FCC Website

[z_moonchild]

Hello,
What is the FCC website that lists the LTR frequencies in the Washington DC & Baltimore areas. I am trying to find the frequencies and correct order that Traffic.com uses so I can program my Uniden BC296D

Thanks

 

[crayon]

z_moonchild,

The FCC does not keep track of the flavor of trunking that a system may use. That is why radioreference.com is here!!

I did not take the time to fill out the form for traffic.com's site so I dont know what it is exactly that you are wanting to listen to .. Have you taken the time to look at the RRDB to try and find LTR systems for area's that you are intrested in?

 

[ericcarlson]

Traffic.com in DC uses a Champion Communication LTR system. You can pull up all the Champion licenses on the FCC web site or on this web site but be aware that there are a lot. They probably operate multiple systems in the DC area. It took me several months to sort out all of the Champion systems in the Houston area using only a BC780XLT (I've identified 7 separate systems). If you use the LTR computer programs, they should speed up the process.

Due to the number of licenses and frequencies involved, you may find it easier to just search the UHF-T band and identify the frequencies you can hear wherever you are (look them up by frequency in the FCC database to confirm the user). In the DC area, the UHF-T band includes 488-491 MHz and 494-497 MHz. (Repeaters inputs are 491-494 MHz and 497-500 MHz.) Almost all Champion systems are in the UHF-T band.

-Eric

 

[z_moonchild]

I hate to sound stupid, but I don't know what you mean by the "RRDB"
Traffic.com uses their two-way radios to get traffic information from their mobile and airborne reporters, that info is used on different radio & television stations, as well as for their internet traffic updates.
From others I have spoken and e-mailed with, I found out that they use a Champion system, and I've been able to get two of the frequencies they use:
499.9625
496.9625
But I don't know which channels I need to program them on in order to listen. I put the frequencies on my scanner, but still haven't heard anything on them yet. I have confirmation that they're using their two way radios on a daily basis, but of course the frequencies could be incorrect.
I currently monitor their competion, Westwood One, which owns and runs Metro Networks, Shadow Broadcast Services, and SmartRoute Systems. I'm just trying to complete my collection of Traffic Reporting Services in the Washington DC & Baltimore areas.

 

[ericcarlson]

RRDB just refers to the Radio Reference Database (this web site). 499.9625 is the repeater input. To figure out the LTR system, you will be interested in repeater outputs, e.g., 496.9625. The first thing to do is to put 496.9625 in your scanner in LTR trunk mode and sit on it until you hear traffic.com; the LTR talkgroup ID should display on your scanner.

The LTR talkgroup ID is in Area-Home-Group format, e.g., 0-10-154, the area code is 0, the home repeater number is 10, and the group ID is 154. Together, 0-10-154 identifies a unique talkgroup on the system. The area code is either 0 or 1 and is the same for all talkgroups on a given system. The home repeater number is important since this tells you what slot in your scanner to program it into (assuming you're using a Uniden scanner). In my example, the frequency belongs in position 10. For Uniden scanners, you will need to program the LTR frequencies into the first 20 channels in one bank. Regular LTR systems have a maximum of 20 channels numbered 01 through 20.

Traffic.com's talkgroup will always use its home repeater unless another talkgroup happens to already be using that frequency at the time. If the repeater is in use by someone else, the talkgroup will be automatically switched to another free repeater in the system. Gradually you should be able to determine which frequencies are a part of the system and you can program them in the proper slots in your scanner. The tricky part is identifying the home repeater number for frequencies that do not have any talkgroups homed to them (these are "overflow" repeaters). Unless you use the LTR computer programs, you will probably end up having to determine this by trial and error.

The first thing to do though is to determine which frequencies are active home channels in the system. These should be relatively easy because your scanner will display the talkgroup IDs (thus revealing the home repeater numbers).

