380mhz?

[SKYNET156]

I am wondering if there are any Non trunked or conventional users of the 380mhz band, and who?
does anyone have any freqs of active 380mhz?

[ChrisP]

Originally Posted by SKYNET156

I am wondering if there are any Non trunked or conventional users of the 380mhz band, and who?
does anyone have any freqs of active 380mhz?

Yes there are. The 380 to 400 MHz spectrum is allocated to the Department of the Defense, so the users should be military, or military related.

I have confirmed about 8 simplex, conventional P-25 frequencies in use here at the Portland Air National Guard base by the 142nd Fight Wing for not only security, but flight line and other base operations. And once they switched to these 380 MHz frequencies from the old 407 & 413 MHz channels, they've been almost 100% encrypted.

If you are seeking DIA, CID or other investigative agencies using these frequencies, just keep searching and see. I have heard no specific reports of the DoD using this band off-base for law enforcement work but it's entirely possible.

- Chris

[SKYNET156]

I live in NYC, and i travel down to CT once a month, and i am looking to see if i can grab anything around that area, I know in CT they have a ANG base in Orange CT, I am not sure if the USCG falls under DoD use?
Will an Uniden 396 be able to pick up and scan 380mhz?

[ChrisP]

Originally Posted by SKYNET156

I live in NYC, and i travel down to CT once a month, and i am looking to see if i can grab anything around that area, I know in CT they have a ANG base in Orange CT, I am not sure if the USCG falls under DoD use?
Will an Uniden 396 be able to pick up and scan 380mhz?

Yes, the 386 does just fine in that band. I always keep the 380-400 MHz search running when I am sweeping the spectrum for new stuff. You never know when you might come across some activity. I have not heard of the CG using the 380-400 band for land-mobile use, but they might, although they have plenty of VHF & 406-420 allocations that they can and do use.

Down to CT? I thought CT was "up" from NYC? :-)

- Chris

[SKYNET156]

Up or down, which ever way i happen to be pointing...lol...i know that alot of the 380mhz is trunked military, I know that a Military base is being built sometime soon in middletown, CT, I am not sure if a trunking system is in the plans?
But i know that all the Military Bases are going down from 400mhz to 380mhz, and i am not sure if you know, but i have seen that the orange ANG is in the 40mhz range, I haven't heard anything from that though, So i am not sure if they have any plans to go 380mhz?
I will check into 380mhz when i get my 396 back.

[ChrisP]

Originally Posted by SKYNET156

But i know that all the Military Bases are going down from 400mhz to 380mhz, and i am not sure if you know, but i have seen that the orange ANG is in the 40mhz range, I haven't heard anything from that though, So i am not sure if they have any plans to go 380mhz?
I will check into 380mhz when i get my 396 back.

The theory was that the new 380 MHz allocations would eventually move the DoD out of the federal UHF 406-420, but the move seems to be slow. New 380 MHz trunked and conventional uses show up at military bases now, but some are hanging on to the 400 MHz stuff as well. The VHF lo-band is still in use by much of the military, so don't forget to search that out too!

- Chris

[georgew0819]

Originally Posted by ChrisP

The theory was that the new 380 MHz allocations would eventually move the DoD out of the federal UHF 406-420, but the move seems to be slow. New 380 MHz trunked and conventional uses show up at military bases now, but some are hanging on to the 400 MHz stuff as well. The VHF lo-band is still in use by much of the military, so don't forget to search that out too!

- Chris

Slow isn't even close to to describing how long the change over is taking. For over 3 years now we've been told about the change to 380Mhz-400Mhz for the various Navy bases. Southeast and Gulf Coast regions are making the change already but in CT and RI we've yet to do so.

We did however go from having an moto astra on the desk and 2 old fire stations to one new station with a Centrecom system with multiple bands and P25 which allows us to talk with our civilian counterparts. And we can even patch the various frequencies now bringing us from the 60's to maybe the early 21st century.

