A Very Merry Fed Files Christmas!

Sorry for the lack of new blog entries these days, but between traveling for work and getting up to speed on the holidays, I've just not had the time for posting things lately.
However, I can offer some federal monitoring nuggets as stocking stuffers:
418.9000, 156.7 pl - DEA repeater with OTAR data, heard in the area of LAX.
167.3375 MHz, P-25 - Interesting FBI surviellance operation in the Los Angeles area on Friday, December 22. Airborne observers were in a helicopter and the P-25 vocoder had an interesting time with the whine of the turbines in the backround.
166.9125 MHz, P-25 - Unknown agency in the Los Angeles area, with both encrypted and clear traffic.
163.2125 MHz, P-25 and 163.6375 MHz, P-25 - Both of these frequencies were reported as being used by some sort of simplex operation in the Portland, Oregon area this past week. No idea who the agency is yet.

Little Rock Federal Scanning - Updated

I'm set up in Little Rock, Arkansas for the weekend and will have some time for searching the federal bands. Here's some of what I've been hearing:
163.8125, 131.8 - US Marshals
163.8125, 136.5 - US Marshals
166.7125, 146.2 - Unknown repeater, sounds like maintenance types
168.3625, 146.2 - Unknown repeater
168.5250 - Paging, McClellan VA Medical Center
169.5875, P-25 - Little Rock Air Force Base Security Police
173.1375, P-25 - Unknown, likely Little Rock AFB
173.4375, P-25 - Little Rock Air Force Base, sounds like base security police
173.5375, 118.8 - Unknown repeater
173.5875, P-25 - Little Rock Air Force Base, Fire / Crash Net
406.1625, P-25 - Motorola SmartNet trunked system 4628
406.3625, P-25 - Motorola SmartNet trunked system 4628
406.5625, P-25 - Motorola SmartNet trunked system 4628
406.7625, P-25 - Motorola SmartNet trunked system 4628
406.9625, P-25 - Motorola SmartNet trunked system 4628
407.1625, P-25 - Motorola SmartNet trunked system 4628
407.3625, P-25 - Motorola SmartNet trunked system 4628
409.7625, P-25 - Motorola SmartNet trunked system 4628
409.7375, D664 - US Postal Service
415.2000, 103.5 - DHS Federal Protective Service
418.7375, D664 - US Postal Service, input to 409.7375
418.9500, 156.7 - DEA
419.1750, 210.7 - DHS Federal Protective Service, input to 415.2

The UHF trunked system noted above was originally reported as being located at Little Rock Air Force Base. However, I was unable to detect any of these or any other 406-420 MHz signals radiating from the base as I drove around the base perimeter today. The control channel on 406.1625 MHz started to come in very weakly as I drove back south to Little Rock, and was still very weak at my hotel. Since all the radios using this system are running encryption, I'm calling this "Unidentified" for now.

CBP Comm Center Alert

Apparently a suspicious white powder was discovered in a package delivered to the Customs & Border Protection National Law Enforcement Communications Center in Orlando. You can read about the incident here:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/newsletter/mu-html/orl-bk-powder120406,0,5204040.story

Although the powder turned out to be harmless, I wonder who would be sending such things to the NLECC.

Note that the CBP NLECC is not the same dispatch center as the US Postal Inspectors NLECC. You'll be able to read more about the USPS NLECC in the January Fed Files.

The Customs and Border Protection NLECC (Pre-9/11 and DHS, known as SECTOR, now heard on their radio frequencies as CHARLIE 100) continues to operate the nationwide communications network for the CBP as well as some other federal agencies that don't maintain their own national communications networks. Other agencies you might hear on the CBP channels include the ATF, Coast Guard, Department of Defense, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), NOAA and the Department of Agriculture. For a fairly current list of the CBP nationwide radio nets, check the Fed Files blog here: http://mt-fedfiles.blogspot.com/2006_05_28_mt-fedfiles_archive.html

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Tampa Federal Monitoring - Updated

