Schoharie CNTY Fire
- Thread starter stagnuts
- Start date
- Status
Thanks for the help. Do you know if they plan on getting the FCC license to be able to turn it back on or no? Just wondering cause it really sucks now not being able to pick up the low band freq while out on a call without having to either carry two radios or my radio and a pager. Thanks again
I have no idea what plans Schoharie County may have... I work for Herkimer County and I noticed the interference while working on a receiver with a service monitor. I listened for awhile and determined the signal was coming from Schoharie County. I researched the FCC database and could not find a license. So I alerted my superiors and phone calls where made and then Schoharie took the signal off the air.
Why would a county government operate a radio system with no license? and just randomly pick a frequency??? I don't know.
Why would a county government operate a radio system with no license? and just randomly pick a frequency??? I don't know.
Because they figure no one would ever question "emergency communications". I do find it somewhat interesting that it was tuned to 153.7625, a fairly new narrowband step. It would be interesting to know what equipment they were using for this crossband repeater, whether it was some hand me down repeater they found cheap, or more likely two CDM's patched together. Who knows, might never find out. And not for anything, and certainly not to condone illegal behavior, but you would think they would've at least had the courtesy to pick a frequency that no one within a hundred or so miles was using?
Thanks for the info. Like I said just a pain in the butt now without it. But it is what it is. Also I'm not so sure that it was the county that set it up. Cause the Moto dealer down here seemed kinda pissed when I went into his shop and asked for it to be programmed into my partners radio. He got all defensive about how I even knew it was out there. So that being said, I'm not sure why they wouldn't go through the correct process to be able to use it to begin with. O well. But thanks for the help.
D
DaveNF2G
Guest
Chauffer6 - How would they know whether it was in use or not? The county folks (in all counties, not just Schoharie) are at the mercy of their frequency coordination bodies and consultants, who do the minimum required to get the license. If you have no plans to get a license, then you don't have to pay your coordinator. That means random choice of "new" frequencies.
I'm not sure I follow, Dave.
The first and main point here is that this frequency wasn't properly licensed, therefore being used illegally. Frequency coordination was clearly a moot point since they never went about it the right way.
Secondly, the point I was trying to make is that if you're going to hijack a frequency to use without going about it the proper and legal way, at least spend a lousy 10 minutes searching the FCC ULS database for active frequencies within a 100 or more mile radius, then pick something that ISN'T licensed in the area. It's not rocket science to run a quick search like that.
Granted, at some point in the future that frequency might well be properly and legally licensed to another local user without the frequency coordinator having a clue it's already in use, albeit illegally. Hence the problem with using a frequency illegally. However the point is that at the very least, don't pick a frequency that is ALREADY in use by a neighboring county. At least be a thief with some honor. :roll:
Oh and if what stagnuts posted is true, it would seem that the local Motorola dealer was aware of this rouge repeater. Allegedly, of course.
The first and main point here is that this frequency wasn't properly licensed, therefore being used illegally. Frequency coordination was clearly a moot point since they never went about it the right way.
Secondly, the point I was trying to make is that if you're going to hijack a frequency to use without going about it the proper and legal way, at least spend a lousy 10 minutes searching the FCC ULS database for active frequencies within a 100 or more mile radius, then pick something that ISN'T licensed in the area. It's not rocket science to run a quick search like that.
Granted, at some point in the future that frequency might well be properly and legally licensed to another local user without the frequency coordinator having a clue it's already in use, albeit illegally. Hence the problem with using a frequency illegally. However the point is that at the very least, don't pick a frequency that is ALREADY in use by a neighboring county. At least be a thief with some honor. :roll:
Oh and if what stagnuts posted is true, it would seem that the local Motorola dealer was aware of this rouge repeater. Allegedly, of course.
D
DaveNF2G
Guest
I understand your points. I'm just saying that the folks who decide things like this tend not to know doodleysquat about radio. If they rely on people who do claim to know something, those people can be talking through their hats. (Or they are pseudo-consultants who ask questions here in the forums and go back with whatever junk info they've collected. LOL.)
chrismol1
P25 TruCking!
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2008
- Messages
- 1,181
You got that right. Seems like whoever setups things like this are clueless and then you see it a month later on Dispatch Magazine - "County loses license" "FCC fines city"
Come on over to some of the yahoo groups - LMR - Motorola User...etc
Every few weeks theres someone whose looking for information on how to do something and then you see their signature in the email and its supposedly some communications consulting firm
I can hear Schoharie County Fire just fine up here in Jefferson County on the mobiles that don't have a receive PL programmed in. The Base radio, clear as day until I reprogrammed it to have the PL in there. Local Moto dealer said there was no fix.
D
DaveNF2G
Guest
There is no "fix" because that is exactly what PL is supposed to do.
The only time I hear them is while using a mobile without the PL.
onsceno
Member
Does anyone have an update on this VHF channel?? Not really looking forward to be stuck again with just low-band when I'm back up that way...
Sounds about right....Theres a radio shop i know programming Boat freqs and in between Boat freqs in some high profile radios...makes for interesting listening during deer season....my favorite was the group that high jacked a 153.xxx forget the rest and now its a control channel for NYSEG.....guess there off to local moto guy to fix that.....And i just check Schoharie KEF700 on line with FCC...No new Highband freqs for Fire...The Sheriff has 154.3175 which was added 11/08.....
radionerd13669
Useless Contributor
Must be a common problem. It is pretty common up here. They pick a freq program the radio and everyone is happy.If you look at the FCC Data Base and compare them to the feqs being used 85% are not lic. and the ones that are belong to others
- Status
