Angeles National Forest

[RobertW1]

The programming switch is not included with every radio. It is an optional device that plugs into the jacks on the left side near the top.
Forest Service national policy states that anyone who programs a radio must have written authorization from a Forest Supervisor to do such.
There had been some discussion about getting into the programming process on a BK handheld, either in this thread or another, so I continued with that logic,...

As a volunteer, I'd never want to jepordize my involvement with the USFS by breaking Forest Service policy and as I've mentioned there isn't any reason to do any programming of my assigned FS radio. I just like to know as much as I can about the equipment I use.

The Bendix/King DPHx radio is quite a piece of technology and the internet is full of information on them. Programming manuals are readily downloadable and while a Programming Switch can easily be purchased for about $30, I found it very interesting that a standard "paperclip" will suffice as a Programming Switch and do the same thing.

(Very useful information for those that have purchased their own B/K radios and didn't get the Programming Switch and/or cable and software and wish to program their own radios via the keypad.)

 

[SCPD]

As a volunteer, I'd never want to jepordize my involvement with the USFS by breaking Forest Service policy and as I've mentioned there isn't any reason to do any programming of my assigned FS radio. I just like to know as much as I can about the equipment I use.

The Bendix/King DPHx radio is quite a piece of technology and the internet is full of information on them. Programming manuals are readily downloadable and while a Programming Switch can easily be purchased for about $30, I found it very interesting that a standard "paperclip" will suffice as a Programming Switch and do the same thing.

(Very useful information for those that have purchased their own B/K radios and didn't get the Programming Switch and/or cable and software and wish to program their own radios via the keypad.)

With the price of the DPHx being what it is I didn't want to mention the paper clip "switch." It must be done very carefully and when I've had my eyes full of smoke and it's dark I didn't like using the paper clip at all. Who has a paper clip in those circumstances anyway? I used the sharp knife on my Leatherman in those situations but the idea is the same.

I hope I've been able to provide you with some helpful information in spite of not being able to answer all the mysteries of why the Angeles programmed their radios the way they did.

 

[RobertW1]

The 2003 Chevy Silverado that had been assigned to the Big Pines Vis Center for the Volunteers to use has reached the end of it's usefulness in the eyes of the Feds. Seem they have a policy that when a vehicle is 5 years old it is retired from the fleet and auctioned off.

It has been replaced with a brand new Ford F150. After putting 71 miles on it this past Saturday patrolling the "high country", it still only has 350 miles on it. It does handle very well and rides at lot smoother than the 2003 Chevy. It is too bad the Forest Service doesn't spend a little more for 4 wheel drive as it will be pretty useless during the winter months.

A brand new BK Mobile Radio (GMH) was installed. Had to look up the online manual to figure out how to use the Microphone keypad and other radio features. I was surprised that the GMH radio only has 16 programable groups. My assigned Handheld holds 25 groups. While I use Group 25 on the handheld, while in the vehicle we are back to using Group 01. Why buy handhelds capable of 25 programable groups but mobile radios only capable of 16? I know that Groups 15 through 25 are pretty much redundant, but it makes you wonder what the future holds. They did do a nice job of installing the radio and external speaker. BTW, Frost Peak, Tone 4 is now working just fine.

Manual here:

http://pages.prodigy.net/robertmorgan/gmh_operator_manual.pdf

Appears to be some problems with the programming on the brand new BK HT assigned to me when using Group 25. During Memorial Day weekend, I could not transmit on Tac 2. I could hear traffic but couldn't be heard when transmitting with units less than a quarter mile away. After going to Group 01, I was heard just fine on Tac 2. As ExSmokey would say, that's what you get when you contract out the radio programming. : o) I haven't had time to check out the HT as what the possible problem might be.

Here is a look at the new Vehicle assigned to Big Pines and used by the volunteers taken at Ball flat and on Blue Ridge (Area 12) this past Saturday:

Mt. High Ski Resort in the background

Antelope Valley in the background

Baden-Powell in the background

 

[Mick]

Nice photos!

