AAA Oregon/Idaho

[ltulrich]

Hey all I'm a noob but I'm pretty smart.

I have all the frequencies for the AAA Oregon/Idaho radio system. The system is conventional and consists of the following:

150.90500000 20K0F3E MO 135
150.90500000 20K0F3E FB 1
150.92000000 20K0F3E FB 1
150.92000000 20K0F3E MO 135
150.93500000 20K0F3E FB 1
150.93500000 20K0F3E MO 135
150.95000000 20K0F3E MO 135
150.95000000 20K0F3E FB 1
150.96500000 20K0F3E FB 1
150.96500000 20K0F3E MO 135

452.52500000 20K0F3E MO 135
452.52500000 20K0F3E FB 1
452.55000000 20K0F3E MO 135
452.55000000 20K0F3E FB 1
452.57500000 20K0F3E MO 135
452.57500000 20K0F3E FB 1
452.60000000 20K0F3E MO 135
452.60000000 20K0F3E FB 1

Now, I've simply programmed these freqs into a bank and when I scan I only get the Base. I understand that the ones marked 'FB' are the base and the ones marked 'MO' are the mobile units. So what is this 135, and how do I use it? Is it like a multiplier or what?

Thanks in advance for the response.

Oh, and by the way if anyone has questions about the 10 codes and T codes in use by AAA Oregon/Idaho or really anything else I can provide that information. I work there.

 

[Mick]

135

Hello. The "135" is how many mobiles they licensed on the frq.

 

[ltulrich]

Okay..

Thank you very much for answering my question.

So why can I only hear the base? I get our Westside dispatcher on 452.5250 and our Eastside dispatcher on 452.5500, but no units. Again, I'm scanning all above freqs with the 452.5250 as priority.

Oh yeah, and I can only find a license for one of our tow contractors and it's a trunked system so I'm sure it's just for thier use (Newhouse and Hutchens).

 

[DickH]

So why can I only hear the base?

Because the base is probably at a high place and puts out 100 watts or so. The mobiles are either portables (about 5 watts) or in a vehicle (about 25 watts). Get close to a mobile unit and you will hear it.

Dick

 

[oregontreehugger]

Great info, thanks for passing it along! I've been wondering about AAA in OR. If you have a list of their codes and whatnot, please feel free to post here if you'd like.

I'm going to try plugging the frequencies in and see what I hear.

As far as the base/mobiles, what DickH said.

 

[ltulrich]

Thanks

Thanks, guys, for your great info. I've looked around a bit and found that the repeater sites are actually nowhere near the dispatch center, to which I am near. So what you say makes sense. They must have a hard line or a directional relay to the AAA building for recieving mobile transmissions.

On a slightly different subject, I'm tuning the Washington County Motorola II Smartzone (thankfully my scanner has the ability to recognize the system using only the control freqs), and there's a beautiful program called 'ID Tracker' which allows you to put text tags with IDs and have them come up as text upon RX. Unfortunately there are more IDs and agencies than I have room for in my scanner's ID list mode (only 50 per bank). This barely covers Washinton County Sheriff, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, and Tualatin.

In order to add more I've gone ahead and used bank two to follow the same system. I wasn't sure if this would work, but it does, it's just a bit slower to recieve. A side effect with the ID tracker program is that even if it finds an ID from bank one, it seems to decide randomly whether it came from 1 or 2, causing me to eventually duplicate all of the bank tags. I thought this was a major issue but then I realized that it's important that it doesn't use the same ID/Tag info for each bank since different systems are likely to use the same talkgroup IDs for different things.

The only alternative to this would be to not scan IDs at all; search bank one instead, tagging the ones I know, and locking out the ones I don't, but it would be weeks before I will have isolated the ones I know. Plus if I remember correctly I only get 100 ID lockouts per bank.

Anyway, no real question here, unless someone sees a possible issue with trunktracking the same system in two banks (trunktracking twice really). My scanner is a Uniden BCT8 using a serial to my Thinkpad. I'm highly satisfied with the hardware which I got from the nice fellows at Ham Radio Outlet in Tigard.

Uniden's program is okay, but even if I could program all the banks (just 1 for the demo), I'd be unsatisfied. Can anyone recommend a full-featured programming app that's compatible with the BCT8? It would be especially nice if it could parse a database, excel, *.csv, or *.txt file, since I'm logging all my banks/IDs in an Excel Workbook.

