According to this release from NOAA, the New York City area weather transmitter seems to be causing some interference issues with the Coast Guard:
NOUS41 KOKX 041949
PNSOKX
CTZ005>012-NJZ002-004-006-103>108-NYZ067>075-078>081-176>179-092100-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
345 PM EDT FRI OCT 4 2013
...NOAA WEATHER RADIO NEW YORK CITY REMAINS OUT OF SERVICE...
THE NOAA WEATHER RADIO TRANSMITTER THAT SERVES THE NEW YORK CITY
METROPOLITAN AREA HAS BEEN CAUSING RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE ON
THE U.S. COAST GUARD CHANNEL 16 TRANSMITTER FOR INTERNATIONAL
DISTRESS...SAFETY AND CALLING SINCE LATE JULY.
THE NEW YORK CITY TRANSMITTER BROADCASTS ON A FREQUENCY OF 162.550
MHZ AND THE U.S.COAST GUARD TRANSMITTER BROADCASTS ON A FREQUENCY OF
156.800 MHZ. OTHER TRANSMITTERS...IN VERY CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE NYC
TRANSMITTER BROADCAST ON A FREQUENCY OF 168.3 MHZ.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS WORKING WITH SEVERAL U.S. GOVERNMENT
AGENCIES TO ISOLATE AND RESOLVE THIS TECHNICAL PROBLEM. WE HAVE
INSTALLED A FILTER ON THE NYC TRANSMITTER...WHICH REDUCED...BUT DID
NOT ELIMINATE THIS PROBLEM. WE WORKED WITH ANOTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
AND OVERSAW THE INSTALLATION OF ANOTHER FILTER...ON A TRANSMITTER
BROADCASTING OVER 168.3 MHZ...WHICH DID NOT FURTHER REDUCE THE RADIO
FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE.
WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE U.S. COAST GUARD TO RESOLVE THIS
PROBLEM AND APOLOGIZE FOR THE INTERRUPTION OF OUR ROUTINE WEATHER
BROADCASTS.
...NOAA WEATHER RADIO WILL BE PLACED IN OPERATION TO BROADCAST
SHORT FUSE LIFE THREATENING WEATHER WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
NOTE THAT THE NYC TRANSMITTER WILL BE PLACED IN OPERATION FOR THE
ISSUANCE OF SHORT FUSE LIFE THREATENING WEATHER WATCHES AND
WARNINGS...SUCH AS TORNADO...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD
WATCHES AND WARNINGS...TO ENSURE DISSEMINATION THROUGH THE EMERGENCY
ALERT SYSTEM...WHICH IS CARRIED BY THE BROADCAST MEDIA.
THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND FOR LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO.
WE WILL PERIODICALLY PROVIDE YOU WITH UPDATES ON THE STATUS OF THE
NEW YORK CITY NOAA WEATHER RADIO TRANSMITTER VIA THESE PUBLIC
INFORMATION STATEMENTS.
$$
GC
The 168.3000 MHz transmitter mentioned in this release is an FBI P25 repeater. It appears that the mixing between the FBI repeater and the NWS broadcasts are causing interference issues on marine channel 16. Various filtering solutions have apparently not solved the problem.
Showing posts with label NOAA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NOAA. Show all posts
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Boulder, CO Area Trunked Systems
I recently found myself with some spare time and a rental car in the northwest part of Denver. I decided to cruise up and see what I could find active in the federal bands.
There are a more than a few federal facilities in the Denver area, and in the Boulder area, the Department of Commerce has multiple facilities for NOAA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
I came across at least 3 VHF and UHF trunked sites that may be related to NIST and Department of Commerce agencies in the area. The first was a P-25 VHF trunked system using the System ID of AD5, and here are the details:
System ID : AD5
WACN : BEE07
Tower Number (Decimal): 2-1
Tower Number (Hex) : T0201
Control Capabilities : Data,Voice,Registration
Timestamp : Sat Oct 19 09:36:45 2013
-Tables
#Format: Table ID,Base Freq,Spacing,Input Offset,Assumed/Confirmed,BandWidth,Slots
00,162.00000,0.01250,-6.97500,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
01,162.00000,0.01250,-8.77500,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
02,162.00000,0.01250,-1.06250,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
03,162.00000,0.01250,-8.80000,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
04,162.00000,0.01250,-4.60000,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
05,162.00000,0.01250,-5.68750,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
-Frequencies
#Format: Channel,Usage,Frequency(/Slot),Input Channel,Input Frequency(/Slot),Input Explicit(1/0),Hit Count
"01-0807","c",172.08750,"01-0807",163.31250,0,0
-Neighbors
