Holden Beach (Tri-Beach Fire Dept)
- Thread starter pete8528
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JoeyC
Senior Member
Did you check in the database?
jeffmulter
Member
Pete - the Radio Reference database for Brunswick County appears relatively accurate for the county's conventional public safety channels, so I'd program the county fire and EMS channels for monitoring activity in Holden Beach ...
http://radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&ctid=1896
Tri Beach Fire Department is station 8. Here's a link to a list of all county stations, courtesy of CarolinasFirePage, a notification network for both Carolinas ...
http://www.carolinasfirepage.com/fr_page_1.html
The Radio Reference database does need updating with regards to Brunswick County's plans to migrate to a combination VHF / UHF trunked system. Some of the license / callsgin information, along with site locations and frequencies is no longer valid.
Although the RR information mentions a report of the trunked system in use in 2003, I have seen no reports elsewhere of it being in use, or what type trunking will be used.
Since I know you'll be using a Uniden BC250 scanner, I would suggest that you program all the conventional frequencies you choose with the proper PL tone. This time of year, tropo is common, and your coastal location will make the tropo more-likely.
Using the PL tone feature will help screen other agencies using the same frequencies. Even so, you may hear Berkeley Co, S.C. sheriffs on the Brunswick Co EMS dispatch channel (155.745 / 186.2), as they both use the same freq and tone.
In case you want to monitor the licensed trunked frequencies for activity, the callsigns for the licenses covering a site in Holden Beach are -
WQAT646
WPXM613
There are also two licenses covering sites in Brunswick County, other than Holden Beach -
WQAT670
WPYG263
Here's a link for callsign searches on the FCC database (simply enter the callsign you want to look at):
http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/genmen/callsign.hts
I hope the above information helps. Please let the forum know if you note any trunked activity or control channels among the frequencies licensed for Brunswick County.
And have a good time at the beach. I just got back from St Pete Beach, Fla ... the Mrs does all the driving, and I do all the scanning !
Jeff Multer
Fort Mill, S.C.
http://radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&ctid=1896
Tri Beach Fire Department is station 8. Here's a link to a list of all county stations, courtesy of CarolinasFirePage, a notification network for both Carolinas ...
http://www.carolinasfirepage.com/fr_page_1.html
The Radio Reference database does need updating with regards to Brunswick County's plans to migrate to a combination VHF / UHF trunked system. Some of the license / callsgin information, along with site locations and frequencies is no longer valid.
Although the RR information mentions a report of the trunked system in use in 2003, I have seen no reports elsewhere of it being in use, or what type trunking will be used.
Since I know you'll be using a Uniden BC250 scanner, I would suggest that you program all the conventional frequencies you choose with the proper PL tone. This time of year, tropo is common, and your coastal location will make the tropo more-likely.
Using the PL tone feature will help screen other agencies using the same frequencies. Even so, you may hear Berkeley Co, S.C. sheriffs on the Brunswick Co EMS dispatch channel (155.745 / 186.2), as they both use the same freq and tone.
In case you want to monitor the licensed trunked frequencies for activity, the callsigns for the licenses covering a site in Holden Beach are -
WQAT646
WPXM613
There are also two licenses covering sites in Brunswick County, other than Holden Beach -
WQAT670
WPYG263
Here's a link for callsign searches on the FCC database (simply enter the callsign you want to look at):
http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/genmen/callsign.hts
I hope the above information helps. Please let the forum know if you note any trunked activity or control channels among the frequencies licensed for Brunswick County.
And have a good time at the beach. I just got back from St Pete Beach, Fla ... the Mrs does all the driving, and I do all the scanning !
Jeff Multer
Fort Mill, S.C.
thumbtrap
Member
I doubt even your dispatch center knows what they are. There is some information on figuring them from the several digit number the dispatch system uses, but it's not real helpful if you're trying to go the other way.
Set up a scanner and a voice activated recorder on your PC. Then when you get it, you can figure out the Quick Call tones. There are no scanners out there that will do anything with the QCII tones though. Not yet anyway (rumors are floating about a new one coming out, but it's expected to be a very expensive scanner.)
Set up a scanner and a voice activated recorder on your PC. Then when you get it, you can figure out the Quick Call tones. There are no scanners out there that will do anything with the QCII tones though. Not yet anyway (rumors are floating about a new one coming out, but it's expected to be a very expensive scanner.)
thumbtrap
Member
You're asking about the tones that set off the pagers, right? The system in most widespread use today is Motorola's Quick Call II (The original Quick Call I can be heard on the opening of the Emergency! tv show, and is not generally used anymore.) Quick Call II is generally two tones,called an A tone and a B tone. http://www.batlabs.com/qcii.html explains it, but don't worry about the comlex formulas and tables. Table 2 has a list of the frequencies - you won't know what the encoded numbers are (and they're not necessarily just your station numbers) - so about the only good it will do you is tell you that the two tones will be listed in the table with all the others.
Here's a local sample, sorry about the audio, at the time i recorded this I wasn't set up to record off the trunked radio, this is the frequency the pagers operate on in the county and it's pretty bad at times.
Here's a local sample, sorry about the audio, at the time i recorded this I wasn't set up to record off the trunked radio, this is the frequency the pagers operate on in the county and it's pretty bad at times.
Just FYI....
Tone systems used -
MOSCAD
Motorola QC-I
Motorola QC-II
And some kind of system in use by M/A-Com, not sure what its called.
Also used is a multitonal combination.. 2 tones and a warble.... 1+1 and a chirp.... And I have even heard a actual siren sounding one in use on a few occaisions, as well as a rapid beep one.
QC-I is still in use in many rural areas, especially the really LOW BUDGET VFD's.
