154.160 heard in SLO

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SLOweather

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I'm hearing repeated traffic on 154.160. It's strong but choppy, and I'm having a hard time getting enough pieces of messages to get an idea of its origin.

We're on a hill SW of town, and the antenna is on the top of the roof so it could be coming from any direction (except probably west :)).

Any ideas?

Chris
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northzone

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That is a statewide OES fire channel. Usually used by strike teams of OES engines. There are repeaters all over the state and control is via microwave at Sacramento OES. It is a repeater output, the other output is 154.220. Good channels to have in during fire season. See you are in SLO, nice place, I did my MA at Poly.
 

BirkenVogt

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I was not aware that system was working again. Do they have repeaters or are they remote bases or something? What is the input?

Birken
 

Radio_Lady

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BirkenVogt said:
I was not aware that system was working again. Do they have repeaters or are they remote bases or something? What is the input?

Birken
The 154.16 and 154.22 repeaters around the state used to have mobile uplinks of 33.98 and 33.66, respectively. At most of the sites the low-band receivers have been removed, but apparently a few of them are still hooked up. The 33 MHz signals, of course, can come in from across the country when skip's around.

It looks like the uplinks may be 159.195 and 159.135, but which way they are paired I can't tell.
 
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northzone

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BirkenVogt said:
I was not aware that system was working again. Do they have repeaters or are they remote bases or something? What is the input?Birken

Check the database under OES, the inputs are listed (159.xxx). They are repeaters with line control via the microwave to SAC OES.
 

Kirk

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SLOweather said:
I'm hearing repeated traffic on 154.160. It's strong but choppy, and I'm having a hard time getting enough pieces of messages to get an idea of its origin.

We're on a hill SW of town, and the antenna is on the top of the roof so it could be coming from any direction (except probably west :)).

Any ideas?

Chris
www.sloweather.com

Woohoo, SLO stuff. I can answer! I can answer!

It is OES fire, and it's on Mt. Lowe. Many moons ago, SLO City Fire had it in their console at dispatch, complete with lowband transmitter for the input (33.980). If I recall, it was a GE Mastr II base station. The low band inputs used burst tone.

Input is now 159.195, PL of 167.9.

Signal should be strong in SLO, so I'm guessing you're getting another site. I actually still have my info (with DTMF control codes to link to other sites via state microwave), although it's pretty old and likely out of date.

Other sites according to my old map that are sorta near here are La Cumbre Peak in Santa Barbara, Joaquin Ridge in Fresno, Blue Ridge in Fresno (other side of the valley) and Loma Prieta in the Bay Area.

I've heard the 146.760 ham repeater from Loma in SLO, so maybe it's that one.
 

BirkenVogt

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OK, in the RR database it has both inputs listed with either output. So I wonder if that really is the case? Also, what tones are they using for input? Hopefully the CDF/USFS standard

In my CDF radio programming, they are just simplex.

I had figured they were just using them for tactical frequencies now because of this, but I guess that is not the case.

I have the old green book from about 1988 that explains in excruciating detail how the hokey 33 MHz inputs worked and all the painful DTMF you had to put in to link the system.

Birken
 

Kirk

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Like many things involving the State, progress on this system was slow. When I was in the biz back in the early 90's, they were in the process of changing out all the hilltops to have high band inputs instead of low band. Apparently the equipment was all purchased, but they lacked the budget to do the installs. It must have been about 1995 when I talked to some guys from State Telcom about the system. It was at that point I learned how frustrating it would be to be a DGS/Telcom employee.

I used to hear LA County doing tests on the system now and again, but it's very underutilized these days. Kinda like CLERS, I guess.
 

SLOweather

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Kirk said:
Woohoo, SLO stuff. I can answer! I can answer!

Hey Kirk. You know me. I used to work for the City of SLO until I retired a little over a year ago. (Chris KD6DSI). Dunno if you know, but WB6GVO retired before me and is now in Texas.

Anyway, based on the input so far, the little I get from the transmissions, the weather lately and the way it sounds like heat refraction, and my experience with 2m and our location, I'm leaning to one of the Valley locations at this time. I've been able to get into Porterville and Oakhurst 2m machines from, here, but never Loma. And I think it's too choppy to be as close as something in SB county.

It almost sounded as if some agency might have been using it for dispatch, perhaps as a fill-in or in lieu of a malfunctioning system.

I'll see what I hear this weekend.
 

northzone

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BirkenVogt said:
OK, in the RR database it has both inputs listed with either output. So I wonder if that really is the case? Also, what tones are they using for input? Hopefully the CDF/USFS standard

Yes, that is really the case with the inputs, it just depends what area of the state you are in (the inputs were NOT clear channels statewide). Yes, tones are CDF/USFS standard.
 

Kirk

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They are full fledged stand alone repeaters with linking ability via state microwave.

And hi Chris, yes, I knew who you were from the get go. Tried to send you a Private Message here, but I guess you haven't found it yet. It's not easy being the new guy. :D
 

SLOweather

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Kirk said:
They are full fledged stand alone repeaters with linking ability via state microwave.

And hi Chris, yes, I knew who you were from the get go. Tried to send you a Private Message here, but I guess you haven't found it yet. It's not easy being the new guy. :D

Got it. I'm used to forums that notify me by email when I get PMed. I'll have to check my profile to see if that's an option here.
 

KeithKenobi

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I just heard a full quieting repeater on 154.22 in Santa Cruz California, NO tone on the output. DC701 testing, weak on 159.135 input, PL 118.8. Using DTMF
 

cmdrwill

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DC701 probably California State radio tech, DC707 was an old friend with CHP radio years ago.
 
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