Arizona Frequency Challenge - Part I

[FLANO]

TG1008 is used by the AFIT guys. I've noticed that when they're down here in Tucson area, they are mostly on the Mt Lemmon South repeater, but occasionally show up on the Mt Lemmon Norht repeater.

I've noticed that APS does a lot of simulcasting. The links appear to be for about a day or two at the most in duration.

Thanks and sorry for the late reponse, I was up in the Big Apple. Couldn't bring my main radio though :<

John
SE of Tucson

I recently heard TG 1008 surveillance traffic late one weekend evening. Locations given were Phoenix - I was hearng them on Mingus.

Also it appears that Prescott traffic on Mt Francis and Mingus are simulcast most of the time.

855.9375 Mount Francis 6 mi SW Prescott Yavapai
858.3375 Mount Francis 6 mi SW Prescott Yavapai
859.3375 Mount Francis 6 mi SW Prescott Yavapai
860.3375 Mount Francis 6 mi SW Prescott Yavapai

856.2875 Mingus Mountain Jerome Yavapai
856.4125 Mingus Mountain Jerome Yavapai
857.2875 Mingus Mountain Jerome Yavapai
857.4125 Mingus Mountain Jerome Yavapai
858.2875 Mingus Mountain Jerome Yavapai
858.4125 Mingus Mountain Jerome Yavapai
859.2875 Mingus Mountain Jerome Yavapai
859.4125 Mingus Mountain Jerome Yavapai
860.2875 Mingus Mountain Jerome Yavapai
860.4125 Mingus Mountain Jerome Yavapai

 

[FLANO]

Hi Kevin,

Thanks, there are a lot of talkgroups up there that have not been ID'd yet. See the database for those we have identified so far....

John
SE of Tucson

860.3375 CC 5C1D is the ID I am gettingon the display on the '96.

I am using a Pro-96, that is it. Hope this helps a little. I will be listening some to see what I hear.

Kevin

 

[radioprescott]

APS Mingus Mtn

After a little more investigating, it appears that there are two system on Mingus that can operate independently.

During the last big Tstorm here in Prescott Valley, I heard Cottonwood traffic exclusively on the ***.2875 freqs, and Prescott traffic on the ***.4125 freqs. After the worst of it, and the crews went off the air, both system were simulcasting again. Didn't here any traffic on Mt Francis that time at all.

Anyone putting together a list of some of the terminology yet? (Signal 7 = Copy, Ok, 10-4, etc.),

 

[EricCottrell]

Hello,

I am back from my Az trip. I ended up finding some new Passport LTR in AZ.

My casual listening to the Arizona Public Service in Williams, Kingman, and Winslow did net some new information which I submitted. I tried mapping out the sites with the neighbor information but only identified a few more sites. The frequency reuse really makes it difficult.

Here are the neighbor lists I got

Site 1 Shaw Butte Neighbors are 2, 6, 9, 12, 25
Site 7 Neighbors are 16, 23, 31
Site 18 Williams Neighbors are 14, 15, 17, 21, 25
Site 22 Neighbors 5, 19, 21
Site 23 Neighbors are 7,11, 14, 29, 31
Site 29 Joseph City Neighbors are 23, 30, 31
Site 31 Neighbors are 7, 14, 23, 29, 31

73 Eric

 

[FLANO]

Thanks for the help on APS.

I figured that was you putting up the information on the Passport LTR in AZ. Are you using any particular program to ID them?

John
SE of Tucson

Hello,

I am back from my Az trip. I ended up finding some new Passport LTR in AZ.

My casual listening to the Arizona Public Service in Williams, Kingman, and Winslow did net some new information which I submitted. I tried mapping out the sites with the neighbor information but only identified a few more sites. The frequency reuse really makes it difficult.

Here are the neighbor lists I got

Site 1 Shaw Butte Neighbors are 2, 6, 9, 12, 25
Site 7 Neighbors are 16, 23, 31
Site 18 Williams Neighbors are 14, 15, 17, 21, 25
Site 22 Neighbors 5, 19, 21
Site 23 Neighbors are 7,11, 14, 29, 31
Site 29 Joseph City Neighbors are 23, 30, 31
Site 31 Neighbors are 7, 14, 23, 29, 31

73 Eric

 

[EricCottrell]

Hello,

I use LTRDump for LTR. Great Program, but I am biased. I was looking for some possible VHF Passport. When I get the time I may map out and submit some Regular LTR systems that I found. I travelled by train to AZ so I was able to do some radio listening in multiple states.

I had a great time visiting the Pima Aircraft Museum, and Titian Missile Museum while in Tucson. It was fun driving over to Oatman on the Pre-1952 alignment of Route 66. I really wish I had more time to do radio listening but vacation got in the way.

When I was traveling between Tucson and Flagstaff I noticed some helicopters flying around and what sounded like medical helicopter comms on UHF. I came upon a nasty accident at an Interstate off-ramp with a helicopter hovering over the exit ramp and just slightly higher than the interstate deck. Another helicopter was circling. I can not comfirm it, but I suspect that one medical helicopter company uses one of the Passport systems for company comms. I assume with the wide open spaces that medical helicopters are used more in Az than back east.

