MYSTERY FREQUENCY 172.4000 MHz

Reports of activity on172.4000 MHz, N088 in the Long Island, NY region. No other information was provided. 

For what it's worth, the frequency of 172.4000 MHz is assigned to mostly US Department of Agriculture and Department of the Interior agencies;
Animal/Plant Health Inspection Service
US Forest Service,
Bureau of Reclamation
International Boundary and Water Commission,
National Park Service
Soil Conservation Service

There are a few allocations to the US Army in New Mexico.

I have logged the N088 NAC a few times in Pennsylvania, and around the DC area out by Dulles airport, but not on this frequency.

MYSTERY FREQUENCY - 166.1125 MHz

 During a recent POTUS motorcade in Delaware, a listener caught a Close-Call hit on 166.1125 MHz, N001. This has not been noted previously as a Secret Service or White House Communications Agency frequency in the past. 

This frequency has no previous records to any federal agency in the NTIA data I have seen, so this may be a new assignment. As to who or what it is used for, remains to be seen.

MYSTERY FREQUENCY - 168.2250 MHz

I recently saw a report of activity noted on 168.2250 MHz, P25 with a NAC of N001 during an Executive Branch Secret Service motorcade. 

I have not logged that frequency as associated with the Secret Service or White House Communications  Agency before. But I have logged it on previous visits to New York City (FBI) and Pittsburgh (FBI), Nashville, TN (unknown with a NAC of N555) and around the Washington, DC area, where it was in analog with a PL tone of 151.4. 

My records have this frequency assigned to multiple federal agencies, including:

Air Force

Army

Bureau of Land Management

Department of Energy

Justice Department - FBI

US Fish and Wildlife

US Geological Survey

Interior Department (Nationwide)

National Park Service

US Post Office

State Department

Anyone hearing this frequency near you?

MYSTERY FREQUENCY - 406.2875 MHz

I have had reports over several years of activity noted on 406.2875 MHz. My records did not have this assigned to any specific federal agency, but monitoring notes from various locations do record some activity on this frequency.  

Treasury/IRS Philadelphia, PA DMR

Federal Bureau of Prisons, Butner NC - part of the prison trunked system

Florida - Unknown location using DMR, heard in Orlando

Texas - Unknown location using DMR, heard in San Antonio 

Houston, TX - Heard over several years in analog using DCS 205, possible National Guard 

Kansas City, MO - Unknown agency using P25 with a NAC of N293 

Anyone else hearing activity on this frequency? 

ICE Rebranding Itself

It appears that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is attempting to re-brand themselves to help in their investigations.

 https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/homeland-security-agency-ice-rebrands-aid-investigations/story?id=109510154

DEA Aviation Division

I found some information about the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Aviation Division and what aircraft are used as well as where they operate from.:

http://dcnewsroom.blogspot.com/2023/12/dea-contract-documents-provide-detailed.html

And some additional information on DEA leases for hanger space:

https://dcnewsroom.blogspot.com/2020/10/atlantic-aviation-hanger-lease-for-dea.html

The DEA air assets are often heard using the FLINT call sign. Some sources believe that FLINT stands for FLying INTelligence.

MultiCoupler Update

 

A few months ago, I mentioned in my column that I was using a powered RF multicoupler for some of my scanner setups while on the road. The unit I purchased was made and sold by Cross Country Wireless out of Manchester, England. I have been very happy with the build and performance of the unit and would recommend it.

However, I recently learned that Cross Country Wireless no longer appears to sell much on eBay, where I initially found the company. You can find them at the company web site, https://www.crosscountrywireless.net/ And they appear to have a channel on YouTube as well.

The multicouplers are still shown on the web site as being available, but they seem to refer buys to the eBay listing, even though it is shown as "Out of Stock" on eBay. 

I still would like to purchase additional items from Cross Country at some point, so I will have to see how they want to handle small quantity purchases outside the UK now. And if you have any information on anything you have purchased from Cross Country recently, please let me know!

FBI Washington HQ To Move

 

News reports have the Washington, DC headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) moving to a new site in Greenbelt, Maryland. This will involve a move of about 7,500 people from the FBI’s headquarters to the new Greenbelt facility, and the GSA is planning to keep up to 1,000 FBI employees in a federal facility in downtown Washington. 

 There is controversy in the move, of course. The cost appears to be headed north of $26 million just for the 60-acres of land acquisition and preparation.  You can read more about this proposed move in various on line news sites. Here is one that is not behind a paywall:

 https://www.fcnp.com/2023/11/09/fbi-headquarters-move-to-maryland-faces-new-headwinds-from-agency-and-congress/

US Marshals Upgrading JPATS Aircraft

 

The US Marshals Service JPATS program is soliciting bids for an upgraded Boeing 737 aircraft to be used for prisoner transports. 

http://dcnewsroom.blogspot.com/2023/08/us-marshals-service-to-purchase-boeing.html?m=1

https://forums.radioreference.com/threads/us-marshals-service-to-purchase-boeing-737-jet-for-prisoner-transport.462009/#post-3887037

http://www.usmarshals.gov/jpats/index.html

Usually "JUSTICE" call signs are monitored on typical Air Traffic Control VHF aeronautical frequencies where the aircraft are operating. I have not seen any reporting of any special aero or land mobile frequency being used for the JPATS aircraft. On the ground, the US Marshals units will probably be using radios to coordinate prisoner loading and unloading.