New NIFOG Available

A necessary tool for any serious federal scanner listener is the National Interoperability Field Operations Guide, or NIFOG. The latest version is 1.6.1 and is available now. There are several sources for downloading this document. Here are a few:

 https://www.dhs.gov/publication/nifog-documents

http://publicsafetytools.info/nifog_info/nifog_info.php

https://casmnextgen.com/pslib/index.php/webview?docid=1

Super Bowl 50 Monitoring

Here's a short list of what I was able to monitor during my stay in the Santa Clara area for Super Bowl 50:

136.3750    AM        CBP Air and Marine "COMPANY" VHF
142.6125    67.0        Blue Angels Ground Coordination
162.0750    N300        Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
162.3125    N300        CBP
162.6250    N820   
162.6500    N304        CBP
162.7125    N293   
163.0750            VA Medical Center Paging
163.1125    N496        Multiple Agencies (RID 1340xxx, 4050xxx, 6804xxx)
163.1875    N303        Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
163.2000    N303        ICE
163.7000    N164        ICE
163.9125    N167        Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
163.9625    N167        FBI, input to 167.6125
164.3500    146.2        Analog repeater
164.4000    N001        Secret Service, PAPA
164.5375    N1F1       
164.7375    N302        CBP
164.8875    N001        Secret Service, OSCAR
165.0625    CSQ        Military Police units at Levi’s Stadium
165.1125       
165.3750    N001        Secret Service CHARLIE
166.1875    N293        Coast Guard NET 124 - STATION MONTERREY
166.4625    N001        Federal Common, FBI radio ID’s
166.5125    N001        White House Communication Agency, ALPHA/SIERRA
166.7375    N314        CBP
167.2375    N167        FBI
167.3625    N460        FBI
167.4125    N167        FBI
167.5375    N167        FBI, radio ID 1
167.5625    N167        FBI
167.5625    167.9        FBI -Yes, analog!
167.6125    N167        FBI
167.7875    N167        FBI
168.4875    N293        US Marshals Service
168.8875    N776        FBI radio ID’s
168.9125    N510        FBI radio ID’s
168.9875    N511        FBI radio ID’s
169.4125    N293        CBP Air operations @ Levi’s Stadium
169.6500    N167        FBI
170.3375    N300        ICE
170.3625    N167        FBI
170.3750    N167        FBI
170.6750       
170.7500    N293        Federal Courthouse San Jose
170.7875    N718
170.8875    N167        FBI
170.9875    N304        Both CBP and ICE units
171.3500    N293        Coast Guard NET 133
171.4375    N293
171.9875    N7CE   
171.9875    N304        ICE
171.9875    N167        FBI
172.1500    N001        Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at stadium
172.1875    N510        FBI
172.2125    N167        FBI
172.2125    N730   
172.2375    N302        Main Federal Ops Channel @ Levi’s Stadium?
172.3875    N167        FBI
172.7125    N167        FBI
172.9000    N001        TSA @ SJC
172.9000    N013   
173.1750    N293        ICE radio ID’s
173.3875    N293        US Marshals Service
173.8375    N293        FBI and other agency radio ID’s.
173.8625    N167        FBI
173.8750    N1D3       
237.8000    AM        Blue Angels Flyover
271.0000    AM        NORAD Combat Air Patrol
282.6000    AM        Aerial Refueling
284.2500    AM        Blue Angels Flyover
285.4000    AM        Oakland Center ARTCC
298.3000    AM        CA ANG Fresno
301.6250    AM        RED 1 – SCOUT/SHADOW helicopters
406.1500       
408.2375    N293        VA Medical Center, Palo Alto
409.0250    N293   
412.9750    N293        Coast Guard NET 409
415.2000    127.3        Federal Protective Service
 

IRS - Heard Them Lately?

At one time, the IRS division of the Treasury Department was fairly active on their federal frequencies. Lately they seemed to have gotten harder to hear. Not much activity has been heard on their frequencies, but I don't think they've changed to different ones. It's just hat unless they have a major surveillance or warrant service going on, they just don't use the radios that often.

But keep an hear on their frequencies anyway, as you never know when they might get busy!