#Format: TowerID,TowerIDHex,System ID,Channel,Frequency,Tower Name
202,"T0202",ad5,"03-0808",172.10000
System ID : AD5
WACN : BEE07
Tower Number (Decimal): 2-2
Tower Number (Hex) : T0202
Control Capabilities : Data,Voice,Registration
Timestamp : Sat Oct 19 09:38:13 2013
-Tables
#Format: Table ID,Base Freq,Spacing,Input Offset,Assumed/Confirmed,BandWidth,Slots
00,162.00000,0.01250,-6.97500,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
01,162.00000,0.01250,-8.77500,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
02,162.00000,0.01250,-1.06250,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
03,162.00000,0.01250,-8.80000,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
04,162.00000,0.01250,-4.60000,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
05,162.00000,0.01250,-5.68750,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
-Frequencies
#Format: Channel,Usage,Frequency(/Slot),Input Channel,Input Frequency(/Slot),Input Explicit(1/0),Hit Count
"03-0808","c",172.10000,"03-0808",163.30000,0,0
-Neighbors
#Format: TowerID,TowerIDHex,System ID,Channel,Frequency,Tower Name
201,"T0201",ad5,"01-0807",172.08750
As you can see from the above PRO96COM files, there are two VHF sites that show each other as neighbors. I could copy both from the Boulder area. In addition to these two VHF sites, there was a UHF site using the same System ID, but showing no connection to the VHF sites;
System ID : AD5
WACN : BEE07
Tower Number (Decimal): 3-3
Tower Number (Hex) : T0303
Control Capabilities : Data,Voice,Registration
Timestamp : Sat Oct 19 10:50:26 2013
-Tables
#Format: Table ID,Base Freq,Spacing,Input Offset,Assumed/Confirmed,BandWidth,Slots
00,400.00000,0.01250,9.00000,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
-Frequencies
#Format: Channel,Usage,Frequency(/Slot),Input Channel,Input Frequency(/Slot),Input Explicit(1/0),Hit Count
"00-0818","c",410.22500,"00-0818",419.22500
I also found two UHF P-25 trunked sites using the System ID of AD1. Here is that information;
System ID : AD1
WACN : BEE07
Tower Number (Decimal): 4-101
Tower Number (Hex) : T0465
Control Capabilities : Voice,Registration,Authentication
Timestamp : Sat Oct 19 09:41:12 2013
-Tables
#Format: Table ID,Base Freq,Spacing,Input Offset,Assumed/Confirmed,BandWidth,Slots
00,400.00000,0.01250,9.00000,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
01,400.00000,0.01250,0.00000,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
-Frequencies
#Format: Channel,Usage,Frequency(/Slot),Input Channel,Input Frequency(/Slot),Input Explicit(1/0),Hit Count
"00-0858","c",410.72500,"00-0858",419.72500,0,0
System ID : AD1
WACN : BEE07
Tower Number (Decimal): 5-100
Tower Number (Hex) : T0564
Control Capabilities : Voice,Registration,Authentication
Timestamp : Sat Oct 19 09:39:12 2013
-Tables
#Format: Table ID,Base Freq,Spacing,Input Offset,Assumed/Confirmed,BandWidth,Slots
00,400.00000,0.01250,0.00000,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
01,400.00000,0.01250,0.00000,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
-Frequencies
#Format: Channel,Usage,Frequency(/Slot),Input Channel,Input Frequency(/Slot),Input Explicit(1/0),Hit Count
"00-0805","c",410.06250,"00-1525",419.06250,1,0
-Neighbors
#Format: TowerID,TowerIDHex,System ID,Channel,Frequency,Tower Name
4101,"T0465",ad1,"00-0858",410.72500
Notice that tower 5100 shows tower 4101 as a neighboring site, but tower 4101 does not show 5100 as a neighbor. (I have been advised that P-25 trunked system programming now allows for non-reciprocal neighbors in trunked systems.)
I am fairly certain that the AD5 VHF systems are being used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and their projects in the area, as they submitted a request for bidder information on radio system components using these same VHF frequencies back in 2008,
https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=b9fc10eca8957361d0183329c46dcbaf&tab=core&_cview=0
What relationship the UHF AD5 site has to the VHF sites is unknown. The users of the UHF AD1 system is currently unknown.
Unfortunately, all of these systems were running in idle with no traffic heard. This was a weekend near the end of the federal government shutdown, so I didn't expect too much.
There was some discussion on the Radio Reference forums about some new federal trunked systems being heard in the Boulder, Ft. Collins areas north of Denver, but no one seemed to have any information on them.