I'm located in the Tampa, Florida area for this week, so here is what I've been picking up. I'll update this list as new things are heard:
162.0250, CSQ - US Coast Guard
162.1250, CSQ - US Coast Guard
163.0625, P-25 - Unknown, heard at Tampa airport
163.0875, 131.8 - VAMC Maintenance?
163.3625, 131.8 - VAMC Security
165.2375, 100.0 - CBP Customs NET 1
166.4375, 100.0 - Input to 165.2375 MHz
167.4625, 167.9 - FBI DES
167.5875, 167.9 - FBI DES
168.5250, CSQ - Paging, VAMC?
168.8500, 151.4 - DHS ICE
169.4750 - Unknown
170.1250, D371 - USPS
172.1500, P-25 - DHS TSA simplex at Tampa Int'l
172.9000, P-25 - DHS TSA repeater
345.0000, AM - USCG Air Operations
406.1375, D371 - US Postal Service - Truck operations
406.5625, P-25 - MacDill AFB TRS
406.7625, P-25 - MacDill AFB TRS
406.9625, P-25 - MacDill AFB TRS
407.1375, P-25 Encrypted - possible USPS Inspectors new freq
407.3625, P-25 - MacDill AFB TRS
407.5625, P-25 - MacDill AFB TRS
407.7625, P-25 - MacDill AFB TRS
407.9625, P-25 - MacDill AFB TRS
408.1625, P-25 - MacDill AFB TRS
408.3625, P-25 - MacDill AFB TRS
408.5625, P-25 - MacDill AFB TRS
408.8500, D506 - ?
409.1625, P-25 - ?
409.4750, CSQ - ? Repeater
414.7000, 136.5 - ?
415.0500, USPS Inspectors
415.1375, D371 - US Postal Service - input to 406.1375 repeater
415.7625, P-25 ? - Possible input to 406.7625

National Parks Going Digital - Updated!

A number of reports have come across my desk about the National Parks Service switch to APCO P-25 digital, and that change appears to be in full swing. Here is a sample of what’s being heard:

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
168.4750
170.0500

Gettysburg National Memorial Park
164.7250

Great Smokey Mountain National Park
167.1500
169.0875
169.5500
170.5125
171.1625

Hopewell Furnace National Historical Site
172.4000

Independance National Historical Park
164.1250
164.7250
164.7500
171.6500

Shenandoah National Park
169.9250
171.7000
173.6750

Valley Forge National Historical Park
164.4250
165.4375

If you have any other National Parks frequencies that have switched to P-25 digital, let us know at the Fed Files!

Special thanks to those folks who have helped pass along this information!

Las Vegas Redux

Back in Las Vegas with some time to search the federal bands. Here are a few things I've been hearing:
165.2375, 100.0 - DHS CBP NET 1, with OTAR data.
168.4375, 114.8 pl - Analog repeater being keyed up by noise on the input side.
172.7625, P-25 - 14-xx units talking about heading back to the office.
413.6000, 103.5 pl - USPS sounds like a postal sorting facility.
418.9000, 156.7 pl - DEA with OTAR data.

Lots to hear in Las Vegas, federal, military and others. But I can't seem to find enough time to spend with the scanners, and the places I've been working & staying have a terrible amount of RF hash in the area that just wipes out the radios!

Justice IWN News

A recent article on the Government Computer News web site http://www.gcn.com has some insight in to the progress of the Justice Integrated Wireless Network,

http://www.gcn.com/print/25_32/42518-1.html

The article indicates that the next wave of IWN installation may be the US Southern Border region.

TSA Oddity at SFO - Updated!

A while back I asked Fed Files readers to keep an ear out for new frequencies that might be used by the Transportation Security Administration. Well, I found a new one, but not quite what I was expecting!

While changing planes at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) I had time to run my Uniden 396 scanner in Close Call mode and found the TSA operating on 469.5000 MHz, DPL 023! I confirmed that many, but not all, TSA personel were carrying UHF Motorola Radius or similar model hand-held radios. I was also able to confirm the transmissions I was hearing were from the TSA checkpoint near my gate. I was not able to see if they were using any additional UHF frequencies.

So what's up with that? I assumed that all the TSA operations had gotten their P-25 VHF radios long ago, but maybe they are awaiting new model radios. I have noticed that some TSA operations have newer XTS radios than were originally issued.

Oh, and I was able to confirm that 170.6250 MHz P-25 is the Customs & Border Protection operations for International Arrivals at SFO.

UPDATE - I was reminded by several members of the Fedcom e-mail list about the fact that the screeners at SFO are not really TSA, but work for a sub-contractor, in this case Covenant Aviation Security. If the federal contract with the TSA does not provide for radios to be supplied, I guess the contractor is responsible.

http://www.covenantsecurity.com/

Justice IWN Marches On!

Until recently the Justice Integrated Wireless Network (JIWN) testbed trunked system operated within the state of Washington, but now the system has started to creep south into the Portland, Oregon area. Last week several new P-25 VHF control channels suddenly hit the airwaves. A group of us in the area have started trying to map out these new sites as they come on line, and here's what we've found so far:

170.7250 Site 119 Portland-Mount Scott
170.8375 Site 119 Portland-Mount Scott
170.9375 Site 119 Portland-Mount Scott
172.0625 Site 119 Portland-Mount Scott
172.2125 Site 119 Portland-Mount Scott
172.4125 Site 119 Portland-Mount Scott
167.5125 Site 120 Portland-Germantown Rd.
167.6625 Site 120 Portland-Germantown Rd.
168.5875 Site 120 Portland-Germantown Rd.
168.9125 Site 120 Portland-Germantown Rd.
169.2375 Site 120 Portland-Germantown Rd.
169.9375 Site 121 Portland Metro Area
171.6625 Site 121 Portland Metro Area
170.8625 Site 122 Portland Metro Area
171.6125 Site 122 Portland Metro Area
172.1875 Site 122 Portland Metro Area
167.6125 Site 123 Portland
170.9875 Site 123 Portland

This information is very preliminary. We've been hearing the radio techs setting up these new sites and testing various systems. Some of the sites have not been activated yet, so more frequencies will be coming soon. Most of the traffic has been un-encrypted, but encryption has been the primary mode on the rest of the JIWN system.