My only plans for the other banks include AAA, CB/FRS/GMRS, and the Mult. Co. PPD/PDX Motorola II system. Any recommendations for military traffic in the Portland area?

Thanks again for all your replies and for helping out a noob (but a smart noob, eh?).

EDIT: Okay I guess I do have a question. Is there no way to use more than one program on the DB9 connection, even if one is only recieving data? Could I maybe clone COM1 to COM2 and tell ID Tracker to get data from COM2? I will tinker to see if this can be done on my Win2k laptop. I would be interested in simply splitting the DB9 cable, but I only have one physical COM port, so even if this would work I'd have to build a desktop or figure out how to use LPT1. Any suggestions to this regard?

EDIT2: Well I've found a program that can take COM1 and map it to virtual COM ports but the Uniden front end still complains, intermittently. I'm sure I need to mess with it a little but apparently what I'm trying to do isn't easy as the registration key for the program costs $119 for 1 license.

 

[ltulrich]

Oh, and for OregonTreeHugger

The only 10-codes really in use are...

10-4 = Copy
10-8 = Ready; Available; In service
10-9 = Repeat
10-20 = Location
10-21 = Call using Landline/Nextel
10-97 = On location
10-98 = Call complete (Mileage often follows)
Also you will hear 'T-6' meaning enroute to tow destination with veh in tow

The AAA T-Codes (Trouble Codes) are as follows, if I can remember them all.

T-1 = Tire Change
T-1A = Tire/Spare needs air
T-1N = Tire Change with no spare; equivalent to T-6
T-3B = Jump Start
T-3S = Jump Start with Possible Battery Sale (Service truck request, no possible T-6)
T-4 = Out of Fuel (Fuel type follows)
T-5 = Vehicle Extrication
T-6 = Tow
T-6F = Tow with flatbed request
T-6A = Tow due to accident (Damage details follow)
T-6T = Tow for a pickup truck (Tonnage/Transaxle/Cab/Bed/Lift/Tire Width follows)
T-6R = RV Tow (Class/Length/Transaxle/Engine Location follows)
T-7 = Vehicle lockout
T-7N = Vehicle lockout, no locksmith available (Routes to capable tow facility)
T-7I = Vehicle ignition problem
T-7K = Keymake (Ignition/Door/Combo follows)
T-7T = Keys in trunk (Trunk release/folding rear seats follows)
T-7R = RV Lockout (Door which is not a standard automotive part)
T-9 = Police Call (Second T-Code follows)
T-10 = Commercial/COD Call (Second T-Code follows)
T-12 = Misc. Problem
T-14 = No Service Rendered (Replacement code for closing calls)
T-15 = Removal due to Customer Service Issue (Replacement code for closing calls)

I'm pretty sure I forgot a couple; my list is at work. Let me know if you hear an unidentified T-Code.

Also, Priority 2 is assigned when:

Veh is on side of freeway
Veh is blocking traffic on city streets
Veh is running or ignition is on on T-7
Member is cold, hot, or otherwise uncomfortable

Priority 1 is assigned when:

Veh is blocking traffic on freeway or major highway
Child or pet is inside on T-7
Member feels unsafe; police notified
Medical attention needed; police/EMT notified
All T-9

 

[DickH]

... 'ID Tracker' which allows you to put text tags with IDs and have them come up as text upon RX.

So the tags must display on your PC, right?

My only plans for the other banks include AAA, CB/FRS/GMRS, and the Mult. Co. PPD/PDX Motorola II system.

You think you have overload on WCCCA? BOEC (Portland/Multnomah) has piles more talk groups than WCCCA. I know of around 500.

 

[ltulrich]

Yeah

Yeah I was looking at that. My only real interest there is PDX, Troutdale Airport, and Federal Law Enforcement. And Military if it's in use there.

I live in Beaverton.

You don't see any problems with trunking the same system on two banks, do you? Is this a common workaround?

And yes you only see the tags on the PC not on the scanner.

EDIT: BTW, here's a screenie of ID Tracker. Notice the duplicate entries for each bank. For example, the 'Washington County Fire Dispatch' near the top should never have come in on Bank 1 because it's not on Bank 1's ID list. I think this has more to do with the scanner than the software because on the scanner's screen there's no way to tell during transmission which bank the ID was saved in, so it would stand to reason that this info isn't transmitted over the COM port.

 

[ltulrich]

Also...