73 Eric

 

[AZScanner]

I can not comfirm it, but I suspect that one medical helicopter company uses one of the Passport systems for company comms. I assume with the wide open spaces that medical helicopters are used more in Az than back east.

Yup, that would be Native Air Ambulance using LTR. And you are also correct that AZ uses way more medical helo's than back east - most of the state is rural and the trauma centers are few and far between. Even here in Metro Phoenix they are used quite extensively due to the long ETA's ground transports usually have to the closest trauma center. It's SOP to put a helo on standby with any serious accident in the East Valley.

-AZ

 

[FLANO]

For those recently interested in the APS frequencies around the state, they may be found in this thread. See messages 1, 2, and 3 for more information.

Happy hunting and report what you find

 

[radioprescott]

APS revisited

My wife and I took a radio expedition the other weekend...well, she thought it was an weekend getaway, but we know better:wink:

Based on my mobile location at the time:
APS Site 20 in RR should be Mt Ord;
Site 19 should be McCloud Mtns near Hillside/Bagdad;
Site 17 should be Mt Francis (as ID'd by a couple of radio techs affilaited with that site.)

I have not heard a "Site 24" (as stated in RR) monitorable from my base location, while I get Site 17, 18 (Williams) and 15 (Mingus) clearly. My work location in Prescott Valley is almost line-of-site to Mt Ord, and I can hear Site 20 from work (along with MCSO and Native 7's LTR system on Mt Ord as well.)

Just got Unitrunker up and running on my old 895 - so we will see what else I can come up with.

 

[kd7ckq]

I have not heard a "Site 24" (as stated in RR) monitorable from my base location, while I get Site 17, 18 (Williams) and 15 (Mingus) clearly. My work location in Prescott Valley is almost line-of-site to Mt Ord, and I can hear Site 20 from work (along with MCSO and Native 7's LTR system on Mt Ord as well.)

"Site 24" is Preston Mesa which is located approx. 10 miles north of Tuba City. In the RR database it has it listed as Mt. Francis in Yavapai County. Same freq. for Preston Mesa and Mt. Francis; 860.3375, 859.3375 and 858.3375.
Mt. Francis is roughly, 34.4892°N 112.5361°W.
"Site 17" maybe Mt. Francis.

 

[kd7ckq]

it's late. Didn't see your reference to "Site 17" being Mt. Francis.
"Site 24" Preston Mesa Neighbors are '14 Mt. Elden', 16, 20, '28 Page', '30 Roof Butte', and 46.
Also, did you happen to identify any talk groups?

 

[radioprescott]

Also, did you happen to identify any talk groups?

I've been runnign Unitrunker and have got the TGs posted in RR as well as some new ones. I'll post them as soon as I can compile a clean list.

Also been trying to match radio IDs (RIDs) to TGs - so far have matched Forestry TG to a limited set of RIDs, also Radio Techs to their TG.

BTW - TG 1680 is always Radio tech guys, not "Interagency" as listed in RR - when RR is updated to correct the Site locations, the TG shoudl be updated as well.

As a side note, set up UT for the regular Wednesday DEMA radio test to look for DEMA RIDs and -- no test yesterday

 

[kd7ckq]

Yup, I am getting mostly Radio Techs on TG: 1680 also. I do on occasion get other users, but mostly Radio Techs. When I get home for lunch. I'll post what I have for TG's off of Preston Mesa.
John, if you want. I can send you my files for Unitrunker so you can see what I have for RID's.

 

[kd7ckq]

Here is what I have.

TG's Desription
3344 Ops Supp-Maint [Id'ed this one by following RID's and listening to a I-Call to the office. The operator picked up and said 'Operations Support - Maint..' Also, they call Maint. North on this channel. Hear Tree cutters on this TG and guys fixing/changing out poles.]
3408 Transmission Maint. [same as above, except operator answered 'Ops. Supp. - Transmission Maint.]
4816 Field OPS
12912 APS TG:12912 [recently active with APS units from CottonWood to N.E. using this TG. Might be a Talk Around TG.]
24080 FLAG Field Ops
24112 TG 24112 COCO (Navajo Dist.?) [Tuba City office recently stopped monitoring TG 24080 and started monitoring this TG. I have seen the meter readers for Tuba City on this TG and there has been talk of Navajo Dist. channel. So this might be it.]
24144 TG 24144 NE
24208 Mogollon/NE Ops. [Heard a cross patch with a Radio Tech calling this channel North East Dist.]

