Coast Guard UHF Frequencies

Officially the US Coast Guard moved it's UHF airband frequencies at the beginning of 2006. This was done to move their frequencies out of the 380-400 MHz DoD Land Mobile band. Here are the new frequencies:
237.9 MHz - Operations (secondary)
326.15 MHz - Air-to-Ground (primary)
345.0 MHz - Operations (primary)
379.05 MHz - Air-to-Ground (secondary)

However, don't take out the old Coast Guard UHF frequencies! It appears that some units are still using them for air-to-air tactical and training ops:
381.7 MHz
381.8 MHz
383.9 MHz

Federal Interoperability - Updated

Some new federal interoperability frequencies have become active in the Lone Star state recently.

170.7250 MHz, P-25 is known as "Dallas East" in the DFW Metroplex,
171.4375 MHz, P-25 is known as "Dallas West".

The same frequencies have been heard in the Houston area, but they were called "L-1" and "L-2".

I've also received information that the 171.4375 MHz frequency is used as a federal interop channel in the Philadelphia area. It is referred to as the "FIO" channel.

Anyone else hearing activity on either of these frequencies?

Twin Cities Fed Scanning

I'm in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area for the next couple of weeks, so I thought I'd post a few things I've been hearing up here. Unfortunately the hotel I am staying at is in the middle of RF hell and it's tough to get much of anything there...

I'll be updating this list as my stay up here continues...

162.2250 – Fort Snelling National Cemetery, US Department of Veterans Affairs
164.1000 – USPS
164.3375, 167.9 pl – USPS
164.5500, 167.9 pl – OCDETF, FBI
164.9875, CSQ – USPS
165.2375, 100.0 pl – DHS CBP Customs NET 1 with OTAR
165.2875 - ATF
166.5125, P-25 - WHCA "SIERRA" - POTUS Advance Team for visit on 8/22/06
166.5875 - DHS CBP
167.2625, 167.9 pl – FBI
167.4375, 167.9 pl – FBI
167.5375, 167.9 pl – FBI
167.6125, 167.9 pl – FBI
167.6375, 167.9 pl – FBI
167.7125, 167.9 pl – FBI
167.7625, 167.9 pl – FBI
168.7875 - ?
169.4500, 100.0 pl – DHS CBP Customs
170.7500 – US Marshals, Federal Court Security
172.9000, P-25 – DHS TSA at MSP (input = 169.3000)
406.1125, P-25 – VA Medical Center Police
407.7250, P-25 – USPS Postal Inspectors (input = 416.7250)
414.7500, 82.5 pl – USPS Postal Inspectors (input = 407.7750)
415.2000, 131.8 pl – DHS Federal Protective Service (input = 413.9500)
416.4250, 100.0 pl - ?
418.6250, 156.7pl – DEA F1
418.6750, 156.7pl – DEA F4
418.9000, 156.7 pl – DEA
419.1500, 118.8 pl – USPS repeater

TSA Busy!

With the security level at US airports now at ORANGE, the TSA has been extremely busy with the added security checks. If you live near an airport with commercial air service, try these frequencies and see what's going on:

166.4625 MHz - DHS Common
169.3000 MHz - TSA input to 172.9000 repeater
172.1500 MHz - TSA Simplex
172.9000 MHz - TSA Repeater or Simplex

All TSA communications are using P-25 digital mode. This channel plan should be used nationwide, with the exception of the DFW Airport in Grapevine, Texas. They are using a repeater on 169.1625 MHz, input of 165.0750 MHz. So far no encryption has been noted on TSA frequencies.

USCG "LANT" & "PAC" List

I've recently received some requests for information on the current status of the US Coast Guard "LANT" frequency lists. They have been floating around the Internet for a while but they seem to vary from source to source. The LANT designation appears to be short for ATLANTIC, however these frequencies are noted in use all over. Here's one of several versions of the LANT channels and some use notes:

155.4750 LANT 01
163.1750 LANT 02 USCG C3 Repeater (162.050 in)
162.1250 LANT 03 USCG TAC 1
162.2250 LANT 04
162.2500 LANT 05 USCG Operations
162.3250 LANT 06 USCG TAC 2
162.3500 LANT 07
162.6125 LANT 08
163.0500 LANT 09 USCG Enforcement (162.125 in)
163.1750 LANT 10 USCG Simplex
163.3750 LANT 11
164.3000 LANT 12 NYC
164.9125 LANT 13 NYC Repeater - Harbor Patrols
165.2375 LANT 14 DHS CBP Customs TAC 1
165.2625 LANT 15 USCG Law Enforcement C3
165.3125 LANT 16
165.3375 LANT 17
164.7750 LANT 18 US Army Corps of Engineers (165.975 in)
165.2375 LANT 19 DHS CBP Customs NET 1 (166.4375 in)
166.4625 LANT 20 DHS Common
165.2375 LANT 21 DHS CBP Customs NET 6 (166.4875 in)
166.5875 LANT 22 DHS USCG Tactical
167.9000 LANT 23 DHS USCG Portable Repeater Talk-Around
164.5500 LANT 24 DHS USCG OCDETF Repeater(168.8625 in)
171.3375 LANT 25 USCG Law Enforcement C4

There have been many variations of this LANT list, but this seems to be the most current. And yes, I have some frequencies that are identified as "PAC" channels as well. These are reported as allocated to the USCG District 11 (Southern California):

165.3375 PAC 01 (162.1250 in)

167.9000 PAC 02 (162.3250 in)

165.3125 PAC 03 (164.3000 in)

165.3125 PAC 04

164.3000 PAC 05 (165.3125 in)

165.3375 PAC 06

162.1250 PAC 07 (166.3375 in)

168.5000 PAC 08 (165.3125 in)

I have no current info on the use of these PAC channels. But I did hear from a listener in Southern California who heard two CG helos on 163.1750 MHz and referred to it as "LE-4".

Any more additions or corrections? Let me know!

NASA SATS Frequencies

I found this list in my "IN" box from a while back. Seems I kept saving it for a rainy day in the Fed Files column, but now with the Blog, here they are!

These were issued in conjunciton with the NASA General Aviation Programs Office Small Aircraft Transportation Systems (SATS) Project;

136.1750 MHz - Digital datalink - 14KHz bandwidth
966.0000 MHz - Digital datalink

123.1750 MHz - Air to ground outside 300 km of KLFI (Langley AFB)
123.3750 MHz - Air to ground within 300 km of KLFI

166.1000 MHz - FM nationwide
166.2250 MHz - FM nationwide
167.8125 MHz - FM nationwide
168.3500 MHz - FM nationwide
171.0000 MHz - FM nationwide
171.1500 MHz - FM nationwide

162.8125 MHz - DGPS information transmission
170.1250 MHz - DGPS information transmission
170.3500 MHz - DGPS information transmission
173.3500 MHz - DGPS information transmission

Here is some information on the SATS Project:
http://sats.erau.edu/nationalsats/index.html

Customs and Border Protection AMID - Update!

Some new DHS Air and Marine Interdiction Division (AMID) frequencies have been noted as of late. There are 4 UHF airband frequencies that are allocated to the AMID operations:

282.4250 MHz
308.3500 MHz
350.0250 MHz
376.0750 MHz

These would probably NOT be the ONLY UHF frequencies that the CBP aircraft would be using, but these are exclusive to their use. Also, check the VHF bands between 136.0 MHz and 138.0 MHz for some additional "tactical" air frequencies.


A source up north has mentioned that the CBP Air Marine Interdiction Division aircraft based in Bellingham, Washington have now been heard using 350.025 MHz to contact HAMMER as well as 282.425 MHz. HAMMER is the call sign of the AMID nationwide command center at March AFB. Previously I had only heard HAMMER being contacted on the 282.425 MHz frequency via the national network of remote air-to-ground tranmitter sites. There are two CBP Pilatus PC-12s at Bellingham, N497PC and N593PC.


According to this page on the Customs & Border Protection website, they have received the first of their new EC-120 helicopters (link updated August 8th):

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/072006/07142006.xml

Federal Executive Board

These were recently posted on Radio Reference. They were listed as NYC area frequencies for the Federal Executive Board. To be honest, I hadn't even heard of the FEB until I saw this posting:

FEB F1 - 408.4000 MHz, 131 DPL
FEB F2 - 418.0750 MHz, 131 DPL
F3 - 408.4000 MHz, 023 DPL
NATIONAL F4 - 408.4000 MHz, 712 DPL
F5 - 408.4000 MHz, 244 DPL
F6 - 418.0750 MHz, 023 DPL
F7 - 418.0750 MHz, 712 DPL
F8 - 406.8000 MHz, CSQ

Interesting in that most of these frequencies are federal itinerants and would be available to almost any government agency. Also interesting is the use of all the digital squelch, unusual for federal operations.