Maybe if I'm lucky I just might see the final change over before I retire in 2018....

[ff-medic]

Originally Posted by SKYNET156

Up or down, which ever way i happen to be pointing...lol...i know that alot of the 380mhz is trunked military, I know that a Military base is being built sometime soon in middletown, CT, I am not sure if a trunking system is in the plans?
But i know that all the Military Bases are going down from 400mhz to 380mhz, and i am not sure if you know, but i have seen that the orange ANG is in the 40mhz range, I haven't heard anything from that though, So i am not sure if they have any plans to go 380mhz?
I will check into 380mhz when i get my 396 back.

I can talk from experience.

Most of the "Army" is still using the 400 mhz band as primary. Some maintenance, and most especially aircraft units use low band. Some of the older installations ( Depots &ect ) are still using the 163 to about 165 mhz freqs, but they are all encrypted - Motorola radio systems.

UHF seems to be the militarys commo band. With most in hilly, mountanous regions I can understand why. Extreme west - or in the south, where it is flat I can understand wanting to differ, but wuth UHF the Military can do many things. But that does not take away their option to talk on other systems or crossband. Federal funds - budget crunches - Departement inter-operability, I can see " alot" of crossbanding in the near future.

Overseas - Germany - Korea, Army Law Enforcement ( MP's and CID ), have, or had VHF systems. Looking through the database, I see stateside, some are on the 380 mhz radios.

There is no need to restrict a Military installation to one band capability. Terrain - Weather, and other factors prevent this.

FF-Medic !!!!

[SKYNET156]

Originally Posted by ff-medic

I can talk from experience.

Most of the "Army" is still using the 400 mhz band as primary. Some maintenance, and most especially aircraft units use low band. Some of the older installations ( Depots &ect ) are still using the 163 to about 165 mhz freqs, but they are all encrypted - Motorola radio systems.

UHF seems to be the militarys commo band. With most in hilly, mountanous regions I can understand why. Extreme west - or in the south, where it is flat I can understand wanting to differ, but wuth UHF the Military can do many things. But that does not take away their option to talk on other systems or crossband. Federal funds - budget crunches - Departement inter-operability, I can see " alot" of crossbanding in the near future.

Overseas - Germany - Korea, Army Law Enforcement ( MP's and CID ), have, or had VHF systems. Looking through the database, I see stateside, some are on the 380 mhz radios.

There is no need to restrict a Military installation to one band capability. Terrain - Weather, and other factors prevent this.

FF-Medic !!!!

I understand what your saying, it should be an option of safety and a matter of what works for them in their geographical area,
I am just wondering now about the new bases being built, as i stated before, middletown, CT is suspose to be having a weapons facility built within the next few years, and i am wondering when it is built out, if 380mhz was the system they have or are choosing to use for their operations?

[ff-medic]

Originally Posted by SKYNET156

I understand what your saying, it should be an option of safety and a matter of what works for them in their geographical area,
I am just wondering now about the new bases being built, as i stated before, middletown, CT is suspose to be having a weapons facility built within the next few years, and i am wondering when it is built out, if 380mhz was the system they have or are choosing to use for their operations?

I will not say " For sure " , but more than likely it will be 380.

Common history. A new radio band opens up, people want on it. Example = FCC opens up the 700 mhz, the new spectrum opened up for public safety. Why? It would strictly have to be an interagency deal, unless everyon in that region uses it. Common freqs, interdepartment as well as inter-agency, and inter-state freqs are on UHF high band as well as 400 mhz. Dual band / duel up radio systems and pay out the wazoo? Is the FCC going to pay for it? No, they want you to pay them for the licensing. Ridicilous.

163-164-165 mhz, 407, to about 417 has worked well with the military. I would think ( I left military commo some time ago, please bear with me ) that 380 would be ok talking from ground to aircraft ( with proper antenna specs & location. Charleston,WV ANG uses 303 mhz as an operations freq =aircraft to aircraft, and base to aircraft - It works well ), or in the flat / plain regions of the US and overseas - base to base, OK for communication for distance, not interfacility, inter-area use.