I've never heard of someone who started their monitoring hobby at ten years old! I was 17 when I started and thought that was young.

I am so glad you changed your Yahoo profile photo some time ago.

The 2003 Chevy Silverado that had been assigned to the Big Pines Vis Center for the Volunteers to use has reached the end of it's usefulness in the eyes of the Feds. Seem they have a policy that when a vehicle is 5 years old it is retired from the fleet and auctioned off.

It has been replaced with a brand new Ford F150. After putting 71 miles on it this past Saturday patrolling the "high country", it still only has 350 miles on it. It does handle very well and rides at lot smoother than the 2003 Chevy. It is too bad the Forest Service doesn't spend a little more for 4 wheel drive as it will be pretty useless during the winter months.

A brand new BK Mobile Radio (GMH) was installed. Had to look up the online manual to figure out how to use the Microphone keypad and other radio features. I was surprised that the GMH radio only has 16 programable groups. My assigned Handheld holds 25 groups. While I use Group 25 on the handheld, while in the vehicle we are back to using Group 01. Why buy handhelds capable of 25 programable groups but mobile radios only capable of 16? I know that Groups 15 through 25 are pretty much redundant, but it makes you wonder what the future holds. They did do a nice job of installing the radio and external speaker. BTW, Frost Peak, Tone 4 is now working just fine.

Manual here:

http://pages.prodigy.net/robertmorgan/gmh_operator_manual.pdf

Appears to be some problems with the programming on the brand new BK HT assigned to me when using Group 25. During Memorial Day weekend, I could not transmit on Tac 2. I could hear traffic but couldn't be heard when transmitting with units less than a quarter mile away. After going to Group 01, I was heard just fine on Tac 2. As ExSmokey would say, that's what you get when you contract out the radio programming. : o) I haven't had time to check out the HT as what the possible problem might be.

Here is a look at the new Vehicle assigned to Big Pines and used by the volunteers taken at Ball flat and on Blue Ridge (Area 12) this past Saturday:

Mt. High Ski Resort in the background

Antelope Valley in the background

Baden-Powell in the background

 

[RobertW1]

Nice photos!

I've never heard of someone who started their monitoring hobby at ten years old! I was 17 when I started and thought that was young.

I am so glad you changed your Yahoo profile photo some time ago.

It was 1965. I was 10 years old and my dad was an L.A.P.D. officer. The Watts Riots were raging in Los Angeles and we acquired a GE tunable VHF radio to listen in on the L.A.P.D. and keep track of my dad's unit and as to whether he was all right. That was the beginning of my monitoring hobby and a long, long list of radios and scanners I have had over the decades.

Photo? What the bald guy? : o)

 

[DPD1]

Cool truck... I think 4-5 years is when most vehicles are deemed to be at the height of their used value, but at the very beginning of potential wear problems. The vehicle can still get a decent price when sold, but would probably be more trouble than it's worth if kept.

What's the word on getting the crest reopened up there? I use to like doing some radio monitoring on a few of those north facing lookouts over the valley, but I believe they're still in the closed section.

Dave
www.DPDProductions.com
Antennas & Accessories for the RF Professional & Radio Hobbyist

 

[RobertW1]

What's the word on getting the crest reopened up there? I use to like doing some radio monitoring on a few of those north facing lookouts over the valley, but I believe they're still in the closed section.

A contract was awarded May 1st, 2008. The contractor has 150 days (consecutive) to finish the project or they will be fined $4,500 a day. That would put the completion sometime in September. No doubt the road will be opened just in time to close it for the winter. : o)

A bridge or span is going to be built across the canyon to prevent the road from being washed out again, as it is a natural wash or drainage. Here are pictures taken from last week as they shore up the area in preparation for sinking pilars into bedrock:

Here's a pdf file with a photo of damage, a few maps and the bid award. (1.1meg pdf file):

http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/hwy2/BidHwy2Bridge5.08.pdf

 

[DPD1]

Thanks... Yeah, that's definitely a washout. Well, it will be nice to get it back open. Hopefully they didn't trash that one pull-off that has the emergency phone. That's the best one along there.

