BLM Las Cruces District - Eastern Portion

[Paysonscanner]

I found a 2014 Alamorgordo Dispatch booklet on my desktop computer that my late husband left for me. Most of the Las Cruces District's lands are west of the White Sands Missile Range, an area dispatched by Silver City. There is a large area of BLM land in southern part of the district east of White Sands some of it bordering the west boundary of Lincoln National Forest Sacramento and Guadalupe ranger districts. White Sands is in the Pecos Zone, dispatched by the Alamorgordo Dispatch Center. which places these BLM lands in that dispatch center. There are two BLM repeaters listed to cover these lands, Sacramento Lookout (Lincoln NF) and Caballo Mt. Confusingly Caballo is west of White Sands, but apparently provides radio coverage east of there. The listed frequencies are the same as the remainder of the Las Cruces District, 168.5750 repeater out and 166.8750 repeater in. Granted this is a small detail of an agency most people would not be interested in, but you never know.

The bigger question is how can the BLM use these frequencies past the 1/1/19 deadline to comply with the new frequency allocation. Both these freqs. are in the simplex use portion of the fed VHF band. I suspect they will change soon. Las Cruces and Alamorgordo listeners should keep an ear out.

This is the page from the Alamorgordo dispatch center publication that shows the repeaters it controls.

 

[ecps92]

Depending on the size, funding etc, Some Agencies/Forests/Parks have been granted extentions for complying with the NTIA changes.
Heck, DEA up in my woods is still on the old UHF Pair and not using the 9mhz Offsets and then, there are exceptions due to interference that are granted.

It is a long, extensive, $$$ project and they need to visit each and every site - Lots of work

I found a 2014 Alamorgordo Dispatch booklet on my desktop computer that my late husband left for me. Most of the Las Cruces District's lands are west of the White Sands Missile Range, an area dispatched by Silver City. There is a large area of BLM land in southern part of the district east of White Sands some of it bordering the west boundary of Lincoln National Forest Sacramento and Guadalupe ranger districts. White Sands is in the Pecos Zone, dispatched by the Alamorgordo Dispatch Center. which places these BLM lands in that dispatch center. There are two BLM repeaters listed to cover these lands, Sacramento Lookout (Lincoln NF) and Caballo Mt. Confusingly Caballo is west of White Sands, but apparently provides radio coverage east of there. The listed frequencies are the same as the remainder of the Las Cruces District, 168.5750 repeater out and 166.8750 repeater in. Granted this is a small detail of an agency most people would not be interested in, but you never know.

The bigger question is how can the BLM use these frequencies past the 1/1/19 deadline to comply with the new frequency allocation. Both these freqs. are in the simplex use portion of the fed VHF band. I suspect they will change soon. Las Cruces and Alamorgordo listeners should keep an ear out.

This is the page from the Alamorgordo dispatch center publication that shows the repeaters it controls.

 

[Paysonscanner]

Thanks for that info. Many agencies seemed to have worked on this for 10 years or more. A lot were in compliance about 5 years ago. One example is the Forest Service in CA. They added 3 regional tacticals in the 173 Mhz range about 15-20 years ago, then changed those to freqs in the 166-168 range about 5 or more years ago.

I thought that repeaters were all programmable, but I don't know all that is involved. I can only relate to my scanners and ham radios, which are easy to change, some easier than the rest. Shows how little I know! I wish I knew as much about many things as I do nursing.

 

[ecps92]

Quick points on making these changes that they [RF Techs] think about.

a. Reprogram Repeater and all associated Radios [Portables, Base and Mobiles] - can be hundreds of radios to touch
b. Ensure no interference from near-by users or the occassional band opennings [Repeater input and output]
c. Work out On-Site interference to the Repeater or From [to other users at the site] the Repeater
Many of these sites, house/host not just Park Radios, but Public Safety, Business and other Federal Agencies

Heck an NWS site has been down in NYC Area for a few years now, as it was causing problems another Federal Agency [forgot if USCG or FBI]
they are finally getting close to restoring the NWS Service from a new site.

Thanks for that info. Many agencies seemed to have worked on this for 10 years or more. A lot were in compliance about 5 years ago. One example is the Forest Service in CA. They added 3 regional tacticals in the 173 Mhz range about 15-20 years ago, then changed those to freqs in the 166-168 range about 5 or more years ago.

I thought that repeaters were all programmable, but I don't know all that is involved. I can only relate to my scanners and ham radios, which are easy to change, some easier than the rest. Shows how little I know! I wish I knew as much about many things as I do nursing.

 

[ecps92]

Not sure why my mouse keeps selecting strike thru....and too late to re-edit

 

[Paysonscanner]

Not sure why my mouse keeps selecting strike thru....and too late to re-edit

Goody Gum Drops! Someone besides me who can't figure out what their computer does at times.

 

[Paysonscanner]

Quick points on making these changes that they [RF Techs] think about.

a. Reprogram Repeater and all associated Radios [Portables, Base and Mobiles] - can be hundreds of radios to touch
b. Ensure no interference from near-by users or the occassional band opennings [Repeater input and output]
c. Work out On-Site interference to the Repeater or From [to other users at the site] the Repeater
Many of these sites, house/host not just Park Radios, but Public Safety, Business and other Federal Agencies

Heck an NWS site has been down in NYC Area for a few years now, as it was causing problems another Federal Agency [forgot if USCG or FBI]
they are finally getting close to restoring the NWS Service from a new site.

Oh yes, I know most national parks and forests have repeaters they can only get to with a helicopter. They can be walked to, some more than a day's walk. But then there is the little problem of the weight of tools, building supplies, Yada, Yada.