issue 66 oct-nov-dec 2013 - scanner digest newsletterwith that in mind let's take a look at the...

SCANNER DIGEST NEWSLETTER – ISSUE 66 PAGE 1

ISSUE 66 OCT-NOV-DEC 2013 ♦ SOUTH JERSEY – 700 MHZ PHASE II ♦ NEW SOUTHWEST OHIO COLUMN – by Mark Meece ♦ NEW MONTGOMERY CO. OHIO COLUMN by Ken Williams ♦ AMATEUR RADIO – Programming Radios ♦ WESTERN PA – Allegheny County Changes & Upgrades ♦ NEW CANADIAN COLUMN – AIR AMBULANCE SERVICES – PART 1 by John Leonardelli ♦ RADIO NEWS by Dave Marshall GENERAL EDITOR Alan Cohen

[email protected] If you’ve been in the hobby as long as I have, you have noticed one thing that’s constant….change! That right, this hobby of scanner listening, is no different than any other hobby. The beauty of this hobby for me was to listen in on “live” information as it happens. For those who entered the hobby in the 60s, it was fine tuning a multi-band radio that had the VHF band built in. Unlike broadcast radio stations, it took talent to get it right especially because the communications were intermittent. Once you achieved the skill to lock in on your favorite frequency, you left it alone until the next tuning expedition. My interest was in listening in on the local police and fire communications. Much enjoyment was had because I was the first to get the “dirt” on news breaking events. It was unadulterated information, free from the bias reporting by the radio, TV and print media. It was “pure” information that really attached me to scanner monitoring. The flip side was the magic of radio. Wow, the local public safety folks performed their duties and through the magic of a receiving device, I felt privileged that I was able to know what was going on in my town. From the primitive manually tunable multi-band radio to today’s top-notch multiple band (many that never existed in the 60s) scanners and FLEX style receiving are virtually capable of a wide spectrum of frequencies and dozens of modes to

decode. We’ve come a long way! Drop me a line and let me know what got you interested in this great hobby. It’s not always “what” you hear but I’m interested in the “story” behind the hobbyist. Take the challenge and tell us your story. Alan Cohen SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY Michael P. Mollet, N2SRO "700 Mhz Phase II Coming to a scanner near you.....eventually"

In my last article, I wrote about the new P-25 Phase II radio systems, and why your scanner won’t listen to the new systems. In this article, I am going to delve into the steps required to place a new Phase II system in operation. Hopefully as a result of the explanation, you, the reader, will gain some insight as to why the whole process isn’t happening overnight.

As some in the South Jersey area are already aware, the Camden County public safety system underwent a MAJOR overhaul, migrating from a predominantly simplex based system to a new 700 MHz P-25 phase II trunk system. Gloucester County and Burlington County are expecting to switch over to a new 700 MHZ system like Camden County’s soon, but don’t throw your soon to be “legacy” scanner away just yet.

A search of FCC records shows that blocks of frequencies have been granted to Gloucester and Burlington counties, however, frequency assignments / procurement is just one step of many to get a new trunk system on air. Both Gloucester and Burlington county are currently operating on 500 mhz. (While Gloucester County is currently operating conventional analog repeaters, Burlington County some time ago opted to install a trunk system and then overlay P-25 (IMBE) audio over the system. While not a true P-25 system due to the trunk channel using Motorola Type II SmartNet signaling, a digital p-25 scanner IS needed to monitor communications, as the audio is digitized using the IMBE codec.) The first hurdle in any new system is finances. Since the price tag of such a system is usually in the millions, financing needs to be calculated from the county freeholder’s end to be able to purchase such a system. As many of us know, NOTHING in government happens quickly.

To appropriately lay out an effective radio system suitable for public safety use, triple-redundancy is a recurring factor. The coverage areas of each site need to be considered and need to provide significant enough overlap


to be able to take up the slack should one radio site fail. To accomplish this, a computer model can be generated to approximate the expected range, after which an actual field test of propagation needs to be completed to ensure that theoretical projections meet up to real-world conditions. A multitude of factors is considered from building density to forest density. (the needles of a pine tree are about a quarter wavelength of 700 MHz, which has to be factored in as it will most certainly cause degradation of signal through absorption of radiated RF.) Foliage from deciduous trees such as maple and oak also impact radiation, as does fog, precipitation and fluctuations in temperature (tropospheric ducting) Considering all above variables in propagation, a longitudinal study lasting at least one year needs to be conducted to accurately capture all environmental factors.

After the engineering study comes the build-out. Let’s start with the pre-existing sites. We have to install the new repeaters, inter-connect feeds to the master controller, and antennas. Let’s not forget that while this is occurring, existing communications are still being handled through the existing public safety system which still needs to be maintained, so we will need to run new hard-line feeds to the newly installed antennas

The antennas and infrastructure are all finally built out, and we have identified and built out the additional sites required due to the even shorter range offered by 700 MHz.

The next step required is to put the system into trial period. A good example of this step is The state of New Jersey, who has had on air a 700 MHz Phase II system for the past two years. The state Department of Transportation has been using the new system for the past year during which time, the initial bugs and kinks have been ironed out. It is conceivable that the state police will soon be switching over to the phase II system within the next year or two. Burlington County and Gloucester county, it would appear, are still in the early stages of build-out phase and will not be ready for at least a year to two years, after which , non-essential services will be first to migrate in the “soft opening” phase before the essential services of fire and ems migrate, and inevitably, police.

It is my firm belief that there will be about three more years of good listening in Burlington and Gloucester counties before they go completely digital. Michael

SOUTHWEST OHIO Mark Meece N8ICW

480 N Twelfth St, Miamisburg, OH 45342 [email protected]

Hello from Southwestern Ohio. I am told an introduction is in order so here we go! For over 25 years I have been the editor for the Southwestern Ohio column for the former All Ohio Scanner Club newsletter. I have been writing for National Communications since 1999 and a brief four year stint on Popular Communications. Although I remember tuning multiband radios as a youngster, I got my first scanner in 1979, a Realistic Pro-53 eight channel crystal scanner. I quickly jumped on Radio Shack's first programmable 50 channel Pro-2002. From there I have progressed to many scanners over the years, far too many to list here. My current everyday scanner is the GRE PSR-500. I have called Southwestern Ohio home for all of my life. Slowly I have migrated a bit north up I-75 to the southern Dayton area. While the column title is Southwestern Ohio, West Central Ohio will also fall under that. The Cincinnati-Dayton/Springfield area is rich with listening opportunities. It is also home to the radio mecca of the Dayton Hamvention. With that in mind let's take a look at the upcoming 2014 Dayton Hamvention. Hamvention is held in May at Hara Arena in the northwestern Dayton suburb of Trotwood. Hara Arena is without a doubt an old venue and it shows. The arena itself officially open in 1964, it has been pieced together over the years to form the complex it is today of a main arena, four exhibition halls, a conference center, and of course a pub and golf course. The 165,000 square feet of space is what makes Dayton Hamvention what it is. Lots of vendors, and lots of flea market space. Now on to scanning and what to listen to. Area public safety agencies utilize the Montgomery County Motorola Type II. SYSTEM: Montgomery County, Ohio TYPE: Motorola Type II Smartnet Voice: Analog


FREQUENCIES: 851.06250 851.17500 851.31250 851.37500 851.57500 851.80000 851.85000 852.10000 852.16250 852.35000 852.62500 852.65000c 853.20000c 853.25000 853.50000 853.57500c 853.75000 853.85000c c = Control Channel TALKGROUPS: 16 MCSO Announcement Call 48 MCSO North Dispatch 80 MCSO Regional Inquiry/Restrictive 112 MCSO North Inquiry/Restrictive 144 MCSO South Dispatch 176 Detectives Primary 208 Detectives Special Investigations 240 MCSO Car to Car 272 Detectives - South 304 Civil Division 336 Jail Control 368 Montgomery County Special Events 400 HEALTH 432 COMMON 464 Calling - non-public safety radios only 496 SO TAC 1 528 SO TAC 2 560 SO TAC 3 592 SO TAC 4 624 SO Special Services 656 US Marshal 688 SO TCSU Special Operations 720 Ohio Organized Crime Investigative Committee 1 752 Centerville Police Tactical 784 SO ESU Emergency Services Unit 816 SO HNT 848 MCSO ADMIN 1008 R.A.N.G.E. Drug Task Force - Tactical 1040 R.A.N.G.E. Drug Task Force - Tactical