Dave
www.DPDProductions.com
Antennas & Accessories for the RF Professional & Radio Hobbyist

 

[RobertW1]

We've driven the complete closure of the Hwy in a USFS vehicle from Vincent Gap to Islip Saddle. It is, after all, our patrol area. CalTrans has done a great job. The complete closure area has been re-surfaced an they have installed brand new guardrails. Once this small section is complete it will be a great ride. I can't tell you the disappointment of Cycle riders that have come as far away as Canada and South Carolina who planned to ride this part of the Angeles Crest Hwy.

It will be good to have this part of the "Crest" open after 5 years of closure.

 

[RobertW1]

Recent Info we recieved from CalTrans-


"Thank you for your email. A construction project has been awarded and will
begin in the July/August timeframe. We are currently constructing a
retaining wall. The bridge is scheduled to be complete in December 2008,
weather permitting."

Derrick Alatorre
Public Affairs Officer
California Department of Transportation

 

[RobertW1]

BTW,

While patrolling this past weekend and having a conversation with Angeles Dispatch over the cellphone, we were told that Tone 5 is no longer on Alpine Peak. It is now located on Table Mountain. Everything has been removed from Alpine Peak.

Now the Frost Peak (Tone 4, which has been working pretty well of late) and Table Mountain (Tone 5) repeaters are pretty redundant sitting just across the Swarthout Valley from each other. Does any one know if there are plans to remove Frost Peak?

Everyone we talked to with the USFS didn't know anything about the switch of the Tone 5 location.

 

[SCPD]

Everyone we talked to with the USFS didn't know anything about the switch of the Tone 5 location.

Typical radio tech behavior where they change something in the radio system and fail to tell, or delay telling, the system users of the changes they have made. I would think Frost can cover some terrain to the west and southwest that Table cannot. Table is a great site for the ham radio repeaters that are up there. I've copied the JPL 2 meter machine while mobile near Manzanar in the Owens Valley. You can hear it all over the high desert also.

 

[RobertW1]

Typical radio tech behavior where they change something in the radio system and fail to tell, or delay telling, the system users of the changes they have made. I would think Frost can cover some terrain to the west and southwest that Table cannot. Table is a great site for the ham radio repeaters that are up there. I've copied the JPL 2 meter machine while mobile near Manzanar in the Owens Valley. You can hear it all over the high desert also.

How does that information normally get distributed when it finally does? Email, newsletter, website, word of mouth?

No doubt Frost can cover Vincent Gap, Vincent Gulch, Prairie Fork, Fish Fork and the East San Gabriel River Canyon much better than Table Mountain. We were hitting Table with the HAM HT while at the bottom of Prairie Fork at camp Lupine this past Saturday, even with a mountain range (Blue Ridge) in between us. (It was a little scratchy)

I believe the move will mean better communications for the ANF stations on the North, or desert side of Table like ANF-37 (Valyermo) and ANF-39 (Pinon Hills). I've been told that Alpine Peak was never a very good location.

I'm always on the Table Mountain 2 meter and the Wrightwood Disaster Communications Group uses that repeater for its net on Sundays at 6 pm. I often hear HAMs as far away as Telescope Peak and Death Valley hitting the Table Mountain repeater, as well as Hawthorne and El Segundo down to the South. Nothing like a 7,000+ foot Antenna.

 

[DPD1]

Thanks for the closure update. I probably won't make it up there until Spring.

Hopefully whatever changes they make will improve coverage on the valley side. I've always been kind of disappointed with how little makes it down into the valley. Most mobiles have to be somewhere down on Big T or the very lower part of 2 below AF Hwy. before I can hear them. I'm not sure which machine they go through around there, but that's about the only time I hear the mobiles from the valley. With all those mountains up there, seems like there should be something working better than that.

