NYSEG in Broome County

[kc2klc]

New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) Site: Binghamton documents a trunked system for NYSEG that I just started monitoring, and is definitely active - but Utilities (Broome County) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference lists three NYSEG frequencies that appear to be standalone APCO frequencies. Are the latter still in use alongside the trunked system - or is that outdated information? I don't get as much opportunity to monitor as I'd like, so I can't readily figure out by scanning these frequencies for a while to see if they light up. Thanks for any clarification!

 

[k2hz]

New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) Site: Binghamton documents a trunked system for NYSEG that I just started monitoring, and is definitely active - but Utilities (Broome County) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference lists three NYSEG frequencies that appear to be standalone APCO frequencies. Are the latter still in use alongside the trunked system - or is that outdated information? I don't get as much opportunity to monitor as I'd like, so I can't readily figure out by scanning these frequencies for a while to see if they light up. Thanks for any clarification!

Those are AAR frequencies that NYSEG licensed many years ago on a rule waiver as repeater inputs for a conventional system that was never built AFAIK. That proposed system was replaced by the P25 system.

 

[kc2klc]

I don't know what AAR stands for, but I think that answers my question nonetheless. Thanks!

 

[mshumeyk]

Actually, those conventional P25 VHF frequencies were used by NYSEG Vestal for quite a few years between use of the low band frequencies and the current trunked system. I first heard about the switch to P25 conventional from a friend who worked for NYSEG who was upset that he couldn't monitor their communications on his scanner anymore. I actually found them by serendipity while searching around the railroad frequencies.

 

[k2hz]

I don't know what AAR stands for, but I think that answers my question nonetheless. Thanks!

Association of American Railroads - the standard US & Canada railroad VHF channel plan. The frequencies used to be exclusively for railroads but FCC now allows other users subject to coordination with AAR.

It is possible those frequencies may have been used for some early attempts at buildout of the planned conventional system but it was abandoned in favor of the P25 trunked system. Those frequencies were licensed over 20 years ago and I believe it was around 2001 that their plan for a statewide system changed to P25 trunking. The listed use of those frequencies is now TGs 121/122/123 on the P25 system.