Skyline Drive Programming

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JESSERABBIT

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I would like to program Skyline Drive in the Pro-96. I have the freqs from the Database, but notice that they are P-25. Exactly how would the freqs be entered-Conventional, Mot, etc. Thanks for any sugestions.
 

W2NJS

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Both Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway Police systems are very quiet, so unless there is a major storm/flood, or a major accident, you will hear very little. Holidays seem to be a little more active, but all in all it's like watching grass grow. I'm on a 3800 foot mountaintop and can hear all of their channels from here 13 miles South of Rockfish Gap. Just enter the frequencies with appropriate NAC codes, make a scan list for them, and let 'er rip. There is a lot of cross patching and combining of patrolled areas via radio so you will hear pretty much everything of what's going on, which as I said is usually not much.

Here's the complete list. I use 293 for the Grassy Hill NAC and it works.

http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?aid=1594
 
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CCHLLM

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tglendye

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I was under the impression and it has been my experience that the radio system used on the Skyline Drive is that of the Shenandoah National Park (Federal Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference).

...

I think you are quoting the same link as W2NJS. The other link took me to RR's home page. I haven't listened to SNP for a while, but my experience is they have "plenty" of traffic for a rural parkway. The downfall is they use a lot of encryption. The Rangers are very active this time of year due to poaching problems- which no doubt leads to more encryption.
 

BigLebowski

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As mentioned above, the list of Parkway frequencies under the Virginia section is incorrect.

The wiki is the best source of information for the Blue Ridge Parkway, and I have verified all of this information to be correct....

Blue Ridge Parkway - The RadioReference Wiki

The old 167.175 repeaters are no longer on the air, and the Apple Orchard and Rocky Mountain sites operate almost exclusively in analog mode.

As for Skyline Drive, last time I was up there, it was about 50% encrypted.
 

CCHLLM

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The VA link I gave takes you to the page with the federal listings in VA. The bottom of the page has the Shenandoah National Park freqs listed and those are correct as far as I can determine, but as ATF 1224 posted, a good bit of that traffic is encrypted. The other link is for the Wiki and correct BRNP freq listings.
 

BigLebowski

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Actually, this thread may be a good place for us all to put any confirmed information for Shenandoah National Park together....

Last time I was up there, which was around June, it seemed that all of the SNP sites were linked during the early morning hours. This may have been an isolated incident, but I have heard traffic from all over SNP on the Loft Mtn repeater on several occasions.

Can anyone confirm that all of the sites listed in the Virginia DB are in fact correct (seeing as how there are lots of errors with the BRP info)? I would also assume there are several simplex frequencies in use as well, just as on the BRP.

SNP communications uses the callsign "740", correct?
 

rfburns

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SNP has a lot of traffic although not so much this time of year. Traffic enforcement, medical calls, SAR tfc etc. As mentioned sometimes the rangers are encrypted. Some of the tfc is good such as the Sunday morning when the subject was shot just outside of the Front Royal entrance station.

They have a very good signal in Frederick Co, VA. I would think you could hear it ok up in the panhandle.
 

CCHLLM

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I don't remember what call signs I've heard, but I can confirm hearing all these freqs repeatedly used in the area north of I-64. Trouble is, with the encryption, there's not much way to tell if the traffic is actually SNP traffic or something else, and a couple seem to always be encrypted. With the altitude advantage along the Skyline Drive and no way to readily determine if the signals are actually coming from the SNP, I just have to assume it is SNP. Go figure.
 
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dlwtrunked

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Note the UHF data link frequencies are heard over a large area and often mis-reported as unknowns even in the DC area.


Shenandoah NP
NPS Shenandoah National Park, VA
Input 166.3000 Simulkeyed repeater system P25 NAC 4F9
Headquarters is at Luray, VA. [KIE740]

Hogback Mountain (VA)-control point [KIE741 was the callsign of the original analog repeater]
171.7000 repeater output
408.2250 data to Loft Mountain
408.2750 data to Piney Hill
408.4625 data to Fork Mountain
408.5250 data to Massanutten Mountain
408.6250 data to Buck Elbow Mountain

Loft Mountain (VA) [KIE7437 was the callsign of the original analog repeater]
166.9000 repeater output
417.2250 data to Hogback Mountain

