173.0000 mhz.

W4UVV · #1 (**permalink**) 07-24-2009, 09:12 AM

Last night at 2130 I heard a P25 signal that appeared to come either from NOVA/MD/DC or Tidewater. I'm not sure as my antennas were pointed east about halfway. I am located about 30 miles south of Richmond.The dispatcher said something to the effect "time for the 2130 roll call". His signal was good and the units checking in may have been HTs as some signals were ok and others not. It appeared to be a simplex operation but I could be wrong. I assume it was a security user on a federal facility. There is no federal/user in my area who uses 173.0000 mhz. IRAC assigns that frequency to Dept. of Energy but that doesn't mean others cannot use it. I checked the MD/DC databases and cannot locate any user for 173.0000 mhz.

Anybody know who this user is possibly in the MD/DC/NOVA area?

Spleen · #2 (**permalink**) 07-24-2009, 04:02 PM

Interesting...I would've thought you'd hear anything BUT voice on 173 MHz these days. Animal tag transmitters, telemetry, etc. "Roll call" definitely sounds like law enforcement or corrections; I know FPS does checks on the half-hour, but unless something has changed around here, they're all in the 400MHz band...

W4UVV · #3 (**permalink**) 07-24-2009, 04:22 PM

One of my knowlegeable nationwide federal user sources I contacted checked his database and has it logged as an unknown federal user with a NAC of 293 he monitored during the last inaugration activities in DC. "North Building" was noted in the comms heard. Best guess it is either the FPS or contract security for one of the govt. buildings in downtown DC. My guess is it is contract security for DOE. Since IRAC assigned 173.0000 mhz. to the Dept. of Energy it may be a DOE building. It is unusual this federal frequency user has not been ided previously and documented on the DC RR database. The signals were quite strong here on ducting so local reception should be no problem in the NOVA/MD/DC areas.

Maybe someone in the area can monitor and can confirm this federal user.

Spleen · #4 (**permalink**) 07-25-2009, 12:24 AM

I can leave the Winradio on 173 MHz with Scanner Recorder running while I'm out this weekend, but I probably won't get much, if at all...my poor old ScannerMaster knockoff is oriented East/West because of my immediate Southern proximity to TV Hill in Baltimore, so if it comes from DC it probably won't make it here...

Spleen · #5 (**permalink**) 07-27-2009, 03:03 AM

FYI...received nada over the weekend...

W4UVV · #6 (**permalink**) 07-27-2009, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spleen

FYI...received nada over the weekend...

Tnx/ All indicators point to that as being the subject user.