Here's the lowdown on the Federal Executive Board, http://www.feb.gov/

Las Vegas Area Scanning - Updated!

All sorts of stuff to listen to here in Las Vegas. Unfortunately work kept me away from the radios for much of the time I was there. Also, the hotel we stay at is in some kind of weird RF whirlpool that seems to de-sense my radios with all kinds of noise and RF garbage. Anyway, here are some highlites:

166.3000 MHz, CSQ - Lake Mead National Recreation Area, F1 repeater, discussions on loading up helicopter to head for wildfire. Also mentioned being back "in the Park". Input to this repeater is reported as 166.9000 MHz.
167.4375 MHz, P25 - Always encrypted, most likely FBI.
169.4000 MHz, CSQ - BLM Dispatch for some fire units for a wildland fire northeast of the Las Vegas area. Reference to helicopter 7AW heading back from the fire. Input to this repeater is reported as 168.5250 MHz.
170.0500 MHz, CSQ - Lake Meade National Recreation Area repeater.
172.9000 MHz, P25 - TSA at McCarran Airport. I gotta give these guys credit for really moving the bodies through the checkpoints in near record time. They don't fool around in Las Vegas!

Pittsburgh Scanning Scene - Updated!

Just got home and had a great time at the Wings over Pittsburgh Air Show last Saturday. I even got to meet up with some of the local scanning group - it was great!
I caught part of the preparations for the All Star Game before I left, but the locals really helped and caught the activities during the events. Here's a quick update:

162.2250 MHz - Coast Guard patrols outside of PNC Park
163.1000 MHz - Federal Wide Area Itinerant - FBI D7
164.5500 MHz - OCDETF / FBI D1/D2
165.2875 MHz - ATF NET 1
166.4625 MHz - DHS Common / Treasury Common / FBI D3
167.5375 MHz - FBI D6
169.8000 MHz - Unknown, but likely FBI
409.3375 MHz - Federal Itinerant UHF repeater with OSCAR and LION callsigns, unknown agency
412.8375 MHz - Federal Itinerant UHF with the same units as on 409.3375, but simplex

A special thanks to members of the Three Rivers Area Monitoring Association group for their help!

More Coast Guard

I was in the Astoria, Oregon area this week and caught the USCG Cutter Steadfast, "El Tiburon Blanco", getting ready to ship out.

http://www.uscg.mil/pacarea/cgcsteadfast/main.htm

While in the area I caught some new frequencies (new to me anyway):

162.2250 MHz, 67.0 pl - Job Corps facility at Tongue Point
162.8250 MHz, 67.0 pl - Job Corps facility at Tongue Point
171.3500 MHz - USCG Air Station Astoria, Helo Maintenance - helicopters would call in with maintenance write-ups when inbound.

Most of the helicopter and surface ops were on the VHF marine channels, but I did catch Group Astoria ask one helo (6030) for a check on 5 Mhz - I did catch them on 5.696 MHz.

And finally, while watching the Steadfast getting ready to depart, I noticed that the guys on deck were using UHF hand-held radios. Found them on 464.5500 MHz, 67.0 pl !?!

Border Scanning - Updated

I'm based in Laredo, Texas for a few days and have started my usual spectrum sweep. Most of the Customs and Border Protection frequencies are still running analog DES encryption, no P-25 yet. I did note that the local ATF repeater is the only federal P-25 I've caught so far. One wierd thing I have run in to is a number of UHF frequencies that seem to be using something like ACSB modulation. I can't tell yet if it's English or Spanish...

Here's a quick list of what's been active:

162.8250 151.4 DHS CBP Border Patrol
162.8500 DHS CBP Border Patrol
162.8750 100.0 DHS CBP Border Patrol
162.9000 100.0 DHS CBP Border Patrol
163.6000 Voice inversion scrambling - may be Mexico.
163.6250 151.4 DHS CBP Border Patrol
163.6750 100.0 DHS CBP Border Patrol
165.2375 100.0 CBP Customs NET 1
165.2875 P-25 ATF NET 1
165.5625 Unknown
165.6875 100.0 DHS CBP Customs Inspectors
166.4625 CSQ DHS Common
166.5875 Unknown
168.1000 100.0 Unknown
168.8625 103.5 Unknown
169.1750 167.9 Dept. of Agriculture
169.4500 100.0 CBP Customs
171.5750 Unknown
173.7750 131.8 DHS CBP Border Patrol
406.4500 Sounds like a trunking control channel, but isn't.
408.3750 123.0 Link? Always active
414.4250 156.7 DEA HIDTA
415.2500 179.9 Unknown
415.5000 Unknown
416.3250 156.7 DEA OTAR
418.6750 156.7 DEA F4 Surveillance
418.9000 156.7 DEA Laredo repeater
419.1250 D465 Unknown
419.4250 156.7 DEA HIDTA

On the non-federal side, I discovered that the Cityof Laredo has a P-25 trunked 800 Mhz system up and running, new since I was here last. No info on Radio Reference yet, but I'll see if I can help submit some info.

