CHP programming help

TwelveAdamFour · Nov 6, 2014

Hey guys,

If anyone has the patience to help me here I'd really appreciate it. I have an Uniden BCD396XT, and I am not particularly sure how to manually program CHP Golden Gate Division/Communications. I'm seeing "repeaters, base, mobile, handhelds, tones, modes" and so on. Thanks to 40-hour a week grave shifts I've managed to teach myself how to manually program other agencies, but I don't quite know where to start with CHP. Again, thanks in advance for any help offered.

Oakland_Tower · Nov 6, 2014

TwelveAdamFour said:
Hey guys,

If anyone has the patience to help me here I'd really appreciate it. I have an Uniden BCD396XT, and I am not particularly sure how to manually program CHP Golden Gate Division/Communications. I'm seeing "repeaters, base, mobile, handhelds, tones, modes" and so on. Thanks to 40-hour a week grave shifts I've managed to teach myself how to manually program other agencies, but I don't quite know where to start with CHP. Again, thanks in advance for any help offered.

I would just program in the low band base frequency. For the San Lorenzo area, this would be the Aqua (42.62 base). The Castro Valley Area CHP Office patrols San Lorenzo (143-10 unit) and often the base repeats the mobile channel. The radio is capable of receiving the 700mhz extender channels, but you would have to be within a mile or so of the mobile unit to hear anything, so I wouldn't worry about that. I also wouldn't be concerned with programming in tones as their shouldn't be much interference to be concerned with.

TwelveAdamFour · Nov 9, 2014

Awesome. Thanks for the help! I also wasn't sure if when given the option initially to program it as a "Conventional" or the other options, but I guessed right. Thanks again.

stingray327 · Nov 9, 2014

Oakland_Tower said:
I would just program in the low band base frequency. For the San Lorenzo area, this would be the Aqua (42.62 base). The Castro Valley Area CHP Office patrols San Lorenzo (143-10 unit) and often the base repeats the mobile channel. The radio is capable of receiving the 700mhz extender channels, but you would have to be within a mile or so of the mobile unit to hear anything, so I wouldn't worry about that. I also wouldn't be concerned with programming in tones as their shouldn't be much interference to be concerned with.

I am nearby and I am getting 700MHZ CHP calls every now and then. I thought the CHP was using 700 MHZ only in Southern CA/

SCPD · Nov 11, 2014

stingray327 said:
I am nearby and I am getting 700MHZ CHP calls every now and then. I thought the CHP was using 700 MHZ only in Southern CA/

The CHP is using 700 MHz frequencies for extenders only. The CHP is using these new extenders in most of the state. I live on the east side of the Sierra in a rural area and each officer has a 700 MHz extender.

The older extenders using 154.905 MHz are not narrowband compliant and I believe the CHP was granted an extension for their continued use while they have been upgrading their radio system. I'm not sure if they are still operating some of these VHF extenders in some areas of the state.

carlt · Nov 11, 2014

They still have some of the old extenders in use here in San Diego. I have actually heard both the old & new on the same call. I presume that they are not putting the new equipment in vehicles that will be out of service soon, but just a guess.

stingray327 · Nov 11, 2014

Exsmokey said:
The CHP is using 700 MHz frequencies for extenders only. The CHP is using these new extenders in most of the state. I live on the east side of the Sierra in a rural area and each officer has a 700 MHz extender.

The older extenders using 154.905 MHz are not narrowband compliant and I believe the CHP was granted an extension for their continued use while they have been upgrading their radio system. I'm not sure if they are still operating some of these VHF extenders in some areas of the state.

Here they are still using the 154.905.

norcalbusa · Nov 12, 2014

For a great Golden Gate signal, use the repeater @ 453.8250. Crystal clear.

stingray327 · Nov 12, 2014

I picked up more 700mhz traffic today from CHP.

SCPD · Nov 13, 2014

norcalbusa said:
For a great Golden Gate signal, use the repeater @ 453.8250. Crystal clear.

Are they multicasting a dispatch channel on the UHF system? If so and if they did so in a location where you could pick it up at home or in a car, the problem with needing a scanner and antenna dedicated to the CHP would be eliminated. Is this full time? Which dispatch channel is being multicasted?

I don't think the CHP has upgraded any VHF equipment to comply with the 2013 narrowband directive, so this has to be old equipment. Maybe they only install the new equipment when a vehicle gets replaced? This seems unlikely as the number of 700 MHz extenders in use has to be greater than the number of replacement vehicles now on the road. The use of VHF where I live seemed to occur all at once and not as vehicles are replaced. Does anyone have some perspective on this?

norcalbusa · Nov 13, 2014

Here's some traffic from this morning;

Panoramic Hwy and Rte 1, 34-20, Disp only, Redwood Hwy at 101 (all San Fran), 34-150, SB 101 at 580, 34-70, H17 and Vine Hill (Santa Cruz Mtn), NB 101 at Tully (San Jose), 24-681, 24-85 beat information NB hwy 85, 11-83 Lakeville Hwy @ Hwy 37 (Santa Rosa)

norcalbusa · Nov 13, 2014

I am 100 miles south of the Napa dispatch center and hear Golden Gate Dispatch on that freq perfectly- clearly its a repeater or inter-site dealio of some kind. Mobile units come in about about half the time on it (just as clear)- my guess is it relies on a multicast selection, but I really don't know. I believe the channel might be called "El Toro" colloquially, but I'm not sure. I don't remember where I got the info to try it or if I just stumbled across it.