1104 Sanitary Main 1136 Sanitary Water Distribution 1168 Sanitary Wastewater Collection 1200 Sanitary Wastewater Treatment Plant 1232 Sanitary E & I 1264 Sanitary Environmental Lab 1296 Sanitary Water Customer Service 1328 Water/Sewer Inspections 1360 Sanitary Plant Maintenance 1392 Sanitary Engineering 1424 Sanitary SERT 1456 MTR Scale 1 1488 MTR Scale 2 1520 MTR Fleet Maintenance 1552 MTR Loader 1584 North Incinerator Plant 1616 Animal Shelter 1 1680 Coroner A 1712 Coroner B 1744 Coroner C 1776 County Engineer 1 1808 County Engineer 2 1936 EMA Loaner Talk group 1968 EMA Loaner Talk group 2000 EMA Loaner Talk group 2032 Montgomery County EOC Channel A 2064 Montgomery County EOC Channel B 2160 EMA Loaner Talk group 2192 EMA Loaner Talk group 2224 Five River Metro Parks - Primary 2256 Five River Metro Parks - Car to Car 2288 Five River Metro Parks - Special Events 2320 Fiver Rivers Metro Parks - Investigations 2352 Haz-Mat Team 2384 Montgomery County Office of Emergency Mgmt 2416 Court Bailiffs 2448 Court Security 2480 Court Security 2512 County Prosecutors Office A 2544 County Prosecutors Office B 2576 Telecom Maintenance 1 2608 Butler Township Police Car to Car 2640 Butler Township Police Special Events 2672 Butler Township Police Investigation 2704 Patch to Greene Co MULTI-CO talkgroup 2736 Comm Center selectable patch 2768 Red Cross 2800 Telecom Maintenance 2 2864 County Garage 1 2896 Animal Control 2 2928 S.T.O.P. Program 2960 County Firing Range 2992 County IT Department 3024 Moraine Police Dispatch 3056 Moraine Detectives 3088 Moraine Police Administration 3120 Moraine Police Supervisor 3152 Moraine Police Tac 1 3184 Moraine Police Tac 2 3216 Moraine Police Tac 3


3248 Moraine 31B1 3280 Moraine Streets 2 3312 Moraine Citywide 3344 Moraine Fire Dispatch 3376 Moraine Police/Fire Common 3408 Moraine Fire Officers 3440 Moraine Patch 1 3472 OPS 74 Englewood/Union Fire Operations 3504 OPS 75 Englewood/Union Fire Operations 3600 Moraine Fire Operations 74/75 Announcement 3632 Moraine Fire Inspection 3664 Moraine Streets 1 3696 Moraine Building Maintenance 3728 Moraine Community Development 3760 Moraine Parks 3792 Moraine City Administration 3824 Riverside Police - TAC 1 3856 Riverside Police - TAC 2 3888 Riverside Police - Detectives 3920 Riverside Police - Car to Car 3952 Riverside Police Local 3984 Moraine Patch 2 4016 MRDD Transportation 1 4048 MRDD Transportation 2 4080 MRDD Supervisors 4112 MRDD Maintenance 4144 MRDD Couriers 4176 Dayton Police SID 4208 Dayton Police Internal Affairs 4240 Dayton PD SWAT 4272 West Carrollton Police - Dispatch 4304 West Carrollton Police - TAC 1 4336 West Carrollton Police/Fire - TAC 2 4368 West Carrollton Police - TAC 3 4400 West Carrollton Police - Administration 4432 West Carrollton Police - Detectives 4464 West Carrollton Fire Dispatch 4496 OPS 76 Moraine Fire Operations 4528 OPS 77 Moraine Fire Operations 4560 West Carrollton Fire - EMS 1 4592 West Carrollton Fire - Administration 4624 Common law enforcement Ops - Subject to change. 4656 OPS 89 County Fire Operations 4688 Patch to Ohio LEERN VHF 4720 Fire Mutual Aid (154.280) Patch 4752 Miamisburg Police Local 4784 Miamisburg Police Tac 1 4816 Miamisburg Police Tac 2 4848 Miamisburg Police Crime Scene Investigation 4880 Miamisburg Police Special Events 4912 Miamisburg Citywide 4976 Miamisburg Police Tac 3 4992 Miamisburg PD Patch 5008 Juvenile Reception 5040 Juvenile Detention 5072 Montgomery County Central Services Department 5104 OPS 83 County Fire Operations 5136 Five Rivers Metro Parks - Administration 5168 Washington Township Fire Dispatch

5200 OPS 66 Washington Twp. Fire Operations 5232 Centerville-Washington Twp PD-FD 5264 Dayton Police East 5296 OPS 102 Zone 10 Fire Operations Overflow 5328 OPS 103 Zone 10 Fire Operations Overflow 5360 Beavercreek BVF-DISP Patch (Greene County system) 5392 Dayton Police Special Events 5424 Jailers/Bailiffs 5520 Dayton Fire Dispatch 5552 Dayton Fire Operations 2 5584 Dayton Fire Operations 3 5616 Dayton Fire Operations 4 5648 Dayton Fire Operations 5 5680 Dayton Fire Operations 6 5712 Dayton Medic 7 5744 Dayton Medic 8 5776 Urban Search & Rescue 1 5808 OPS 106 Zone 10 Fire Operations Overflow 5872 OPS 67 Washington Twp. Fire Operations 5904 Washington Township EMS 5936 Washington Township Fire Operations 5968 Washington Township Common 6000 Washington Township Twp/City Common 6032 Washington Township FD Chatter 6096 Washington Township Fire Training 6128 Washington Township Administration 6160 Washington Township Public Works 6224 Washington Township Recreation 6256 Kettering Fire Dispatch 6288 OPS 69 Zone 6 Fire Operations Overflow 6320 MEDIC 7C West Carrollton EMS Operations 6352 OPS 62 Kettering Fire Operations 6384 MEDIC 6C Washington Township EMS Ops 6416 OPS 72 Englewood/Union Fire Operations 6448 Grandview Hospital Security A 6512 Grandview Hospital Security B 6544 Grandview Hospital Security C 6576 County Engineering Survey Crews 6608 Miami Township Police TAC 6672 Miami Township Police Local 6704 Miami Township Police Special Events 6736 Miami Township Detectives 6768 Miami Township Police Command 6800 Miami Township Police Records 6832 Miami Township Police Internal Affairs 6864 Red Cross - Training/Interop 6896 Kettering Police Dispatch 6928 SouthView Hospital 6960 Sycamore Hospital 7024 MCSO Patch 7056 MCSO Records 2 7088 Trotwood Police Local 1 7120 Trotwood Police Local 2 7152 Trotwood Police Local 3 7184 Trotwood Police - Detectives 7216 Trotwood Citywide 7248 Vandalia Police - Dispatch 7280 Vandalia Police - Records 7312 Vandalia Police - TAC 1


7344 Vandalia Police - TAC 2 7376 Vandalia Citywide 7408 Vandalia Fire Dispatch 7440 OPS 46 Vandalia Fire Operations 7472 MEDIC 4B Huber Hts./Butler Twp. EMS Ops 7504 OPS 49 Zone 4 Fire Operations Overflow 7536 Stillwater Youth Center 7568 Five Rivers Metro Parks - Ch. 3 7600 Five Rivers Metro Parks - Ch. 4 Maintenance 7632 Five Rivers Metro Parks - Riverscape Primary 7664 OPS 85 County Fire Operations 7696 OPS 87 County Fire Operations 7728 OPS 63 Kettering Fire Operations 7760 Miami Township Police/Fire Common 7792 Miami Township Service 7824 MEDIC 4C Huber Hts./Butler Twp. EMS Ops 7856 OPS 42 Huber Hts./Butler Twp. Fire Operations 7888 OPS 43 Huber Hts./Butler Twp. Fire Operations 7920 OPS 42/43 Announcement Call 7952 Harrison Fire Command 7984 Harrison Fire Administration 8016 Harrison Fire Training 8048 Harrison Street Department 8080 Harrison MEDIC 2 EMS Operations 8112 Harrison Special Events 8208 MEDIC 4A Huber Hts./Butler Twp. EMS Ops 8336 Butler Township Fire 8368 Butler Township Fire Training 8400 Butler Township Administration 8432 Butler Township Service 8496 OPS 105 Zone 10 Fire Operations Overflow 8528 Operations 40/41 Announcement 8592 Centerville Public Works 8624 Centerville Streets 8656 Centerville Vehicle Services 8688 Centerville Citywide 8720 OPS 47 Vandalia Fire Operations 8752 Operations 46/47 Announcement 8784 OPS 48 Zone 4 Fire Operations Overflow 8816 Vandalia Fire Rapid Intervention Team 8848 Vandalia Fire Training 8880 Miami Township Zoning/Administration 8912 Juvenile Court Data Services 8944 Urban Search & Rescue Region 3 Rescue Strike Team 8976 Bellbrook Fire Dispatch - Backup 9008 Bellbrook Fire Ground 1 9040 Bellbrook Fire Ground 2 9072 Bellbrook EMS 9104 Bellbrook Fire Training 9136 Bellbrook Citywide 9168 MEDIC 8A County EMS Operations 9232 PS 80/81 Brookville Fire Announcement Call 9264 PS 84 County Fire Operations 9328 PS 83/84 Clayton Fire Announcement Call 9360 PS 86 County Fire Operations 9456 PS 88 County Fire Operations 9472 Butler Township Police/Fire Common 9552 OPS/66/67 Miamisburg Fire Announcement Call 9584 Miamisburg Fire Command