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Memphis Federal Logs

Here's what I've logged after a couple days of searching:

163.4625 TN ANG BASE AT MEMPHIS INT'L
163.4875 100.0 UNKNOWN - STRONG SIGNAL DOWNTOWN
164.2000 ? MAY BE PAGING?
164.5625 UNKNOWN
165.7250 P-25 POSSIBLE INPUT TO 170.7500
168.0000 103.5 REPEATER
170.7500 P-25 US MARSHALS - COURTHOUSE SECURITY
173.1000 167.9 FBI REPEATER - CLEAR
406.0000 REPORTED AS SYSTEM 9106
406.1500 D073 VAMC - SECURITY REPEATER
407.1375 P-25 ENC
407.5250 REPORTED AS SYSTEM 9106
407.7500 ?
407.7750 P-25 ENC
407.9250 REPORTED AS SYSTEM 9106
408.2375 ?
408.2500 P-25 BOP TRS 9106
409.0125 P-25
409.0250 ?
409.2125 MOTO CC - SYSTEM 9106
409.4125 MOTO CC - SYSTEM 9105
410.4000 P-25 BOP TRS 9106
410.8125 P-25
411.1250 REPORTED AS SYSTEM 9106
415.1500 D073 VAMC - 406.1500 REPEATER INPUT
416.1375 P-25 POSSIBLE INPUT TO 407.1375

Memphis Fed Scanning

I'm based in Memphis, TN for a few days of work and have started my usual searches of the VHF and UHF federal bands.

To start with I'm trying to figure out the Bureau of Prisons UHF system here. Radio Reference lists a UHF trunked system for the Memphis Federal Correctional Institution, a Motorola 3600 baud system with a SYS ID of 9106. Here are the frequencies:
406.0000
407.5250
407.9250
408.2500
409.2125 - Control Channel
410.4000
411.1250

However, I'm picking up an addional control channel showing a SYS ID of 9105 on 409.4125 MHz. Anyone have any info on this system?

Justice IWN Update

The July issue of Monitoring Times and Fed Files will feature some information on the Justice Integrated Wireless Network Project. This week the Justice Department Joint Project Office has named two winners of the contract for the IWN systems:
http://www.fcw.com/article94863-06-12-06-Print

The JIWN Home Page hasn’t yet been updated as of this blog, but hopefully it will be soon: http://www.usdoj.gov/jmd/iwn/overview.html
I’ve also received word that the Oregon state budget has received some funds from the JIWN project to upgrade Oregon state repeater sites for co-location of JIWN equipment. So it appears that the Washington State Pilot Project will eventually be extended south through Oregon.

Thanks!

A sincere thanks to all the Fed Files blog fans out there. I appreciate the updates to the frequency lists that I've been posting and I'll make sure the updates get incorporated in to the frequency lists.

Just a reminder that as a rule, I will NOT use your name as the source of any information unless you give me explicit permission!

Thanks again!

- Chris

US Coast Guard???

I spotted this info posted on Radio Reference a while back. It seems someone was programming up a bunch of HT1000 radios for "a Coast Guard unit" in the San Francisco Bay area. The frequencies are extremely bizarre to say the least:

430.5250
431.5250
432.7350
434.5250
436.7650
437.6250
438.5750
440.5325
440.5850
449.7125
450.5250
451.7625
455.5150
460.7750
465.5250
461.5250

Not only are these not allocated to Coast Guard usage, some of these frequencies aren't even valid US channel assignments!

Anyone want to have a guess at what they were using these for, or even if this is for real?

