PA DCNR Question

Status
Not open for further replies.

eriepascannist

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 26, 2011
Messages
249
Location
Chautauqua county, NY
I noticed yesterday that the PA DCNR DB page was updated to remove the old "regional" DCNR frequencies (i.e. freqs for district 1, 2, etc.)

Have all communications moved to the new narrowbanded system (and associated TRS talkgroups)? Are the old district freqs done forever or will they still be used intermittently?

Additionally, will Presque Isle SP rangers still use the old freqs of 151.4 and 151.445, or are they on the new narrowbanded/trunked systems?

This whole switchover is confusing me immensely. I haven't heard anything on Erie's listed narrowbanded freq, so I was just curious what others know about this.

Thanks!
 

HM1529

Pennsylvania DB Admin
Database Admin
Joined
Jul 16, 2003
Messages
3,087
Location
West of the Atlantic Ocean
I accidentally deleted the old wideband forestry assignments. They're still in use in some areas, but as of the end of June, all facilities were given the go ahead to start using the new VHF assignments.
The old wideband stuff will be gone by the end of the year, if not sooner.

I will rebuild the table tonight for the old wideband so it is still there while the frequencies are in use. Can't do it now...working.

Recently, I have heard some traffic on old repeaters in eastern PA as well as on some of the new repeaters.
 
Last edited:

eriepascannist

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 26, 2011
Messages
249
Location
Chautauqua county, NY
Benrussellpa: Thank you for the reply. I just wanted to make sure before deleting wideband from my scanners.

Do you (or anyone else) happen to know if this eliminates state park law enforcement freqs (such as 151.4 and 151.445 in Presque Isle SP) with the new wideband system?
 

HM1529

Pennsylvania DB Admin
Database Admin
Joined
Jul 16, 2003
Messages
3,087
Location
West of the Atlantic Ocean
Presque Isle has three new repeaters that are listed in the narrowband table. There is one for rangers, one for lifeguards, and one for maintenance. I would monitor those plus the old stuff for a while. Also, no idea how often they will use 800 vs. VHF. I suspect that is going to vary by park based on local needs and coverage.
 

eriepascannist

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 26, 2011
Messages
249
Location
Chautauqua county, NY
Presque Isle has three new repeaters that are listed in the narrowband table. There is one for rangers, one for lifeguards, and one for maintenance. I would monitor those plus the old stuff for a while. Also, no idea how often they will use 800 vs. VHF. I suspect that is going to vary by park based on local needs and coverage.

Thank you Benrussellpa for the info! I'm blind, and that table took me a long time to scan through- I didn't go down far enough! For now I'll monitor those three repeaters along with the old wideband but I'll eliminate wideband later.

BTW, the "old" uses of 151.4 and 151.445 are still listed in the PA DB for Erie county. You might want to consider updating the Presque Isle section on there or perhaps eliminating it.
 

HM1529

Pennsylvania DB Admin
Database Admin
Joined
Jul 16, 2003
Messages
3,087
Location
West of the Atlantic Ocean
Yup, work in progress.

As far as the new table goes, there is no clean way that I have figured out to break it up into smaller tables. At first, I was going to set it up by forest district, but as I reviewed the new channel layout, there are serveral repeaters shared by multiple forest districts and state parks. Kind of a pain to organize for this site. For now, I just sorted it on the description which starts with the repeater name. When I have time, I may change that and put the county name where the tower is located first in the description and sort the data that way.

Yes, at some point, the old info will be deleted once it is confirmed that the frequencies are no longer in use anywhere in the state.

I just found out I need to work pretty late tonight, so I won't get to it until later this week.
 

eriepascannist

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 26, 2011
Messages
249
Location
Chautauqua county, NY
Yes, I can see where that could be difficult to set up. I like the idea of the county name coming first instead of the tower site, for example, I wouldn't have missed the Presque Isle freqs earlier if all of them were grouped together in the "E" section for Erie county.

I'll update you guys if I can confirm anything relating to DCNR. I primarily monitor PA agencies when portable in Erie (I live in western NY)- I'm not sure if these new repeaters will reach me out here. I did hear some PISP units/rangers talking earlier, but I didn't catch the freq (this was before I was aware of all these changes.)

Take your time updating- I just wanted you to be aware.
 

eriepascannist

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 26, 2011
Messages
249
Location
Chautauqua county, NY
I can confirm that the new PISP ranger freq 151.445 is in use. This evening Iheard rangers operating on it. It must have a high output power-I'm over 30 miles from the park and the repeater is very clear.

I can also confirm that 159.2325 is in use now as well, as I heard a morse ID on there just moments ago.
 
Last edited:

ekim223

Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2010
Messages
99
Location
Crawford County PA
Pymatuning State Park park still using 151.445 and other DCNR

Pymatuning State Park rangers are still using the 151.445 freq. I hear them sometimes discussing trying to use the 800 radio, but it seems soon thereafter, they are back on 151.445.
As for the other DCNR frequency's, I have not heard anything on 151.400 in a few years. That used to be a constant in use channel in the 90's and early 2000's. The Meadville & Warren offices were always on it. Then it just went dead. as for the new narrow band, all has been quiet here in Crawford county (North West PA). I can pick up from Erie, Warren, Clearfield, down to Bulter in the past. But the last few years there has not been much traffic.On a trip this spring to eastern PA, I hears the new repeaters in action with the fires. Maybe someday I will get to hear my tax dollars in operation again.
 

eriepascannist

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 26, 2011
Messages
249
Location
Chautauqua county, NY
Doesn't sound like 800 MHZ is treating anyone too well in PA, forest rangers included. The whole thing to me was a big waste of money.

