Canberra - current trunking status?

[grant]

I would appreciate if anyone living in Canberra could check out the 865-870Mhz band and advise what is currently active ?

1. whether the motorola type 2 sites at Isaacs Ridge and Oak Hill are still active. (current data channel noise and active voice) Those frequencies previously identified as Type 2 are noted as such.

2. What TETRA (if any) has been switched on at the listed frequencies. Active TETRA has an unmistakeable WFM electronic hum

3. Are any previous identified motorola type 2 frequencies now transmitting TETRA?

4. If TETRA is active, any clues as to who is using it.


Grant


AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY SITES (ACT)
865.2375 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill - Motorola Type 2
865.2625 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill - Motorola Type 2
865.4125 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge
865.5125 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge - Motorola Type 2
865.6375 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill
865.6625 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge
865.7375 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill - Motorola Type 2
865.7625 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge - Motorola Type 2
865.8875 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill
865.9125 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge
865.9875 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill
866.0125 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge - Motorola Type 2
866.2375 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill - Motorola Type 2
866.2625 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill - Motorola Type 2
866.4125 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge
866.5125 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge - Motorola Type 2
866.6375 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill
866.6625 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge
866.7375 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill - Motorola Type 2
866.8875 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill
866.9125 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge
866.9875 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill
867.0125 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge - Motorola Type 2
867.2375 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill - Motorola Type 2
867.2625 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill - Motorola Type 2
867.4125 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge
867.5125 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge - Motorola Type 2
867.6375 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill
867.6625 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge
867.7375 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill
867.8875 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill
867.9125 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge
867.9875 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill
868.0125 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge - Motorola Type 2
868.2375 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill
868.2625 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill
868.4125 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge
868.5125 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge - Motorola Type 2
868.6375 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill
868.6625 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge
868.7375 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill - Motorola Type 2
868.8875 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill
868.9125 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge
868.9875 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill
869.0125 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge - Motorola Type 2
869.2375 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill - Motorola Type 2
869.2625 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill - Motorola Type 2
869.4125 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge
869.5125 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge - Motorola Type 2
869.6375 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill
869.6625 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge
869.7375 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill - Motorola Type 2
869.8875 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill
869.9125 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Isaacs Ridge
869.9875 - Motorola Smartnet - Tx Oak Hill

[SKEYGEN]

I've not heard any TETRA yet.

As for the 800 systems, at least one of them is still active - I've seen a few people and vehicles around with 800MHz radios.

I'm out of town for a few weeks, but I'll have a listen when I get back to see whats there.

[grant]

Thanks for that
I just can't justify driving 540km on a round trip just to check it out.
Not so bad if i was passing through.
Last time I was down there in about 2003 I spent a whole day scanning off Mt Ainslie (while my friends went to the national gallery)
That scanning option is out these day with the GRN trunking site now plonked on that mountain


Grant

[richardc63]

Originally Posted by grant

Thanks for that
I just can't justify driving 540km on a round trip just to check it out.
Not so bad if i was passing through.
Last time I was down there in about 2003 I spent a whole day scanning off Mt Ainslie (while my friends went to the national gallery)
That scanning option is out these day with the GRN trunking site now plonked on that mountain


Grant

Hi Grant,

I was talking to one of the Big M boys yesterday & he confirmed that there is no TETRA in the ACT. I got the impression there was no plans to do it in the immediate future.

They are putting GRN/TRN at Mt Tennant & a new site at Mt Clear soon... Mt Clear is a spectacular new site down the Monaro Hwy but right on the ACT border.

Cheers,


Richard

[grant]

Hmm Richard

Well those additional frequencies listed in the ACMA must be by way of reserving the frequencies for future expansion.

I am suprised that they have no plans ..... you would think that there would be probably a greater need for TETRA / secure comms in a place like Canberra ... many of the clients would be embassies, government departments and the like, who would otherwise not use analogue trunking (because of lack of voice security).


