 MHz during these tests, but I did not hear any activity on the UHF frequency during this morning's test.

Earlier in the morning, I caught two FBI radio techs checking coverage of this repeater with a hand held radio. The gentleman that was mobile was north of the NYC area on I-287 near the White Plains area, which is apparently the northern limit on this repeater.

Border Scanning - Updated

I'm based in Laredo, Texas for a few days and have started my usual spectrum sweep. Most of the Customs and Border Protection frequencies are still running analog DES encryption, no P-25 yet. I did note that the local ATF repeater is the only federal P-25 I've caught so far. One wierd thing I have run in to is a number of UHF frequencies that seem to be using something like ACSB modulation. I can't tell yet if it's English or Spanish...

Here's a quick list of what's been active:

162.8250 151.4 DHS CBP Border Patrol
162.8500 DHS CBP Border Patrol
162.8750 100.0 DHS CBP Border Patrol
162.9000 100.0 DHS CBP Border Patrol
163.6000 Voice inversion scrambling - may be Mexico.
163.6250 151.4 DHS CBP Border Patrol
163.6750 100.0 DHS CBP Border Patrol
165.2375 100.0 CBP Customs NET 1
165.2875 P-25 ATF NET 1
165.5625 Unknown
165.6875 100.0 DHS CBP Customs Inspectors
166.4625 CSQ DHS Common
166.5875 Unknown
168.1000 100.0 Unknown
168.8625 103.5 Unknown
169.1750 167.9 Dept. of Agriculture
169.4500 100.0 CBP Customs
171.5750 Unknown
173.7750 131.8 DHS CBP Border Patrol
406.4500 Sounds like a trunking control channel, but isn't.
408.3750 123.0 Link? Always active
414.4250 156.7 DEA HIDTA
415.2500 179.9 Unknown
415.5000 Unknown
416.3250 156.7 DEA OTAR
418.6750 156.7 DEA F4 Surveillance
418.9000 156.7 DEA Laredo repeater
419.1250 D465 Unknown
419.4250 156.7 DEA HIDTA

On the non-federal side, I discovered that the Cityof Laredo has a P-25 trunked 800 Mhz system up and running, new since I was here last. No info on Radio Reference yet, but I'll see if I can help submit some info.

Travel Logs - Boston

While traveling for business, I always try and have a couple of scanners in the hotel searching out the federal VHF and UHF bands. I collect all the frequencies that show activity in what I call my "Travel Log". I keep logs for all the cites I travel to and then add them to a master database of federal frequencies.

Some frequencies are indentified by listening, some by cross reference from local info and some are just unknown. Here is the log from my most recent visit to the Boston area:

UPDATED June 6:

162.0500 DES US Coast Guard
163.1750 NPS
163.2625 P-25 VAMC Jamaica Plain
163.7500 P-25 DHS CBP
164.1750 151.4 NPS USS Constitution
164.4000 P-25 USSS Papa
164.6500 P-25 USSS Tango - Boston FO
165.2375 DHS CBP NET 1
165.2875 P-25 ATF NET 1
165.7375 P-25 DHS CBP
166.0000 151.4 NPS Lowell
166.0750 123.0 USPS?
166.3500 151.4 NPS Lowell
166.4375 Input to 165.2375 repeater
166.4625 DHS Common
166.5375 P-25 ATF Repeater in
166.7750 D532 NPS Boston
166.9500 141.3 NPS Boston
166.9500 151.4 NPS Lowell
167.4375 167.9 BAPERN link to 470.7875
167.4625 DES FBI Boston
167.4875 167.9 FBI Boston
167.8500 ?
167.9500 141.3 NPS Boston
169.3000 P-25 Input to 172.9 TSA repeater
170.3750 131.8 USPS Bulk Mail Center - truck movements
170.5750 151.4 USS Constitution
170.7750 ?
171.9750 151.4 USS Constitution
172.7750 P-25 See 163.750
172.9000 P-25 TSA at BOS Logan Airport
173.6125 118.8 USPS South Station
414.3500 ? DTMF Signalling
417.2000 P-25 DHS FPS
418.3000 82.5 US Postal Service - Postal Facility Security

Super Bowl 41 Fedcom Sweep - Updated!

