Statewide Low Band channels DPL (or PL)?

[SOFA_KING]

Does the state low band system have a statewide frequency (or two)?

If so, what DPL or PL do they use (if any)?

I looked through all the info on the RR database and notice there was no code listed.

Thanks!

Phil

[SquierStrat]

not sure what you mean by "system" but if you're talking about the 3 mutual aid 39.xx frequencies, there is no standard ctcss/dcs tone. when various departments use one of those frequencies to page fire or medical, sometimes a ctcss tone will come up. but when say 1 county dispatcher is talking to another county dispatcher, there is no tone.

you visiting nebraska soon?

[W0JJK]

He is asking about the State Patrol 42.18, 42.30. 42.28 Mhz mobile channels.

I have only seen a mobile DPL in Omaha on 42.18 Mhz of 032.

[SOFA_KING]

Originally Posted by W0JJK

He is asking about the State Patrol 42.18, 42.30. 42.28 Mhz mobile channels.

I have only seen a mobile DPL in Omaha on 42.18 Mhz of 032.

Yes, State Patrol. Thanks.

The RR Database has 42.02 listed as statewide car to car, but no DPL or PL is listed. How do they use this channel? Do they use this channel?? No tone or code???

Also, I saw a listing for 42.20 as "Investigations" with no code or tone. They must use some form of PL/DPL, no?

Most state agencies have a statewide channel of some sort so all troops can talk to other troops no matter where they are. Maybe they have all the channels available in the radio. How does this system work? Please give me some details!

Phil

[cellphone]

The DB is a little confusing and I will make the changes in the coming weeks. To see the whole picture, you must unhide input frequencies if you have then hidden. The “Frequency” is Base to Car. The “Input” is Car to Base.

The most common mobile to mobile freqs are 42.040 and 42.200. The 2 others listed in the DB (45.750 and 45.820) are rarely used, but still worth programming. In order to hear these, do not program them with a DPL. It depends how the user has the channel selected determines if it will transmit a tone. The radios have a setting to make it quick to change between the tower and mobile-to-mobile channels. If the officer is utilizing this, it will transmit the tone of the tower that he has selected to utilize this quick change feature. It is about 50/50 on if they will transmit tones on the mobile-to-mobile freqs.

I suggest programming all NSP frequencies in search mode and just use the DPL shown as a reference to what tower they are using. Some of the dispatch channels do not transmit DPL (Omaha and Giltner are examples).

[wb0qqk]

Just curious Phil, but why is it necessary to for someone living in SE Florida to know the
PL/DPL tones for a simplex, low band public safety frequency in Nebraska?

[Chauffeur6]

Originally Posted by wb0qqk

Just curious Phil, but why is it necessary to for someone living in SE Florida to know the
PL/DPL tones for a simplex, low band public safety frequency in Nebraska?

Ever hear of a thing called "skip"?

DXing Above 30 Mhz - The RadioReference Wiki

Phil has put together a really nice file to help people identify low band skip they might pick up, which is why he's trying to gather accurate info from local listeners. Hopefully this will put you at ease and you can relax now, knowing he's not up to anything sinister with your state's low band frequencies.

FREE Low Band Skip File for GRE PSR 500/600 PRO-197/106!

Keep up the good work, Phil.

[wb0qqk]

Originally Posted by res6cue_dot_com

Ever hear of a thing called "skip"?
DXing Above 30 Mhz - The RadioReference Wiki
Phil has put together a really nice file to help people identify low band skip they might pick up, which is why he's trying to gather accurate info from local listeners. Hopefully this will put you at ease and you can relax now, knowing he's not up to anything sinister with your state's low band frequencies.
FREE Low Band Skip File for GRE PSR 500/600 PRO-197/106!
Keep up the good work, Phil.

Yes, having been an amateur radio operator for 34 years I've heard of "skip."
I just asked a question of Phil and I would appreciate an answer from him.
Are you his attorney or is he incapable of responding?

[Chauffeur6]

I'm sure he's perfectly capable of responding. I just happened across your post and didn't much care for the tone of it, so I replied. Congratulations on being an amateur operator for 34 years, but I don't believe that makes you the guardian of Nebraska's low band public safety frequencies, now does it? If you don't have any additional information for Phil besides what the other friendly Nebraskans in this thread have offered, what was the point of posting in what came across as a suspicious tone? People need to take the paranoia down a few notches.

