BLM LE in San Bernardino County

[f40ph]

I'm hearing BLM Law repeater traffic on 171.750 (unit stating he was on the "Frost" repeater) in the Victorville area. The DB shows a different freq for BLM LE in So Calif. Does anyone know if this is the new output? This was analog traffic that I heard. Sometimes I hear P25 digital (unencrypted) but haven't confirmed yet what site that's coming from.

 

[SCPD]

I'm hearing BLM Law repeater traffic on 171.750 (unit stating he was on the "Frost" repeater) in the Victorville area. The DB shows a different freq for BLM LE in So Calif. Does anyone know if this is the new output? This was analog traffic that I heard. Sometimes I hear P25 digital (unencrypted) but haven't confirmed yet what site that's coming from.

Are your sure it was the output? Are you sure it was the BLM? In the California desert nearly all the unit identifiers will have a 65, 66, 67, 68 or 69 prefix plus "R" and then a single or a double digit number, except for those who work out of the District office, which I think is located in Morenga Valley now and used to be in Riverside when I lived in the state. Their identifiers used to be in the 6200 series way back when I worked in Calif.

171.7500 is a very common Dept. of the Interior frequency as far as use. Most of the time it is used by the NPS. In CA it is used at Cabrillo, Lava Beds and Devils Postpile National Monuments. It used to be the backcountry net frequency at Sequoia-Kings Canyon NP's.

The old 166.7500 frequency had to be changed as it falls in the simplex range for the 2019 NTIA redbook directives. I don't travel much in southern California so I can't help at all with monitoring. I was taking some trips to SOCAL for a number of years, but the kids graduated from college out there so I'm not going there anymore. I used to take my BK radio with me until the 57 bug bit me in the butt and I had to retire.

 

[f40ph]

Yes, I'm sure it was the output. I could hear the mobile and dispatch's reply with the same clarity as well as hear the repeater squelch-tail. I'm sure it was BLM (68R4 talking to "San Bernardino"). Yes, I believe the pair was changed based on the 2019 directive.

Just looking for someone to confirm the change before submitting to the DB.

 

[SCPD]

Thanks for the additional info. The 68 prefix indicates the Barstow Field Office. In the next couple of months recreation use on BLM lands in the upper desert should start picking up if they haven't already. There should be additional traffic. The R5 frequency directory that I have does not show any law enforcement frequencies. My understanding is that the BLM LE net is supposed to use a single frequency pair statewide. People all over the state should plug this frequency into their scanners.

 

[jasedude71]

Over a year ago, BLM's LE channel went encrypted. I have one of their older BK radios and can not hear anything on the LE channel since it went encrypted. Alot of the LE rangers still use the Admin channel and sometime the Admin channel and LE channel are patched by San Bernardino Federal Comm Center.

 

[avdrummerboy]

Frost is Frost peak in Wrightwood if memory serves (tone 5 for the radio buffs) Don't forget, these guys can talk on any BLM channel as well as other VHF Fed. channels as well, so just because you heard him on that channel doesn't mean it's the new one, could be one for some other agency or use that he was working an incident on.