Press reports indicate that final contracts for this nationwide JIWN project may be finalized by early 2007, so we'll see when this system starts appearing in other parts of the country.

"Historic" Federal Photos

While going through some files yesterday, I came across a couple of photos I shot back in 1983 on a driving trip through El Paso, Texas. These are some of the antennas that were on top of the El Paso Intelligence Center, or EPIC. EPIC was and is still a major coordination center for the border interdiction efforts of the DEA, Coast Guard, Customs and other agencies. At the time I took these photos EPIC was located along I-10 in mid-town El Paso, but since has been moved on to the Fort Bliss military base.

http://www.dea.gov/programs/epic.htm

You can click on the photos for a closer look at the UHF satcom antennas.

Postal Inspectors Continue P-25 Upgrades

While searching through the federal UHF band (406.1 to 420 MHz), I often run in to frequencies used by the US Postal Inspection Service. The most common channels used by the Postal Inspectors have been 414.7250, 414.7500 and 415.0500 MHz. However many cities are in the process of upgrading to P-25 digital radio systems and many cities have changed frequencies. The Postal Inspection Service has also moved to 2 regional dispatch centers that they are calling NLECC, or National Law Enforcement Control Centers. Many listeners have reported hearing NLECC (heard as"En-Leck") calling various "IDA" units in the field.

This week I am hearing NLECC Fort Worth doing some radio tests in the Portland, Oregon area on 407.1375 MHz. This frequency has been noted in the past with occasional traffic, but was always encrypted. So far most of these tests with NLECC Fort Worth and Portland have been in the clear, but we'll see how long that lasts.

Also have confirmation of the Postal Inspectors repeater in the Boston area, 409.9375 MHz with an input of 418.9375 MHz.

Detroit Federal Scanning - Updated!

Here's what I've been finding active in Detroit the past few weeks. I'll be updating this list as I find more active frequencies:

162.2375, CSQ - Unknown
163.6250, 107.2 - DHS Customs and Border Protection
163.9875, P-25 - Encrypted, most likely FBI
164.3875, 110.9 - Probably US Postal Service truck operations
164.4000, P-25 - USSS Papa, Detroit Field Office?
164.6000, P-25 - DHS CBP or ICE
164.9625, CSQ - US Postal Service, referenced BMC (Bulk Mail Center)
165.1875, 123.0 - Unknown, mentioned FIRE units - Canadian?
165.2375, 100.0 - DHS Customs and Border Protection
165.5500 - Unknown, sounded like DES
165.9125, P-25 - Clear, probably ATF
166.5875, 100.0 - DHS Customs and Border Protection
166.7375 - Unknown
167.6375, 167.9 - FBI
169.0000, 103.5 - Unknown, simplex or repeater input
169.9125, 167.9 - Possible input to 170.8250 repeater
169.9500, 110.9 - Probably USPS, referenced "A Dock"
170.5500, P-25 - Encrypted, likely FBI
170.8250, 167.9 - FBI repeater
170.9500, P-25 - Encrypted, likely FBI
172.9000, P-25 - TSA
173.8000, P-25 - Clear but not enough traffic to identify
406.2250, P-25 - FCI Milan, MI trunked system
406.7000, P-25 - Clear, talking about score of Tigers / A's game
407.0500, P-25 - FCI Milan, MI trunked system
408.1000, P-25 - FCI Milan, MI trunked system
408.3250, P-25 - FCI Milan, MI trunked system
411.0750, ? - Strange digital mode, doesn't sound like DES, but not P-25
415.2000 - DHS Federal Protective Service
417.2000 - DHS Federal Protective Service
418.7500, 156.7 - DEA F3 aerial surviellance

173.8125 MHz and ROSS / JENA Call Sign

I recently posted that 173.8125 MHz was a mystery frequency in my home base area of Portland, OR. The frequency is P-25 digital with almost 100% of the transmissions encrypted. I was finally able to positively identify the frequency as the FBI with the help of ROSS 25.

On Monday morning, October 9th, I caught ROSS 25, an FBI observation aircraft, calling Portland International approach control, telling them they would be working over downtown Portland at 4000 feet. Shortly after that transmission, 173.8125 MHz came alive with CLEAR P-25 traffic from "25", indicating they were having a tough time following the target on the ground! So don't give up on those encrypted channels!