[wb0qqk]

Originally Posted by res6cue_dot_com

I'm sure he's perfectly capable of responding. I just happened across your post and didn't much care for the tone of it, so I replied. Congratulations on being an amateur operator for 34 years, but I don't believe that makes you the guardian of Nebraska's low band public safety frequencies, now does it? If you don't have any additional information for Phil besides what the other friendly Nebraskans in this thread have offered, what was the point of posting in what came across as a suspicious tone? People need to take the paranoia down a few notches.

I asked what I thought was a valid question and it was directed to Phil, not you. Your reply was not solicited as I did not pose it to the forum. It's been my experience that whenever someone responds
to a question in a surly manner, as you have; that perhaps there is a surreptitious motive. I have no
doubt that investigators from the Nebraska State Patrol monitor the postings here. You have probably piqued their interest. Good job.

[Chauffeur6]

Originally Posted by wb0qqk

I asked what I thought was a valid question and it was directed to Phil, not you. Your reply was not solicited as I did not pose it to the forum. It's been my experience that whenever someone responds to a question in a surly manner, as you have; that perhaps there is a surreptitious motive. I have no doubt that investigators from the Nebraska State Patrol monitor the postings here. You have probably piqued their interest. Good job.

LOL sure pal, whatever you say!! Anytime the Nebraska State Police want to travel halfway across the country to knock on my firehouse door for a chat, they're more than welcome! Wow, let's get out the tin foil hats, why don't we! Try taking things a little less seriously, ok? Thanks.

[Chauffeur6]

I just realized you're a cop. That explains a lot. Seriously though, relax, no need to get bent out of shape just because some guy from Florida wants to put together a harmless low band skip search list, he wasn't up to anything "surreptitious". And to imply that I am because I posted here? Ridiculous, truly. Why are cops always treating everyone like they're about to commit a crime? Are you really that jaded and cynical to be suspicious constantly?

[SquierStrat]

Originally Posted by cellphone

I suggest programming all NSP frequencies in search mode and just use the DPL shown as a reference to what tower they are using. Some of the dispatch channels do not transmit DPL (Omaha and Giltner are examples).

thats the best idea..... cuz it is true, some dispatch towers dont use a DPL tone (even though the database will tell you differently)

the "talk around" frequencies (42.040, 42.2, etc) do not use tones whatsoever. At least they dont in troop A for at least the last 3 years

[W0JJK]

It won't matter anyway, the NSP will be going trunked VHF this year and early next year. Already started in the Panhandle. Finally the Motorola X9000 and Pac R/T's can go to auction.

[SOFA_KING]

Originally Posted by cellphone

The DB is a little confusing and I will make the changes in the coming weeks. To see the whole picture, you must unhide input frequencies if you have then hidden. The “Frequency” is Base to Car. The “Input” is Car to Base.

The most common mobile to mobile freqs are 42.040 and 42.200. The 2 others listed in the DB (45.750 and 45.820) are rarely used, but still worth programming. In order to hear these, do not program them with a DPL. It depends how the user has the channel selected determines if it will transmit a tone. The radios have a setting to make it quick to change between the tower and mobile-to-mobile channels. If the officer is utilizing this, it will transmit the tone of the tower that he has selected to utilize this quick change feature. It is about 50/50 on if they will transmit tones on the mobile-to-mobile freqs.

I suggest programming all NSP frequencies in search mode and just use the DPL shown as a reference to what tower they are using. Some of the dispatch channels do not transmit DPL (Omaha and Giltner are examples).

Great info, cellphone. Thank you. And thank you, res6cue. Yes, that is why I'm asking. The file I posted over on the RR Skip Forum is just for listening to and IDing what you are hearing on low band during band openings. I went through each low band state and created a scan list for each for use with the latest line of GRE scanners (saved as a Win500 file format). I use the PL or DPL to filter and identify the state and location. Even though most states use coded squelch, some (very few) do not and some even use the same tones on the same freqs (MO and NC for example...bad planning). The idea is to let the scanner do the lookup for you by putting in all the RR Database info into the programming. It works! And it is neat to see how the skip moves around the (remaining) low band states. I'm sorry to see so many states leave low band. All you ever hear about these days is trunking. I do NOT like trunking. Way too expensive and if up on 700/800 has poor range. Plus you get locked into "trunkland" and CAN'T do simplex without loosing contact with your dispatcher. Cross band links are the way to go for interops...not trunking...and it is MUCH cheaper.

So if I want to hear the mobiles I would have to program CSQ on thise freqs for the most part. I guess I will pass on those because the idea is to filter what you are hearing and opening the squelch will allow too much to come through. After examining the reuse of the low band frequencies, I can see many potential inteference issues. Better planning could have minimized that. Oh well. I got the answer I needed. Thanks again!