Plane crash, here in WV last week ( The Cirrus crash north of Ravenswood,WV ). I heard the DPS mobiles on low band talking to Charleston ( Simplex operation ) - And yes, I know I would hear Charleston DPS dispatch, as it is the dispatch, and about a 300 watt antenna. But, I did not hear the Fire Department tac freq ( simplex ) ,and they are VHF - High band. 42 mhz simplex, versus ?? 153 mhz simplex. See my reason & thinking. Propagation / radio band, should be given severe consideration over some new " Fad " , or what everone else is doing. Sometimes - "sometimes" follow the leader will lead to failure.

Updating, going with the fad, can get costly. No sense in updating if it will not really benefit the agency involved. Communication involves everyone being on the same music ( ?? same freqs, but different pl's ) or on the same band. Multi-casuality incidents, Interstate incidents, incidents confined to a region requiring a multiple and out of area response ( a 3 or 4 county area ), all need to be able to communicate. If not, operations is hindered, and the public who pays for protection is cheated.

Purpose......Purpose.


FF-Medic !!!!

[SKYNET156]

I see the 380mhz band working well for base operations as a trunked system, and 700mhz working well for a trunked system, but i just don't see it working well as long range communications or statewide for that matter,
As you stated, it seems that going with the fad and taxing us to buy $45 million worth of equipment is just not working,
I know that lowband was one of the first bands put into operation when radios hit the market for public safety use, and that worked good until P25 came about and newer XTS radios and things like that, They started to phaze out the lowband equipment, Te only recent radios i have seen outfitted for lowband are HT750's and HT1250's,
But i am not sure if they are encryption capable, So this is why i am suprised that the military still uses them, they want to move to encryption and trunking to protect voice and data communications, but yet they rely on companies such as motorola who tell them that they have to move to 380mhz if they want any help,
I just don't understand why the US Goverment can't just up and develop their own radios and have them built and manufactured to their specs instead on having big /\/\ tell them what will work for them

[ecps92]

Nothing REPORTED in CT for that band, I would suggest a SEARCH and report back what you find.

Don't forget the 137-144, 148-150.8, 162-174, 380-400, 406-420 Bands
and if in New London [457/467 Bands]

Originally Posted by SKYNET156

I live in NYC, and i travel down to CT once a month, and i am looking to see if i can grab anything around that area, I know in CT they have a ANG base in Orange CT, I am not sure if the USCG falls under DoD use?
Will an Uniden 396 be able to pick up and scan 380mhz?

[ecps92]

In Mass we have heard the rumors of 380 TRS at Hanscom for year, and that was back when Hanscom was still VHF Analog. Now Hanscom is VHF P25 and still not 380 TRS

Originally Posted by SKYNET156

I understand what your saying, it should be an option of safety and a matter of what works for them in their geographical area,
I am just wondering now about the new bases being built, as i stated before, middletown, CT is suspose to be having a weapons facility built within the next few years, and i am wondering when it is built out, if 380mhz was the system they have or are choosing to use for their operations?

[DaveNF2G]

The 380 MHz allocation is for fixed and mobile operation in a small geographical area. You won't be hearing any sort of long-range communications there. Think of it as the military's "business" band. Aviation and other field forces will continue to operate in the bands they currently use.

Also, referring to the allocation as being for military "bases" is incorrect. It is for military and related facilities. For example, the Watervliet Arsenal has 4 conventional P25 repeaters in that band.

[CORN]

Ya'll don't feel slighted now. The ANG unit here in Nashville (118th AW) is still VHF (163-165MHz for maint/ground crews and 173.xxxx for Security PD) and analog. Been using this setup since i started scanning (mid-to late '80's). Now thats a dinosaur. Of course they're lucky they still have jobs and planes.