Also I don't seem to be getting anything from Tigard or Tualatin PPD. I do get Lake Oswego and Sherwood and even some Wilsonville city services. Anyone know if Tigard/Tualatin went to a different system?

EDIT: Okay, I'm researching and learning.... Apparently Tigard, Sherwood, and King City recieve dispatch from 60816/60848 (South Cities Common) or from 60272 (Service Net). I think Tualatin goes through 57520/57552 (Lake Oswego Dispatch), but I can't tell for sure. Tualatin does have their own records desk @ 54160

I've read a helpful thread by 'pdxbofh' (http://radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35408) and I wish he would update it in regards to the unit numbers for these agencies. He probably got the job, considering that we haven't heard from him.

I wonder if anyone can post/email their talkgroup ID lists and/or agency unit numbers. The database is great but it must be out of date or assumptive because I get no traffic on 54*** except the aforementioned Tualatin Records desk. (Correction, I've recieved transmissions on 54704 which is supposed to be Tigard Tac 1)

I wonder if there is a list available to the public. I did find an access request form (www.wccca.com/Radio System Access.dot)... I will continue to look around.

EDIT 2: Wow, I found this page (http://mail.wccca.com/PublicIncidentTrackingSystem/)... anyone have experience with it? Only Fire/EMS? Do the unit numbers corrospond?

 

[mh34444]

You think you have overload on WCCCA? BOEC (Portland/Multnomah) has piles more talk groups than WCCCA. I know of around 500.

785 to be exact

 

[DickH]

785 to be exact

I was way off in that estimate. My list has only 239 and it seems to have almost everything imaginable. Are the 785 actually assigned or simply theoretical? If they are actual TGs, how about posting the list?
I thought we had a lot, but I got Seattle's list a few years ago and they had about 2000.

 

[DickH]

You don't see any problems with trunking the same system on two banks, do you? Is this a common workaround?
EDIT: BTW, here's a screenie of ID Tracker.

ID Tracker looks pretty good. I'll have to try it.
No problem with one system in two banks. In fact I have Portland fire talk groups in 4 banks. Bank 1 is Dispatch and all the TGs. Bank 2 is only OPS-2, Bank 3 is only OPS-3 and Bank 4 is TGs 4,5 & 6.
That way, when I get paged on a box, I can be sure to hear only the right TG while responding. Saves a lot of miles since most runs don't amount to much.

 

[oregontreehugger]

FYI - I just did a quick lookup of the frequencies in the first post and noticed something interesting: it appears all of the VHF licenses have been terminated/cancelled, while the UHF licenses are listed as active.

We all know the FCC database has been wrong before, though. Can anyone confirm if the VHF frequencies are still in use?

 

[ltulrich]

AAA Oregon/Idaho on UHF

I've not recieved anything on the VHF freqs.

 

[mh34444]

I was way off in that estimate. My list has only 239 and it seems to have almost everything imaginable. Are the 785 actually assigned or simply theoretical? If they are actual TGs, how about posting the list?
I thought we had a lot, but I got Seattle's list a few years ago and they had about 2000.

Your 239 (and what is in the RR databae) is really all anyone would need to monitor the system. The remainder of the list covers patches to other agencies (city/county/federal) within a reasonable distance to the Portland system. Most never have any traffic and are there simply so they are ready to go in the event a user-agency needs their radios programmed to communicate with another agency. And since its not readily available online, I'd rather avoid the hot water from releasing unavailable information.

 

[pdxbofh]

ltulrich you're almost right. ALL Cities south of Beaverton (Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood, King City) are ALL dispatched from S. Cities Net. (The ONLY LE agency dispatched on Lake O. is Lake O)

Regarding the use of "Service Net": If you look at WCCCA's system page in the database section, you will see that I submitted a note that says
"ALL cities in the county go to service net after 0200" The ONLY 2 active LE dispatch channels after 0200 are SO1 and Service net... Which is called "City Net" after 0200.

Let me know if I can do anything else,
Will

PS... During the day, the only LE dispatch channels in use are: BPD, HPD, SO1, and South Cities
SO1 includes Forest Grove, Cornelius, and North Plains PD as well as County SO units.
All of the other city specific channels that are listed are not used for dispatch, only side chatting within the agencies.
So, you really only need to monitor 10 channels in WA county to catch the action. BPD, HPD, SO1, South Cities, Fire Disp, and Fire Tac 1-5 (ok so 11)

 

[ltulrich]

Yeah

This space reserved for my next silly question