New York City Quick Scan

I'm spending a few days in the New York City area and have had some time searching the federal bands. Here's a quick rundown on what I've logged so far:












164.3375 D251 Repeater
166.3250 136.5 Repeater
167.1500 167.9 FBI - repeater with squelch noise, not DES
168.8250 P-25 Unknown - clear/encrypted surveillance
169.4125 P-25
170.4250 P-25
170.4500 P-25
172.4750 167.9
172.8250 P-25 FAA @ JFK
172.9000 P-25 TSA @ JFK
173.2000 Telemetry
173.6625 P-25 "Operations - Alpha 1"
406.1500 P-25
407.8125 Motorola control channel – Trunked System B12E
408.0000 151.4 Repeater
408.1000 P-25
408.1250 P-25
409.0250 110.9 Repeater
409.2750 127.3 Repeater
410.2000 127.3 USPS
410.9500 CSQ FAA Data
413.7000
413.8625 Paging
415.9500
417.2500 Analog repeater
418.2500 156.7 DEA (?)
418.3500 Motorola control channel – Trunked System 3517
418.9500 156.7 DEA - OTAR
417.2000 P-25 DHS Federal Protective Service

DHS CBP Channel Lineup

A few years ago I published this new list of DHS Customs and Border Protection frequencies. This list still comes in handy so I thought I'd post it. The frequencies and channel assignments remain current, the only change is the move to P-25 digital in some areas.

Repeater Out PL Repeater In PL Channel Name

165.2375 100.0 166.4375 100.0 NET 1
169.4500 100.0 171.0750 100.0 NET 2
165.2375 100.0 166.5875 100.0 NET 3
165.6875 100.0 166.2250 100.0 NET 4
164.6000 100.0 166.4875 100.0 NET 5
165.2375 100.0 166.4875 100.0 NET 6
165.4625 100.0 166.5875 100.0 NET 7
165.4875 100.0 166.5625 100.0 NET 8
165.6875 100.0 166.4375 100.0 NET 9
163.1250 100.0 164.3250 100.0 NET 10
165.7625 100.0 166.5875 100.0 NET 11
166.5875 100.0 169.5500 100.0 NET 12
165.4125 100.0 166.2250 100.0 NET 13
165.4375 100.0 166.3000 100.0 NET 14
162.0500 100.0 164.5750 100.0 NET 15
164.7750 100.0 165.9750 100.0 NET 16
165.2375 100.0 166.5375 100.0 NET 17
163.6250 100.0 162.8500 100.0 NET 18
163.6750 100.0 162.9250 100.0 NET 19
163.6250 100.0 162.8250 100.0 NET 20
163.6250 CSQ 162.8250 100.0 NET 21
163.6750 CSQ 162.9250 151.4 NET 22
163.6750 CSQ 166.5875 123.0 NET 23
165.6875 094.8 166.4375 100.0 NET 24
165.4875 100.0 166.9750 100.0 NET 25
166.3000 100.0 165.4125 100.0 NET 26
166.2000 100.0 168.0000 100.0 NET 27
163.1750 100.0 166.4875 100.0 NET 28
169.5500 100.0 166.1250 100.0 NET 29
163.2250 100.0 164.1000 100.0 NET 30
170.1000 100.0 166.4875 100.0 NET 31
165.4125 100.0 166.5875 100.0 NET 32
169.5500 100.0 170.1000 100.0 NET 33
162.3000 100.0 164.1000 100.0 NET 34
163.1250 131.8 166.5875 131.8 NET 35
170.7250 100.0 173.5000 100.0 NET 36
165.6875 100.0 170.1000 100.0 NET 37
166.1250 100.0 169.5500 100.0 NET 38
165.2375 100.0 166.4375 100.0 NET 39
165.2375 100.0 164.2500 100.0 NET 40
165.6875 100.0 170.1000 167.9 NET 41
165.5125 100.0 168.8000 100.0 NET 42
165.2375 094.8 166.4375 100.0 NET 43
162.6625 100.0 164.1000 100.0 NET 44
165.4375 156.7 166.3000 100.0 NET 45
164.1000 100.0 169.5500 167.9 NET 46
165.2375 100.0 172.3500 100.0 NET 47
169.4125 100.0 165.4125 100.0 NET 48
165.6875 100.0 166.5875 100.0 NET 49
162.2500 100.0 166.2000 100.0 NET 50
163.3000 100.0 169.4125 100.0 NET 51
165.2375 100.0 166.8750 100.0 NET 52
166.4625 CSQ 166.4625 100.0 DHS COMMON
166.4625 CSQ 166.4625 CSQ DHS INTEROP

165.2375 100.0 TAC 1
169.4500 100.0 TAC 2
164.6000 100.0 TAC 4
163.1250 100.0 TAC 7
165.4125 100.0 TAC 10
169.5500 100.0 TAC 19
165.7375 100.0 TAC 26