3472 Survy Crews - CW [This was a easy one. So far have only heard Survey Crews from Cotton Wood on this one.]
25648 PRESCOTT Line Cr
25680 PRESCOTT Office
25712 PRESCOTT NW
25808 COTTONWOOD Offic

27280 CASA GRANDE area
27440 GLOBE Office
28976 Yuma Field Ops

1168 AZ Div Emerg F1
1200 AZ Div Emerg F2
1680 AZ Inter Agency

320 UNK TG: 320
3248 UNK TG:3248
3312 APS TG:3312 [For these groups. If I see a known APS unit affiliate with these channels, then they are marked with APS. Otherwise, they are Unknown.]
3440 APS TG:3440
3504 UNK TG:3504
8208 UNK TG:8208
9776 APS TG:9776
9904 UNK TG:9904
9968 APS TG:9968
20480 UNK TG:20480
21104 UNK TG:21104
21360 UNK TG:21360
23568 UNK TG:23568
23952 UNK TG:23952
24048 APS TG:24048
24176 APS TG:24176
34080 UNK TG:34080
43024 UNK TG:43024
46992 UNK TG:46992
57456 UNK TG:57456

 

[radioprescott]

I cant' figure out how to export or copy my history to a format that I can edit. (I'm using UT windows version: 1.0.0.1 according to the 'about' window.) And when I got home and started UT again, I managed to loose about two months worth of history somehow

So here's what I noticed for a 24 hour span on Site 17 Mt Francis:

TG 9936 (Forestry) affiliates with RIDs in the 5XXXX series.
TG 3344 (?) was ID as the "Northern Freq" by radio techs and mostly affiliates with 377XX RIDs.
TG 25680 (Prescott Office) affiliates with 467XX RIDs
TG 12848 (?) affiliates with 465XX RIDs

Call signs such as YOC (which I think is 'Yavapai Operation Center' from my old APS dispatching days on their VHF system) are usually 6XXXX RIDs talking with the field RDIs (4XXXX series). I also noticed that different 6XXXX RIDs with the same voice are called YOC on different TGs.

I have also heard "SOC" - maybe Sedona Ops Center as it has traffic about the East Yavapai County area.

That's if for now - more to follow!

 

[mm]

Jerry,


The .2875 CC's are off of Bill Williams, you have Francis correct as 859.3375 and 860.3375
Mingus CC's are 857.4125 and 858.4125

TG Format is decimal:
SYS ID-SITE ID format: For example 5C1D-0017 is APS system 5C1D and site 0017 on Mt. Francis

Prescott Mt. Francis.
5C1D-0017
CC's 859.3375, 860.3375

TG's heard on the Mt. Francis tower
25680 Prescott office/ YOC
25808 Cottonwood office
1680 radio techs
9936 forestry
25648 line crews
9744 field ops 1
9872 field ops 2
12848 outages
1168 state EOC heard Phoenix EOC calling various counties. I heard the Yavapai EOC check in using this TG
4848 Phoenix outages this TG was heard in Phoenix and a few times it was also being passed thru to Mt. Francis and heard at the Prescott Airport.
1008 heard on the Phoenix system as some type of Surveillance operation I don't remember the site ID


Mingus Mountain system
5C1D-0015
CC's 857.4125, 858.4125
Tg's heard in Prescott off of Mingus Mtn.
25680 Prescott YOC
25808 Cottonwood office
9936 forestry
25648 line crews
12848 outages
9744 field ops 1
9872 field ops 2

Bill Williams System
5C1D-0018
CC's 857.2875, 858.2875
TG's heard off of Bill Williams Mtn.
25808 Cottonwood office
25680 Prescott YOC


Mike

 

[kd7ckq]

>>SNIP<<TG 9936 (Forestry) affiliates with RIDs in the 5XXXX series.
TG 3344 (?) was ID as the "Northern Freq" by radio techs and mostly affiliates with 377XX RIDs.
TG 25680 (Prescott Office) affiliates with 467XX RIDs
TG 12848 (?) affiliates with 465XX RIDs

Call signs such as YOC (which I think is 'Yavapai Operation Center' from my old APS dispatching days on their VHF system) are usually 6XXXX RIDs talking with the field RDIs (4XXXX series). I also noticed that different 6XXXX RIDs with the same voice are called YOC on different TGs.

I have also heard "SOC" - maybe Sedona Ops Center as it has traffic about the East Yavapai County area. >>SNIP<<

For me, I have 5XXXX units affiliating(sp?) with TG's 3408, 1680, 24208, 24144, 24080, 8208, 9776, 9936, 12912, 25680, 3312, and 3344.

TG 3344 affiliates 377XX RID's, mostly. there are some 46XXX, 47XXX, 55XXX, 62210 and 62310.

I hear "NOC, SOC, APS RADIO, RADIO Room, LC, NCP, and Control" used mainly on TG 24080 and 24208. There RID's are also in the 6XXXX range.

 

[FLANO]

Thanks for the updates. Give me a little bit to digest it all and get it updated....

 

[kd7ckq]

Anyone running Unitrunker today around 8:44 am. I cought another TG this morning with RID 23581 calling another unit on TG: 2176. I have RID 23581 as a APS unit out of Globe.

 

[2wayfreq]

Hi,
Good thread. I was in the Buckeye area last weekend with my 396T. FYI, I have found 30448,14512 and 14448 TGs. It might be a good idea to make up a spreadsheet for these. I'm also logging MCSO when I can and waiting for the new Buckeye 700 P25 system to go live.