Dallas Area DEA

As reported previously, there are a number of VHF frequencies in use around the Dallas/Ft. Worth area that are reported to be used by the DEA. All are using APCO P-25 and encryption, but all are using a P25 NAC of N156. Today I see reports of 163.2000 MHz, N156 being active, possibly being the input to the repeater on 173.7250 MHz.

I have updated the DEA frequency page, which you can find at the top of the Fed Files blog home page.

Portland TSA Off of IWN?

A while back I discovered that the TSA at Portland International Airport (KPDX) seemed to have moved their primary radio operations to 4 talk groups on the federal Integrated Wireless Network or IWN. I was able to confirm the TSA was using this system by scanning the IWN site at the airport in conjunction with some Close Call captures of transmissions at the same time.

Sometime over the last month of so, they seemed to have moved off of the IWN for their main operations and have gone back to 172.1500 MHz, N001 and 172.9000 MHz, N001, (The Icom analog radios have always been on 169.3000 and 172.1500 with voice inversion). 172.9000 is set up as a wide area repeater that covers the Portland metro area. I have heard some encrypted traffic on this repeater, as well as clear traffic that seems to be supervisors at PDX airport.

Why this move has taken place is unknown. Perhaps the TSA was being billed for the use of the system and it was eating up more system capacity than they expect.

More information as it becomes available.

USCG Astoria Using UHF

I recently caught one of the US Coast Guard helicopters out of Astoria, Oregon using 412.9750 MHz, N293 for position and ops normal traffic. This is the first time I've encountered the Astoria helos using the new USCG UHF nets. In this case, 412.9750 MHz has been identified as NET 409.

For the latest US Coast Guard channels, check the frequency page at the top of the Fed Files Blog home page.