Speaking of ROSS aircraft call signs - A poster on the MILCOM e-mail list is reporting that in his area the FBI aircraft have started using the call sign JENA (GINA, JEANA?) for flight operations. I've also received confirmed reports from the Seattle area of an aircraft previously heard as a ROSS flight now using the JENA call sign. And a message from South Florida indicates a JENA or JEANNA flight has been heard regularly down there. Anyone else hearing this call sign change for the FBI surveillance flights?

Chicago Federal Monitoring

While no means a complete list of federal activity in the Chicago metro area, here's what I've been hearing the last few days of my visit:

162.7875 P-25 US Marshals
164.1000 100.0 DHS CBP
165.1500 D546 USPS truck operations
165.2375 100.0 DHS CBP
165.2875 P-25 ATF NET 1
165.3750 P-25 USSS Chicago
165.7125 136.5 FAA @ ORD
166.1750 136.5 FAA @ ORD
166.3750 CSQ USPS Airside ops @ ORD
166.5875 100.0 DHS CBP Operations @ ORD
166.7125 127.3 North Chicago VAMC Police
167.0375 P-25 ?
167.7875 167.9 FBI Chicago FO
167.9250 156.7 DoE Fermi Labs
168.8250 100.0 DHS ICE/CBP Operations @ ORD
169.3000 P-25 DHS TSA repeater in
169.5500 100.0 DHS CBP TAC 19
169.8375 D223 ?
170.0000 D116 VAMC Operations
170.6250 167.9 FBI Chicago FO
172.1500 P-25 DHS TSA @ ORD
172.9000 P-25 DHS TSA @ ORD
411.3500 D114 VAMC Police
414.5125 103.5 USPS
414.7500 82.5 USPS Postal Inspectors NLECC
415.0500 82.5 USPS Postal Inspectors
415.2000 103.5 DHS FPS Chicago

Goings On

It was noted on Friday, September 29th by an Los Angeles area listener that he heard a new P-25 repeater being tested on 172.7375 MHz. I was in the area on Friday and Saturday but was unable to catch any traffic on this frequency. Anyone else in the SoCal area heard this frequency active?

And in my home base of Portland, OR there continues to be a "mystery" operation taking place on 173.8125 MHz. This is a P-25 simplex net, and they are encrypted 99.9% of the time. I've only managed to catch 1 or 2 transmissions in the clear.

Got any mystery frequencies in your list? Please let us know about them at the Fed Files and Monitoring Times!

What's Coming Up in MT

Coming up in the November Fed Files will be a look at the new FAA VHF nationwide communications system frequencies, a close look at New York City federal trunked systems and some additional Pittsburgh monitoring information.

In January we're going to run a Fed Files contest. Details will be coming soon!

We're also working on a project to organize all the Bureau of Prisons facilies with information on their UHF trunking systems. If you monitor any of these federal prisons systems, please feel free to pass along that data to the Fed Files!

DHS ICE in DFW

I've received some reports from the Dallas Ft. Worth Metroplex of a new DHS Immigration and Customs Enforcement repeater in operation.

The P-25 repeater is on 163.7000 MHz with apparently two input frequencies, 162.8500 MHz and 168.9750 MHz.

I am currently working on an "Up Close" look at ICE and their radio systems for a future Fed Files column, so if you have any frequencies of interest, feel free to pass them along!

Atlanta Trip

I made a very short trip through Atlanta this past week. I wasn't in town long enough to do much monitoring, but did catch a couple of hits...

164.6500 MHz - P-25, US Secret Service TANGO
167.3375 MHz - P-25, FBI in Atlanta
167.7875 MHz - DES, Heard this near the town of Auburn, Alabama. I don't know if this is the local area FBI repeater, but was active while I was there.

9/11 Anniversary Visit

On Saturday, September 9th, I was preparing to leave Pittsburgh and happened to catch some of the preparations for a 9/11 Anniversary visit from President Bush. Apparently Pittsburgh International Airport was used as a jumping off point for the POTUS visit to Shanksville, PA, the site of the United flight 93 crash.

I first caught the tower clearing a flight of 3 CH-53 Marine helicopters were all painted in the "United States of America" colors. All three landed and taxied directly over the a hanger at the AF Reserve ramp. Shortly after these was a flight of 2 UH-60 helicopters using the "Nighthawk" call sign landed, also taxied over to the AF Reserve ramp and inside a hanger.

While watching all this I did catch some P-25 comms on USSS Oscar
(164.8875), WHCA Sierra (166.5125) and some DES on WHCA Zulu (171.2875). Seems like I have noted on other Presidential events I've been around, the WHCA hasn't switched over to P-25 entirely yet...