Duluth/Statewide Channel?

[Haley]

Hoping someone can help me out. I am going to Duluth(and North Shore area), next week. My wife and I used to go every year, but havent been up that way for about 5 years. We live in Iowa, so I dont have a lot of digital to listen to here. OK, now my main question(s), does Duluth really only have the one control channel for the statewide system? And would the Minneapolis city center system be worth putting in,just driving through on I35? Also, is the NPS(Superior NF) up that way using digital? I will be bringing my Pro-96, and either my 346XT, or 246T for conventional stuff(aerial lift bridge,canal park, and local Railroads). Any help would be appreciated, thanks Mike

[wogggieee]

I can answer the Minneapolis question but not the rest. Yes i would say it would be worth while to put in the city center control channels. That would give you coverage for most of your trip through the metro which should be good for at least an hour depending on traffic.

[Haley]

Thank you for the help! I will put them in. I just had surgery on my dominant arm and hand,so my wife is doing most of the driving. She will be thrilled(that's a little bit of sarcasm). Thanks again, Mike

[blulude2003]

Last time I was up there, which was Sept. 08, pretty much everything was still analog. National Forest, again the last time I heard them they were also still analog.

[Haley]

Thank you for that reply. Like I said I hadn't made it up that way in 5 years,just didn't know how much digital you had, other than the statewide system. Thanks, Mike

[sixtytwo]

I was in Duluth early this year (coooooold & snowy!), no digital anything. All the same freqs that were in use 5 years ago are still in use today. About the only change I can think of is that Gold Cross is now on a repeater, but the freq is still the same (155.280).

Until the ARMER page shows actual TGs, I wouldn't think they have much traffic on the system up there yet.

[MitchS]

I was up there in late May for 2 days and I didn't have my Pro-106 with me but everything was still coming in on my older scanner and it was all VHF. I just called a relative up there and he told me he's still picking everything up that he normally gets on VHF.

[Haley]

Thanks Sixtytwo, and MitchS! I may just take one of my Unidens then. I would think given the terrain up along the lake, that a digital 800MHz system would be terrible for coverage. Thank you again for the info, Mike

[Dak48]

If you are going to be around Duluth, don't forget scanning the marine band. I was up there in 2003 and took my scanner along and discovered lots of marine traffic from Lake Superior.

[Haley]

DAK48,you are right. I enjoy sitting down in Canal park----lots of interesting marine stuff! It is pretty amazing to watch the ships go under the aerial lift bridge. Mike

[Dak48]

I was up by Gooseberry Falls, not much activity on the other services but yes Marine was hoping. It was interesting to listen to, as I had never heard marine traffic before. Even being in the Navy I never heard marine traffic, guess that's what I got for being a Gunners Mate.

[Haley]

We usually kind of wind our way up to Grand Marais, and then back. Gooseberry Falls is a really nice park. Good visitor center also, we always stop there. Lots of nice places to stop along the highway. Mike