Virginia DOT (Snowplow) Frequencies

[brandon_was_here]

I see snow falling outside, and the VDOT trucks will soon be at work. I was wonderin what frequencies they use. I am located in Buchanan County, Virginia. Grundy, Va. is the town if that helps any. I'm pretty sure they will be conventional, but this is the best forum I could find to put this in. Links or frequencies would be much appreciated.

 

[John]

I don't know but I suspect they use the normal VDOT channels most of which are low-band. I believe the freqs for your area are:

47.220 (district wide)
47.340 Abingdon
47.240 Jonesville
47.300 Lebanon
47.240 Tazewell
47.040 Wise
47.040 Wytheville

John

 

[SCPD]

No. VA VDOT Frequencies

Does anyone have up-to-date frequencies and PLs for the VDOT residencies in northern Virginia?

 

[tglendye]

NOVA VDOT

I don't know which channel is used in northern va, but here is a channel list that I obtained from vdot a few years ago... seems to be accurate, I've programmed it into one of my banks. I copied it from excel and it doesn't post very nice here. If you'd like to have it in excel, let me know

V D O T 4 8 C H P L A N
CH RCV PL TONE

1 47.22 77.0
2 47.34 77.0
3 47.28 77.0
4 47.30 77.0
5 47.04 77.0
6 47.24 77.0
7 47.22 82.5
8 47.34 82.5
9 47.28 82.5
10 47.30 82.5
11 47.04 82.5
12 47.24 82.5
13 47.22 88.5
14 47.34 88.5
15 47.28 88.5
16 47.30 88.5
17 47.04 88.5
18 47.24 88.5
19 47.22 94.8
20 47.34 94.8
21 47.28 94.8
22 47.30 94.8
23 47.04 94.8
24 47.24 94.8
25 45.76 77.0
26 47.04 110.9
27 47.22 110.9
28 47.24 110.9
29 47.28 110.9
30 47.30 110.9
31 47.34 110.9
32 47.08 110.9
33 47.12 110.9
34 47.20 110.9
35 47.40 110.9
36 47.04 114.8
37 47.22 114.8
38 47.24 114.8
39 47.28 114.8
40 47.30 114.8
41 47.34 114.8
42 47.08 114.8
43 47.12 114.8
44 47.20 114.8
45 47.40 114.8
46 45.02 77.0
47 45.10 77.0
48 45.30 77.0

 

[brandon_was_here]

Thanks. I'll try those frequencies out soon. I am wanting to get a Pro-95, so I may wait and program them into it. And If anybody else is from Southwest Virginia, PM me.

 

[tglendye]

VDOT/ Pro-95

I haven't really played around to see how sensitive the Pro-95 was on VHF-low until I put the VDOT frequencies in. I have a center-loaded telescoping antenna with a BNC connector from RS (I don't know the part number, it was about $12), that I noticed greatly improved the signal for low-band reception over the standard rubber ducky.

You might want to get that if you get the Pro-95 and are planning to monitor VHF-low. I think it's still on sale... $150 is a great price for the 95.

 

[brandon_was_here]

I am pretty much a newbie to scanning. I have a BCT7 right now, and I dont like it. It could just be the antenna, but Im not getting good reception at all. I think I will get a Pro-95 though.

You have to be really close to hear the low band frequencies that VDOT uses. Is that correct? Thanks for the help.

BTW, tglendye, where are you located in Virginia?

 

[tglendye]

Brandon,

I'm located outside of Harrisonburg, and live in Bridgewater. I have a BC7 also. The only thing I don't like about it is programming it... otherwise it's been a decent scanner for me.

I think that lowband signals travel further than uhf. UHF signals are usually "pumped up" by a repeater, and as long as you can hear the repeater, you get everything. Same with 800mhz. Lowband sucks penetrating heavy concrete or metal buildings. Weather seems to be a factor on lowband also.

We use lowband paging for my fd. We will be going to uhf in the near future, as well as operating on 800mhz.

BTW Brandon, the telescoping antenna from radioshack is part number 20-006... $13something. Not an antenna to use when you are carrying the scanner alot, but something to use at home, etc. when listening to low-band... seems to do better on va state police, vhf-hi also. I can't say enough good about the Pro-95. There's even free software that you can download off the internet @ www.starrsoft.com , you just have to buy a two-way $15 or so cable. The manual does suck, though. The best thing to do is join the pro-95 yahoo group and ask questions/ read the files.

Also, if you get rechargable batteries, use NiMH. I use 1800 mAh in mine, but you can get higher. The higher, the longer the charge last. That's the good thing about the pro-95- you can take the batteries out and place them in a seperate charger... and put a fresh set of batteries in. The pro-95 does not waste batteries, the last about 24 hours on a charge.