There are a more than a few federal facilities in the Denver area, and in the Boulder area, the Department of Commerce has multiple facilities for NOAA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
I came across at least 3 VHF and UHF trunked sites that may be related to NIST and Department of Commerce agencies in the area. The first was a P-25 VHF trunked system using the System ID of AD5, and here are the details:
System ID : AD5
WACN : BEE07
Tower Number (Decimal): 2-1
Tower Number (Hex) : T0201
Control Capabilities : Data,Voice,Registration
Timestamp : Sat Oct 19 09:36:45 2013
-Tables
#Format: Table ID,Base Freq,Spacing,Input Offset,Assumed/Confirmed,BandWidth,Slots
00,162.00000,0.01250,-6.97500,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
01,162.00000,0.01250,-8.77500,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
02,162.00000,0.01250,-1.06250,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
03,162.00000,0.01250,-8.80000,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
04,162.00000,0.01250,-4.60000,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
05,162.00000,0.01250,-5.68750,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
-Frequencies
#Format: Channel,Usage,Frequency(/Slot),Input Channel,Input Frequency(/Slot),Input Explicit(1/0),Hit Count
"01-0807","c",172.08750,"01-0807",163.31250,0,0
-Neighbors
#Format: TowerID,TowerIDHex,System ID,Channel,Frequency,Tower Name
202,"T0202",ad5,"03-0808",172.10000
System ID : AD5
WACN : BEE07
Tower Number (Decimal): 2-2
Tower Number (Hex) : T0202
Control Capabilities : Data,Voice,Registration
Timestamp : Sat Oct 19 09:38:13 2013
-Tables
#Format: Table ID,Base Freq,Spacing,Input Offset,Assumed/Confirmed,BandWidth,Slots
00,162.00000,0.01250,-6.97500,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
01,162.00000,0.01250,-8.77500,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
02,162.00000,0.01250,-1.06250,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
03,162.00000,0.01250,-8.80000,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
04,162.00000,0.01250,-4.60000,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
05,162.00000,0.01250,-5.68750,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
-Frequencies
#Format: Channel,Usage,Frequency(/Slot),Input Channel,Input Frequency(/Slot),Input Explicit(1/0),Hit Count
"03-0808","c",172.10000,"03-0808",163.30000,0,0
-Neighbors
#Format: TowerID,TowerIDHex,System ID,Channel,Frequency,Tower Name
201,"T0201",ad5,"01-0807",172.08750
As you can see from the above PRO96COM files, there are two VHF sites that show each other as neighbors. I could copy both from the Boulder area. In addition to these two VHF sites, there was a UHF site using the same System ID, but showing no connection to the VHF sites;
System ID : AD5
WACN : BEE07
Tower Number (Decimal): 3-3
Tower Number (Hex) : T0303
Control Capabilities : Data,Voice,Registration
Timestamp : Sat Oct 19 10:50:26 2013
-Tables
#Format: Table ID,Base Freq,Spacing,Input Offset,Assumed/Confirmed,BandWidth,Slots
00,400.00000,0.01250,9.00000,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
-Frequencies
#Format: Channel,Usage,Frequency(/Slot),Input Channel,Input Frequency(/Slot),Input Explicit(1/0),Hit Count
"00-0818","c",410.22500,"00-0818",419.22500
I also found two UHF P-25 trunked sites using the System ID of AD1. Here is that information;
System ID : AD1
WACN : BEE07
Tower Number (Decimal): 4-101
Tower Number (Hex) : T0465
Control Capabilities : Voice,Registration,Authentication
Timestamp : Sat Oct 19 09:41:12 2013
-Tables
#Format: Table ID,Base Freq,Spacing,Input Offset,Assumed/Confirmed,BandWidth,Slots
00,400.00000,0.01250,9.00000,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
01,400.00000,0.01250,0.00000,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
-Frequencies
#Format: Channel,Usage,Frequency(/Slot),Input Channel,Input Frequency(/Slot),Input Explicit(1/0),Hit Count
"00-0858","c",410.72500,"00-0858",419.72500,0,0
System ID : AD1
WACN : BEE07
Tower Number (Decimal): 5-100
Tower Number (Hex) : T0564
Control Capabilities : Voice,Registration,Authentication
Timestamp : Sat Oct 19 09:39:12 2013
-Tables
#Format: Table ID,Base Freq,Spacing,Input Offset,Assumed/Confirmed,BandWidth,Slots
00,400.00000,0.01250,0.00000,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
01,400.00000,0.01250,0.00000,"Confirmed",0.01250,1
-Frequencies
#Format: Channel,Usage,Frequency(/Slot),Input Channel,Input Frequency(/Slot),Input Explicit(1/0),Hit Count
"00-0805","c",410.06250,"00-1525",419.06250,1,0
-Neighbors
#Format: TowerID,TowerIDHex,System ID,Channel,Frequency,Tower Name
4101,"T0465",ad1,"00-0858",410.72500
Notice that tower 5100 shows tower 4101 as a neighboring site, but tower 4101 does not show 5100 as a neighbor. (I have been advised that P-25 trunked system programming now allows for non-reciprocal neighbors in trunked systems.)
I am fairly certain that the AD5 VHF systems are being used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and their projects in the area, as they submitted a request for bidder information on radio system components using these same VHF frequencies back in 2008,
https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=b9fc10eca8957361d0183329c46dcbaf&tab=core&_cview=0
What relationship the UHF AD5 site has to the VHF sites is unknown. The users of the UHF AD1 system is currently unknown.
Unfortunately, all of these systems were running in idle with no traffic heard. This was a weekend near the end of the federal government shutdown, so I didn't expect too much.
There was some discussion on the Radio Reference forums about some new federal trunked systems being heard in the Boulder, Ft. Collins areas north of Denver, but no one seemed to have any information on them.
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