An interesting NYSEG close call hit today

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rbm

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This morning there was a tree down on wires a few miles from here.

A little later, a lot of my scanners lit up with CC hits on 173.350 MHz (P25) which is licensed to NYSEG.

The interesting thing is that it sounded like simplex activity and went on for more than an hour.

I have more than a dozen NYSEG sites in one of the scanners and that activity didn't show up on any of them.

I've suspected that they had some frequencies in use for simplex but this is the first time that I'm 99% sure of it. At least on that frequency in this area.

It would be interesting to see if that frequency is used in other areas also.

Rich
 
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rbm

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A little FCC searching turns up a few other frequencies to check out.

173.2250
173.2750
173.3250
173.3500
173.3750

Rich
 

Darkstar350

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All those licensed to NYSEG?
Intresting - 173mhz is usually federal govt only
Then again the power company around me has some freqs in that range...
 

AuntEnvy

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Hey Rich

Would it be a direct "tac" frequency like they have on the trunking systems, as in, analog and/or not going through the towers...?

I know they have that on other trunk systems.
 

rbm

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Would it be a direct "tac" frequency like they have on the trunking systems, as in, analog and/or not going through the towers...?

I know they have that on other trunk systems.

I suspect it was something like that.

There was a lot of idle chit-chat for quite a period of time. NOT the kind of activity you would hear on the 'normal' trunking sites. (almost like CB Channel 19 ;) )

In the past, I've heard people come up on the NYSEG trunk sites who 'seemed' to be continuing a conversation held 'elsewhere'.

Because of the large storm earlier in the day, it may have been crews from outside of the area.
Although, I see that frequency is licensed in the Binghamton/Vestal/Broome County area as well as others.

For now, I have a BCD996 logging those frequencies (as well as Medevac stuff).
I may have a better understanding in a few weeks.

Normally, this time of year, I'm far too busy with outside stuff, but it's been too hot for that. So, I get to play radio more. ;)

Rich
 

AuntEnvy

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Rich ~ I noticed you said those "tac" frequencies were licensed to nyseg but I don't see it. Unless you have more access than I. When I looked for the particular frequency its licensed to a private company for business eligibles.

Just wondered what else you found. Thanks.
 

rbm

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Rich ~ I noticed you said those "tac" frequencies were licensed to nyseg but I don't see it. Unless you have more access than I. When I looked for the particular frequency its licensed to a private company for business eligibles.

Just wondered what else you found. Thanks.

Here's the FCC search on just 173.350 MHz in NY.
(From: License Search - Advanced License Search )

The Binghamton/Vestal license is marked with the red arrow and is listed as 'Expired'!

That's what made me think the units involved may have been from outside of the area.

Rich





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AuntEnvy

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I see... I can't seem to remember how to get into that listing but I know I've done it before.

The only thing I can find is the trunking info but I can't find the actual licensing.

Thanks
 

RFI-EMI-GUY

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VRS Frequencies

I believe these 173 MHz frequencies belong to a block that Pyramid, Motorola and Futurecom successfully petitioned the FCC to permit vehicular repeaters VRS (SVR200V) to operate. For example, many agencies that use VHF radio systems wanted to have another VHF frequency for in band VRS. To do so required some frequency separation so that filtering was possible, thus the 173 MHz allocation was chosen.

So it is likely there will be a lot more activity on those frequencies.
 

KD2DXF

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I believe these 173 MHz frequencies belong to a block that Pyramid, Motorola and Futurecom successfully petitioned the FCC to permit vehicular repeaters VRS (SVR200V) to operate. For example, many agencies that use VHF radio systems wanted to have another VHF frequency for in band VRS. To do so required some frequency separation so that filtering was possible, thus the 173 MHz allocation was chosen.

So it is likely there will be a lot more activity on those frequencies.

The op said there was activity on the simplex frequency, but not the TRS, this would eliminate the Vehicle Repeater Theory
 

RFI-EMI-GUY

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The op said there was activity on the simplex frequency, but not the TRS, this would eliminate the Vehicle Repeater Theory

Most VRS operations are user selectable. In other words, the portables can work simplex with each other without activating the VRS and trunked system. They can monitor the VRS for trunked dispatch activity if any, but unless they transmit a PL tone, the VRS won't key the trunked mobile. In P25 VRS, it is likely a selection of a specific NAC code that triggers the VRS. If they are clearing a line, they don't need to be talking through the VRS. I would expect that a utility uses the VRS to convey man down or emergency activation for lone workers.
 

rbm

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A small update.

They were active again on 173.350 this morning around 08:47.
They must have been quite a distance from me.

I logged several hits but they were very weak and the P25 decoding was choppy and not good.

Rich
 

AuntEnvy

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Hey Rich ~ I got a brief com yesterday morning on 153.410, which is licensed to NYSEG, over towards Cortland. It was a strong signal and it did not sound like it was on the trunked system. It sounded more like a direct com but I didn't hear enough of it to tell for sure.

The db shows "site 108" and a statewide coverage area on the map so that seems to correlate to a direct/off-network type of usage but what do I know? ;)
 

rbm

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Hey Rich ~ I got a brief com yesterday morning on 153.410, which is licensed to NYSEG, over towards Cortland. It was a strong signal and it did not sound like it was on the trunked system. It sounded more like a direct com but I didn't hear enough of it to tell for sure.

The db shows "site 108" and a statewide coverage area on the map so that seems to correlate to a direct/off-network type of usage but what do I know? ;)

There's been a relatively large power outage in Chenango County. So there may have been crews from the Binghamton area working near Cortland. (They're still busy this morning.)

I wasn't logging the 'normal' NYSEG sites, but I'll watch for 153.410 in the future.

Rich

From WBNG News:
Severe weather causing power outages in Chenango County
By WBNG News - August 12, 2016 Updated Aug 12, 2016 at 8:09 PM EDT
(WBNG) -- There are thousands of customers Friday evening without power, as storms pass through the area.
According to NYSEG, as of Friday evening at 8 p.m., there are 1,774 Chenango County customers with no power. This includes about 1,200 customers in Afton.
 

AuntEnvy

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Update on the 153.41... it appears that frequency is used as part of the trunking system. I was listening to my utilities group for a bit last night when the storms blew through, with only that frequency programmed, not the nyseg system, and it was picking up digital signal, dispatch-truck.
 
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