Dave
www.DPDProductions.com
Antennas & Accessories for the RF Professional & Radio Hobbyist

 

[RobertW1]

Most mobiles have to be somewhere down on Big T or the very lower part of 2 below AF Hwy. before I can hear them. I'm not sure which machine they go through around there, but that's about the only time I hear the mobiles from the valley.

No doubt they are using Tone 12, Mt. Lukens. Living in Burbank I get most of my audio traffic off of Lukens or Oat Mountain.

 

[RobertW1]

Working for the SCMRRD as a volunteer, we patrol "Area 12" or as we call it, "the high country", which includes the Big Pines Area (including Pinyon Ridge, Ball Flat, Jackson Lake and up). Occasionally we are asked to help out in Big Rock Canyon and the Sycamore and South Fork Campgrounds. I'm not sure that is still Area 12 or if it is part of Area 11. I believe the Little Rock Dam area is in "Area 11".

I've asked around for an "Area Map". Though they remember seeing them, nobody seems to have one. When I hear Edward-15 tell Angeles Dispatch they are available in Area 11, I'd like to know how far away they are. Does anyone know where an Angeles Forest "Area map" might be located on the web? How about it Exsmokey?

 

[RobertW1]

I checked out the progress of the work being done this past Saturday on the damaged section of Angeles Crest Hwy near Vincent Gap. Crews are working overtime in trying to get the project done on schedule or before.

There was a lot of activity with heavy drilling equipment and bulldozers. They are currently boring holes, 36 inches in diameter, some 65 feet down into bedrock. These will be used for the columns that will support the span or bridge. We were told it takes about 5 hours to drill 10 feet.

According to the CalTrans engineer they are hoping to be finished by the end of September. That sounds a little aggressive but once they get the columns in place, I guess the rest of the job will go rather quickly.

As a Reminder:

This area is closed to ALL vehicle, bicycle and foot traffic and it is being strictly enforced.

The area is VERY dangerous. The CalTrans engineer and inspector told us that very soon the "service road" around the damaged area will be completely removed and this section of Hwy will be completely impassable. They are parking "escape" vehicles on the other side of the damaged section in case of an emergency as you will not be able to get from one side to the other within the next week or so.

In checking out the rest of the closed section of Angeles Crest between the construction area and the Hwy 39 Junction, the newly paved highway is in excellent shape with brand new guard rails. Most of the parts of the road and guard rails that were damaged from the heavy snows, avalanches and falling trees this past winter have been repaired with the exception of one area of the pavement that buckled from water getting under the road and freezing. This area will be repaired in time for the opening of the Hwy. From the stacks of logs in many of the turnouts, it is apparent that a lot of trees either came down or had to be removed.

I know there are a lot of people who just can't wait for the Crest to be open again. As long as there aren't any setbacks it appears that it will be open much sooner than the December 2008 date given in the email to the USFS.

 

[SCPD]

Thanks for the update. I want to get down there this fall and drive the whole thing. I have a friend who works on the Angeles that just got on permanent this winter and moved he and his wife from the Monte Cristo Station to a rental in Wrightwood. It would be nice to visit them while in southern California and be able to drive the crest when I visit family in the west L.A. area. It is probably faster to drive up 14 to the Pearblossem Highway and then over to the road to Wrightwood than it would be to drive the crest. However, I haven't driven the entire crest since 1988 or 1989, so I would like to see it in one chunk again.

 

[DPD1]

There was a lot of activity with heavy drilling equipment and bulldozers. They are currently boring holes, 36 inches in diameter, some 65 feet down into bedrock.

Well that should do the trick.

Dave
www.DPDProductions.com
Antennas & Accessories for the RF Professional & Radio Hobbyist

 

[DPD1]

I was up there yesterday at the Red Box picnic area. We kept hearing a helicopter and then saw Sheriff 's 5 come blasting up over the ridge. I think they were taking somebody out from the heliport down the canyon there. Unfortunately I didn't have a radio.

Dave
www.DPDProductions.com
Antennas & Accessories for the RF Professional & Radio Hobbyist