South Florida UHF Mystery!

With the mandated changes in the channelization of the federal UHF band that appear to be taking place before the years end, mysterious signals have been heard in some areas, including South Florida.

A strong signal on 414.0375 MHz was heard by listeners in the northern Broward County area,and was traced to a tower in Palm Beach County. The signal was an analog carrier with no voice or CTCSS tone. The mystery signal continued it's broadcast for 5 days or so, then abruptly left the air.

This frequency is a Federal Interoperability channel, designated as a simplex calling channel. The NTIA designation for this frequency is 4FCAL-45D, previously known as LE-B. The signal was possibly from a base station transmitter that was being installed, or had a problem that kept it keyed up for an extended period.

Keep an ear out for other strange, new signals on the federal 406 MHz to 420 MHz band as the deadline for changes approaches.

Another JENNA Sighting!

While waiting for my flight to board at Burbank (KBUR) last week, I caught JENNA 49 coming in for a landing. I watched the runway expecting a fixed-wing aircraft, but to my suprise an all-black Bell 206B Jet Ranger helicopter flew in on runway 15 and hover taxied over to a small hanger & building marked as "Police Air Support". 

They must have stopped for fuel and a bathroom break, because about
45 minutes after touching down, they took off and headed east over the Burbank area. Unfortunately I was unable to find them on any federal channels at that time. All the communications I heard from them were on 118.7 MHz, the BUR tower frequency.

Las Vegas UHF Mysteries

Been working in the Las Vegas, NV region this week and have found a few UHF frequencies that I've had trouble pinning down who the users are. Thought I would throw them out to the blog page and see if I could get some input...

407.3250 MHz, D051 - Security operations. Might be related to activity on 407.5250 MHz (see below). This frequency is allocated as a federal Itinerant local use repeater.

407.5250 MHz, D023 - Definitely sounds like a military security net. I've thought it might be Nellis AFB, but this analog repeater does not seem to be patched to the NNSA UHF system the rest of Nellis seems to be using. The frequency is allocated to various DoD services.

409.0250 MHz - This frequency started showing an EDACS control channel. It is showing that it is LCN 3 of Site 7, so I am guessing it is part of the NTTR (Nevada Test & Training Range) trunked system, although this frequency has not been listed as part of this system in the past. Changes in the UHF channels may be showing up in the local trunked systems as well.

409.3000 MHz, P-25 - This seems to be a stand alone P-25 repeater, but everything on this has been encrypted so far. This frequency is allocated to various agencies, including the Department of Energy as well as DoD.

415.5750, D754 - Another security operation, but definitly NOT military. Very "civilian" radio procedure. The frequency is primarily allocated to the Department of Agriculture, but also has some NOAA and US Postal Service allocations.

Another VHF Trunking Mystery?

A few months ago some reports from the east coast indicated that there was an EDACS trunking system operating in the VHF federal band somewhere nearby. It was determined that it was a two-site analog EDACS system belonging to the NASA facility at Wallops Island, VA.

Now a report has appeared in one of the Radio Reference forums that a similar VHF EDACS system is being heard in the Houston, TX area, but the poster believes that this system is being heard via skip or ducting and is not local.

http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88827

The frequencies reported heard are 163.5625 MHz, 164.5000 MHz and 165.0875 MHz. These frequencies are often associated with military facilities and the US Army Corps of Engineers, so my first guess would be a military base in Texas or Louisiana.

Anyone else hearing these frequencies active?

406.6625 / 415.6625 MHz Update

A while back I asked folks about hearing activity on 406.6625 or 415.6625 MHz. I received several responses and it now appears that this frequency pair is being used nationwide by the Federal Reserve Branch Banks for security operations. What is interesting is that in some cases these systems are analog and some are P-25 digital.

Here are confirmed locations that these frequency pairs are being used:

Boston, MA
Dallas, TX
Houston, TX
Kansas City, MO
Memphis, TN
Miami, FL
San Francisco, CA

The Dallas Federal Reserve Bank is also reported to be using a repeater on 410.4875 MHz(input should be 419.4875 MHz). Can anyone else hear that pair in use?

Federal UHF Band Changes

Some recent changes and new frequencies for several UHF federal
and military  systems have prompted me to remind everyone of the 
upcoming deadline for narrowbanding the federal UHF band.
 
The January 1st 2008 deadline for the 406.1-420 MHz band to narrowband channels from 25 KHz channels spacing up to 12.5 kHz. Some agencies will be changing frequencies and some trunked systems may move off of their current UHF channels. Expect to see many changes between now and the end of the year, and even after the deadline has passed.

FCI Morgantown WV Update

I was able to update some information on the Morgantown, WV Federal Correctional Institution;

Motorola Type II with P-25 voice
System ID: a620
Base: 406.8125
Step: 12.5
Offset: 380

406.8125, 407.0125, 408.2125, 408.8125

This will be added to the updated file of all Bureau of Prisons radio systems that is available for download on the Montoring Times web site. Simple go to http://www.monitoringtimes.com and look for the Readers Access icon. You can find the password in the latest issue of Monitoring Times.