9616 OPS 73 Englewood/Union Fire Operations 9648 OPS 72/73 Miamisburg Announcement Call 9680 Miamisburg Fire Off Duty 9712 P&R Communications Maintenance 9744 MEDIC 6A Kettering EMS Operations 9808 Kettering EMS Dispatch 9840 Kettering Fire Unit to Unit 9872 Kettering Fire Prevention 9904 Kettering Fire Training 9936 Operations 60/61 Announcement 9968 Kettering Citywide/Chat 10000 Oakwood Public Safety Backup 10032 Kettering Police/Fire Common 10064 Kettering Police B Channel 10096 Kettering Police Tac 3 10128 Kettering Police Tac 4 10160 Kettering Police Special Events 10192 Kettering Police Investigations 1 10224 Kettering Police Investigations 2 10256 Kettering Police Supervisor 10288 Kettering Police SRT-1 10320 Kettering Police SRT-2 10352 Kettering Street Department 10384 Kettering City Events 10416 Kettering City Emergency Calling 10448 Kettering Schools Operations 10480 PSAP-to-PSAP (Comm centers use only) 10512 Huber Heights Fire Dispatch 10544 OPS 44 Huber Hts./Butler Twp. Fire Operations 10576 OPS 4 ? Zone 4 Fire Operations 10672 OPS 45 Huber Hts./Butler Twp. Fire Operations 10800 Huber Heights Fire Training 10832 Huber Heights Fire Inspection 10864 Huber Heights Police Dispatch 10896 Huber Heights Police Records 10928 Huber Heights Police Tac 1 10960 Huber Heights Police Tac 2 10992 Huber Heights Police Tac 3 11024 Huber Heights Detectives 1 11056 Huber Heights Detectives 2 11088 Huber Heights Citywide 11120 Huber Heights Police Administration 11152 Huber Heights Street Maintenance 1 11184 Huber Heights Street Maintenance 2 11216 Huber Heights School Security 11248 Huber Heights High School Security 11280 Hospital Net Primary 11312 Patch to VHF low band. Use still undecided 11344 Patch to frequency-agile VHF radio - controlled by Englewood Comm Center 11376 Patch to frequency-agile VHF radio - controlled by Huber Heights 11408 Patch to VHF - use currently undecided 11440 Patch to VHF - controlled by MCSO Comm Center Use still undecided 11472 Patch to UHF - controlled by MCSO Comm Center Use still undecided 11504 Patch to Greene Co PUB-SAF1 talkgroup 11536 Miami County patch 11568 Patch to Ohio MARCS


11664 Dayton Veterans Administration Security 11696 Dayton Veterans Administration Tactical 1 11760 Riverside Street Department 1 11792 Riverside street department 2 12176 Englewood/Union Police Dispatch 12208 Englewood/Union Police Tac 1 12240 Englewood/Union Police Tac 2 12272 Englewood/Union Police Tac 3 12304 Englewood/Union Police Car-Car 12336 Englewood/Union Citywide 12368 Englewood/Union Fire Dispatch 12400 Englewood/Union Fire Training 12432 Englewood/Union Police/Fire Common 12496 MEDIC 8C County EMS Operations 12528 Law Enforcement 1 Interop 12560 Law Enforcement 2 Interop 12592 Law Enforcement 3 Interop 12624 Law Enforcement 4 Interop 12656 Interoperability 1 Interop 12688 Interoperability 2 Interop 12720 Interoperability 3 Interop 12752 Interoperability 4 Interop 12784 Brookville Events 12816 MEDIC 8B County EMS Operations 12848 Clayton Citywide 12880 Union Citywide 12912 OPS 82 County Fire Operations 12944 OPS 68 Zone 6 Fire Operations Overflow 12976 OPS 79 West Carrollton Fire Operations 13008 MEDIC 7A Englewood/Union EMS Operations 13040 OPS 78 West Carrollton Fire Operations 13136 GREENE 1 System Cross Patch to Greene Co. 13168 MEDIC 7B Moraine EMS Operations 13200 Germantown Citywide 13232 County Fire Dispatch 13264 Union Police Car to Car 13360 Brookville DPW 13392 Clayton Police TAC 1 13424 Jefferson Township Fire Administration 13456 Jefferson Township Fire Training 13488 Miami Valley Hospital South 13520 Jackson Township Police - Car To Car 13552 Clayton PD Car to Car 13648 County Fire Dispatch (Future Use) 13680 OPS 104 Zone 10 Fire Operations Overflow 13712 Englewood Fire 13744 Brookville Fire Training 13776 Brookville Fire Dispatch 13904 Riverside Fire Administration 13952 Jefferson Township Fire Paging 14000 Trotwood Fire Training Ch. 1 14032 Trotwood Fire Training Ch. 2 14128 Germantown Street Department 14160 Juvenile Detention - Channel 3 14224 Montgomery County Special Events 2 14256 Montgomery County Special Events 3 14352 Patch to Ohio MARCS Interop 65488 Ohio Organized Crime Investigative Committee 2

Here are the frequencies caught in recent years in use at Hara Arena: 51.000 Military Gear Enthusiasts 451.800 192.8 Unknown user 456.800 143 Buckeye Charter 457.175 065 Event Staff 461.050 Merchants Security 463.8875 Merchants Security 461.4375 Merchants Security 464.800 Event Staff? 464.875 203.5 Event Staff 469.9875 NAC293 Unknown User 471.000 210.7 Plant Maint/Sanitation If you are attending Hamvention this year, please let us know if you catch anything new. See ya next issue! MONTGOMERY COUNTY Ken Williams, PO Box 24

Arcanum, OH 45304-0024 [email protected]

Welcome to the first column of the Montgomery County, Ohio, Report for Scanner Digest. For this issue, I'm going to profile the Englewood Police Dispatch Center. This center dispatches for Englewood PD, Brookville PD, New Lebanon PD, Union PD and Jackson Twp. PD. They also dispatch Englewood FD (Stations 98 and 99), Brookville FD (Stations 76 and 77), New Lebanon FD (Station 69), Union FD (Station 81), Farmersville FD (Station 67), Englewood Street Dept., Clayton Street Dept. and Union Street Dept., which I'll get into in a later issue. One thing unique about the City of Englewood is that they have a rather extensive public safety camera system at many of the main intersections and along some of the main thoroughfares. These have proven to be a great crime deterrent as well as a recording of some unusual incidents that have occurred in Englewood. This system is monitored 24/7 by Englewood Dispatch Center. The center also has communications with Miami Valley Career Technology Center (the local joint vocational school) security. Englewood used to dispatch on the VHF channel 154.725 Mhz. until switching to leased talk groups on the Montgomery County Sheriff trunk radio system. The VHF channel is still licensed until the end of 2014. I am uncertain whether the licensed will be renewed.


The talk groups used on the system are: 12176 Dispatch 12208 Tac 1 12240 Tac 2 12272 Tac 3 12304 Car to Car 12336 Citywide 12432 PD/FD Common 12880 Union Citywide 13264 Union Car to Car 13520 Jackson Twp. Car to Car Note that the MCSO TRS is a rebanded Motorola Type II analog system. A Radio Shack Pro-106 and newer scanner can trunk track. For my older units, I just conventional scan and lock out the data channel (s). The frequencies are as follows: 851.0625, 851.1750, 851.3125, 851.3750, 851.5750, 851.8000, 851.8500, 852.1000, 852.1625, 852.3500, 852.6250, 852.6500, 853.2000, 853.2500, 853.5000, 853.5750, 853.7500, 853.8500 Here are Englewood Dispatch Center's police unit numbers: CTC # Miami Valley Career Technology Center Security Brookville PD 500 - 509 Chief, Asst. Chief, Admin., Detectives 510 First Watch (Midnights) Patrol Supervisor 511 - 519 First Watch Patrol 520 Second Watch (Days) Patrol Supervisor 521 - 529 Second Watch Patrol 530 Third Watch (Evenings) Patrol Supervisor 531 - 539 Third Watch Patrol Englewood PD 600 - 609 Chief, Asst. Chief, Admin., Detectives 610 First Watch Patrol Supervisor 611 - 619 First Watch Patrol 620 Second Watch Patrol Supervisor 621 - 629 Second Watch Patrol 630 Third Watch Patrol Supervisor 631 - 639 Third Watch Patrol Jackson Twp. PD 700 - 709 Chief, Asst. Chief, Admin., Detectives 710 First Watch Patrol Supervisor 711 - 719 First Watch Patrol 720 Second Watch Patrol Supervisor 721 - 729 Second Watch Patrol 730 Third Watch Patrol Supervisor 731 - 739 Third Watch Patrol New Lebanon PD 800 - 809 Chief, Asst. Chief, Admin., Detectives 810 First Watch Patrol Supervisor 811 - 819 First Watch Patrol 820 Second Watch Patrol Supervisor 821 - 829 Second Watch Patrol 830 Third Watch Patrol Supervisor

831 - 839 Third Watch Patrol Union PD 900 - 909 Chief, Asst. Chief, Admin., Detectives 910 First Watch Patrol Supervisor 911 - 919 First Watch Patrol 920 Second Watch Patrol Supervisor 921 - 929 Second Watch Patrol 930 Third Watch Patrol Supervisor 931 - 939 Third Watch Patrol Please feel free to submit any Montgomery County, Ohio info to either my work e-mail [email protected] or my personal e-mail [email protected]. See you next issue. NORTHERN KENTUCKY Randy True

11205 Mann Rd. Covington, KY 41015-9094

[email protected]

No Column for This Issue

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Mark Meece N8ICW

480 N Twelfth St, Miamisburg, OH 45342 [email protected]


RAILROADS Tom Swisher WA8PYR

5576 PATRIOT AVE. ORIENT, OH 43146-9275

[email protected]

No Column for This Issue MILITARY Daniel Myers K3NXX 823 Horsham Rd.