Piney Hill (Luray, VA)
173.6750 repeater output
417.2750 data to Hogback Mountain

Fork Mountain (near Banco, VA)
172.6750 repeater output
417.4625 data to Hogback Mountain

Massanutten Mountain ("Big Mountain" near Newport, VA)
173.7625 repeater output
417.5250 data to Hogback Mountain

Bucks Elbow Mountain (near Crozet, VA)
172.6500 repeater output
417.6250 data to Hoback Mountain
 

dlwtrunked

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correcting a typo in the Loft Mtn. callsign

Note the UHF data link frequencies are heard over a large area and often mis-reported as unknowns even in the DC area.


Shenandoah NP
NPS Shenandoah National Park, VA
Input 166.3000 Simulkeyed repeater system P25 NAC 4F9
Headquarters is at Luray, VA. [KIE740]

Hogback Mountain (VA)-control point [KIE741 was the callsign of the original analog repeater]
171.7000 repeater output
408.2250 data to Loft Mountain
408.2750 data to Piney Hill
408.4625 data to Fork Mountain
408.5250 data to Massanutten Mountain
408.6250 data to Buck Elbow Mountain

Loft Mountain (VA) [KIE737 was the callsign of the original analog repeater]
166.9000 repeater output
417.2250 data to Hogback Mountain

Piney Hill (Luray, VA)
173.6750 repeater output
417.2750 data to Hogback Mountain

Fork Mountain (near Banco, VA)
172.6750 repeater output
417.4625 data to Hogback Mountain

Massanutten Mountain ("Big Mountain" near Newport, VA)
173.7625 repeater output
417.5250 data to Hogback Mountain

Bucks Elbow Mountain (near Crozet, VA)
172.6500 repeater output
417.6250 data to Hoback Mountain
 

Trailblazer43

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How to actually program for SNP

Hi All,

I am trying to figure out what information I need to program the SNP and Skyline drive frequencies. What radio do I need, software, and the process of actually programming a radio.

I do a lot of search and rescue work in SNP and am looking to program a personal radio with the SNP frequencies.

Any assistance and/or guidance would be greatly appreciated.
 

tglendye

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For receive purposes, you would need a digital scanner. You could easily spend around $500 for the newest digital scanners, or around $350 for a new, but older model. You could also check on eBay and find some used older model digital scanners for around $150-$200.

SNP is on a conventional P25 (digital) system. Some digital systems require certain "advanced" digital scanners with newer technology. SNP's system does not. Pretty much any digital scanner will work.

HOWEVER... they do use some encryption. I don't monitor them that often, so I am not sure how much of their radio traffic is encrypted. I do know from listening a little in the last few months, it did not appear to be encrypted as often as I thought. But... you will "hear"/ miss traffic due to encryption. There is nothing you can do about that. No scanners (or any other radio without the encryption key from the agency) can decode encrypted voice signals.

Welcome to the forums!
 

tglendye

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By the way, their frequencies are located in the link in post #2. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page.
 

Trailblazer43

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Thanks tglendye

I also need to be able to transmit. Thats the main goal. I am looking to get a few radios setup as a beta group for my SAR group then possible purchase an entire cache.




For receive purposes, you would need a digital scanner. You could easily spend around $500 for the newest digital scanners, or around $350 for a new, but older model. You could also check on eBay and find some used older model digital scanners for around $150-$200.

SNP is on a conventional P25 (digital) system. Some digital systems require certain "advanced" digital scanners with newer technology. SNP's system does not. Pretty much any digital scanner will work.

HOWEVER... they do use some encryption. I don't monitor them that often, so I am not sure how much of their radio traffic is encrypted. I do know from listening a little in the last few months, it did not appear to be encrypted as often as I thought. But... you will "hear"/ miss traffic due to encryption. There is nothing you can do about that. No scanners (or any other radio without the encryption key from the agency) can decode encrypted voice signals.

Welcome to the forums!
 

BigLebowski

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Thanks tglendye

I also need to be able to transmit. Thats the main goal. I am looking to get a few radios setup as a beta group for my SAR group then possible purchase an entire cache.

Then you need to contact administrators at the park who can provide all of the needed information.

This is not an appropriate place to get that information even if someone here had it.
 
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