Another Federal Mototrbo User

On a recent trip to the Chicago area, I discovered that the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago is using Mototrbo radios on 406.6625 MHz.

Mototrbo is a product line of digital radios marketed by Motorola. It is not compatable with any of the digital scanners available today.

The Federal Reserve seems to have a habit of doing their own thing when it comes to radios. Each branch of the FRB has something different, some analog, some digital and now some are Mototrbo. It still amazes me that they would go against the APCO P-25 standards the have been championed by the federal government for interoperability. But on the other hand, who would they have to be interoperable with?

406.6626 MHz is a common frequency used by Federal Reserve facilities across the country, along with 410.4875, 413.9250 and 415.6625.

Minneapolis FRB

As some may recall, we have noted that the Federal Reserve branch banks across the US have been using a common set of UHF frequencies for their communications, but in all different modes. Some are analog, others are analog with DCS squelch tones and some are P-25 digital. But now
I received a report from a listener in the Twin Cites that indicates the Federal Reserve Branch Bank in Minneapolis is using a UHF LTR trunked system.

According to the supplied information, the trunked system is as follows:
406.6625 - LCN 10
410.4875 - LCN 01

I've learned long ago not to underestimate the possibilities of what can show up in the federal bands, but this is indeed unusual! Until I make it back up to Minneapolis, can anyone supply any further information on this system?

Nashville Now

Caught some interesting traffic from the Federal Reserve Branch Bank in Nashville last night. I don't know if anything made the news wires, but they had a fire alarm go off and had to evacuate the building.

406.6625 MHz, NAC 293 - This frequency appears to be common amongst all the FRB Branches that I have come across so far.