International Frequency Coordination for Disaster Responders

At 6:30PM EST I was scanning the UHF frequencies for activity on the GMRS frequencies because as of lately there seems to be an increase in traffic. I have my scanner set to low and high limits at 462.5625 up to 467.7125. After a couple of minutes I kept locking up on a carrier at 463.100. I decided to monitor that particular frequency and in time heard a man's voice giving a call sign. I was not familiar with this frequency so I looked it up online and found it to be for the International Frequency Coordination for Disaster Responders.

Upon further investigation I found that this is apparently the main frequency used by the United Nations. Apparently each country has their own set of 3 frequencies pairs (3 on VHF for distance and 3 on UHF for penetration through buildings). The call sign used was either JD3USA or JDBUSA.

It sounded like a standard radio check but I had know idea that frequency was even in use.

Has anyone else heard similar call signs on this frequency???

It was heard from Southeast PA.

At 7:10PM EST, 2 HAMS got on and were shooting the breeze about Thanksgiving dinner and getting to a hardware store and talking on 7.181 . Callsigns were W3CWE and another one that I missed though it was said a few times. They had a chime in between their communications (not sure if that was a repeater or maybe their version of a Roger Beep). I doubt it was a repeater b/c I picked up both guys talking to one another so I heard both sides of the conversation.

Please don't mix topics within the same thread. Your first topic had to do with GMRS, the other with ham radio. We have numerous forums, each with their own purpose.

Thanks for your future cooperation. Mike

How did you locate the UN use? And where did you find it allocated to the IFCDR?

s1deband1t

check for a personal message.

In the USA 463.100 is one of the nationwide medical channels.
Emergency Medical Services Radio - The RadioReference Wiki

It is not very useful to post frequency-specific questions or info without indicating where the receiver is located.

DaveNF2G said:

It is not very useful to post frequency-specific questions or info without indicating where the receiver is located.

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If you read the first post carefully, you'd find that question was indeed answered.

Voyager said:

How did you locate the UN use? And where did you find it allocated to the IFCDR?

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found this by using Google..

International Frequency Coordination for Disaster Responders

Disregard.

Looks outdated (2009) and (as someone who is involved in International Disaster Response) this is the first time ever hearing about these UN Suggestion

However keep in mind each Country controls it's own RF Spectrum and the use of a +/- 10 Mhz in the UHF Spectrum does not comply with US aka FCC standards

Even the VHF mixes up (for the US) NTIA (Federal) Frequencies pairing them with FCC PART 90 Pairs.

Even when the US respond internationally, All Frequencies being used need to be coordinated thru the US Embassy who will interface with the Local Authorities

YMMV but what you heard locally within the US was either an IMAGE from another band or your Local Amb/Hosp channels in use

u2brent said:

found this by using Google..

International Frequency Coordination for Disaster Responders

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I spent a lot of time a couple of years ago researching frequencies that were coordinated between Canada and the US for emergency response, and this pair/group of pairs never came up once.

In fact, there is very little in the way of genuine coordination at least on the North American continent in terms of disaster response comms. Even our countries' interoperability frequencies are not congruent between one another (where they exist at all).

I was wondering if this were some form of "diplomatic immunity" and each country would simply have to ensure non-interference to licensed users, but could operate anywhere (like they can park anywhere regardless of US laws).

Not in terms of Canada and USA, as far as I know. 463.1000 is licensed in a handful of Canadian locations both near to and far from the border, mainly for telemetry purposes. (Unlike the US, Canadian frequency allocations don't generally stick to one service type - i.e. 163.x MHz is not necessarily "federal" in nature.)

S1deband1t said:

At 6:30PM EST

The call sign used was either JD3USA or JDBUSA.

It was heard from Southeast PA.

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If you heard the call sign correctly; They would be Japanese. Not Medic-ese...

Thread moved to General Scanning Discussion since this is not a GMRS/FRS issue.

And based on that, my next guess is an Echo Link or other 440-450 Amateur image from a near-by 440 Repeater

For the OP - make/model of the Radio ??
Next time you hear it, put a 2nd radio into search of 440-450 Mhz

u2brent said:

If you heard the call sign correctly; They would be Japanese. Not Medic-ese...

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