THE FED FILES - Welcome to The Fed Files blog! This blog was originally built to support the "Fed Files" column in Monitoring Times magazine. Although the Fed Files, as well as Monitoring Times, ended with the December 2013 issue, this blog continues and is associated with the new federal monitoring column, Federal Wavelengths, in The Spectrum Monitor magazine. If you would like to make a comment, pass along a tip or frequency you can send it to my email address, chrisparris @ thefedfiles.com
Pages
- Home
- Army Corps of Engineers Frequencies
- BATFE Frequencies
- CBP Frequencies
- DEA Frequencies
- Department of Agriculture Frequencies
- Department of Energy Frequencies
- Department of the Interior Frequencies
- FAA Frequencies
- FBI Frequencies
- Federal P-25 Radio Identifications
- FEMA Frequencies
- FPS Frequencies
- ICE Frequencies
- NASA Frequencies
- National Park Service
- Nationwide Military Frequencies
- Postal Service / Postal Inspection Service Frequencies
- State Department Frequencies
- Treasury Department Frequencies
- TSA Frequencies
- U.S. Capitol Police Frequencies
- US Coast Guard VHF/UHF Frequencies
- US Marshals Service
- US Secret Service/WHCA Frequencies
Wednesday, October 03, 2012
Denver Presidential Debates
A similar setup has appeared at other large Presidential events, including political conventions and such. No indication as to who it belongs to, but the trailer itself appears military. I suspect the White House Communications Agency (WHCA) is probably involved.
Tuesday, October 02, 2012
LightSquared Continues Spectrum Quest
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2010843/lightsquared-asks-to-share-weatherballoon-spectrum-for-its-lte-network.html
"What LightSquared wants to do is take one 5MHz band that it already uses for its satellite service (at 1670-1675MHz) and combine that with the next band up (1675-1680MHz), which is used for federal purposes including National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration weather balloons."
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/10/lightsquared-still-wont-give-up-on-spectrum-near-gps-band/
http://www.scribd.com/doc/108594377/Lightsquared-Response
Saturday, September 29, 2012
More Mexican Cartel Radio Towers Dismantled
An AP story on the discovery of more drug cartel radio towers in Mexico:
http://www.toledonewsnow.com/story/19671161/mexico-finds-cartel-radio-network-300-foot-tower
Rumor had it that the cartels were being supplied by radio communications dealers in Texas, but I haven't found any information to support that yet.
UPDATE:
Another interesting and more detailed story about this has appeared here:
http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2012/10/can-you-hear-me-now.html
Sunday, September 23, 2012
NYC Activity
I'm in New York City and noted a marked increase in radio traffic on known Secret Service and Department of State Diplomatic Security channels this weekend. It is most likely due to the arrival of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, here to speak at the United Nations. Unknown if this radio traffic is related to any other VIPs in for this event. If you in the area, search the VHF & UHF bands and see what pops up...
UPDATE:
I now see that the UN General Assembly is gathering this week, as well as the "Global Initiative" with the Clintons happening today. So a true monitoring extraviganza in New York City this week!
Friday, September 21, 2012
Dallas Area DEA
I have updated the DEA frequency page, which you can find at the top of the Fed Files blog home page.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Portland TSA Off of IWN?
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
For the latest US Coast Guard channels, check the frequency page at the top of the Fed Files Blog home page.
Tuesday, September 04, 2012
DNC Convention Begins
The Democratic National Convention begins today in Charlotte, NC.
Some reports of convention related communications are filtering in. Many are posting on Radio Reference, but reports are mostly of convention traffic on the local and state 800 MHz trunked systems.
http://forums.radioreference.com/north-carolina-radio-discussion-forum/248168-official-dnc-char-meck-verified-monitoring-thread.html
Got any interesting federal frequencies related to the DNC? Send them along to the Fed Files!
Ryan Secret Service Code Name Revealed
News outlets are now reporting the Secret Service code name for GOP VP candidate Paul Ryan. The code name for Ryan is reported as "Bowhunter" and his wife Janna Ryan is reported as "Buttercup". The reports apparently originated with GQ Magazine.
As reported previously, Mitt Romney has the code name of "Javelin".
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/04/paul-ryan-secret-service-_n_1854019.html
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/247279-report-paul-ryans-secret-service-code-name-is-bowhunter-
http://dailycaller.com/2012/09/04/paul-ryan-selects-bowhunter-as-secret-service-codename/
Monday, September 03, 2012
New BoP Radio System - Atwater?
Previously the Atwater facility was using a Motorola Type II trunked radio system:
The new radio system is now a pure P-25 digital system:
System ID: 4C7
WACN: BEE00
408.3250, 409.0125, 409.2125
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Tampa RNC Updates
As the powers that be mull a possible delay in the start of the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, due to Hurricane Isaac, some frequencies have been reported as active.
