VA IDAS Trunking System

New Federal IDAS Trunked System

   Recently, a friendly source in the Seattle, Washington area passed along information on what appeared to be a new, three-site IDAS trunked system in the Puget Sound area. IDAS stands for Icom Digital Advanced System, which is an Icom trunked protocol using the NXDN open standard developed by Icom and Kenwood.  

   The frequencies that have been identified with this system are 408.0375 MHz, 408.4250 MHz and 410.3250 MHz. So far, the system has only revealed these three original site frequencies that were first noted. The frequencies are all using NXDN digital mode, so they can be monitored with the TRX models of Whistler scanners or using SDR radios with the appropriate software. The three sites all seem to carry the same voice traffic simultaneously.

   By listening for several days, it was determined that the likely user was the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. There are two VA Medical Centers in the Seattle area – the American Lake facility in Tacoma, Washington and the Seattle facility in Seattle, Washington. https://www.pugetsound.va.gov/locations/directions.asp

   So far, the IDAS trunked system appears to be used by maintenance and shuttle transportation. VA Security has been reportedly using UHF P-25 repeaters at the Seattle area VA facilities, but has also been reported to have talk groups on the federal VHF Integrated Wireless Network (IWN) trunked system that supports a majority of federal agencies in the region.