Horsham, Pa 19044-1209 [email protected]



RADIO NEWS News and Notes of Interest to Radio Hobbyists

Dave Marshall N8OAY 125 Royal Drive Apt 805 Madison AL 35758-1785 [email protected]

GRE scanners will be back on the market hopefully in the not too distant future. Whistler Group, manufacturer of Radar Detectors and other electronic products, announced on September 20, 2013 that they had “purchased from GRE Electronics the patents and all interests in manufacturing and selling their complete line of scanners.” Whistler will produce scanners for Radio Shack and may also sell them under their own brand. Here is the complete Press Release from Whistler: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kim Callison, Marketing Director The Whistler Group, Inc. Phone: (479) 464-3504 Email: [email protected] -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Whistler Announces Entry into Radio Scanner Market Bentonville, AR – (September 23, 2013) – The Whistler Group, Inc., a leading industry supplier of Laser/Radar Detectors, is announcing entry into the radio scanner market. Whistler has purchased the intellectual property of scanner industry leader, GRE America, Inc., and plans to launch a complete line of scanners under the Whistler brand. Whistler is proud to enter the scanning receiver business, picking up popular scanner models often characterized by hobbyists as easiest to program and use. Whistler scanners will include: handheld and desktop/mobile digital scanners with full keyboard, a handheld scanner with USA/Canada database built in, and two models of VHF/UHF non-trunking scanners. The assortment will include the first and only scanner that works on newer modulation protocols including P25-Phase II. Models feature an Object Oriented User Interface, context sensitive help menus and three soft keys for easy programming, Digital AGC and superfast DSP for clearest possible audio on digital signals, user upgradable CPU and DSP firmware and an alert LED which can be programmed to light when any object goes active. Whistler is committed to advancing state of the art technology in scanning receivers. “This is an exciting opportunity to produce quality product that keeps up with

changing industry technology. We look forward to making positive contributions to this industry”, states Jesse Hopkins, President/CEO of Whistler. Whistler brand scanners will be available for retail and distribution in the first quarter of 2014. About Whistler Whistler has been a leader in automotive laser/radar detection systems for over 40 years. Throughout the years Whistler has innovated and patented important product advances, resulting in first-to-market accomplishments and top performance rankings. Whistler also offers a complete line of Power Inverters and Diagnostic Inspection Cameras. For more information please visit Whistler Group | High Performance Radar Detectors and Electronics. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- A few days later, a post by Lindsay Blanton appeared on RadioReference.com listed the following as the first scanners to be available manufactured by Whistler and sold by Radio Shack. At the time this is being written, there is nothing about these items on Radio Shack's web site. PRO-652 - Identical to the previous PRO-197 model. Digital trunking full coverage base scanner PRO-651 - Identical to the previous PRO-106 model. Digital trunking full coverage handheld scanner PRO-650 - Identical to the previous PRO-405 model. Analog base scanner, 25-512 MHz only PRO-649 - Identical to the previous PRO-404 model. Analog handheld scanner, 25-512 MHz only Anything that Whistler reissues from the GRE line will have to go through the FCC Type Acceptance process. Although they had been approved for sale be GRE, they will have to be re approved for sale by the new company. On Saturday, November 16, Uniden announced the release of 2 new top-end scanners. The BCD436HP portable and the BCD536HP base/mobile. Both are a melding of all of the features and functionality of the BCD396XT and BCD996XT with the Home Patrol 1, including the “Extreme” Analysis and Discovery upgrade for the HP1. They both feature a full keypad instead of the HP1 style touch screen. The displays are larger than the 396 and 996 (the 436 is about 1 ½ inches taller than the BCD396XT).. They will cover P25 TDMA Phase II, which previously was only available in the hard-to-find GRE PSR800. The BCD436HP and BCD536HP both include a 4GB memory card with the full USA and Canada databases from RadioReference.com, and can accept up


to a 32GB card. If capacity is available on the card, both scanners have the ability to record audio. The Sentinel software that is used for the Home Patrol will be included with both scanners, and they will connect to a computer with a standard USB cable. As has been the case with previous models, both of these scanners will have upgradable firmware.

In addition to the above new features, the BCD536HP base/mobile has a Wifi function that will work with your home network router and an app to use your smart phone as a remote head to control the scanner from anywhere within the range of your router.

Prices for the new models are $499 for the BCD436HP and $599 for the BCD536HP. Both new scanners will be available from dealers in January of 2014. For more information, go to http://info.uniden.com/NewScanners (note that the url is Case Sensitive!). Although Monitoring Times will cease publication at the end of 2013 and retirement by Bob and Judy Grove, the rest of the MT staff is not retiring. Here is a Press Release for The Spectrum Monitor to be published by Ken Reitz KS4ZR ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Spectrum Monitor is a monthly electronic magazine that delivers full-spectrum coverage of amateur radio, longwave and shortwave listening, public service scanning, AM/FM/TV broadcasting, satellites, WiFi radio, vintage radio and more. The Spectrum Monitor is a follow-on publication to Monitoring Times and is not associated with Grove Enterprises or Bob Grove. TSM’s columnists and feature writers come directly from the pages of Monitoring Times, bringing readers an in-depth look at every segment of the radio frequency spectrum. Each month TSM readers will get reviews of the latest receivers, antennas, software and accessories needed to explore the spectrum, with tips for beginners and advanced hobbyists alike. The Spectrum Monitor is available in PDF format that can be read worldwide on any desktop, laptop, iPad®, Kindle® Fire, or other device capable of opening a PDF file. The January 2014 issue will be available for download from http://www.thespectrummonitor.com/. The Spectrum Monitor[/url] on December 15, 2013. Charter subscribers can sign up now and save! Special charter subscriber rate: $20 for twelve issues. After December 15, 2013, annual rate: $24 for twelve issues. Individual monthly issues will be available for $3 each. You can sign up on the magazine's secure website to become a charter subscriber. Mastercard™, VISA™ and Discover™ cards are accepted. Outside the U.S.? Contact [email protected] for subscription instructions. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For Monitoring Times fans, Grove Enterprises has announced a DVD MTXpress Complete Anthology containing the every Monitoring Times issue that was published in PDF form from 1999 through the final issue of December 2013. It will be available for only a short time,


so if you are interested in getting a copy, do not procrastinate. It is available for $99.95 at http://www.grove-ent.com or 800-438-8155. When I moved to Alabama, one of the things that I had to down-size was a lot of magazine back issues, to this is a very welcome product for me. A shortwave broadcast station in Florida formerly owned by Family Radio will soon be back on the air. WYFR used to broadcast Christian programming to an international audience until shutting down in June of 2013. Radio Miami International (WRMI) has purchased WYFR and will move their programming to the more powerful transmitters. WRMI will also carry programming for other independent International broadcasters including Pan American Broadcasting's Radio Africa network. A starting date has not been announced. Wayne Green W2NSD (“Never Say Die”) passed away September 13, 2013 at the age or 91. He was the publisher of 73 Amateur Radio Magazine until it ceased publication in 2003. He was formerly editor of CQ magazine before he went on to found 73, 80 Micro, Byte, CD Review, other magazines, as well as publishing books and running a software company. I 73 Amateur Radio was an inspiration to many hams, scanner and shortwave listeners, with a heavy emphasis on scratch and kit building radios and other items. His “Never Say Die” editorials were sometimes controversial and he was often at odds with the ARRL and CQ Magazine and others in the ham radio community for one reason or another. If you buy a product or service listed in this column, please tell the seller that you read about it in The Scanner Digest. Happy Scanning! 73 de N8OAY Press releases, new product announcements, books, ebooks, magazines, and equipment for review should be sent to Dave Marshall N8OAY, 125 Royal Drive Apt 805, Madison AL 35758-1785 email: [email protected]

VERMONT Jim Lawrence c/o Scanner Digest [email protected] Greetings from Vermont! As I type this, fall is definitely well under the way. Many trees have lost their summer emerald green sheen and are now starting to turn various shades of greenish-brown and yellow, on their way to more spectacular colors! Fall is a great time of year to go road tripping to enjoy the color and scenery. Bring along the scanner and hunt for new frequencies in use and new P-25 digital voice signals while you're out. Speaking of P-25... P-25 Rollout Continues For many months, I've been advising you to consider upgrading your equipment to P-25 capable when the time comes for you to buy or replace your present receiver. I've been driving around the state and here's my list of local entities that are currently utilizing P-25 digital voice some or all of the time. Bellow Falls PD 460.1000 Burlington PD 460.1250 ($658) 100% encrypted Colchester PD 453.7500 ($264) Essex PD 460.1000 ($878) Franklin Co. sheriff 453.2500 ($432) Hartford & Norwich PD 460.2500 ($295) Lamoille Co. sheriff 460.5500 Newport PD 453.1625 ($293) Orange Co. sheriff 460.2000 ($685) e South Burlington PD 460.1750 ($846) using encryption occasionally UVM PD 453.0500 ($656) using encryption Many of these departments also utilize analog for most routine communications. Even so, blocking out the P-25 “motor boating” sound can be a challenge if you're listening to a department that utilizes P-25 some of the time. Most recent hobbyist gear has ways to filter certain types of signals by CTCSS or DCS to help keep you from hearing the raw digital signal. Even smaller departments have had P-25 capable radios installed in their cars. I'm aware of a small department that has less than 10 members and has P-25 capable radios in every car they own. If you're listening to your local PD and you hear P-25-like comms, please write me at the address above and I'll add that PD to my list. New Norwich Fire & Rescue Frequency Norwich Fire & Rescue have been heard on 155.8275. It appears they may be dispatched by Hanover. And that's it for this time around. Happy listening!