Grant

[richardc63]

Originally Posted by grant

Hmm Richard

Well those additional frequencies listed in the ACMA must be by way of reserving the frequencies for future expansion.

I am suprised that they have no plans ..... you would think that there would be probably a greater need for TETRA / secure comms in a place like Canberra ... many of the clients would be embassies, government departments and the like, who would otherwise not use analogue trunking (because of lack of voice security).


Grant

Hi Grant,

I think they have a bigger problem right now- getting decent loading in Sydney & Melbourne. I'm told they have had to add far more base sites than they anticipated to achieve decent TETRA coverage.

A few embassies & government departments are not going to recoup the cost to do Canberra. They have the digital TRN they can use encrypted & I'm sure the spooks have their own ways of communicating.

I joked with them about it being "Another Iridium"... they didn't laugh.

Cheers,


Richard

[grant]

The Iridium Satellites have one good purpose ..... they make great "flare stars" (sun shining off the satellite).
You can look up the predictions for your location .... and bingo on cue .... a brilliant "star" appears out of nowhere for maybe 5 secs then disappears
I didn't believe it until i saw one appear 16 degs above the southern horizon as predicted - to - 6 magnitude (brighter than Venus which can attain -4.4 magnitude) for 5 secs.

That's interesting about Sydney and Melbourne.

Grant

[SKEYGEN]

Originally Posted by richardc63

Hi Grant,

I was talking to one of the Big M boys yesterday & he confirmed that there is no TETRA in the ACT. I got the impression there was no plans to do it in the immediate future.

They are putting GRN/TRN at Mt Tennant & a new site at Mt Clear soon... Mt Clear is a spectacular new site down the Monaro Hwy but right on the ACT border.

Cheers,


Richard

The Mt Tennent TRN site is already up - in fact, the gear has been up there for quite some time, but they've been having some kind of drama getting power connected to it.

There is no TETRA here, as far as I can hear. There's nothing in the ACMA database around here licensed with TETRA's emission designator, either.

[SKEYGEN]

Originally Posted by grant

Hmm Richard

Well those additional frequencies listed in the ACMA must be by way of reserving the frequencies for future expansion.

I am suprised that they have no plans ..... you would think that there would be probably a greater need for TETRA / secure comms in a place like Canberra ... many of the clients would be embassies, government departments and the like, who would otherwise not use analogue trunking (because of lack of voice security).


Grant

The people who need secure comms already have it, on their own systems and on the TRN.

Other than the AFP/APS, ACMA etc, there aren't really many Commonwealth two-way radio users around here. We've got lots of government here, but they're mostly administrative people, and all the ACT Government stuff is on the TRN.

[grant]

Originally Posted by SKEYGEN

There is no TETRA here, as far as I can hear. There's nothing in the ACMA database around here licensed with TETRA's emission designator, either.

The Bondi Junction TETRA site is using 16K0F3E, according the ACMA.
Just can't stand that wide FM hum it makes.

As for traffic loading, I hear there are very few users .... Cathay Pacifc (Aviation) and some towies are the only two i know of. Hire Cost and distance penetration seem to be live issues.


Grant


PS Good work on the ACTGRN stuff you have collected. You must get unitrunker running for down there

[SKEYGEN]

Originally Posted by grant

The Bondi Junction TETRA site is using 16K0F3E, according the ACMA.
Just can't stand that wide FM hum it makes.

As for traffic loading, I hear there are very few users .... Cathay Pacifc (Aviation) and some towies are the only two i know of. Hire Cost and distance penetration seem to be live issues.


Grant


PS Good work on the ACTGRN stuff you have collected. You must get unitrunker running for down there

No probs.

I have unitrunker running from time to time. The only site I'm within range of (Tuggeranong Hill) is really quiet, with the exception of the parking inspectors, who do more talking than ANY other ACT Government user. The only particularly interesting thing I hear is AB5 (ASNSW air ops), thanks to the Southcare base being within Tuggeranong's coverage footprint.

As for the the trunking stuff, I assume ACMA hasn't processed the emission designator update for those licenses. They get upset when people change to modes with a high interference potential like TDMA modes without being told.