Pa Turnpike Freq ?

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cdavisjr

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I 'm looking for info on a freq not listed in the current database. The turnpike has 458.5625 licensed to them on WNYR682. It's all MO at only 2 watts power. Anyone have any info on this.
 

Voyager

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Where is it licensed? It might be one of the tunnel maintenance frequencies.
 

cdavisjr

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Thanks Voyager for the quick reply. The control point is given as: PA TPKE COMMISSION RT 283 AND HARRISBURG EAST INTERCHANGE, HARRISBURG, PA and 120.7 km radius around centerpoint.
 

cdavisjr

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Also found some weird lowband freqs licensed. 72. MHz range, guess this would be old or current penndot truck freqs?
 

W7FDX

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The old PennDot frequencies before they went to the Open Sky system were in the 47Mhz range.
 

Voyager

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No - PennDOT was on 47 MHz. 72 MHz is usually for utility transmitters - such as clock sync signals and the like.
 

cdavisjr

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Ah, I see. Came across those were some 72-75 MHz ones and then a couple weird ones. 0.01 and 0.63 MHz, etc.
 

Steveradio

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State Police used to carry UHF portable radios like a VRS (vehicle repeater system) this was one of the transmit frequencies for those HTs if my personal data base is correct its been some time since logged them, unknown if they still use it due to the 800 system?
 

Voyager

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State Police used to carry UHF portable radios like a VRS (vehicle repeater system) this was one of the transmit frequencies for those HTs if my personal data base is correct its been some time since logged them, unknown if they still use it due to the 800 system?

You're close, but the portables they carried were VHF - just like the mobiles in the cars. There was an in-band repeater in the car.

If you search, I'm sure there are websites that list the tunnel maintenance use on UHF using portables.
 

cavmedic

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72 mhz used to be on the call boxes. I used to work for a company who was directly next to the turnpike, and our overhead cranes ( remote control) would go crazy once in a while. It took quite some time, but they finally realized that when ever someone used the call box by our building, and the crane at the same time, the call call box would interfere with the remotes for the cranes ...
 

W7FDX

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State Police used to carry UHF portable radios like a VRS (vehicle repeater system) this was one of the transmit frequencies for those HTs if my personal data base is correct its been some time since logged them, unknown if they still use it due to the 800 system?

They still use a similar system now just in 800 instead of vhf.
 

mlmummert

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72MHz IS used for the call boxes. The stuff around 1MHz is their low power traffic stations in the AM broadcast band.
 

mlmummert

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Just re-read thru all the posts. So does anyone have info on the original freq. I was asking about? lol

Hum. There are nine locations mapped to that license, all low power UHF. One of them seems to be Tuscorora Tunnel. The others seem to be certain turnpike maintenance sheds, specifically ones that have PSP Troop T barracks located with them (e.g. Bowmansville). Now I'm curious.
 

HM1529

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Hum. There are nine locations mapped to that license, all low power UHF. One of them seems to be Tuscorora Tunnel. The others seem to be certain turnpike maintenance sheds, specifically ones that have PSP Troop T barracks located with them (e.g. Bowmansville). Now I'm curious.


From a PTC radio maintenance RFP document dated January 2012:

Mobile Vehicular Repeaters (MRE)
The Mobile Vehicular Repeater systems are comprised of a VHF mobile radio, an UHF repeater radio
with interface cabling and an UHF hand-held portable radio with vehicular charger. These repeater
systems are installed in police, safety and first responder vehicles.
When the hand-held portable radio is removed from the vehicular charger, the mobile repeater is
activated allowing the operator to leave his vehicle and maintain district communications. When the
hand-held portable is replaced in the vehicular charger, the mobile repeater is turned off allowing for
normal operation of the VHF mobile radio. There are 131 Tyco Pyramid repeaters.

Tunnel Communications
The tunnel complexes utilize several other communication systems in addition to the VHF radio system.
They are a patron alarm system and an UHF repeater system.

UHF Repeater System
The UHF repeater system is used to provide communications for tunnel personnel while working within
the tunnel complex. This system consists of an UHF repeater, additional low power UHF repeaters
outside the tunnel portals, voting comparators, remote control units, control stations and portable radios.
The UHF repeater is installed in the center cross connector midway through each tunnel and the
antennas are installed at the midpoint of each tube’s airshaft or mounted on the ceiling of the tunnel.
The UHF repeaters are Tyco MASTR III.
The UHF control unit is installed in the main control room. Portable units are mounted in battery
chargers at key locations within the tunnel complex so that they are available for use as needed. The
repeater provides communication between the control unit and portable(s) throughout the tunnel
complex. The low power repeaters outside the tunnel portals and the control unit are connected by cable
to the voting comparator and the central repeater. The purpose of the low power repeaters is to provide
additional portable coverage outside the tunnels to facilitate in the setting and removal of work zones to
direct traffic through the tunnels.
 

pghscanner

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I had logged this freq as well. I think its been a while since I have heard it. Certainly sounded like a mobile repeater/extender type of thing. You could tell when you were near a police car when you started to hear turnpike traffic over that frequency.

I had a close call hit on it once on RT 51, a few miles from any turnpike roads. There was a PSP car turning into a tire shop.

I still keep it in the PA Turnpike system. You never know.

BTW I had it with a PL 136.5

I also had traffic in one tunnel on 453.150 PL 151.4. I only heard traffic on there once. There was a maintenance crew working at the mouth of the tunnel. It was pretty low powered, and went out of range quickly. Odds are you won't hear any tunnel traffic. You are not in range for long, and there is not much activity around the tunnels usually.
 
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dema109

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The call boxes are in 72 MHz Range, they transmit a tone set for the buttons pressed and then receive a tone from the tower to confirm receipt of the call. There are only 2 VHF frequency pairs for the entire system. 159.045 for districts 1, 3 and 4 and 159.075 for districts 2 and 4. Each zone was pl toned separately in the past few years due to districts 3 and 5 ( odd districts shared the same pl and even districts shared another) interfering with each other. 159.000 is the simplex or car to car frequency mainly used by the maintenance personnel. All the tunnels share the same repeater frequencies, they are low power repeaters used for tunnel operations such as ice removal. There is also a in building repeater located at the PTC Admin building which if I remember correctly is the same frequency as the tunnel repeaters. Lehigh Tunnel has a separate repeater pair (if i remember correctly) due to interference on the other tunnel frequencies. All trooper cars and a few other vehicles have UHF vehicle repeaters for the VHF system. The turnpike also has the ability to patch the VHF system into the statewide OpenSky system (although not used often due to the poor audio with the patched systems). How do I know? I used to be a TransCore radio tech based out of district 3 at the Admin building.
 
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