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A response from a reader: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr. Lawrence, As we all know by now, the rumor you spoke of in your opinion piece in Issue 65 came true. Monitoring Times is no more, and you’re right, it was a tremendous loss. I, for one, readily admit I contributed to its death. How so, you may ask? By not supporting it through a direct subscription. While I subscribed to one popular communications-related monthly, a fellow scannist I know subscribed to MT and yet another scannist I’m acquainted with subscribed to a third national communication-related publication. After each of us were done with our respective copies we passed them along to the next on the list. And look at what happened as a result. This practice doesn’t help publishers, who I’m sure would rather that we each directly paid for three separate subscriptions. But what does one eventually do with a pile of magazines already thumbed through? I agree with you in your assessment that the hobby will go on despite the passing of a great magazine. This is a publishing industry matter, not a radio hobby matter. I beg to differ with the rest of your assessment though. Encryption is a valid cause for concern among many scannists, at least here in the New York Metropolitan area, and not just of law enforcement radio systems, but of fire, EMS, and public works systems as well. I’m left wondering how much of this expansion of its use is fueled by the continued growth of lazy journalism – a terrible problem at the local, regional, and national levels. Back in the day reporters had enough brains in their heads, when writing articles or reporting on air, to say something vague like “Police sources tell us…,” or “We’ve been advised that…,” or “Unconfirmed reports state…” when they used details they heard over a scanner in their stories. Lately I’ve seen too many articles where they give up the tool they used to put together their story (being the scanner) right in the story; “Radio traffic copied over police scanners claimed…” How stupid is that?! Scannists, other journalists, and civilians aren’t the only ones watching the television news, listening to news radio stations, or reading newspapers. Public safety agency executives are. And it isn’t too far of a leap for one of them to realize that if the press is listening to and is paraphrasing (often inaccurately) their field staff and dispatchers in the next day’s paper, then maybe they shouldn’t be so easy to hear. So, while radio system managers perhaps are in favor of an open system, for the benefit of citizen awareness, they get pressure from above to control the flow of information. As to your perception that encryption’s growth is limited, all I can say is that you should count your lucky stars with how blessed you are with the “radio terrain” of the geographic areas that you monitor. In the last two years, two countywide police departments south of me have gone to full time encryption (as part of cutovers to digital trunked systems), as did numerous area town level agencies. The town due east of mine is planning a cutover to an encrypted system (as part of an upgrade to a new digital trunked system, for all services) before the end of 2014. While the growth of encryption hasn’t been explosive, its steady pace of encroachment has become pronounced. I anticipate that with the continued migration away from analog to digital two-way radio systems, the addition of encryption capability by the simple activation of a feature setting when programming a new radio (as opposed to the old days, when expensive added hardware was often necessary) makes the decision too easy for some radio system managers, and the

pace will only accelerate. While I wouldn’t go so far as to say that our hobby is dying, I will diagnose it, for scannists in my area at least, as it being sick, and for reasons beyond just the growth of the use of encryption. Your statement that “there are so many other services to which we can listen.” almost confirms for me, perhaps incorrectly, that you have indeed been very blessed in your radio terrain. Uniden Bearcat’s recent introduction of scanners capable of monitoring APCO P-25 Phase 2 radio systems is a vital leap forward, it simply wasn’t a big enough one. Too many radio users have migrated to other digital technologies that can not be readily monitored, especially with a portable scanner (my preferred means). Police departments using ProVoice, correctional services using MotoTrbo, railroads using NexEdge / iDAS, Hams using D-Star, bus services using TeTRa, aircraft using ADS, and marine vessels using AIS / DSC - the list goes on. What other services are there left to monitor, beside the kooks on CB and the children playing cops and robbers on FRS, without having a scanner slaved to a PC running DSD or some other software package? While I understand that some modulation schemes are proprietary, and thus may never be available in a scanner, others are open standard based – similar to APCO’s P-25. Perhaps a return of a technology based around Uniden’s BCi25D (one for DMR, one for NXDN, one for D-Star, etc., depending on what a scannist needs for his/her area - and is willing to pay for) might help the situation, causing me to reassess my diagnosis in the future. But until consumer technologies can catch up to how far out the two-way radio market has expended, I’ll continue with my gloomy outlook toward our hobby. Gregory S. Hatzis AMATEUR RADIO Robert Gulley AK3Q

[email protected] Amateur Radio: Programming Radios By Robert Gulley AK3Q Email: [email protected] Scanners and Amateur radios have both come a long way in terms of memory usage and capabilities, and so in this issue I will offer some hints and tips for dealing with some of the more frustrating computer programming issues, as well as offering some strategy ideas for how to make the best use of the memory/scanning features available. Computer Issues Without a doubt the most common problems associated with programming radios are connectivity issues. A sad fact of life is that almost every manufacturer has a different connector, cable, or access scheme for transferring data. I find it hard to believe a standard connection scheme cannot be worked out among the various manufacturers to allow one or two cables to cover all radios. An added issue is the change from 9-pin serial ports to USB ports common on virtually all computers today. This means another purchase to convert serial connecters to USB ports, and their associated drivers. These


cable/converter combinations are often proprietary, or at best, require specific chipsets to be paired with specific versions of various operating systems, as well as the appropriate drivers, also operating system-specific. The best thing is to do a lot of research before making purchases, and make sure to buy from a company that will take returns or make exchanges with minimal fuss or expense. As a general rule of thumb, Windows operating systems before Windows 7 will require drivers provided from the manufacturer to operate properly, with some going so far as to require an actual disk in a drive rather than running from a download. Linux users are often better prepared for driver issues because they are often used to loading drivers with various startup parameters and function calls. Control Panel Since by far the most common operating systems involve some form of Windows, I will highlight a few common installation issues with this operating system, while at the same time acknowledging that these concepts often carry over to other systems as well. Modern programming cables typically have integrated circuits built into them which require software to be loaded to allow connectivity between the radio and the computer. Unfortunately there is a fair amount of incapability between chipsets and drivers, and thus the need to research specific drivers for specific versions of Windows, Apple, or Linux. The two most common device chipset manufacturers are FTDI and Prolific. For a while Windows 7 and above only worked with FTDI, but Prolific has come out with updated driver/chipset combinations which seem to be working. Apple has introduced the Apple USBFTDI kernel to address compatibility issues. Please do follow the instructions for driver installation and connectivity carefully. Many software/hardware installations require manual installation or at least a cancellation of the automatic software installation process for Windows. When the installation process is complete, make sure to check drivers and port configurations to make sure that the drivers have loaded properly and that the virtual comm ports are identified correctly. It is not uncommon to see high comm port numbers in the device driver window which may or may not show up under software configuration options (the radio software may only allow ports 1-4, for example, whereas the computer may have assigned comm port 9). Likewise, the speed and flow controls must be set properly for the radio being used. Depending on the application the radio may use one speed for data and another for programming connectivity. A comm port can sometimes

be reassigned to a lower available number if needed on later versions of Windows, usually found under the Advanced option in Properties. Sometimes a bit of finagling will solve conflicts, such as moving another comm port to a higher number to make room for the radio comm port number needed. Also be aware that changing USB ports may (likely will) cause port numbers to change and drivers to be reloaded, and possibly causing multiple instances of these drivers to be loaded at startup. The best practice is to use the same port for each connected device to avoid problems if at all possible. Radios The most common radios for programming are modern HTs since they offer so many memory channels. Scanners offer even more options, sometimes into the tens of thousands of frequencies, and these really have to be programmed using a computer to take true advantage of the space and options available. While scanner folks are used to programming their scanners, I find Amateur Radio folks often do not make good use of their memory capabilities, beyond just keeping local repeaters programmed in. On the most basic level a radio will have a set number of channels, such as an HT radio which may have only 100-200 channels. A basic radio may treat all channels the same (one large bank), or it may divided channels into groups or banks of 10, 50, or 100 each depending on the radio. For some HTs and mobile rigs, there may be 500 or more channels which can be separated by bands (VHF/UHF) or by banks allowing for specialized groupings. Again, modern police scanners can go into the thousands of channels, but these are usually divided either by banks or by sites/systems/groups or folders. Think Like a Radio One of the best things to do when setting out to program a radio is to learn how the radio “thinks”. Try to learn the logic behind how memory channels are organized or implemented. Some manufacturers see memory organization as a straight-forward 1-100 scheme, with no divisions or no ability to take chunks of memory channels for scanning while leaving the rest. Other radios offer a lot of memory options such as bank selection, bank linking (where 10 banks might be linked where banks 2, 5,and 7 are scanned together), banding, mode, or by any number of other methods of grouping/linking frequencies. One of the biggest benefits to radio programming software, aside from not having to enter everything by hand and then not having a backup, is that the software will already know how to best organize the input options and organizational issues for a given radio. For example, the popular Wouxun and Baofeng radios handle repeater shifts and CTCSS codes quite differently than a Yaesu, for example.


