39.900 still in use?

[wbswetnam]

I remember when I was in high school in northeast Nebraska in the early 1980s that 39.900 was used quite a bit by small county sheriffs departments. Is this still the case? Looking at some of the frequency listings for central and western Nebraska counties, it appears that many still just use 39.900 for police, 39.980 for fire, and 39.820 for the ambulance... is this still accurate?

 

[43g70]

They all are in use but recently many counties have gotten new Homeland Sec Money to go new systems. I can imagine that when they finish their new systems, the lowband will be use for interop.

 

[Pro92]

39.900

MFVD still uses they 39.900 frequencey. But MPD, MSO & FD will be switching to a new radio service about the 20th of this month unknown if it will be TRUNKED or FM or FMN.

 

[realgeo]

Cass County, for the most part, has transitioned off of 39.900 as a primary communications channel, with the exception of Murray, which still uses it for paging and some communications.

The grand plan is to move all fire/rescue departments to a "2-tower" VHF repeater that will do all paging and communications functions.

Plattsmouth Police and Cass County Sheriff will eventually be transitioned onto a "3-tower", 4 channel 800 MHz. conventional repeater system. This system, while not currently trunked, will have the ability to pass encrypted and clear P25 traffic.

73's

 

[cellphone]

Many agencies have constructed their own radio systems and rely on 39.900 for mutual aid. It is still active in many areas. Agencies in central Nebraska often use 39.900 to communicate with NSP.

As far as law enforcement agencies that use 39.900 as their primary channel for communications, I only know of two. Ord City Police (Valley County) and Otoe County Sheriff. I'm sure there a few more.

39.980 is not used much anymore. Many fire departments have now moved to other radio systems. Even fire departments that still use low band often use 39.900.

39.820 is still used as a communication option from ambulance to hospitals statewide. However in areas where 39.820 was previously very active, this activity has been replaced by cell phones. In areas like Omaha and Lincoln, hospital communications are now on trunked talkgroups.

 

[elephant]

That question sure brings back a lot of good memories. I remember getting my first scanner......a BC210. I hooked it up to the CB antenna on the roof and started pulling in a ton of stuff. Norfolk PD, Madison, Columbus, Wayne, Stanton, Battle Creek, Pierce, and many more small towns all used 39.90 and they could all talk to each other as if they were on a landline. Norfolk would call Madison many times to check licence plate info.

I thought that was so cool. But the best part was that during thunderstorm season, the old National Weather Service Office in Norfolk also had a 39.90 radio sitting in the radar room. They could call directly to any of the police departments and tell them what was headed their way and weather to sound the sirens or not.

 

[610]

You will see more and more departments moving away from low band. Many are now just keeping it around for backup purposes but I suspect as radios breakdown or new equipment is added the low band radios will disappear.

Madison we be a conventional VHF system.

The statewide mutual aid frequencies have been designated, VHF, UHF, and 800MHz. Vtac1 through 4, Utac 1-4, and Itac 1 to ? I think the state is applying for the licenses now, the FCC is involved in mutual aid frequency planning. Bases in PSAP’s will monitor these frequencies in a designated pattern throughout the state. Those PSAP’s with gateway devices will be able to patch the mutual aid frequencies to other working frequencies if needed.

 

[wbswetnam]

Low band use these days

I think the 80s were probably the best of times for scanner monitoring. I live in Florida now, and there's no low band usage here at all.

Hopefully Nebraska won't develop a statewide digital system like Florida has (SLERS), which is encrypted and completely unmonitorable. There's NO listening to the Florida Highway Patrol or any other state of Florida agency, and more and more county and local police departments in Florida are signing up for SLERS. Florida is a very scanner-listener-unfriendly state.

 

[obijohn]

Cass County, for the most part, has transitioned off of 39.900 as a primary communications channel

Hey George. Pull over to the side of the road the next time you drive down Webster Blvd.

I think if you look closely, you will see a low band 1/2 wavelength vertical dipole antenna on the top of the tower.

I don't yet know if they plan to be able to bridge it over to an 800 channel if needed, but at least they still plan to have low band capabilities.

 

[realgeo]

Howdy, John!

Yes, indeed! I've seen that antenna before and wondered the very thing you're referring to!

I know that all of the Fire/Rescue departments in Cass County are moving to Cass Fire (154.3850), but I'd agree with you in that it would be virtually impossible to completely abandon 39.9000 in Nebraska!

73's