Here are the frequencies that have been identified as being allocated to and used by the Treasury Department, and specifically the IRS:

163.1000

163.1250

164.1000

164.2500

164.5375

165.1000

165.3375

165.4125

165.4625

165.9125

165.9500

166.0000

166.2000

166.4625

166.5375

166.5875

166.9750

167.0000

167.1000

167.1500

167.9750

168.3500

172.6375

173.0250

173.8625

406.4250

406.5500

406.7250

406.8000

406.8750

407.8000

408.4000

408.6500

409.1000

409.1750

409.2000

409.2250

409.2500

409.7750

409.8750

411.1250

411.5250

411.5500

412.2250

414.3250

414.7000

414.7500

414.9000

415.0000

415.1000

415.4250

415.5500

415.6000

415.7250

415.8000

415.8750

416.0500

416.2000

416.3250

416.8000

417.0250

417.6500

417.7250

417.7500

418.0500

418.0750

418.1000

418.1750

418.2000

418.2250

418.2500

418.5750

Most IRS VHF P25 channels appear to be using a Network Access Code (NAC) of N100. There is evidence that the TIGTA (formerly IOG) operations are using a NAC of N1F1. And the primary repeaters for IRS operations may have adopted the system used by other federal agencies of using different NACs to access different repeaters on the same frequency. Here are some confirmed loggings of IRS channels around the country:

163.2125, N100 – IRS TAC 1, most likely a nationwide assignment

163.6375, N100 – IRS TAC 2, also nationwide

164.5375, N1F1 – IRS TIGTA

165.1000, N1F1 – IRS TIGTA

165.3375, N1F1 – Possible IRS TIGTA TAC channel

165.9500, N001 thru N010 – IRS NET 1, using various NACs

165.9500, N100 – Some areas used as a simplex TAC, or NET 1 repeater out

167.0000, N001 thru N010 – Input to the 165.9500 repeater using various NACs

172.6375, N1F1 – Input to the 164.5375 MHz repeater

Federal Use of DMR

In the January 2016 issue of The Spectrum Monitor, I listed a few confirmed frequencies that seem to be carrying a digital mode called DMR (the Digital Mobile Radio standard), or what Motorola sells as MotoTRBO digital mode. This was considered unusual for a while, as most federal agencies were required to use the chosen standard digital mode, which is APCO P-25. But some federal agencies are exempt from the requirement and buy whatever types of radios they can afford.

Here is that list and I ask that anyone who has stumbled across federal frequencies using DMR to pass them along ot keep the list up to date!

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165.4125         Narraganset, RI - Environmental Protection Agency

165.5375         Bedford MA - VA Medical Center Maintenance

171.3875         Mt. Hopkins, AZ - Smithsonian, F.L. Whipple Observatory

173.9875         Providence, RI - VA Medical Center Maintenance

406.1375         Philadelphia, PA

406.1375         Portland, OR

406.2875         Philadelphia, PA

406.3875         Washington, DC - U.S. Capitol

406.5000         Boston, MA

406.5375         New York City, NY

406.5375         New Orleans, LA

406.5375         St. Louis, MO

406.5500         Seattle, WA - U.S. Postal Service Operations

406.6625         Chicago, IL - Federal Reserve Bank

406.9375         Las Vegas, NV - U.S. Postal Service Operations

407.2500         Boston, MA

407.2500         Philadelphia, PA

407.2500         Seattle, WA - U.S. Postal Service Operations

407.3375         Los Angeles, CA

407.5375         Chicago, IL

407.5500         Chicago, IL

407.5500         Seattle, WA - U.S. Postal Service Operations

407.9375         Las Vegas, NV

407.9375         New Orleans, LA

407.9375         Federal Way, WA - U.S. Postal Service Operations

408.0000         Portland, OR

408.1000         Los Angeles, CA

408.5125         Washington, DC - U.S. Capitol

409.1375         Federal Way, WA - U.S. Postal Service Operations

409.4375         Vancouver, WA - VA Medical Center

409.7375         Los Angeles, CA

409.7750         Philadelphia, PA - IRS Facility

409.8375         Washington, DC - U.S. Capitol

413.5250         San Diego, CA

415.2500         Baltimore, MD

416.8375         New Hampshire, unknown location - U.S. Postal Service

Not on this list was some DMR activity heard in South Florida a while back on some known TSA frequencies. I had received information that the TSA was demoing the DMR radios as they were looking to purchase new equipment. The testing lasted for a short time and has not been heard since.

2016 - Where Are The Blog Posts?!?

Sorry to all of the Fed Files blog fans out there. I've been neglecting my blog postings for too long now, and will try and catch up with more information from the Fed Files and the Federal Wavelengths column.