170.15 PL 203.5 Who?

[MStep]

Looking around I can't find anything current for this frequency--- closest I come in the database is Guttenburg NJ FD, but the PL tone is not correct and the RR database shows that their license expired. I live on the west side of Manhattan and the signal is very strong. Ideas? Thanks much.

 

[Thunderbolt]

What type of radio traffic are you hearing? The frequency of 170.150 MHz, is also used by the federal government, and you might be hearing one of their agencies.

 

[ecps92]

With-in a Radius [Think it's 150 mi] of NYC this is also allowed for Fire Dept use... CT, MA, NY, NJ all tend to have this in-use. I don't recall a 203.5 Hz user tho...for New England...

What type of radio traffic are you hearing? The frequency of 170.150 MHz, is also used by the federal government, and you might be hearing one of their agencies.

 

[Mick]

Maybe it's one of these?

Here are some currently licensed users of 170.150 MHz within a 40 mile radius of NJ:

WPQA826 Licensee: GUTTENBERG, TOWNSHP OF City: west new york, NJ
WPEN949 Licensee: HOBOKEN, CITY OF City: HOBOKEN, NJ
Callsign: KNBY464 Licensee: NORTH HUDSON REGIONAL COMM AUTH City: WEST NEW YORK, NJ
Callsign: WPGM278 Licensee: NORTH MERRICK FIRE DISTRICT City: MERRICK, NY
Callsign: KEH513 Licensee: SADDLE RIVER, BOROUGH OF City: SADDLE RIVER, NJ
Callsign: WPPF378 Licensee: SECAUCUS, TOWN OF City: SECAUCUS, NJ
Callsign: KAQ911 Licensee: UNION CITY, CITY OF City: UNION CITY, NJ

 

[MStep]

Thanks for the replies guys-- I guess I should have mentioned in the original post that this is definately Fire Department activity. Given my location, I would have to guess somewhere just across the Hudson-- just could not find anything matching Fire Departments on that frequency and with that tone.

 

[john9912]

170.150 203.5 was Hoboken FD b4 they switched to UHF. Not sure what it is now.

 

[Analogrules]

Perhaps Hoboken is still simulcasting on their old frequency???

 

[AlexC]

Perhaps Hoboken is still simulcasting on their old frequency???

Yes - but you will hear only dispatch on the VHF side.

-Alex

 

[jaymatt1978]

Now here's the question is it FIRE traffic or you hearing other things on there too?

 

[AlexC]

Now here's the question is it FIRE traffic or you hearing other things on there too?

I don't monitor the VHF - only their UHF channel since that's primary - so I couldn't tell you what your hearing. If you can record the traffic and post it I'm sure someone can probably identify it who is familiar with the area.

-Alex

 

[RadioChief55]

Hoboken FD does simulcast the FD dispatch on 170.150. All other town that also use it are on new frequencies. The transmitter is powerful and high. You can hear it right down the Jersey Coast. Companies are 122, 121 and so on. They dispatch some times like JC. They will say transmitting district !,2,3 or 4. I don’t know what they use for districts

 

[MStep]

Thank you all--- indeed it is Hoboken Fire simulcasting the dispatch side of their UHF freq on 170.15.

 

[902]

Years ago, 170.150 was the EMS channel for Philadelphia FD with an input channel of 166.250. It must've been running in carrier squelch because you could hear Bayonne FD coming through 170.1500 from time to time by way of Philadelphia.

I put Hoboken's 170.150 base station (was a reworked Micor at the time) on top of Stevens Institute of Technology like 17 years ago when I was working in two-way radio. We reworked their old Micor to have PL on transmit and receive. A salesman sold them a Spectra mobile for their dispatch, but it was inappropriate for that application. It was overloaded by the World Trade Center and was unable to hear radio traffic throughout the city. That system was 170.150/ 203.5 for F1 and 153.830/ 203.5 (10 Watts) for F2 (the Micor could only do one frequency and would not be able to do a 153/170 split). FDNY would complain because of Hoboken's use on fireground. Come to think of it, I filled out the license forms for that system (WPEN949) way back then, too. Wow.