Phil

[wb0qqk]

Originally Posted by res6cue_dot_com

I just realized you're a cop. That explains a lot. Seriously though, relax, no need to get bent out of shape just because some guy from Florida wants to put together a harmless low band skip search list, he wasn't up to anything "surreptitious". And to imply that I am because I posted here? Ridiculous, truly. Why are cops always treating everyone like they're about to commit a crime? Are you really that jaded and cynical to be suspicious constantly?

Being suspicious has kept me alive. If you're not in law enforcement, then you wouldn't understand.
If I had suspicions about Phil's motive, I certainly wouldn't have asked him in a public forum. A link
to this thread would have been forwarded to the agency in question and we wouldn't be exchanging
comments and accusations.

Seriously though, you're being judgemental. If someone in Nebraska or one of the bording states
would have asked the question, I wouldn't have thought twice. I couldn't understand why a forum
member in Florida would want to know about PL/DPL tones used on a NSP frequency and why
they would be of interest, so that's why I asked. The frequency in question was licensed in the
mid-70's for the use by their investigators. At the time, there were no base stations as it was used
solely for car to car or portable to portable communications. As a rule, investigators didn't use their
call signs or 10-codes. PL/DPL was used to reduce skip interference. A typical transmission went
like this: "127, mark just took an r-bender at the ruby and is headed towards the sun."

Since the advent of cellular push to talk service, there probably hasn't been a transmission like
that on that freq in the last 5 years. My guess is that it may have limited use in a few areas where
there is no cellular service. Welcome to the NSP radio system and good luck on your DX expidition.

[SOFA_KING]

Thanks, wb0qqk.

Phil

[Dak48]

Originally Posted by wb0qqk

Being suspicious has kept me alive. If you're not in law enforcement, then you wouldn't understand.
If I had suspicions about Phil's motive, I certainly wouldn't have asked him in a public forum. A link
to this thread would have been forwarded to the agency in question and we wouldn't be exchanging
comments and accusations.

Seriously though, you're being judgemental. If someone in Nebraska or one of the bording states
would have asked the question, I wouldn't have thought twice. I couldn't understand why a forum
member in Florida would want to know about PL/DPL tones used on a NSP frequency and why
they would be of interest, so that's why I asked. The frequency in question was licensed in the
mid-70's for the use by their investigators. At the time, there were no base stations as it was used
solely for car to car or portable to portable communications. As a rule, investigators didn't use their
call signs or 10-codes. PL/DPL was used to reduce skip interference. A typical transmission went
like this: "127, mark just took an r-bender at the ruby and is headed towards the sun."

Since the advent of cellular push to talk service, there probably hasn't been a transmission like
that on that freq in the last 5 years. My guess is that it may have limited use in a few areas where
there is no cellular service. Welcome to the NSP radio system and good luck on your DX expidition.

Was this the frequency (42.2 I think) they used in the early '80s where you might have heard something like "170 to the hole.."?

I haven't heard any thing on the ISO freq's for some time, though the other day I did catch traffic on ENFORCE (is it Enforce or should it be Nforce? I seem to recall it being labled Nforce somwhere).

[wb0qqk]

Originally Posted by SOFA_KING

Thanks, wb0qqk.

Phil

No problem, Phil. Low band traffic has greatly diminished when compared to the day when I first
started on the job. About 75% of the local, county & state public safety agencies were on 39.9 mHz.
It was quite a relief when the VFD's went to 39.98 for fire & 39.82 for rescue. The department I work
for, migrated to a two-frequency voted UHF system in 1975, but maintained 39.9 until we merged
with all of the other entities in the county on a consolidated 800 mHz. trunked system in 1995.

With the advent of the state-wide VHF system, low band public safety traffic coming out of Nebraska
will indeed be rare DX in the near future.

[wb0qqk]

Originally Posted by Dak48

Was this the frequency (42.2 I think) they used in the early '80s where you might have heard something like "170 to the hole.."?

I haven't heard any thing on the ISO freq's for some time, though the other day I did catch traffic on ENFORCE (is it Enforce or should it be Nforce? I seem to recall it being labled Nforce somwhere).

That would be correct. "The hole" was a code for the off-site location where agents and officers assigned
to the multi-agency drug taskforce operated from. The Omaha office was located near 132nd & 'L' Street
and is no longer in operation since the building of the new FBI Field Office. I was on the taskforce grant
and site selection committee(s) in 1987-88 when we obtained the state and federal funding which was
administered through the Nebraska Crime Commission for the off-site.