Saturday, December 29, 2018

New Email Address

I have started using a new email address for communications related to the magazine column and other federal monitoring. You can email me at this address:




Friday, December 28, 2018

Tournament of Roses Parade












For the first time in a while I will not be working on the television coverage of the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California this year. This event has always had a fair amount of federal monitoring activity relate to it, as it was a large public gathering. So I decided to compile a listing of the federal frequencies I've logged over the years for this event.

2018


162.8250         N107               Unknown, radio ID 605xxxx
162.8500         N243               Input to WA-4, CBP Border Patrol, radio ID 520xxxx
162.9875         N293               Jet Propulsion Labs Fire Response
163.1125         N169               ICE, radio ID 605xxxx
163.1375         N293               Coast Guard NET 113
163.5000         N310               Unknown, possible CBP aircraft, mentioned the view of the B2 flyover
163.7500         N109               ICE, radio ID 605xxxx
163.8375         N167               FBI
163.8625         N167               FBI, input to 167.5375 MHz repeater
163.9125         N167               FBI
164.4000         N001               US Secret Service PAPA, radio ID 802xxxx
165.8250         N108               ICE A-4, radio ID 605xxxx
166.7500         N455               BLM Law Enforcement
166.8875         N293               ICE, radio ID 605xxxx
166.9125         N245               WA-4 CBP Border Patrol, radio ID 524xxxx           
167.4625         N167               FBI A-5
167.5375         N167               FBI/USMS Interoperability repeater
167.6625         N167               FBI A-7
167.7000         N521               Unknown
168.5000         N199               Border Patrol
168.8250         N104               ICE LA-1, radio ID 605xxxx
168.8375         N293               CBP AIR 1, communications between the CBP aircraft
169.9125         N310               Unknown
170.7500         N293               US Marshals Service Federal Courthouse
171.3250         N820               CBP Marine Common, radio ID 522xxxx
172.2125         N187               Border Patrol, radio ID 605xxxx, 606xxxx
172.7125         N820               CBP Marin Common, radio ID 516xxxx
173.1000         N293               Unknown
173.9750         N191               Border Patrol

2017 

118.5750         AM                  Air Operations over Rose Parade/Rose Bowl
162.8875         N653
162.9875         N293
163.1125         N769
163.1375         N293
163.7000         N164               ICE
163.7000         N169               ICE
163.8250         N111
163.8375         N167               FBI
163.9125         N167               FBI
164.7875         N169               ICE
164.8750         131.8 PL
165.8250         N108               ICE
166.7500         N455
166.9125         N245
167.1625         N650               BATFE
167.2875         N167               FBI
167.3125         N167               FBI
167.3375         N167               FBI
167.4500         N301               CBP
167.4625         N167               FBI
167.6625         N167               FBI
167.7375         N167               FBI
168.8250         N104
168.9625         N293               CBP AIR 2 – OMAHA helicopter    
169.9125        
172.1875         N167               FBI
172.4125         N653               LA Federal Interoperability 2
172.7125         N820               CBP Marine Common System
173.1000         N293  
284.7000         AM                 B2 Flyby with LA Center
341.7500         AM                 B2 Flyby Air to Air and coordination timing with ground controller
351.9000         AM                 B2 Flyby with LA Center

2016

118.5750         AM                  Pasadena air traffic around parade route
162.9875         N293               NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Fire Dispatch
163.7250         N169               Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
163.9125         N167               FBI, probable input to 167.4625 repeater
166.9125         N245               CBP Wide-Area repeater, Santiago Peak
167.4625         N167               FBI Los Angeles, A-5 repeater
167.6625         N167               FBI Los Angeles
168.8375         N293               CBP Air 1
168.8500         N110               ICE, on location at parade
170.8000         N293               US Marshals
171.0000         N293               NASA JPL Security
172.3750         103.5 PL         Angeline National Forest

   The parade kicked off with an exciting flyover of a B-2 stealth bomber, call sign SPIRIT 11. There were actually two of the B-2 bombers in the area, but only one flew over the parade route to kick things off, then they went out and refueled with a tanker (GUCCI 61). Later, they came back around for the national anthem at the Rose Bowl football game later in the afternoon, and SPIRIT 12 did that flyover.  I was unable to catch the B2 via radio on the way into and out of the parade. But local military monitors were able to track the flight on VHF and UHF air traffic control channels across Southern California. Here are some frequencies they used as posted on the So Cal Military Monitoring Yahoo group:

124.55
124.6
128.375
132.5
263.0
317.7
351.675

2015

118.5750         AM                  Air coordination with media, IDAHO and OMAHA
163.8375         N167               FBI
163.9125         N167               FBI simplex
167.2375         N293               FBI repeater
167.5375         N167               FBI simplex
167.5625         N167               FBI simplex
167.7375         N167               FBI repeater
168.6000         Various PL      simplex
169.4500         100.0 PL         CBP OMAHA aircraft
172.7125         N820               CBP “Marine Common System” (MCS)

   The frequency of 163.9125 MHz appeared to be the primary operating frequency for the FBI units that were at the parade command center. It was the most active frequency on New Years Day. 167.2375 MHz became active during the parade and continued to be busy afterwards as well. Whatever agency was using 168.6000 MHz appeared to be trying this frequency with multiple channels on their radio looking for one that worked. I caught multiple key-ups, each showing a different CTCSS tone squelch. They finally settled on 103.5 PL for their operation. I suspect that it might have been US Forest Service units from the Angeles National Forest, as I heard them on their radio system mention they were coming into Pasadena to support parade operations.

   After the Rose Parade was done, activities continued for the federal agency support at the Rose Bowl football game later on New Years Day. The CBP OMAHA helicopter continued to provide airspace surveillance and I still heard some occasional traffic from the FBI on location and heard them chatting as they left the area after the game was over.