Odd radio noises

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radiopro52

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I was searching different bands on my scanner and I heard some weird beeps and tones. I was wondering if these are signals from towers, radio interference, or maybe even trunking control channels. If anyone can help indentify these tones, it would be appreciated. Thanks.
 

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W4KRR

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radiopro52 said:
I was searching different bands on my scanner and I heard some weird beeps and tones. I was wondering if these are signals from towers, radio interference, or maybe even trunking control channels. If anyone can help indentify these tones, it would be appreciated. Thanks.

They are not trunking control channels. The first one sounds like some sort of digital data. The second one, I have no idea.

What frequency or frequencies did you find these on? That may help give a clue into what they are.
 

chrismol1

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They almost sound like something digitally keying of some sort, data
 

radiopro52

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W4KRR said:
They are not trunking control channels. The first one sounds like some sort of digital data. The second one, I have no idea.

What frequency or frequencies did you find these on? That may help give a clue into what they are.
They are both in UHF. The first one is 451.225. It makes those tones all day. Sometimes it takes a minute of silence and then it resumes. At first I thought it may of been a LTR system sending data bursts.

The second reminds me of sonar. It's on 452.200. I'm guessing it's nothing, but I have no clue on where it would be coming from.

And another question. Does every trunking system have to have a FCC license? Because I found something that I'm positive is a control channel but an FCC search on the frequency finds no results. I posted in my state's forum but I haven't got a reply.
 

nd5y

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Those sound files are both SCADA.

All trunked systems that don't belong to the federal government are supposed to be licensed.
What frequency was it?
 

radiopro52

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nd5y said:
Those sound files are both SCADA.

All trunked systems that don't belong to the federal government are supposed to be licensed.
What frequency was it?

By SCADA I assume you mean this, Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition? So it's basically just electronic information being transfered through the air, not radio transmissions.

I discovered what the mystery trunking system is, but it does not have a license. A search of the RR database found that it belongs to Redstone Arsenal in Hunstville, AL, which is possibly owned by the federal government.
 

wlmr

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radiopro52 said:
I discovered what the mystery trunking system is, but it does not have a license. A search of the RR database found that it belongs to Redstone Arsenal in Hunstville, AL, which is possibly owned by the federal government.

Federally controlled frequencies are controlled by another agency, not the FCC. NTIA? Try googling that. They handle the frequency coordination of Fed frequencies. The FCC can work with them if there are issues with interference but the frequencies and call signs aren't published.

:) I agree an arsenal would most likely be federal. :)
 

zz0468

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radiopro52 said:
By SCADA I assume you mean this, Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition? So it's basically just electronic information being transfered through the air, not radio transmissions.

Close, but not quite right. It IS radio transmissions, you ARE hearing it on the radio, right? SCADA can be sent via radio to bypass leased phone line charges. It's very much a radio transmission, it just isn't voice.
 

radiopro52

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Well, obviously I'm hearing them on the radio, but if it's not voice then it shouldn't be on the radio, in my opinion.

I have a couple of more sounds that you can laugh....uh, try to identify, also in the UHF band. From the way they sound, I would guess they're also SCADA. Note that sound 4 may be a little loud.
 

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CCHLLM

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Both 3 and 4 are SCADA and both sound as though the SCADA systems are on a repeater system, which is quite common, BTW.

So why shouldn't data be sent over radio? Maybe you can provide a technology that would accomplish the same tasks without having to use the more expensive wireline and fiberoptic infrastructures where those apply as an alternative. That new technology of yours would eliminate paging systems for emergency services and alphanumeric paging systems, WiFi, wireless LAN, wireless WAN, power SCADA, water and sewer SCADA, mobile data systems in fire, rescue and law enforcement vehicles, stream gauging/flood control SCADA, irrigation SCADA, remote weather SCADA, tectonic (earthquake) monitoring SCADA, radar, aircraft transponders, satellites, wireless video, drone military aircraft, ambulance-to-hospital telemetry, and thousands of other things that seem to bother you. That would really clear up the spectrum crowding problem and release more "voice" channels for your listening pleasure.
 
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radiopro52

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wx4cbh said:
So why shouldn't data be sent over radio? Maybe you can provide a technology that would accomplish the same task without bothering you.
When you think of radio, you think of voice. At least, I do. And I would think there are other ways to send data without going through the airwaves. But, hey, what do I know.

Anyway, I had no idea there were this many SCADA frequencies in this area. There's more of them then trunking systems.
 

CCHLLM

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If there's another way, somebody could become very wealthy if they could produce it at comparable pricing and could sell the changeover to everyone who uses telemetry of some sort. Hell, if people can sell videos of fishing, then absolutely anything is possible.
 

zz0468

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radiopro52 said:
When you think of radio, you think of voice. At least, I do. And I would think there are other ways to send data without going through the airwaves. But, hey, what do I know.

Clearly not much when it comes to what's out there on the radio spectrum.

radiopro52 said:
Anyway, I had no idea there were this many SCADA frequencies in this area. There's more of them then trunking systems.

It's a good thing that you don't establish the rules are. SCADA is a VERY important and VERY frequent user of radio. By your rules, the power company wouldn't be able to read meters or control remote switches. Water and sewer utilities wouldn't be able to control flood gates or valves. Gas pipelines and railroads wouldn't be able to regulate pressures or control signals. Railroad conductors wouldn't be able to read brake air pressure at the end of the train. I could go on and on and on. wx4cbh had a pretty good list going, too.
 

loumaag

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Don_Burke said:
Television broadcasters would have an interesting take on that, as would GPS users.
:lol:
Let's not forget our favorite interfering signal ... pagers.
 

slicerwizard

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I say we ban all wireless routers and the mobile workstations the coppers use and Bluetooth gear and RC cars and planes and remote car door locks and trunking control channels and all that other non-voice crap out there.

If those computers want to communicate, they should talk to each other (preferably in Afrikaans), not in bits and bytes (and don't get me started on nybbles!)
 
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