NYC Interop Check-In Redux

I found myself in New York City on a Wednesday morning and was able to monitor the FBI Control interoperability check-in on 167.7875 MHz, P-25. FBI Control checked in with various stations as they have in the past:

http://mt-fedfiles.blogspot.com/2007/06/nyc-fbi-interop-check-in.html

However, this time I was able to confirm the use of 407.7750 MHz, 88.5pl as part of this Interop Net. 

The activity on the UHF repeater was all analog, while the traffic on the VHF side 
was all P-25. 

Shortly after the check-in net was finished, traffic on the VHF repeater went to encrypted.

BPA Update

A few months ago, I posted that I thought I had heard someone on the BPA radio system identifying themselves as "DENVER", when in fact they were saying "KOD900 DITTMER". That's the name of the Vancouver, WA Dispatch center just south of 63rd and Hwy 99, also called the Ross Complex.

The Bonneville Power Administration is an agency under the U.S. Department of Energy. They operate a series of VHF repeaters in the Pacific Northwest that is normally used for transmission line and facilities maintenance. All of these repeaters operate on 172.5250 MHz.

Can Tiny Scanners Be In Our Future?

After reading this item from the BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7050477.stm

I've got to believe a tiny receiver / scanner using nano-techology can't be too far fetched! But will it trunk-track a P-25 system?!?

JIWN Site in WDC?

I just noticed that the Radio Reference listing for the Justice Integrated Wireless Network (JIWN) now shows a site in Washington, DC.;

http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&sid=3509

It is showing as Site 160, using frequencies of 168.2625 MHz and 168.8875 MHz. I have not seen any posts from anyone in the DC area about this yet. It may have just show up on the air recently, as it was not there a few weeks ago when I went through the area. Can anyone in the DC area confirm this?

UPDATE! - I did hear from someone who did confirm this site is on the air, and has a voice channel of 173.5500 MHz associated with it.

Seems like the IWN sites area popping up in new places, but so far not along the US/ Mexico border, which was officially stated as the next phase of the IWN project.

ANOTHER UPDATE! - I was passing through Dulles International Airport (IAD) today and was unable to pick up anything on either of the listed frequencies. Reports are that this site is not really strong as Reagan National Airport either, so the site may not be in DC proper.

415.6625 MHz Near You?

I'm curious if anyone had started picking up transmissions on 415.6625 MHz or 406.6625 MHz?

I have confirmed these frequencies are being used at several branches of the Federal Reserve System. I am wondering if this is now a nationwide assignment for the Federal Reserve. Some locations are using P-25 digital mode, some are analog. Some locations are using the 406 frequency as the repeater input, some are using it as the repeater output.

Previously these frequencies have been unassigned and became available because of the 12.5 KHz channelization of the federal 406-420 MHz band.

If you are curious about where the federal reserve banks and their branch banks are located, you can click here:

http://www.federalreserve.gov/otherfrb.htm

http://www.federalreserve.gov/branches.htm

TOPOFF 4 Radio Usage

Since the TOPOFF 4 exercise is now finished, at least on the public side, I thought I would share what I found as far as radio communications in the Portland area...

Tuesday's initial operations were mainly on the 800 MHz Portland area public safety trunked system, as well as trunked systems used by neighboring Clark County Washington and Washington County Oregon. Several fire and Emergency / Incident Command talk groups were utilized.

Wednesday brought in more federal agency response, and more activity on the 800 MHz systems. It did appear that there was use of the federal IWN VHF trunked radio system. I noticed a "spike" in the number of radios that were affiliated to the trunked system on Tuesday and Wednesday. Voice activity that I was able to catch on the IWN sites was all encrypted, so I can't confirm who exactly was using the system.

I did catch some conventional federal frequencies in use during the week. While near the area that the dirty bomb explosion was staged, I caught some simplex P-25 traffic on 167.3875 MHz, most likely FBI units on scene. While parked near the TOPOFF operations center in Portland, I did catch quite a bit of P-25 encrypted traffic on 138.225 MHz, most likely FEMA. They were a big presence at the ops center, as well as the Federal Protective Service. They were active on 417.2000 MHz, P-25 in the clear.

I am certain that there was more activity going on the federal bands, but I wasn't able to catch it. I'm also surprised that there was not more activity on any of the federal interoperability channels. I thought that this exercise might be a good time to catch some interop between the local 800 MHz trunked systems and some federal channels, but didn't catch any.

An interesting side note - I have seen no postings or any information on line about the TOP OFF exercises in Phoenix or in Guam. I don't know how many listeners there might have been in Guam, but I'm suprised that no one heard any of the events in Phoenix I'll have more in a future Fed Files column...

TOPOFF 4 Exercise Unfolds

I had a chance to do some monitoring and observations of the TOPOFF 4 exercise in the Portland, Oregon area this week and thought I would post some information.

The events started Tuesday, with the simulated explosion of a dirty bomb in downtown Portland on the Steel Bridge. The staged event took place on a simulated bridge with wrecked cars and a bus, all located at the Portland International Raceway along I-5 north of town. They had a large compound of tents and support vehicles for this event, but they kept the gawkers away by prohibiting any parking where you could sit and watch.