Back from Miami with some frequencies used at Super Bowl 41. A more detailed list with some additional information will be coming soon in the Fed Files column. These frequencies were monitored while on location at Dolphin Stadium over a 5 day period, including Super Sunday:

163.1000, P-25 - Federal Common

163.8625, P-25 - Input to 167.5375 repeater

163.8875, P-25

163.9000, P-25 - Input to 171.4375 FIO repeater

164.4000, P-25 - DHS USSS "Papa"

164.5375 - Unknown analog repeater

164.6500, P-25 - DHS USSS "Tango"

164.9625, 100.0 - Primary DHS Customs Air Marine Division helicopter operations

165.2375, 100.0 - DHS CBP Operations NET 1

165.2875, P-25 - ATF Operations at Dolphin Stadium

167.2625, P-25 - Radio checks at Dolphin Stadium

167.4375, 167.9 - FBI repeater

167.5125, P-25 - FBI simplex operations at Dolphin Stadium

167.5375, P-25 - FBI Interoperability repeater, possibly called "Tactical 2". Heard many radio checks between agencies and even heard "Atlanta" checking in with "Jacksonville".

167.6125, P-25 - FBI

167.6625, P-25 - FBI

167.7625

168.0125

168.8250

168.8750

169.4500. 100.0 - DHS CBP Operations

169.5750

170.8250 - FBI

171.0250

171.4375, P-25 - Primary Interoperability repeater. Links to various agencies heard here, including Metro-Dade Fire Rescue units. Keep an eye on this frequency as it has shown up as a Federal Interop repeater in other major US cities.

173.0750

413.2750, D4431 - US Air Force Thunderbirds Comm Cart at Dolphin Stadium

CBP Comm Center Alert

Apparently a suspicious white powder was discovered in a package delivered to the Customs & Border Protection National Law Enforcement Communications Center in Orlando. You can read about the incident here:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/newsletter/mu-html/orl-bk-powder120406,0,5204040.story

Although the powder turned out to be harmless, I wonder who would be sending such things to the NLECC.

Note that the CBP NLECC is not the same dispatch center as the US Postal Inspectors NLECC. You'll be able to read more about the USPS NLECC in the January Fed Files.

The Customs and Border Protection NLECC (Pre-9/11 and DHS, known as SECTOR, now heard on their radio frequencies as CHARLIE 100) continues to operate the nationwide communications network for the CBP as well as some other federal agencies that don't maintain their own national communications networks. Other agencies you might hear on the CBP channels include the ATF, Coast Guard, Department of Defense, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), NOAA and the Department of Agriculture. For a fairly current list of the CBP nationwide radio nets, check the Fed Files blog here: http://mt-fedfiles.blogspot.com/2006_05_28_mt-fedfiles_archive.html

Detroit Federal Scanning - Updated!

Here's what I've been finding active in Detroit the past few weeks. I'll be updating this list as I find more active frequencies:

162.2375, CSQ - Unknown
163.6250, 107.2 - DHS Customs and Border Protection
163.9875, P-25 - Encrypted, most likely FBI
164.3875, 110.9 - Probably US Postal Service truck operations
164.4000, P-25 - USSS Papa, Detroit Field Office?
164.6000, P-25 - DHS CBP or ICE
164.9625, CSQ - US Postal Service, referenced BMC (Bulk Mail Center)
165.1875, 123.0 - Unknown, mentioned FIRE units - Canadian?
165.2375, 100.0 - DHS Customs and Border Protection
165.5500 - Unknown, sounded like DES
165.9125, P-25 - Clear, probably ATF
166.5875, 100.0 - DHS Customs and Border Protection
166.7375 - Unknown
167.6375, 167.9 - FBI
169.0000, 103.5 - Unknown, simplex or repeater input
169.9125, 167.9 - Possible input to 170.8250 repeater
169.9500, 110.9 - Probably USPS, referenced "A Dock"
170.5500, P-25 - Encrypted, likely FBI
170.8250, 167.9 - FBI repeater
170.9500, P-25 - Encrypted, likely FBI
172.9000, P-25 - TSA
173.8000, P-25 - Clear but not enough traffic to identify
406.2250, P-25 - FCI Milan, MI trunked system
406.7000, P-25 - Clear, talking about score of Tigers / A's game
407.0500, P-25 - FCI Milan, MI trunked system
408.1000, P-25 - FCI Milan, MI trunked system
408.3250, P-25 - FCI Milan, MI trunked system
411.0750, ? - Strange digital mode, doesn't sound like DES, but not P-25
415.2000 - DHS Federal Protective Service
417.2000 - DHS Federal Protective Service
418.7500, 156.7 - DEA F3 aerial surviellance