-Eric

 

[z_moonchild]

Thanks Eric,
I'm still getting use to how talkgroups work. I thought that maybe the ID's might need to be programmed in before I could pick up anything, your explanation really helped clear up some things.
When I program the frequencies (499.9625 & 496.9625) in my scanner (Uniden BC296D), don't they need to be programmed into a channel number that corresponds with the number it has in the Champion system in order to hear it? or will I hear it no matter what channel I program it on? then after I get the ID, program it to it's corresponding home repeater number.
For example; if I program 496.9625 onto channel 903 and it's home repeater number is 07, does that mean I'll be able to hear it on 903, or will it need to be programmed on 907 before I can hear it?
Thanks,
Zoom

 

[ericcarlson]

When I program the frequencies (499.9625 & 496.9625) in my scanner (Uniden BC296D), don't they need to be programmed into a channel number that corresponds with the number it has in the Champion system in order to hear it? or will I hear it no matter what channel I program it on? then after I get the ID, program it to it's corresponding home repeater number.

First, forget about the repeater input frequency (499.9625) for now. In order for the scanner to track the system properly the frequencies need to programmed into the proper channels (for trunk scanning and trunk searching). However, you can program in the frequency as an LTR trunked channel but sit on the channel in manual mode.

My instructions below assume you are using a BC780XLT but it should be similar for other Uniden scanners.

To make sure you're setup properly, make sure the scanner display shows the frequency (496.9625), "L" displays indicating an LTR trunked channel, and "TRUNK" displays indicating you are in trunked mode. Make sure the frequency is programmed into one of the first 20 channels in a bank.

At this point you could press "SCAN" to begin scanning the system if you've programmed talkgroups in a scan list (but you haven't because you don't know any yet). Or, you could press "SCAN" then "SRCH" to enter trunk search mode -- this will display any talkgroups on the system as they become active, assuming the system is properly programmed into your scanner.

For now, do neither of these things, but just sit on the 496.9625 channel during rush hour and wait until you hear Traffic.com people talking. While they are talking you will see their talkgroup ID display, even though you are in manual mode. Based on the talkgroup you see, you now know the home repeater number for 496.6625 and you can move that frequency to the proper channel in your scanner. (If multiple talkgroups homed to that channel are keyed-up at the same time, the scanner display will alternate between all the active talkgroups.)

Just be aware that if a talkgroup from another home repeater is shifted to 496.6625 you will see their talkgroup displayed even though it doesn't have the same home repeater number. If you can receive most of the conversation while listening to a talkgroup on a single channel you can be reasonably sure that it is the home channel. If the system is very active, which it is likely to be during rush hour, then it will be more difficult to determine which channels are home channels and what number they have. It is easier to figure out home channels when the system is less busy because talkgroups are more likely to appear on their own home channel.

-Eric

 

[z_moonchild]

Thanks for all the help. I was in Anne Arundel County (south of Baltimore) this morning and discovered that the frequencies I had were for Baltimore only, I was able to get a couple of ID’s.
I did a search and discovered that the DC Frequencies for Traffic.com are:
499.8375
496.8375
But I wasn’t able to get any ID’s. It may be possible that the DC office doesn’t use an LTR system, but it seemed like it was a trunked system because sometimes the signal came up on 499.8375, most of the time it came up on 496.8375. Also, I was getting other transmissions that were obviously not Traffic.com.
Thanks,
Zoom

 

[ericcarlson]

The +3 MHz frequency (e.g., 499.8375) is always the repeater input. This is the channel that the mobile/portable radios transmit on. The repeater rebroadcasts what it "hears" on the input, so you can hear it over a large area. You will have to be close to the transmitting radio to hear the input. A traffic plane or helicopter can be heard easily on the input because of the height at which it is transmitting.

-Eric

 

[ericcarlson]

Thanks for all the help. I was in Anne Arundel County (south of Baltimore) this morning and discovered that the frequencies I had were for Baltimore only, I was able to get a couple of ID’s.

By the way, please submit whatever you were able to find out to the RR Database on this site, or just post it in this thread. Thanks.

-Eric

 

[z_moonchild]

Eric,
I will submit what I've found out so far to the Database.

For anyone else interested in the traffic reporting entities in the Washington DC area, I created this list:

Traffic Pulse Networks (Traffic.com) :
1 base unit, 2 mobile units, 1 air unit (Air name “Broadcast 4”)
496.8375
499.8375
(Unknown what type system, LTR? The Baltimore office of Traffic.com uses an LTR system, but the DC office appears to be different. It’s definitely a trunked system.)