Thinking like the radio also means keeping in mind the primary purpose of the radio so as to make the best use of its features. While almost all radios offer memory or frequency scanning capabilities, ham radios are not going to scan frequencies or memory channels as fast as a scanner. Understanding the capabilities and limitations of a radio will keep expectations in line and frustration levels lower! Software First off, my best advice is to “Save early, save often”. I make it a habit to first download whatever is currently on the radio and save it in a unique file (usually with a date attached in the name) so that if my programming session goes awry, I have a file to fall back on. If the radio is new, a download (or “read”) first can store any configuration settings in case they get lost. Much like the radio, one must learn how to think like the software—this sometimes can be a bit tricky. Different programs approach organizational structures differently, such as those which use a spreadsheet approach versus those which are highly configurable. If one has a lot of programmable radios, just keeping up with each program can be a real challenge! Memory Organization There are a number of different ways a radio can use memory, beyond just simple channels/frequencies. Modern radios can usually allow as a minimum the transmit frequency, the receive frequency (if different), and some basic settings. Often receive-only radios offer more options than transceivers, such as scanning between two edges, remembering paused stations, consecutive scanning, and selective memory scanning. If a radio offers edge-band scanning this allows for various segments of bands or frequency ranges to be searched. Unlike police scanning where there are set frequencies, scanning a range of frequencies allows us to discover what frequencies are in use on a given band. These can then be programmed into memory channels for later recall. One caveat for this with radios that have tuners built in (such as with an all-mode HF/VHF radio), if the tuner is set to auto tune based on bands, scanning through memory channels might cause the tuner to work overtime if the memories hop to different bands during scanning. If possible, group channels to avoid wear-and-tear on the system. Thus one could scan saved frequencies in specific shortwave bands or ham/police bands, for example, without jumping back and forth between, say, 20 meters and VHF/UHF public service frequencies. One of the biggest advantages to using computer software to program in memories is the capability to arrange channels in a useful pattern. Virtually all software programs allow some form of cut-and-paste operation which allows saved memories to be reorganized easily.

Take the time to experiment and figure out which style or styles of memory channel grouping fits best for the type of use the radio will get. Since hard drive space is cheap, save several patterns so they can be switched in and out as needed. If memories are limited, another option is to leave the radio connected to the computer and simply load the memories with the desired sets of frequencies. We might need to be a bit more creative if our radio only has 100 memory slots, but as long as we have the ability to read and write them from the computer these memory slots can be changed as needed. Compatibility Many software programs are proprietary, meaning they will save their files into special formats only their software will read. An alternative would be to look for open source software programs as a possible solution to file compatibility. Some programs will work with a number of different radios, such as Chirp. Not only may this solve file compatibility issues, but it may solve cross-platform operating system issues as well. Programming radios can provide challenges in connectivity, file compatibility, and getting the radio to do what is needed. On the plus side, computer software allows for a very organized means of maintaining a lot of useful information. Modern radios also allow for much greater flexibility in using a radio, particularly in terms of not having to try and remember 1000 different frequencies!! A little patience and experimentation will be amply rewarded, and will make both scanning, and amateur radio, more fun! WASHINGTON DC REGIONAL David Schoenberger [email protected] I apologize for missing my Issue 65 column. For this issue, I thought I’d review some happenings with various DC-area trunked systems, as well as what I found at a couple of special events. DC continues to transition from their Project 16 trunked system to their Project 25 system. Metropolitan Police have fully transitioned. Most of their talk groups are encrypted. Some city services have moved to the new system, although many are still using the old system. DC Fire is mostly on the old system, with only the dispatch talk group being simulcast on the P25 system. When DCFD receives new radios later this year, they should move to the P25 system. There was a rumor last fall that DCFD might encrypt their communications, but nothing seems to have come of it the last few months. (Some talk groups on the P25 system use TDMA, which requires either the PSR-800, BCD436HP, or BCD536HP scanners.)


The Capitol Police have moved from their analog frequencies to a 14-channel Project 25 system. Unfortunately, it appears most, if not all, talk groups are encrypted. Prince William continues to test a Project 25 system, which will replace their current Project 16 system. It doesn’t appear that any departments have switched to the new system, but numerous talk groups were active with testing on a recent weekday. (Some talk groups on the P25 system will reportedly use TDMA, which requires either the PSR-800, BCD436HP, or BCD536HP scanners.) Here are some talk groups and frequencies found at the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington: DC Trunked System Talk groups: 2096 DCFD Special Events 1 2112 DCFD Special Events 2 (logistics/transports) 33872 Emergency Management Agency (simulcast on 2117 on P25 system) 34576 Department of Transportation Joint National Capital Region Talk groups: 2145 Encrypted 2146 National Guard? (Mall-area units) 2149 National Guard? (RFK Stadium and Metro station units) 2151 National Guard? 166.7250 [127.3] Park Police (Ch. 1) 166.8500 [127.3] Park Police (Ch. 4) 172.4750 [ $4C5] Park Service 464.5000 [ 69.3] Stagehands Here are frequencies found at the 2014 Washington Auto Show: 451.8125 [ d205] Kia Staff 461.1000 [ d351] Program re-stockers 462.3750 [ d506] 464.5000 [186.2] 464.9250 [ d546] 469.5000 [146.2] Test drives Until next time, Dave ILLINOIS Mike Dickerson

[email protected]

No Column for this Issue.

PHILADELPHIA METRO Column Editor Wanted

No Column for this Issue

CONNECTICUT Keith Victor [email protected]

No Column for this Issue WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA Frank Speicher K3FS [email protected] http://www.pghscannner.com Allegheny County has made changes and upgrades to the west zone system. West zone fire dispatch 471.7375 pl is now 114.8. West zone fire response ch. 3 472.7375 pl is now 241.8. Fire departments are now assigned to respond on ch. 2, ch. 3, or ch. 5.West fire response ch. 4 will no longer be monitored by Allegheny county. This channel was never really used as a response channel from the start. This has been and will continue to be used by some public works departments. Fire departments were assigned to ch.2 for the first working call then to ch. 3. Agencies in the northwestern part of the zone were assigned to ch. 5. Now agencies are assigned to a response channel based on their location. They were having issues with coverage in some areas, and the upgrades and new assignments were to address this. Along with this change, all fire tones were changed. Some agencies had more than one set of tones. All agencies now have one set of tones for pagers, and sirens. This should help streamline the dispatching of fire calls in the area. The 155.100 frequency that was used by pagers is now off the air. The departments have moved to UHF pagers. Allegheny County is continuing to move all communications to UHF, and eliminating non UHF frequencies. West EMS 470.4375 pl 123.0. All EMS agencies are now dispatched and respond on this frequency. QRS from the fire departments will also respond on this channel when called. Departments who run QRS, now have separate tones for activating QRS. West zone police ch. 1 460.500 pl is now 103.5. The agencies on this channel have not changed.


