5 National 800 MHZ Channels

[cookiend15]

Hello fellow scanners. I have heard that there are 5 National 800 MHZ Channels.

I believe that they are as follows.

866.0125 CALLING
866.5125 TAC 1
867.0125 TAC 2
867.5125 TAC 3
868.0125 TAC 4

If anyone has any information about these 5 frequencies that would be great. Mainly I'am asking the following questions.

1. What are they used for
2. Who are they used by
3. Is there any PL or DPL to go along with these frequencies
4. Would it be of any benefit for me to have them in my scanner here where I live
in Montgomery County, New York

Thank you in advance for any help anyone can give me in reguards to these frequencies.

Chris

 

[MMIC]

These frequencies are used for interoperability - mainly to allow for users of different systems to communicate with each other on 800 MHz. It will also allow users who are coming in from other areas of the country (a la Louisiana after Katrina) to communicate among each other during large events. These are primarily (but not necessarily) used by public safety. There is a 156.7 PL encode and decode with these frequencies. It wouldn't be the worst idea to keep these somewhere in your scanner, but I wouldn't routinely monitor them. Other common names for those frequenceis are: ICALL, ITAC 1, ITAC 2, ITAC 3, and ITAC 4.

 

[DaveNF2G]

This information, too, is available on my website.

The NPSPAC Interop channels will be changed as part of the Nextel Rebanding, although for quite a while there will actually be two sets until all of the waves and phases have been completed. The new channels should be exactly 15 MHz lower in frequency.

 

[Alarms50]

I recall reading somewhere that the PL's are only on the xTAC freq's, not on the xCALL freq's.

 

[MMIC]

Everywhere I have been and everything that I have read has the PL tones on both the CALL and the TACs.

 

[APX8000]

I had them in my radio in Florida before I transferred to the Northeast. All used PL 156.7, including the calling channel. It was good for agencies like Broward County for example, to talk to users in say Dade County. Both were on 800 mhz, but Broward used a Motorola Smartzone system while Dade used a M/A-COM EDACS system. Because a common talkgroup could not be created, they just used M/A CALL (the calling channel) to communicate.

Up here I routinely hear Port Authority PD, NJ State Police and Suffolk County. I'm sure once NY State switches to their M/A-COM system, they will have a gateway built into it as well.

 

[rdale]

"but Broward used a Motorola Smartzone system while Dade used a M/A-COM EDACS system. Because a common talkgroup could not be created"

Actually a common talkgroup could be very easily created... Up here we have a 800MHz EDACS connected to a 400MHz EDACS connected to an 800MHz APCO25 and a conventional frequency for law-enforcement mutual aids. All one.

 

[dave3825]

I found this on another site

All frequencies use PL 156.7

UHF Interoperability Channels
U-CALL 453.2125
U-TAC 1 453.4625
U-TAC 2 453.7125
U-TAC 3 453.8625

VHF Interoperability Channels
V-CALL 155.725
V-TAC 1 151.1375
V-TAC 2 154.4525
V-TAC 3 158.7375
V-TAC 4 159.4725

800Mhz Interoperability Channels
I-CALL 866.0125
I-TAC 1 866.5125
I-TAC 2 867.0125
I-TAC 3 867.5125
I-TAC 4 868.0125

 

[Spec]

"but Broward used a Motorola Smartzone system while Dade used a M/A-COM EDACS system. Because a common talkgroup could not be created"

Actually a common talkgroup could be very easily created... Up here we have a 800MHz EDACS connected to a 400MHz EDACS connected to an 800MHz APCO25 and a conventional frequency for law-enforcement mutual aids. All one.

Much simpler to just have the frequency nationwide so another agency coming through can use it. No need for separate talk groups. An addition advantage is if the "system" fails or is down these are simplex and can be operated without need for repeaters over a small area.

Spec

 

[c0untyb0y]

how interagency is this?

which agencies are licensed to use these channels? police, fire, EMS, etc? is there a governing body that oversees this channel plan?

 

[SCANdal]

These are very interagency

County Boy,

In order to determine who's licensed on any of the above frequencies, pick one, click on the "Frequency (Range) / State" query at http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/reports/index.cfm, and plug it in. You'll find a number of types of agencies licensed on these freqs.

The Federal Communications Commission licenses agencies on the frequencies and the use of the 800 MHz channels was determined by the former National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee (I believe replaced by http://www.npstc.org/index.jsp). Locally, an agency will typically take the lead (i.e.: the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in the New York Metro area) for infrastructure construction - i.e. repeater installation and maintenance. The use of the UHF and VHF channels follows the same pattern as the 800 MHz channels.

SCANdal

 

[Quickcall]

Can these be heard often? How active are they? Where can they be heard the most?

 

[SCANdal]

Use is rare...but when it is - often it's interesting

call,

It all depends on what is going on around you. In my area they aren't used unless something big is going on (i.e. a building collapse). In other areas they are used for ad-hoc operations because they are the only channels that participating agencies might have in common. A well equipped scanner should have enough room in it, in terms of channel capacity, to program in all 14 frequencies/PLs together and forget'em. When something breaks that requires their use...you won't have to scramble to program them in - they'll be there already.

SCANdal

 

[c0untyb0y]

County Boy,

In order to determine who's licensed on any of the above frequencies, pick one, click on the "Frequency (Range) / State" query at http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/reports/index.cfm, and plug it in. You'll find a number of types of agencies licensed on these freqs.

The Federal Communications Commission licenses agencies on the frequencies and the use of the 800 MHz channels was determined by the former National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee (I believe replaced by http://www.npstc.org/index.jsp). Locally, an agency will typically take the lead (i.e.: the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in the New York Metro area) for infrastructure construction - i.e. repeater installation and maintenance. The use of the UHF and VHF channels follows the same pattern as the 800 MHz channels.

SCANdal

SCANdal,

Thanks for the info. I'll do some more research on this.

c0untyb0y

 

[nd5y]

which agencies are licensed to use these channels? police, fire, EMS, etc? is there a governing body that oversees this channel plan?

Several years ago the FCC issued a blanket ruling that any Part 90 Public Safety licensee can operate mobiles and portables on the VHF, UHF, 700 MHz, and 800 MHz national interoperability channels without modifying an existing license or obtaining a new license. Repeaters and base stations still need to be licensed on those frequencies.

There are regional coordinators for the 800 MHz NPSPAC channels http://wireless.fcc.gov/publicsafety/800MHz