159.075

[TinEar]

I often hear this freq from down here in Maryland but I can't ever make out the callsign of the unit working there. I keep hearing something that sounds like Hyatt's Fire or High Spire. Can anyone help? When I hear it, the signal is usually very good but for some reason I just can't seem to understand that callsign. I know the freq is used by the PA Turnpike and PSP. The traffic I always hear seems to be between mile marker 300 and 350. Thanks for your help.

P.S. - Can some of you help fill in the database for PA? There are about two dozen counties with nothing posted. There must be scanner enthusiasts in your state that can get all those blanks out of there. Thanks again.

Alan

 

[druhe]

159.075 is the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. They can also be heard on 159.045 and 159.000 simplex

I often hear this freq from down here in Maryland but I can't ever make out the callsign of the unit working there. I keep hearing something that sounds like Hyatt's Fire or High Spire. Can anyone help? When I hear it, the signal is usually very good but for some reason I just can't seem to understand that callsign. I know the freq is used by the PA Turnpike and PSP. The traffic I always hear seems to be between mile marker 300 and 350. Thanks for your help.

P.S. - Can some of you help fill in the database for PA? There are about two dozen counties with nothing posted. There must be scanner enthusiasts in your state that can get all those blanks out of there. Thanks again.

Alan

 

[radioscan]

You are hearing the PA Turnpike Police. Highspire is the service plaza located at milepost 249.7.

PA Turnpike has a great website with loads of info on it:
http://www.paturnpike.com/


I just sent in quite a bit of info to the db several weeks ago from my trip across the turnpike. I find it hard to believe the only entry for Somerset County came from myself from just passing through. I think you will find that those counties with no info are rural counties with low population.

Mark

 

[TinEar]

Thanks Mark. Highspire is the missing callsign that I was having trouble hearing...at least I guess it is. However, the Highspire that I'm hearing is farther up the road and has dispatched fire and other emergency units. Could it be one and the same? For instance, I heard it this afternoon talking about something that happened at mile marker 312. At other times I've followed his dispatching out as far as marker 343. That's kind of far away from the service plaza you mentioned near 250.

Glad to hear of your submissions for Somerset County. I've even submitted some PA info for Berks and Chester Counties. I hear Chester Fire down here like it's a local station - both day and night.

druhe, yes, I also copy the 159.045 freq down here but not quite as well as 159.075. The other one on 159.00 gets covered fairly well by the Virginia State Police in Fairfax from my location.

Alan

 

[radioscan]

Someone else on here can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe
"Highspire" refers to the PA Turnpike Police HQ. It should be located right off of the turnpike
on the east side of the Susquehanna River south of Harrisburg.
When a unit calls "Highspire" they are calling the main comm center for the PA Turnpike Police.
The small town of Highspire is right there, thus the name.


Mark

 

[TinEar]

Now THAT makes perfect sense in relation to what I'm hearing. This guy is definitely dispatching emergency services. That location corresponds well with the area of the pike I'm hearing. Thanks again Mark.

Alan

 

[csvff78]

You are right, Highspire is the headquarters for the Turnpike communications center. All communications for all Turnpike toll roads are handled through this center (pretty much the 911 PSAP for the Turnpike). This includes other routes than just the main Turnpike. All agencies PSP, maintenance, tolls, tows, and responding public safety agencies use these freqs. They have two frequencies (Repeaters) which alternate zones throughout the state. Here in Pittsburgh 159.045 is used from Ohio to just about Somerset, then it switches over to 159.075, and so on across the state. They do use PL on the input of the repeater (156.195 PL 136.5 here), but no PL is transmitted from the repeaters. You will hear some simplex on 159.000, especially in areas of backlog, accidents, and other needs. I have also heard PSP on 154.775 PL 186.2 with aircraft monitoring speed. It would also be a good idea to monitor tac 1 155.460 PL 186.2 and tac 2 151.490 PL 186.2. To make a rambling post even longer, it is useful to monitor so you know if its a good time to pull over for dinner due to a huge back log that you are about to get stuck in.

I did try to keep it short (Honest),
Frank K3FSS
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/2376/pghradio.html K3FSS Pittsburgh area scanning page.

 

[TinEar]

Frank, I'll have to put a couple of those freqs you mentioned into my scanner and see what I can hear. Funny, 159.075 was being heard real well from early this morning until late this afternoon and then just suddenly faded away for me. I do hear them often though and I do have it CSQ but wish they had a CTCSS tone with the signal. It helps cut interference on the longer distance signals. I generally get some copy from the whole string of PA counties bordering Maryland for some reason. All I'm using is the radio whip. Highspire has got to be the best part of 100 miles from me I think. Thanks for the info Frank.

If you ever want to hear scanner comms from the Baltimore/Washington DC area, tune into the URL below my signature. I have my scanner online with both audio and video every night from 8 to midnight.

Alan