West Zone:

West Police – 1 460.5000 (103.5) 465.5000 (103.5)

Police Department Unit # Bridgeville Police 3200 Carnegie Police 3300 Collier Police 3400 Crafton Police 1100 Green Tree Police 3100 Heidelberg Police 3500 Ingram Police 1200 Oakdale Police 3700 Rosslyn Farms Police 1500 Scott Township Police 3800 South Fayette Police 3900

West Police - S1 460.0250 (131.8) 465.9250 (131.8)

Police Department Unit # Kennedy Police 2300 McKees Rocks Police 1400 Robinson Police 1300 Stowe Police 900 Stowe Police 1600

West Fire Dispatch 471.7375 (114.8) 474.7375 (114.8)

Fire Department Sta #

CH

Tone A

Tone B

Bridgeville VFD 117 2 667.5 1153.4 Carnegie Fire 118 2 667.5 1185.2 Collier-Kirwan Heights VFD

124 2 667.5 1217.8

Collier-Presto VFD 125 2 667.5 1285.8 Collier-Rennerdale VFD 126 2 667.5 1321.2 Crafton VFD And QRS 128 2 667.5 1357.6 Green Tree VFD 163 2 667.5 1395.0 Heidelberg VFD 170 3 712.5 1357.6 Ingram VFD 176 2 712.5 1153.4 Kennedy VFD 181 5 712.5 1185.2 McKees Rocks VFD 189 2 712.5 1217.8 North Fayette VFD 209 5 712.5 1285.8 Oakdale VFD And QRS 215 2 712.5 1357.6 Robinson-Forest Grove VFD

243 5 712.5 1395.0

Robinson-Groveton VFD 244 5 712.5 1433.4 Robinson-Moon Run VFD 245 5 772.5 1153.4 Scott Township-Bower Hill VFD

255 3 772.5 1185.2

Scott Township-East Carnegie VFD

256 3 772.5 1217.8

Scott Township - Glendale VFD

257 3 772.5 1321.2

South Fayette - South 266 3 772.5 1357.6

Fayette VFD South Fayette - Sturgeon VFD

267 3 772.5 1359.0

South Fayette - Fairview VFD

268 3 817.5 1153.4

South Fayette - Oakridge VFD

269 3 817.5 1185.2

Stowe - Stowe Twp VFD 275 3 817.5 1217.8 McKees Rocks - Presston VFD

277 2 817.5 1285.8

West Fire – Fire Ops 2 471.6375 + D073 West Fire – Fire Ops 3 472.7375 + 241.8 West Fire – Fire Ops 4 / DPW

471.4625 + D606

West Fire – Fire Ops 5 472.4125 + D023 West Fire – Fire Tac 7 453.2125 + 71.9 West Fire – Fire Tac 8 458.2375 225.7 West EMS 470.4375 + 123.0

EMS AGENCY Station

# Tone A Tone B

Bellevue VFD QRS 108 746,8 634.5 Carnegie EMS

715 817.5 1395.0

Collier - Kirwan Heights EMS

770 862.0 1217.8

Collier - Rennerdale EMS 775 862.0 1321.2 Heidelberg EMS 750 Ingram EMS 760 862.0 1185.2 Northwest EMS - Main Station (McKees Rocks)

191 817.5 1321.2

Northwest EMS - North Boros Station (Ben Avon)

192 817.5 1321.2

Northwest EMS 193 817.5 1321.2 Northwest EMS - West Allegheny Station (North Fayette)

195 817.5 1357.6

Robinson EMS 810 862.0 1357.6 Scott Township - EMS 740 817.5 1433.4 Southbridge EMS 815 862.0 1285.8 West Public Safety

East zone has added police ch. 6 470.3625, pl 206.5. Agencies that have moved here include, Duquesne, Homestead, West Homestead, and Whitaker. With this transition, all Mon Valley agencies dispatched by Allegheny County are on UHF. East Zone police: East Police Ch 6 470.3625 (206.5) 473.3625 (206.5)

Police Department Unit # Duquesne Police 7500 Homestead Police 5700 West Homestead PD

4800

Whitaker Police 5300


The RTL SDR dongles have been quite popular recently. I added the Terratec T-Stick to my shack last year. I have recently added a Nooelec NESDR mini. Nooelec is one of the more popular vendors for these radios Their website : http://www.nooelec.com/store/ They sell at that site, on E-Bay and Amazon as well. Generally the best prices can be found on E-Bay, and they usually include shipping. They ship quickly out of New York. Once you receive the radio you will need to install the drivers that open up the dongle for SDR use. Do not install the drivers that come with the dongle. The drivers needed are in Zadig. A good site to help you through this process is : http://www.rtl-sdr.com/rtl-sdr-quick-start-guide/ Once this is done you will need a program to control your SDR. I use SDR # (SDR Sharp). Their website is : http://sdrsharp.com/ There are other options as well. I have found SDR # works well, and allows for some extended capabilities. A list of plug ins for SDR# can be found here : http://www.rtl-sdr.com/sdrsharp-plugins/ This includes plug ins to allow functioning as a scanner, trunk tracking, signal meter, ctcss detection, ADSB, and more. You will have to do some fine tuning of the SDR the first time to get it tuned exactly on frequency. Getting things set up does take some work, and knowledge of computers. I found that setting up the scanner plug in took some time. Some of the settings that needed to be adjusted were not very intuitive to me. But, once I got that set up right, I was very happy with the results. The same is true for most plug ins. They may require some editing of a config file, and placing of a file or dll into the SDR # folder. I have grown to like using this setup so much that the antenna has been disconnected from my Pro-2006. That old radio was my main logging radio, and decoding radio. This SDR has now become my radio for some simple scanning, logging, fire tone decoding, control channel decoding, and more. I find this set up much more convenient to use, as there are no more audio patch cables, no need for a discriminator tap, and the SDR dongle takes up no space on the shack desk. I have plugged into the antennas outside with good results. The RF gain allows me to get a better signal in some cases, better than I was able to get with the Pro-2006. Cranking up the RF gain also has some issues, as the front end can overload, and will produce images if turned up too far. Listening to FM radio is very nice. You get stereo sound and SDR # also decodes the Radio Broadcast Data System (RBDS) information, displaying station, and song playing. The waterfall display and spectrum analyzer display is very nice. You can see 2mhz of spectrum at a time. You can click on the waterfall and tune that signal instantly. I have really only scratched the surface of its capabilities, and plan to use it for more activities, such as

ABSD. ADSB receivers are much more expensive than what these dongles cost. There is software out there that allows for decoding of digital transmissions. DSD Plus will allow decoding of P25, DMR (MotoTrbo), NXDN (Nexedg), and more. The software is free to download. This also takes some additional installs and the need for an additional dll. For less than $20 you could put together a digital capable receiver. I have used mine on my netbook. I had some very choppy sound while listening to FM radio. This can be resolved by decreasing the sample rate. Decreasing the sample rate will decrease the amount of spectrum shown at a time. Also decreasing the resolution of the waterfall decreases the amount of CPU usage and allows for better sound on the netbook. There are more in depth sites and more information can be found by searching on the internet. MASSACHUSETTES Peter Szerlag [email protected] The 2014 Boston Marathon will have over 3,000 police officers assigned for security duty. It is unknown if there will be any major changes to the radio communications setups. Recently radio traffic was heard on 473.6625. This is the input channel to the T PD repeater on 470.6625. I guess we can assume that at least 1 Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ("MBTA" or "T") Police Department unit still uses a UHF radio (as opposed to using the new 800 Mhz TRS utilized by the T buses and subways). March 10 2014 - 453.10 R - Boston CMED ran their daily radio check on the BAMA channel at 845 AM. Stations called were : Action, American, AMR, Armstrong, Brewster, Cataldo, Eascare, Fallon, Lifeline, McCall, Professional. "Boston CMED" identifies as "Boston", "CMED", or "Boston CMED". The CMED dispatcher was having trouble receiving some of the private ambulance companies, and was heard to say - "Key up, wait a second, then talk, otherwise I cannot hear you". Trinity Ambulance in Lowell and Worcester LifeFlight are still both operating on 155.16. Unknown why. Boston CMED has been heard assigning new channels for ambulance to hospital communications. Examples - Med 72 to Milton Hospital - Med 52 to Cambridge Hospital - etc Cambridge has reportedly completely converted their 800 MHz TRS to P25 operations. In addition, 472.8625 has been broadcasting P25 traffic from the Pro Amb talkgroup. 471.3125 is still carrying analog traffic from CFD main TG.


470.3125 is still carrying analog traffic from CPD main TG. 482.2875 is still carrying analog traffic from a CFD FG TG. (Actually - as of March 11, 2014 470.3125 seems to be a low volume digital noise that runs almost constantly - with analog audio from CPD Ch1 at times) 151.145 R - recent traffic - "Wachusetts 2 from Leominster 1" – these are State Forest or State Park units using the repeater on Mount Wachusetts. This channel is also used by State wildfire units, and local government fire and ambulance task force leaders. 154.055 R - Groton EMS - "426" is the dispatchers ID. 33.66 - still used as a paging channel by Carlisle FD - "KCF311 to any available firefighter, call in by phone" 154.43 - "KCF415" or "415" is the dispatchers ID - this is the SWNH Dispatch Center located in Keene NH. They were heard paging out the Deerfield Valley Rescue in Vermont to assist in a search for 3 lost hikers in the Town of Somerset. "Operate on Tac 5" was the radio channel assignment that was broadcast by 415. Possibly this incident happened on the Green Mountain National Forest. Interesting item - Boston holds radio license WQHR375 for several MetroFire radio channels. 470.1375 and 470.1875 are licensed for 10 mobiles at 30 watts each. 473.1375 and 473.1875 are licensed for 2,500 mobiles at 30 watts each. These are apparently the Metro Fire Silver and MetroFire Orange channels. Does anyone have any insight as to how these freqs are used? Lexington DPW is no longer heard on 158.82. Anyone know where they went to? Weston FD field units are no longer heard on 154.16. Just the dispatcher is heard now. Boston Police all channels announcements are still heard on 158.910 but they are not heard on 460.275. Some "all channel announcements" are also heard on 470.9875 R (the BAPERN Central police mutual aid channel). That's all we have for now. Take care and good listening. Peter Sz NEW HAMPSHIRE John Bolduc [email protected]


MAINE Loren Fields [email protected]


SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK Phil Lichtenberger

c/o Monitor Long Island, Inc. PO Box 1642

North Massapequa, NY 11758 [email protected]

No Column for this Issue CANADA John Leonardelli - VE3IPS [email protected] Hello Canadian Scanner Enthusiasts. This month’s column will look at Air Ambulance services from a national perspective.