Chicago Federal Monitoring

While no means a complete list of federal activity in the Chicago metro area, here's what I've been hearing the last few days of my visit:

162.7875 P-25 US Marshals
164.1000 100.0 DHS CBP
165.1500 D546 USPS truck operations
165.2375 100.0 DHS CBP
165.2875 P-25 ATF NET 1
165.3750 P-25 USSS Chicago
165.7125 136.5 FAA @ ORD
166.1750 136.5 FAA @ ORD
166.3750 CSQ USPS Airside ops @ ORD
166.5875 100.0 DHS CBP Operations @ ORD
166.7125 127.3 North Chicago VAMC Police
167.0375 P-25 ?
167.7875 167.9 FBI Chicago FO
167.9250 156.7 DoE Fermi Labs
168.8250 100.0 DHS ICE/CBP Operations @ ORD
169.3000 P-25 DHS TSA repeater in
169.5500 100.0 DHS CBP TAC 19
169.8375 D223 ?
170.0000 D116 VAMC Operations
170.6250 167.9 FBI Chicago FO
172.1500 P-25 DHS TSA @ ORD
172.9000 P-25 DHS TSA @ ORD
411.3500 D114 VAMC Police
414.5125 103.5 USPS
414.7500 82.5 USPS Postal Inspectors NLECC
415.0500 82.5 USPS Postal Inspectors
415.2000 103.5 DHS FPS Chicago

Twin Cities Fed Scanning

I'm in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area for the next couple of weeks, so I thought I'd post a few things I've been hearing up here. Unfortunately the hotel I am staying at is in the middle of RF hell and it's tough to get much of anything there...

I'll be updating this list as my stay up here continues...

162.2250 – Fort Snelling National Cemetery, US Department of Veterans Affairs
164.1000 – USPS
164.3375, 167.9 pl – USPS
164.5500, 167.9 pl – OCDETF, FBI
164.9875, CSQ – USPS
165.2375, 100.0 pl – DHS CBP Customs NET 1 with OTAR
165.2875 - ATF
166.5125, P-25 - WHCA "SIERRA" - POTUS Advance Team for visit on 8/22/06
166.5875 - DHS CBP
167.2625, 167.9 pl – FBI
167.4375, 167.9 pl – FBI
167.5375, 167.9 pl – FBI
167.6125, 167.9 pl – FBI
167.6375, 167.9 pl – FBI
167.7125, 167.9 pl – FBI
167.7625, 167.9 pl – FBI
168.7875 - ?
169.4500, 100.0 pl – DHS CBP Customs
170.7500 – US Marshals, Federal Court Security
172.9000, P-25 – DHS TSA at MSP (input = 169.3000)
406.1125, P-25 – VA Medical Center Police
407.7250, P-25 – USPS Postal Inspectors (input = 416.7250)
414.7500, 82.5 pl – USPS Postal Inspectors (input = 407.7750)
415.2000, 131.8 pl – DHS Federal Protective Service (input = 413.9500)
416.4250, 100.0 pl - ?
418.6250, 156.7pl – DEA F1
418.6750, 156.7pl – DEA F4
418.9000, 156.7 pl – DEA
419.1500, 118.8 pl – USPS repeater

Pittsburgh Scanning Scene - Updated!

Just got home and had a great time at the Wings over Pittsburgh Air Show last Saturday. I even got to meet up with some of the local scanning group - it was great!
I caught part of the preparations for the All Star Game before I left, but the locals really helped and caught the activities during the events. Here's a quick update:

162.2250 MHz - Coast Guard patrols outside of PNC Park
163.1000 MHz - Federal Wide Area Itinerant - FBI D7
164.5500 MHz - OCDETF / FBI D1/D2
165.2875 MHz - ATF NET 1
166.4625 MHz - DHS Common / Treasury Common / FBI D3
167.5375 MHz - FBI D6
169.8000 MHz - Unknown, but likely FBI
409.3375 MHz - Federal Itinerant UHF repeater with OSCAR and LION callsigns, unknown agency
412.8375 MHz - Federal Itinerant UHF with the same units as on 409.3375, but simplex

A special thanks to members of the Three Rivers Area Monitoring Association group for their help!