Wilkes County 154.725 (151.4 PL)

[GTR8000]

Picking up what sounded like a repeater on 154.725 with a PL of 151.4 from up here in the NYC metro area. Googled the roads and landmarks they were talking about (Rt 421, Champion - Mt Pleasant Rd, Mt Zion Rd, etc) and it came back to just outside Wilkesboro.

The listing for Wilkes County is showing 154.725 as a simplex tact channel with no PL. Is that inaccurate? This was definitely a repeater I was hearing and the PL was definitely 151.4. In fact, we have a PD repeater up here in Rockland County NY that is the exact same frequency/PL, which is how I heard it to begin with. I was surprised to hear southern accents and foreign road names coming over it! :lol:

 

[kd8x]

Picking up what sounded like a repeater on 154.725 with a PL of 151.4 from up here in the NYC metro area. Googled the roads and landmarks they were talking about (Rt 421, Champion - Mt Pleasant Rd, Mt Zion Rd, etc) and it came back to just outside Wilkesboro.

The listing for Wilkes County is showing 154.725 as a simplex tact channel with no PL. Is that inaccurate? This was definitely a repeater I was hearing and the PL was definitely 151.4. In fact, we have a PD repeater up here in Rockland County NY that is the exact same frequency/PL, which is how I heard it to begin with. I was surprised to hear southern accents and foreign road names coming over it! :lol:

That is the frequency that I have stored here although without the PL tone. I don't think I have ever gotten a hit on it but I am about 70 miles away...

 

[GTR8000]

Yeah go figure, I'm 500 miles away hearing it loud and clear and you're having trouble from only 70 miles out. Radio waves can be so cruel sometimes.

Well hopefully one of the locals sees this thread and can confirm that they're using 151.4 and/or a repeater. If the RR is accurate that it's simplex and CSQ, then something really doesn't make sense based on what I was hearing last night.

 

[afdengine3]

You were probably hearing the Haywood County, NC Sheriff's Office Dispatch frequency. They are not too far from Wilkes.
154.72500 WPKT477 RM 151.4 PL 2 Sheriff Dispatch-Crabtree Bald site (Western Part County)

There must be some good ducting going on. The Transylvania County Fire Dispatch repeater is picking up a fire dispatch channel form the Boston area this AM very strongly. The repeater input is 151.040.

Hope this helps.
Chris

 

[GTR8000]

No, it was definitely in Wilkes County. Every single road they mentioned matched up to just about 5 miles west of North Wilkesboro along Rt 421, including the mention of Rt 421 itself. Also, this wasn't a dispatch frequency, it was a tactical channel these guys were on which matches the frequency usage for North Wilkesboro. According to the FCC database, they're not even licensed for 154.725, so it wouldn't be surprising if the RR database is inaccurate and they in fact are running a repeater with 151.4 PL.

The other explanation floating around in my head is much weirder and doesn't make too much sense anyway.

 

[ff026]

I heard it last night too chris, well actually i heard the hetrodyne from it a few times but i really was not paying attention!

 

[Drafin]

I have that freq in my scanner (no sq code) but have it text labeled as North Wilkesboro PD. I am pretty sure that's inaccurate and I normally don't scan that scan list but have activated it just to see if I can catch it. I'm one county away from Wilkes so maybe I can catch something on it. Will keep you posted.

Draf

 

[GTR8000]

Thank, Draf. Here's some of what I recorded of it last night, maybe someone will recognize the unit #'s and such.

http://res6cue.com/audio/skip/20090902_Wilkes_NC_154dot725.mp3

 

[KE4ZNR]

Well let me go ahead and ask something wild & crazy here guys:
When you do get it accurately identified please submit it to the database so that we can make changes (if needed). That is the only way we can
keep the database accurate for future use!
Thanks.
Happy Monitoring!
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[ff026]

it was coming in through the input of Rockland County PD "CountyWide" 159.195

 

[jeffmulter]

Res6cue_dot_com ...

Since you heard some mention of Hwy 421, along with the other locations, I believe that eliminates Haywood County Sheriffs.

I don't believe you heard North Wilkesboro PD comms, for a couple of reasons. You heard a repeater, but no agency in Wilkes County is licensed for 154.725 anymore, much less a repeater on the channel (per F.C.C. ULS).

Although anything is possible with regards to tropo, tropo in the public safety bands - particularly VHF, from my experience - is typically more-common to hear when repeated / rebroadcast by an end user, or a repeater along the signal path.

I knew what you heard when I saw your post this morning, but didn't have time to post a reply before going to work.

Your posting of the MP3 file, which I heard a few minutes ago, quickly confirmed my opinion. Listen to the first rfew seconds ... the mention of Tac 1 and meeting at station. This is a rescue / ems channel.

