How to program this on a Uniden BCD536HP

[CorwinScansNM]

Hi everyone,

Just a quick question that you the public may or might know how to do? I monitor PHI Air Medical Helicopter here in NM & today heard a dispatch call on their frequency. I heard them communicate with the pilot & tell the pilot that they would be communicating with the paramedics for the patient on backup frequency, (Utility 121 on State Fire) which is NM State Fire. I do monitor with NM State Fire on their analog frequency of 154.3100 Mhz which I very seldom hear anything on.

How do you or would you program to a scanner/receiver hear them with that information that I heard them say which again is, (Utility 121 on State Fire)? I never understand when they say strange frequency information like that over their radios to the medical helicopters. It is just a blur to me. Therefore, I figured that I would post my question here on RadioReference just to see if anybody else knows or understands how you would program something like that on a scanner like the Uniden BCD536HP?

Thanks!

 

[W8RMH]

Just a hunch, it may have been a frequency in the AM air band, such as 121. oh 8 5 (MHz) sounds the same. They may have to resort to AM air due to reception issues with range or terrain. Try scanning the air band along with your other channels. I worked for over 30 years in public safety, then went to work in aviation after I retired and had a hard time understanding their radio traffic. They talk low and very fast.

 

[DaveNF2G]

Utility 121 is the LZ ground contact unit and State Fire is the frequency or talkgroup for the LZ.

 

[ChrisABQ]

NM state fire is mostly quiet because it's local incident traffic only, there are no repeaters that I know of for this statewide frequency. It's only heard in the vicinity of the fire.

Have you tried listing to the NIFOG channels?

 

[CorwinScansNM]

NM state fire is mostly quiet because it's local incident traffic only, there are no repeaters that I know of for this statewide frequency. It's only heard in the vicinity of the fire.

Have you tried listing to the NIFOG channels?

Thanks ChrisABQ. What exactly are NIFOG Channels? Never heard of them or do not understand what they are.

 

[CorwinScansNM]

Utility 121 is the LZ ground contact unit and State Fire is the frequency or talkgroup for the LZ.

OK, sounds straight & worthy. I will monitor the 108-136. Mhz air band next time I hear them talk about a utility frequency & see if I can catch them to continue hearing for PHI Air Medical Helicopters in my state. Good info & thanks.

 

[SCPD]

State fire, 154.310 is mobiles or portables used on scene or localized area without repeaters. While mobile repeaters could exist they are very rarely deployed unless a large enough incident occurs but even then most resort to other interop channels or local channels with decent repeater coverage.

Unless both ends are putting out 110 watts on mobiles and or your within that range you won't hear them.

Typically state fire is toned at 127.3 however some dummies still program them in csq down south in NM where management is a joke in many communication centers. Some will have 127.3 for tx leaving csq for rx since some fail to use a tone. This was true in a specific area everytime native air or other birds would attempt ground communications with ine specific municipality they couldn't hear the units on ground. In end native air ended up just putting state fire for csq rx with 127.3 tx on its birds.

Utility 121 is the unit they are making contact with. State fire is the mobile to mobile frequency used when they are approaching or overhead at the LZ.

So Basicslly the conversation would go,

Med evac 5 to utility 121 on stare fire,
Go ahead,
Approaching you we see the landing zone, etc

 

[ChrisABQ]

Sorry for the delayed response, NIFOG is the National Interoperability Field Operations Guide. It consists of nationwide interop frequencies for the US. During the Sandia Crest fire, several NIFOG channels were being used by fire fighting crews.

Ton's of info and frequencies, including the new 700 mhz band.

https://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/nifog-v1-4-resized-for-pda-viewing.pdf

 

[CorwinScansNM]

Sorry for the delayed response, NIFOG is the National Interoperability Field Operations Guide. It consists of nationwide interop frequencies for the US. During the Sandia Crest fire, several NIFOG channels were being used by fire fighting crews.

Ton's of info and frequencies, including the new 700 mhz band.

https://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/nifog-v1-4-resized-for-pda-viewing.pdf

Thanks so much for the additional info & responses to my question here ChrisABQ.

I by the way always turn on your Broadcastify feed for Bernalillo County when I hear sirens of any kind down the road from my house or when I hear them going up the Sandia Mountains Crest Road. Your listening feed on Broadcastify for Bernalillo County, NM is awesome! That is until Digital ProVoice Communication Radios go away & are changed out & upgraded for Bernalillo County to the new Digital Encrypted Radio Communications that we the monitors & listeners are all dreading. Your listening feed is great for now & has been for quite some time.

 

[ChrisABQ]

I don't believe the city or the county will be updating anytime soon, neither can afford the $30 million cost. They could easily encrypt everything on their system now, but they aren't. Upgrading to the digital P25 phase 2 system, I don't see they would encrypt the area command dispatch or fire channels either.

It's been fun hosting this feed since taking it over in August from Robert. Thanks for listening.

 

[CorwinScansNM]

I don't believe the city or the county will be updating anytime soon, neither can afford the $30 million cost. They could easily encrypt everything on their system now, but they aren't. Upgrading to the digital P25 phase 2 system, I don't see they would encrypt the area command dispatch or fire channels either.

It's been fun hosting this feed since taking it over in August from Robert. Thanks for listening.

My honors ChrisABQ.

I own a Uniden BCD536HP & have been putting off purchasing the ProVoice Upgrade because I was dreading & thinking that Bernalillo County was going to manage to get their hands on the $30 Million dollar radio system upgrade one way or the other because they are privacy concerned & don't like being monitored & listened to by NM residents like me, you & many others here.

Maybe I will actually convince myself to finally purchase the ProVoice Upgrade for my Uniden BCD536HP if they can't afford their $30 Million dollar radio upgrade system anytime soon. I just didn't want to purchase the ProVoice Upgrade for my Uniden Scanner & then find out or have Bernalillo County change out to this new outrageous $30 Million dollar radio system right after my purchased ProVoice Upgrade for my BCD536HP Scanner. That would make the paid ProVoice Upgrade worthless and useless to me & my scanner. I will consider the ProVoice Upgrade now after reading what you wrote above in hopes of luck for awhile at least until they manage to get their way with the $30 Million dollar radio upgrade from the state.

 

[ChrisABQ]

I just recently picked up the 996P2 and bought the upgrade for it as well. Works great. The special unit TG's (gangs, narc, etc.) are the only ones that are encrypted, everything else is in the clear. Even less BCSO channels are encrypted. As I said, if they wanted to encrypt everything now, they certainly could. With the issues that APD has had lately and the public wanting more transparency, I think it's in our public safety's best interest to keep certain things available.