The radio traffic on Tuesday was primarily local public safety first-responders. Lots of active talk-groups on the Portland area 800 MHz trunked system carried traffic from this simulation.

The activities on Wednesday focused on recovery, decontamination and criminal investigation of the event. Lots of federal and military presence during the exercise on Wednesday. Some EPA air monitoring vehicles were staged at the Portland airport. Several very interesting FEMA vehicles were spotted around the city, including a mobile commmand post located at the TOPOFF Command Center, which was at the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Portland. Many DHS and military vehicles were parked around the hotel and clogged the entrance to the parking ramp. :-)

I'll update this blog with more info as I find it...

Oregon / Washington Army CoE

Thursday morning at home and just heard some radio checks on 163.4375 MHz, 100.0pl. One station requested a check on RANIER, which came in 5x5, then asked for a check on NASELLE, who came through not as well.

One op asked about some sort of check-in scheduled for Sunday. Also asked if they had the HF radio on. Original station said they did but that it was scanning the CoE frequencies.

The 163.4375 MHz repeater has been called "NAV Primary", and the input was noted as 164.2000 MHz.

DHS TOPOFF 4 Next Week

As you may have read on other lists or web sites, the DHS Exercise TOPOFF 4 will be held next week, October 15th through the 19th. More info can be found here:

http://www.dhs.gov/xprepresp/training/gc_1179350946764.shtm

http://www.dhs.gov/xprepresp/training/gc_1179430526487.shtm

http://www.dhs.gov/xprepresp/training/gc_1179422026237.shtm

The exercise will have "events" taking place in Phoenix, AZ, Portland, OR and in the US territory of Guam. These events will involve communications by first responders as well as government officials. This could be a good time to find out how the federal / local interoperability systems are working. The Guam location may provide some HF and SATCOM communciations as well.

NTIA Looks at 162-174 MHz

I recently came across this report on the NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration) web site;

http://www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/reports/2006/land_mobile_DC_06_440.doc

It is an interesting look at the usage of the VHF federal band (162 - 174 MHz) in the Washington DC area. It talks about the different agencies that are using frequencies in this band and how many users there are. It also looks at the potential impact the Justice IWN trunked system will have on frequency loading in the area. Some of the report is very technical, and there are some frequencies mentioned.

Some additonal interesting reading can be found here;

http://www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/reports.html

Federal VHF Low Band - TVA?

A couple of years ago I asked MT readers for any information on current federal (non-military) agencies that are still using VHF low-band (30-50 MHz). Unfortunately I did not receive any information, but I recently stumbled across some discussions on Radio Reference about line crews from the Tennessee Valley Authority, (http://www.tva.gov/) still using low band.

Here are the TVA Lo-Band channels and locations that I have in my database:

38.97 - AL, MS, US
38.98 - AL, KY, MS, NC, TN, US
40.50 - KY, MS, TN, US
40.57 - US
40.61 - US
40.62 - AL, KY, MS, NC, TN, US
40.73 - US
40.74 - AL, KY, MS, NC, TN,US
40.75 - US
40.85 - US
40.87 - MS, US

Can anyone in the states listed give these a listen and let us know if they are active?

FPS Chicago & Other Cities

I have received word that the Federal Protective Service (FPS), a division of the Department of Homeland Security under Immigrations & Customs Enforcement (ICE) has changed frequencies.

406.7000 MHz, P-25 with no encryption, with an input of 415.7000 MHz, now seems to be the primary FPS channel in Chicago. The old analog repeater on 415.2000 MHz appears to be no longer in use.

UPDATE! - Both Cleveland and Toledo, OH have recently switched from 415.2000 MHz to 407.0000 MHz, P-25. Minneapolis, MN also reports that FPS has changed from 415.2000 MHz to 407.0000 MHz, P-25 within the last month.

Look for additional changes in the UHF federal bands as the NTIA band re-shuffling continues.

JENA Aircraft in Tampa FL

While listening to Tampa International (KTPA) approach on 08/28, I caught one of the controllers talking to JENA 32. At one point the controller called JENA 32 several times with no response, but JENA 024 ("Zero-Two-Four") came up and advised he was working with JENA 32 "on another radio" and he would pass along the instructions. The TPA approach controller just wanted to advise the JENA aircraft not to stray any further west as they would get mixed up with departing Tampa traffic. JENA 024 also advised TPA that they were trying to get JENA 32 on a target, then JENA 024 would depart the area.

Unfortunately I was not able to find what frequency the other radio might have been on.

Reports are that the "JENA" (here it was pronounced JENN-AH) aircraft are FBI operations using non-FBI pilots. The "ROSS" FBI aircraft call sign is still being used, and is reported to indicate that an FBI pilot is in command.

UPDATE!

Searching the Internet produced this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kldMbyNLXpM

The poster claims this is a military contractor flight landing at DCA and was using the call sign "JENA 611". Could the JENA flights heard on surveillance operations be DoD contractor pilots working FBI aircraft???