Alberta and Saskatchewan The Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS) is a non-profit helicopter air ambulance organization funded by individual donors, service groups, corporate donors and government contributions. STARS provides rapid and specialized emergency care and transportation for critically ill and injured patients. They are under contract to provide provincial air ambulance services. STARS operates from bases in Alberta: Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie. In Saskatchewan: Regina, Saskatoon and in Manitoba: Winnipeg.

1 Hour and 2 Hour response bands


Calgary Base 422.5500 85.4 CTSS Main Repeater 422.6250 85.4 CTSS Porcupine Hills Repeater 458.0875 141.3 CTSS On Scene Communications 469.1125 Simplex. 156.9150 Simplex Edmonton Base 422.6250 123.0 CTSS Main Repeater 469.1125 Simplex 156.9150 Simplex Grande Prairie Base 422.5500 123.0 CTSS Main Repeater 469.1125 Simplex 156.9150 Simplex These may be worth putting into your scanner bank as well. 411.6375----EMS (STARS AIR - SHARED) 411.7375----EMS (STARS AIR - SHARED)

155.2500----EMS (STARS AIR - PROVINCIAL CHANNEL - CALGARY CHERES)

STARS AW139s Helicopter

Fox Flight Air Ambulance They are a private service provider of reliable and safe medical transport with offices in Edmonton, Calgary and Toronto.

British Columbia BC Ambulance Service - Air Ambulance Program

158.76000 Air Ambulance Dispatch (Also used for Interop with Alberta) 123.0 PL 130.27500 BC Ambulance Service Fixed Wing Aircraft Vancouver Base


Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS) Eastern BC (East Kootenay) 422.550/427.550 and 156.915 Helijet - operated for British Columbia Ambulance Service Helijet is proud to be one of the largest providers of Air Medical services in Western Canada.

Based at Vancouver International Airport and Prince Rupert-Seal Cove, Helijet Air Medical is contracted to operate Air Ambulance Sikorsky S76 helicopters on behalf of the BC Air Ambulance Services. In partnership with Lifesupport Patient Transport, a leading independent Air Medical provider, a Lear Jet 31A is also available on an air medical charter basis.

Add 130.050 and 131.250 to your scanner memory banks

Life Flight International Inc. Worldwide Air Ambulance Services

As well as private medevac, their aircraft is utilized by B.C. Ambulance Service to do inter-hospital transfers around the Province of British Columbia. They use a Lear Jet 36 for medevac transport.


Manitoba

Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS) is managed out of Calgary, Alberta and resides on the provincial Motorola Type II Smart Zone Fleetnet service

Winnipeg MTS FleetNet Motorola Type II Smart Zone SYSID SITE NAME COUNTY 4032 013(D) WPS NORTH Winnipeg FREQ 866.0375c 866.5625 866.1125a 866.6375 866.1875 866.7125 866.2625 866.3375 866.4125 866.4875

SYSID SITE NAME COUNTY 4032 014(E) WPS Trizec Winnipeg FREQ 866.0625a 866.6625 866.1375c 866.7375 866.2125 866.8125 866.2875 866.3625 866.4375 866.5875 SYSID SITE NAME COUNTY 4032 015(F) WPS South Winnipeg FREQ 866.0875c 866.6125 866.1625a 866.1625a 866.8125 866.2375 866.3125 866.3875 866.4625 866.5375 SYSID SITE NAME COUNTY 4032 049(31) Winnipeg Trizec Winnipeg FREQ 854.8125 856.6125 859.2125 860.8625 856.0625 856.8625 860.1125 860.9625 855.3125 857.1125 860.2125 861.1125 855.5625 858.2125 860.3625 861.2125 856.8125 858.4625 860.4625 856.1125c 858.7125 860.6125 856.3625a 858.9625 860.7125 DEC ALPHA TAG DESCRIPTION 19984 STARSLifeflight STARS - Lifeflight 29504 Aeromed Perimeter Aeromed Air Ambulance 1168 CritiCare 1 Criti-Care Ambulance 1 1744 CritiCare 2 Criti-Care Ambulance 2 20816 CritiCare 3 Criti-Care Ambulance 3 15408 Split Lake Ambulance 21712 A16 MOB DISP Winnipeg Ambulance Portable Dispatch 21680 Winnipeg Ambulance Mobile Dispatch


New Brunswick and Nova Scotia

LifeFlight

System Name: Aliant Trunked Mobile Radio System (TMRS) Location: Province-Wide, NS NB County: 2 counties System Type: Motorola Type II Smart Zone Omnlink System Voice: Analog & APCO-25 Common Air Interface Last Updated: Jan 28, 2014 (Updated Talk Groups (7)) SYSID SITE NAME COUNTY 6939 040(28) Preston (PRESTN) Halifax FREQ 859.9875 861.7375 860.2375c 861.9875 860.4875a 862.2375 860.7375 SYSID SITE NAME COUNTY 6939 003(3) Amherst Cumberland FREQ 861.3625c 861.6125a 861.8625 862.1125 Also check out 867.0625 and 159.27 as it’s a reported simplex frequency. The Helicopter Call Sign is GIMN Medevac

Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Air Ambulance Program

Provincial Airlines (PAL) is a regional airline with headquarters at St. John's International Airport in St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It operates scheduled passenger, cargo, air ambulance and charter services. PAL is the commercial arm of Provincial Aerospace Ltd. In addition to its head office, it also has offices in Halifax, Nova Scotia (Halifax Stanfield International Airport) and Goose Bay, Labrador, (CFB Goose Bay). PAL is the largest regional airline operator in Eastern Canada.

They use Citation 550 Medevac airplanes and their frequency use so far has been elusive.

Northwest Territories (Nunavut) Advanced Medical Solutions - Medic North AMS provides medical teams for all medevac missions in the Northwest Territories. Medevac services are delivered through business partnerships under contract with the NWT Department of Health and Social Services. Medical teams are provided by Advanced Medical Solutions, while aircraft and flight crews are provided by Air Tindi in Yellowknife and Aklak Air in Inuvik.


Medic North - Yellowknife Aqsaqniq Airways Ltd has been selected by the Government of Nunavut to supply air ambulance services in the Kitikmeot Region. The service will be provided along with Medic North Nunavut, a majority Inuit-owned partnership between the Kitikmeot Corporation and Advanced Medical Solutions Inc (formerly Medic North Emergency Services Ltd). 129.275 MHz AM Mode

Part 2 will appear in Issue 67.

John EASTERN PA Steve Bower, Jr. [email protected] Welcome to this edition of the Scanner Digest, been very busy this winter and have the feeling spring and summer will be as well here in the Beautiful Pocono Mountains. Few months ago needed to replace my previous scanner, went to Radio Shack which was mistake number one. The clerk seemed to be somewhat knowledgeable of scanners. When checking inventory none were in stock except the base unit on display and a two week back order list for orders placed. The clerk did a check of local stores and found one 45 minutes away as a display item.

The catalog Number # 20-164 Triple Trunking scanner. The clerk requested the scanner be delivered to my local store, about two weeks later get the phone call of the scanner ready be picked up. At the $189.00 sale price, not much changed on the unit in matter of fact things were worse. Trying to search mostly UHF and 800 MHz band noticed the frequencies were off. For example the True frequency is 462.4000 but in order to monitor the frequency properly you had to offset the frequency to 462.40625. Even the local 800 MHz truck system was not working, after played around same went for that band as well for say 852.4000 you needed to have in 852.40625. Checked around social media sites and found this to be a problem with the unit, Radio Shack would only repair the item if paid to have it fix no warranty? Cost could exceed $100.00. This point im living with the offset but very disappointed!! Logical Trunking Radio systems seem to be the new wave of the communications industry for big business operators along with facilities such as casinos and even school districts. Users come and go for unknown reasons, unhappy with service, cost? At my job we operate area wide LTR system encrypted and once in a while we have issues with the site but been very impressed so far. One of my favorite past times is searching the business bands for new users, most facilities are going away from repeater use to dealing with simplex operations which does not always cover the need for the customer. Friend of mine asked for assistance in local hotel two complex’s 3 floors using simplex operation and asked why the units on 3rd floor can’t even pick up front desk most of the time. I gave a few suggestions such as getting base unit for the front desk areas for cheaper fix or repeater. It’s been a few weeks and since questioned about prices of units but nothing else done at this time and cost sure is the name of the game although business sometimes need think about safety of employees as well. Come next column will have more frequencies which were obtained over the wintery months. Be safe and take care. Steve


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issue 66 oct-nov-dec 2013 - scanner digest newsletterwith that in mind let's take a look at the...

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