I hear the new Presque Isle rangers repeater in operatiom now on 151.445. According to the DCNR database page 151.4 is used for their lifeguards, and 151.16 is for maintenance, but so far I haven't heard either of those in operation.

I have been hearing stuff on 159.2325, but so far no one has actually said anything. The repeater ID's itself in morse code every 15 minutes or so, andd other than that there is just a buzzy, whooshy sound from time to time that sounds like a trunking control channel but is not continuous. I don't know what that is.
 

eriepascannist

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 26, 2011
Messages
249
Location
Chautauqua county, NY
Benrusselpa or anyone else on the Presque Isle "issue":

I seem to be hearing stuff on the PISP freqs that contradicts what is listed in the DB. 151.445 is definitely being used by rangers, but very infrequently, and they keep referring to it as "channel 2." - then I don't know what channel "1" would be.

As for lifeguards, it sounds like they are using 151.16. This I am certain of as they do roll call each hour and it is definitely there. There sounds like some other user but I will have to do more observing on that.

On 151.4 (supposed to be the PISP lifeguards) the only thing I have heard over the past few days was a very staticy repeater with something about a tour bus- not even sure it was from PISP.

I'm not sure what these differences are resulting from.

If anyone wants to continue this discussion more indepth just PM me.
 

Dei2Racing

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2011
Messages
66
Location
Pike county PA
Promised Land State Park is using 151.3625. The audio sounds bad and mobile units are hard to pick up on my psr-500 even though i am only 4.5 miles from the park.
 

eriepascannist

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 26, 2011
Messages
249
Location
Chautauqua county, NY
Promised Land State Park is using 151.3625. The audio sounds bad and mobile units are hard to pick up on my psr-500 even though i am only 4.5 miles from the park.

I assume that is due to the TRS/VHF link. Mobiles on the new system are on 800 MHZ, so as the audio is rebroadcast through the link to VHF I'm sure quality would significantly decrease. Mobiles often have poor audio quality to begin with. I have noticed garbled and poor audio in the past from VHF/UHF TRS simulcasts. That is assuming that freq is a repeater... not familiar with the park or the freqs/setup it uses.
 

n3obl

Ø
Database Admin
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,817
Location
PA
starnet audio sounds like nextel direct connect audio. Doesnt sound like p25 quality.

I have a starnet radio at my work and sometimes its hard to understand people talking on it.

Frank
 

Dei2Racing

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2011
Messages
66
Location
Pike county PA
I assume that is due to the TRS/VHF link. Mobiles on the new system are on 800 MHZ, so as the audio is rebroadcast through the link to VHF I'm sure quality would significantly decrease. Mobiles often have poor audio quality to begin with. I have noticed garbled and poor audio in the past from VHF/UHF TRS simulcasts. That is assuming that freq is a repeater... not familiar with the park or the freqs/setup it uses.


Yes 151.36250 is the repeater 179.9 PL DCNR HIGHKB Pike Co. - High Knob Repeater - FD 19 / Promised Land SP as listed in the Database
 

eriepascannist

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 26, 2011
Messages
249
Location
Chautauqua county, NY
Dei2Racing... that should explain the poor audio. Also notice Frank's previous post above regarding poor audio quality. I have yet to hear anything on our local DCNR repeaters, and I'm not sure if I am too far away, activity is really sparse, or simply nothing is happening. If anyone has heard anything on 159.2325 or 151.385 in the Erie area, I'd love to know about it.
 

scnrfrq

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 26, 2002
Messages
968
Location
Erie, PA
I'm not hearing anything on the 4 old Presque Isle frequencies. Anyone have an update on where they moved to?
 

HM1529

Pennsylvania DB Admin
Database Admin
Joined
Jul 16, 2003
Messages
3,087
Location
West of the Atlantic Ocean
If you are not hearing anything on the new or old VHF, then they are using the 800 MHz system exclusively. Each park has its own STARNET talkgroup that is separate from the VHF repeater linked talkgroups. If parks have sufficient coverage on 800, they don't come up on the VHF links very often. I have a few parks out this way that I almost never hear on VHF.
 

scnrfrq

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 26, 2002
Messages
968
Location
Erie, PA
To me the new and old VHF are the same frequencies, only narrow-banded now. Am I missing something?

If they are 800 only, I assume they can't be monitored with any scanner, right? Is there a list of the Starnet talkgroups anywhere?
 

eriepascannist

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 26, 2011
Messages
249
Location
Chautauqua county, NY
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE, BrailleNote))

The Starnet system cannot be monitored by any scanner on the market right now. As for the freqs, 151.4, 151.445 and 151.16 are the frequencies for use at Presque Isle. 2 of those remain the same from before, but as you stated these are narowbanded and linked to Starnet. 151.16 to my knowledge is new. After the initial testing phases I have heard little to no activity on these freqs. So I dont think you're missing anything. 800mhz must just be doing an adequate job for the communications needs.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top