The rest use conventional frequencies:

Westwoood One (Metro Networks, Shadow Broadcast Services, SmartRoute Systems):
1 base unit, over 4 mobile units, 2 air units
450.9125 (PL 141.3)
455.9125 (Repeater)
Frequencies used by Westwood One though licensed through their clients for broadcast use:
WMAL traffic plane (Air name “7 Victor Whiskey”):
161.7000 (PL 192.8 )
WTOP traffic helicopter (Air name “Chopper 2”):
455.6500

WRC NBC Channel 4:
1 air unit (Air name “Chopper 4”):
153.0500

WTTG Fox Channel 5:
1 air unit (Air name “Sky Fox”):
161.7300

WJLA ABC Channel 7:
1 air unit (Unofficial air name “Chopper 7”), hasn’t been up in several months
450.2625

WUSA CBS Channel 9:
same as WTOP

Montgomery County?

Air-to-Air communication:
122.7500 All
123.0250 Helicopters


Thanks again for the help,
Zoom

 

[PanJurekMrJerry]

z_moonchild,

The FCC does not keep track of the flavor of trunking that a system may use. That is why radioreference.com is here!!

I did not take the time to fill out the form for traffic.com's site so I dont know what it is exactly that you are wanting to listen to .. Have you taken the time to look at the RRDB to try and find LTR systems for area's that you are intrested in?

That is very TRUE, the http://www.fcc.gov wwebsite will NOT list the flavour of trunking. But I believe that it will list if the frequencies are Trunked or NOT. It is up to you to determine the type(flavour) of
trunking being utilized.

Here in the Metro Cleveland, Ohio Area most if NOT all Trunked frequencies in the 420 - 425 rrange seem to be L.T.R..

I know that there is @ least one L.T.R. system in the Mid V.H.F. range.

Most if NOT all of the 800 & 900 Trunker RadioSystems, in this area, are
either Moto (Type 1, Type 2, or Type 2; P-25), or E.D.A.C.S.. Why there even is a Moto system that has a Talk Group on it as a link to an E.D.A.C.S. system and vice-a-versa. There is @ least one 900 L.T.R..

This could also be the case for your area or NOT. I hope that this helps.

I am NOT saying that this works for all areas but it should get you started.

We also got an 800 VSELP TRS and annd a 800 E.D.A.C.S. S.C.A.T. system.

So if your area is anything like here, chances are good but NOT
100% that most of the L.T.R. Trunking will occur in the 420 - 425 range.

:wink: :wink:

 

[loumaag]

... http://www.fcc.gov wwebsite will NOT list the flavour of trunking. But I believe that it will list if the frequencies are Trunked or NOT. It is up to you to determine the type(flavour) of trunking being utilized.

Maybe. There are many LTR systems out there that the frequencies are licensed to various different entities that came together and started sharing the frequencies in a LTR system but left the licenses in place as they were. The FCC database only reflects things as they should be, not as they are. So when doing your research, please keep in mind, you will find LTR systems with licenses in the non-trunked classes on the FCC database.

Here in the Metro Cleveland, Ohio Area most if NOT all Trunked frequencies in the 420 - 425 rrange seem to be L.T.R.. ...

Most if NOT all of the 800 & 900 Trunker RadioSystems, in this area, are either Moto (Type 1, Type 2, or Type 2; P-25), or E.D.A.C.S.. Why there even is a Moto system that has a Talk Group on it as a link to an E.D.A.C.S. system and vice-a-versa. ...

So if your area is anything like here, chances are good but NOT 100% that most of the L.T.R. Trunking will occur in the 420 - 425 range....

This may well be true, but the reason is that LTR appeals to small commercial entities because basically it is cheaper. Since most businesses (that have radios) already have licenses in the UHF range it was easy to convert to LTR (see the above explination). However, there are a lot of LTR systems in the 800 and 900 MHz ranges, so keep an ear out for the tell-tale LTR 10 second idle burst when scanning everywhere.