Of the top of my head, I recall hearing them dispatching units for Novato to San Jose and back up the east bay to Oakland. I'll pay more attention and see if that's accurate.

It would be interesting to have a bunch of California scanners listen and we can put dots on a map showing who can hear it. I can make the map and post it here, if folks want to participate.

Exsmokey said:
Are they multicasting a dispatch channel on the UHF system? If so and if they did so in a location where you could pick it up at home or in a car, the problem with needing a scanner and antenna dedicated to the CHP would be eliminated. Is this full time? Which dispatch channel is being multicasted?

I don't think the CHP has upgraded any VHF equipment to comply with the 2013 narrowband directive, so this has to be old equipment. Maybe they only install the new equipment when a vehicle gets replaced? This seems unlikely as the number of 700 MHz extenders in use has to be greater than the number of replacement vehicles now on the road. The use of VHF where I live seemed to occur all at once and not as vehicles are replaced. Does anyone have some perspective on this?

gmclam · Nov 13, 2014

CHP

Exsmokey said:
I don't think the CHP has upgraded any VHF equipment to comply with the 2013 narrowband directive, so this has to be old equipment.

I do not believe that the narrow-band requirement applies to VHF low band. The only CHP frequency affected was their VHF high extender channel, which is (mostly) replaced by their use of 700MHz.

stingray327 · Nov 13, 2014

norcalbusa said:
I am 100 miles south of the Napa dispatch center and hear Golden Gate Dispatch on that freq perfectly- clearly its a repeater or inter-site dealio of some kind. Mobile units come in about about half the time on it (just as clear)- my guess is it relies on a multicast selection, but I really don't know. I believe the channel might be called "El Toro" colloquially, but I'm not sure. I don't remember where I got the info to try it or if I just stumbled across it.

Of the top of my head, I recall hearing them dispatching units for Novato to San Jose and back up the east bay to Oakland. I'll pay more attention and see if that's accurate.

It would be interesting to have a bunch of California scanners listen and we can put dots on a map showing who can hear it. I can make the map and post it here, if folks want to participate.

42.60 in Solano Co. comes in real strong. Is that antenna located off of 780 in Benicia?

SCPD · Nov 18, 2014

gmclam said:
I do not believe that the narrow-band requirement applies to VHF low band. The only CHP frequency affected was their VHF high extender channel, which is (mostly) replaced by their use of 700MHz.

You are correct regarding low band. The continued use of 154.905 for extenders or any other use of the frequency in a wideband configuration requires an extension of the state's wideband license. This extension has been in place for nearly 23 months now and I wonder when the FCC will say ''no more."

ScannerDude244 · Nov 18, 2014

Exsmokey said:
Are they multicasting a dispatch channel on the UHF system? If so and if they did so in a location where you could pick it up at home or in a car, the problem with needing a scanner and antenna dedicated to the CHP would be eliminated. Is this full time? Which dispatch channel is being multicasted?

I don't think the CHP has upgraded any VHF equipment to comply with the 2013 narrowband directive, so this has to be old equipment. Maybe they only install the new equipment when a vehicle gets replaced? This seems unlikely as the number of 700 MHz extenders in use has to be greater than the number of replacement vehicles now on the road. The use of VHF where I live seemed to occur all at once and not as vehicles are replaced. Does anyone have some perspective on this?

That UHF 453.8250 has been simulcasting for years only dispatch side I believe it's the San Jose office.

And yes they are replacing the VHF extenders when a new vehicle goes in service.

stingray327 · Nov 18, 2014

ScannerDude244 said:
That UHF 453.8250 has been simulcasting for years only dispatch side I believe it's the San Jose office.

And yes they are replacing the VHF extenders when a new vehicle goes in service.

I do pick up 453.8250 but its weak here.

officer_415 · Dec 1, 2014

stingray327 said:
Here they are still using the 154.905.

Can you tell us the last time you heard 154.905, and which office it was?

Stealthguy05 · Dec 1, 2014

I've heard VHF extenders with the Motor units down here in 24

DanLP456 · Dec 15, 2014

I listen to the CHP in Ukiah on their base freq 42.5600 on my Pro 96 with a Diamond RH77CA antenna. I can hear the units but not the dispatcher. I only hear dispatch when they're doing radio checks with units that are having trouble hearing them. Can this be remedied with a different portable antenna? I know this was covered before but I can't find that thread. I'm only a few blocks from their station so I feel like I should hear the dispatcher too, especially when the field units come in loud and clear.

CHP programming help

Member

Member

Member

Member

QRT

Member

Member

Member

Member

QRT

Member

Member

Member

Member

QRT

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Similar threads