As stated the magority is now QC-II (Which we use ).
Tone systems used -
MOSCAD
Motorola QC-I
Motorola QC-II
And some kind of system in use by M/A-Com, not sure what its called.
Also used is a multitonal combination.. 2 tones and a warble.... 1+1 and a chirp.... And I have even heard a actual siren sounding one in use on a few occaisions, as well as a rapid beep one.
QC-I is still in use in many rural areas, especially the really LOW BUDGET VFD's.
As stated the magority is now QC-II (Which we use ).
jeffmulter said:
When I lived there, I could pick up Missour Highway Patrol on NCSHP's 42.38 base freq all summer using a 20" VHF 1/4 wave on the truck. The beach can be a good area for scanning
i P.S. It's funny how if you hear a call sign enough times, you never forget it. NCSHP WYR320
jeffmulter
Member
At one time, you could hear two Missouri dispatch centers - Lee's Summit and Kirkwood - using 42.38 as their primary channel.
MSP has added several frequencies to its available dispatch channels, including a few that are also used by NCHP for dispatch ... 42.82, 42.92 and 42.94 MHz.
This type of reception - off the Earth's ionosphere - is different than the tropo I was referring to. E layer skip on low band occurs when charged gas particles in that layer create a mirror effect for radio waves of specific frequencies.
Conversely, tropo is a bending and / or ducting of radio waves much closer to Earth's ground. It is usually due to weather, such as temperature inversions, which are quite common along coastal areas when there is a difference in air temperature over land vs over the water.
You can also experience propagation along weather fronts as they pass through your area, and wide-area propagation when stable high pressure air masses dominate your regional weather.
Jeff
MSP has added several frequencies to its available dispatch channels, including a few that are also used by NCHP for dispatch ... 42.82, 42.92 and 42.94 MHz.
This type of reception - off the Earth's ionosphere - is different than the tropo I was referring to. E layer skip on low band occurs when charged gas particles in that layer create a mirror effect for radio waves of specific frequencies.
Conversely, tropo is a bending and / or ducting of radio waves much closer to Earth's ground. It is usually due to weather, such as temperature inversions, which are quite common along coastal areas when there is a difference in air temperature over land vs over the water.
You can also experience propagation along weather fronts as they pass through your area, and wide-area propagation when stable high pressure air masses dominate your regional weather.
Jeff
I knew that, yeah, sure
Skip= Lo band
Tropo Ducting usually is Hi band....
Though you can also get short to medium range ducting from UHF and 700/800/900.
Skip on lo band can be heard up to several thousands of miles.
Ducting on hi band can usually be heard at up to a thousand miles or so.
Ducting on UHF is usually less than say two hundred miles.
700/800/900 Ducting is usually les than one hundred miles..
*NOTE* There are exceptions to all of those, but they make general good guidelines.
For the best skip in the world jump on down to Charleston/Folly Beach, SC area during spring and fall.. you can sit on Meeting Street and listen to California Highway Patrol like your in L. A. !
Anywhere near a coastal region is good for ducting, and spring ducting season is opening up soon.
Best bets- NC, SC, FL, GA, MS, LA....... Never had great ducting experiences farther north than NC... and was just wierd in Alabamma.... Have not tried in TX yet.
Tropo Ducting usually is Hi band....
Though you can also get short to medium range ducting from UHF and 700/800/900.
Skip on lo band can be heard up to several thousands of miles.
Ducting on hi band can usually be heard at up to a thousand miles or so.
Ducting on UHF is usually less than say two hundred miles.
700/800/900 Ducting is usually les than one hundred miles..
*NOTE* There are exceptions to all of those, but they make general good guidelines.
For the best skip in the world jump on down to Charleston/Folly Beach, SC area during spring and fall.. you can sit on Meeting Street and listen to California Highway Patrol like your in L. A. !
Anywhere near a coastal region is good for ducting, and spring ducting season is opening up soon.
Best bets- NC, SC, FL, GA, MS, LA....... Never had great ducting experiences farther north than NC... and was just wierd in Alabamma.... Have not tried in TX yet.
jeffmulter
Member
From '74 to '82, I lived in Gloucester County, N.J. - near Philadelphia.
Local L/E used a couple of high band frequencies that Virginia Beach Police also used. I'd hear VBPD occasionally around and after sunset. With their use of ANI, you knew when they were becoming audible ... even before you could distinguish the voice traffic.
Times have changed. Gloucester County has moved to 500 MHz, and Virginia Beach to 800 MHz. And we can search the entire band for activity during enhancements, rather than being limited to the frequencies we have crystals for.
Jeff
Local L/E used a couple of high band frequencies that Virginia Beach Police also used. I'd hear VBPD occasionally around and after sunset. With their use of ANI, you knew when they were becoming audible ... even before you could distinguish the voice traffic.
Times have changed. Gloucester County has moved to 500 MHz, and Virginia Beach to 800 MHz. And we can search the entire band for activity during enhancements, rather than being limited to the frequencies we have crystals for.
Jeff
Holden Beach area fire departments are all dispatched through the Brunswick County Comm Center and utilize the county fire net plan. They are going to a LTR type trunking system of the VHF fire and UHF law enforcement frequencies and adding a number more freqs for each group. Not sure when that is to go on line. Apparently some testing going on now though.
l;et me put it like this with that system that brusnwick county gov't is putting in. They have said it will be operational in sixmonths every six months since 2001 just thought i'd let you know how my wonderful county beauracracy works.
l;et me put it like this with that system that brusnwick county gov't is putting in. They have said it will be operational in sixmonths every six months since 2001 just thought i'd let you know how my wonderful county beauracracy works.
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