Todd

 

[brandon_was_here]

Programming the BCT-7 does suck. If I get the Pro-95, I will have to check out the antenna. $13 is pretty cheap. Can you use the Pro-95 in the car with a cigarette light plugin? If you can, does it come with the adapter? Can you plug it into an outlet at home? Does it come with the plugin? I know about the software to program it with, and the cables also. I will also get rechargable batteries. Does the reception decrease as the batteries go down? Thanks for the help!

 

[tglendye]

Pro-95

The only thing about the Pro-95 is it doesn't come with many assessories, except rubber duck antenna. If you want a vehicle and wall adapter, you'll have to get them seperately. I bought the wall adapter and use it to charge batteries, and I also have a seperate charger to charge AA NiMH batteries.

I haven't noticed decrease in reception when the batteries are low, but with NiMH batteries, it dies "suddenly". I'd still take them over the regular batteries or nicads- NiMh doesn't develop a memory. If you use rechargeable batteries, don't get the battery holders mixed up (it comes with two). If you do and you use alkaline AA batteries, it is possible to charge them by mistake if you plug in the wall adapter.

I don't have a vehicle adapter. I may get one some day, but haven't really needed it. I use the 95 in my wife's car some, and if we take that on a trip I will take a charger and an extra set of batteries just in case. I have a bc780 in my pathfinder and really like that too.

 

[brandon_was_here]

Thanks alot for all the information. I really appreciate it.

 

[kc4wwu]

Virginia State Police

tglendye... I don't know if I read your post correctly, did you say that Virginia State Police is on Hi Band? Either way, I would like to know what the freq's are for them. If there is a website or someplace that is accurate. I drive to Connecticut from Georgia, 2 to 3 times a year so any freq's that VSP use along interstate 95 would be nice to have.

Thanks!
Pete
KC4WWU

 

[FJB2022]

This has all the Va State Police freqs, hope this helps. -Jeff http://members.cox.net/jeremiahtoth/

 

[Linkset]

Active VDOT in Northern Va.

47.040 has alot of highway truck activity around the beltway, rte#95 and 66. I dont know if the plows use this freq or not.

 

[SCPD]

Thanks for the information!! I don't know if the PLs are correct for the No Va area. I have 77.0 Hz programmed, which doesn't work. What would be the input for the repeater that the highway trucks use in No Va?

 

[Samuel]

I dunno the input for the repeater the STC and Highway Trucks use but the PL for 47.0400 is 114.8

 

[billsblots]

Brandon - two likely possibilities, check the repeater frequency 47.30 for the southern half of the county. North of Oakwood and east of Big Rock they are likely on a simplex channel, probably ch 1, 47.22 with 77.0 Hz, but scan all the Highway Maintenance channels beginning 47.04, every 20 khz to 47.40, or the specific frequencies listed in the 48 channel plan in an earlier post.

 

[billsblots]

VDOT No VA

Samuel is correct about the 47.04 MHz with 114.8 PL tone. This is primarily Smart Traffic Center and Safety Service Patrol. Fairfax VDOT probably on 47.28, PL 77.0 Ch 3 still, but likely to pop up anywhere, also check workzone channel 45.76, 77.0 PL. Pr William snowplows still primarily ch 1 47.22 PL 77.0. Repeater will be testing occasionally 47.24 PL 110.9 from I Hill site and VDOT units likely switching over during the next month to that channel, long term channel could change but that is what's currently ready to go full time. Loudoun co repeater on Short Hill Hillsboro 47.08 PL 110.9 covers well, and into other nearby counties if you have an outdoor antenna.

 

[billsblots]

antenna for lowband

scanner rubber ducky will be almost useless on low band. a radio shack or other extendable antenna to 2 or 3 feet helps quite a bit. an outside antenna designed for below 50MHz hooked to the portable or base scanner will provide remarkable results for potentially a wide area of VDOT operations.

 

[billsblots]

Virginia State Police

kc4wwu-
If entering VA on I-85 be careful from stateline and 20 miles north of South Hill, troopers often in median with radar. In fact they are often on -85 and -95 well north of Fredericksburg. Once you enter the "northern Virginia" area, say Pr William county, they usually don't get involved with radar on the interstates b/c there is so much traffic. generally interstate traffic is held slower in VA than any state between FL and NY.
Frequency 159.165 is dispatch for Mecklenburg county as you enter VA, then north of South Hill in Brunswick county becomes 159.135. Entering Dinwiddie county is Div 1 South, 159.000 all the way thru Petersburg and Richmond. Generally at the James River in Richmond, or just north of Richmond they change to Ch 2 158.985 thru Hanover and Caroline counties. Spotsylvania and Stafford counties on ch 3 159.165 dispatched from Culpeper. Pr William probably 159.135, and then Fairfax ch 7 159.000.
Be advised radar locations aren't usually disclosed in detail over those dispatch frequencies. you're more likely to catch that info on the TAC channel 154.665, with limited monitoring range although they have pretty strong mobiles with gain antennas.