Secret Service and Coast Guard channels have been reported as active with both encrypted and clear communications.
I will not be in attendance this year, so hopefully some local monitors can pass along some active federal frequencies. And interesting updates will be posted here.
UPDATE:
I know it's a little late (but I tend to wait for these events to be over before posting), but here are a few active federal channels that were submitted by anonymous listeners in the Tampa area;
123.1000, AM - Intercepted civilian aircraft being warned out of restricted airspace
163.0500, N293 - USCG NET 112
163.0875, 131.8 PL
163.3125, N653 - Input to 171.6875 MHz
163.3625, 131.0 PL - VA Medical Center Police
164.3250, NE01
164.4000, N001 - USSS PAPA
164.4750, N167
164.6500, NAC 001 - USSS TANGO
164.8875, N001 - USSS OSCAR
165.2125
165.3750, N001 - USSS CHARLIE
165.5875
165.6375, N611
166.1875, N293 - USCG NET 124
166.4375, 100.0 - DHS CBP, input to 165.2375 MHz
166.4750, 94.8 PL - US Capitol Police
167.0375, N001 - USSS
167.0500, N1AF – Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
167.2500, N68F - Federal Interoperability LE-2/LE-6
167.4625, N167 – Tampa FBI
167.5375, N167 - FBI
167.5625, N167 - FBI
167.5875, N167 – Tampa FBI
167.6875, N167 – Tampa FBI
168.3500, 77.0 PL - US Capitol Police
168.4250, N001
168.5875, N001
168.8500, 151.4 PL - US Capitol Police
169.4500, 100.0 PL - DHS CBP NET 2
169.5125
170.3375, NF00
170.4375, NF00
170.5875, N131
170.8000, N293
170.8500, N864
170.8625
171.2000, N293
171.5750, 146.2 PL
171.6875, N653 - Federal Interoperability, TAM FIO
171.9500, NE01
172.9000, N001 - TSA @ Tampa International Airport
173.0125, N650 - BATFE Tac 3
173.8750, 94.8 PL - US Capitol Police
406.1375, D371 - US Postal Service
406.5625, N4A0 - USCG Base
407.0000, N201
407.1375, N482 - USPS Postal Inspectors
409.0000, N293 - USCG
409.3375, N293
410.6500, 100.0 PL
410.8000, N201
411.8500
413.2125, 167.9 PL - Nationwide Interoperability, IR14
417.5500, N254
417.6125, D165
418.2000, N744 - Federal Protective Service
Friday, August 24, 2012
Las Vegas, Southern Nevada List
135.1000, AM
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
TSA Frequencies - One Stop Shopping!
Monday, August 20, 2012
CBP Inks Deal for Covert Antennas
http://www.gsnmagazine.com/node/27026?c=border_security
Both the CBP and Antenna Authority are apparently reluctant to reveal exactly what the contacted antennas are to be used for, (see photo below).
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Joint Base Charleston
As some may be aware, the US Navy is installing sites for the Enterprise Land Mobile Radio System (ELMRS) trunked radio network at bases across the country and around the world. These P-25 trunked sites can be found in the 380-400 MHz band of DoD controlled radio spectrum. And until now, all the sites of the ELMRS system were in that band.
But apparently now that both NSAC and the Charleston Air Force Base are now one base, called Joint Base Charleston, they made the CAFB 400 MHz trunking system a site on the ELMRS system. This is the first time I have run into a site on the ELMRS system that is NOT in the 380 MHz band. Both sites are using the same System ID of 14C, and both using a P-25 NAC of N140. Neither site shows the other as a neighbor, or any neighbors for that matter, so not sure if any roaming takes place between the two.
Here is what I found active:
And here is the Charleston Air Force Base site:
Friday, August 10, 2012
FEMA Moves From Nextel
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/08/10/3755321/fema-moves-from-nextel-to-sprints.html
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
El Paso, Texas Federal Scanning
Pacific Northwest IWN System
I will update this list as further information comes in.
----
-->
170.6375
SITE 67 (167, 43) - Warm Springs, OR
171.4375
SITE 68 (168, 44) - Unknown location, north central Oregon
170.8125
Wednesday, July 04, 2012
Monday, July 02, 2012
Sandy Hook NPS Frequency Change
169.7500 MHz, N225 - Law Enforcement/Park Wide Communications
166.7750 MHz, N225 - Lifeguards
168.4750 MHz, N225 - Maintenance?
164.9500 MHz, N225 - Input to 169.7500 MHz repeater