Go to the RR database for Wilkes County: Wilkes County, North Carolina (NC) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

Look halfway down the first section, and note a rescue tac channel repeater (repeater confirmed in ULS database) on 159.195 MHz. Although no PL tone is noted, it's fair to say - looking at the database listings for Wilkes County - that 151.4 Hz. is used fairly often on the county's channels.

HERE'S WHERE WE TAKE THE LEAP OF FAITH !

I believe, but cannot confirm, that 159.195 is actually Rescue Tac 1, rather than 155.175 listed in the RR database.

The input for the Rockland County PD channel on 154.725 / 151.4 R appears to be 159.195 MHz. Would I be correct that the input tone is 151.4 Hz. ?

If so, I believe you heard Wilkes County Rescue on 159.195 / 151.4 R via the Rockland County PD repeater ... and I congratulate you on the nice catch ! It's catches like that one that will make you go into search mode, looking for more DX to log.

Again, thanks for making the recording. Being able to listen and replay the audio can help ... especially when the modulation is weak.

All the units mentioned on the recordiing were using 89xx unit numbers. According to the N.C. fire station list in the resources section of CAROLINASFIREPAGE.com | The Carolinas Emergency Incident Notification Network , station 89 is Wilkes County Rescue.

 

[jeffmulter]

it was coming in through the input of Rockland County PD "CountyWide" 159.195

I think so.

 

[GTR8000]

I completely overlooked the blatantly obvious which was right in front of my face the entire time! When I ran a search for 159.195, I did it with the PL of 151.4, which obviously would not have shown that entry for Wilkes County Rescue Tact . Even after I knew for certain the signal was originating in Wilkes County based on the information in the transmission, for some reason I didn't bother to look at the rest of the frequencies in the county, otherwise I would've answered my own question in less than a second.

Well, live and learn I suppose. Next time I will certainly do a more thorough and comprehensive search!

And just to confirm, yes the PL for the Rockland County input is 151.4, so it was definitely 159.195 that was hitting the repeater up here. If you guys want to update the Wilkes County database, I think it's safe to say they also use a PL of 151.4 on that frequency.

 

[Drafin]

Can't confirm the PL yet, but certainly can confirm jeffmulter's other deductions that 159.195 is actually Rescue Tac 1, rather than 155.175. Also I do know that Station 89 is indeed Wilkes County Rescue.

Draf

 

[jeffmulter]

Well, live and learn I suppose. Next time I will certainly do a more thorough and comprehensive search!

If you guys want to update the Wilkes County database, I think it's safe to say they also use a PL of 151.4 on that frequency.

Don't smack yourself over the search .... the RR forums are available to help fill in the pieces of the puzzle. If this was Wheel of Fortune, you had all the constanants ... you just needed a vowel or two.

I started monitoring for tropo around 1992-93, while living on the 1st floor of an apartment complex in Charlotte. During the overnights, I would tie a 20-foot PVC mast, with a discone ontop, to a tree away from the building. I'd discreetly take it down at daybreak, until I married and moved in 1997.

I had alot of unidentified loggings after a couple of years in Charlotte, but it was probably 2-3 years before I realized and confirmed that some of them were originating from southern Ga. and northern Florida.

Time, patience, experience and luck are all virtues in this hobby.

Based on the comments in thie thread, I will post an update on a couple of N.C. database entries to the state admins.

Thank you, Drafin, for your comments. I figured you could add to the Wilkes Co info. In a previous job, I used to spend some time monitoring from the Food Lion lot in Hudson, or the former Winn-Dixie at the Ganite Falls crossroads ... the reception towards the northeast, and north into Virginia, was always decent.

 

[KE4ZNR]

This is what RR.com is all about: Teamwork, cooperation, and good old fashioned monitoring.
Great job guys!
Thanks for everyone's contributions!
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[Drafin]

No problem Jeff... I live almost halfway between that old Winn-Dixie (now a Fair-Value store) and the Food Lion.

Just wanted to add that I am actually getting sporadic transmissions on 154.725 with a PL of 186.2.

But it's Valdese PD (one county over the other direction) from the unit numbers I am hearing. I know them to in fact be in the 300s for their unit numbers.

Draf

 

[jeffmulter]

Just wanted to add that I am actually getting sporadic transmissions on 154.725 with a PL of 186.2.

But it's Valdese PD (one county over the other direction) from the unit numbers I am hearing. I know them to in fact be in the 300s for their unit numbers.

Draf

I know the town fairly well. I'll be working over at Old Rock School one day this next week.

Also work your area occasionally ... been up to Sawmills FD, Ebenezer United Methodist Church, and the Mulberry Rec Center in the past couple of weeks. Wouldn't make it back to CLT on those long days without to a couple of X-LG Wilco coffees to go !