Border Patrol - STX area

[rattlerbb01]

I've found quite a bit of newer Border Patrol frequencies in the area along the middle Rio Grande. Most of the frequencies have P25 databursts using the same NAC as voice, but not sure if it for vehicle location, traffic sensors, or what since DSD doesn't decode it. Lots of talk in the clear surprisingly. Aircraft units, transport units, dispatchers and clearly identified Texas DPS units also coordinating with CBP. Still plenty of encryption though. Almost all CBP patrol units seem to be ENC.

169.9375 NAC 315 - Heard pretty strong from NW Webb Co (Briscoe Ranch/Mines Rd area)
169.6375 NAC 301 - Also heard from NW Webb Co but weaker, stronger on north end of ranch so probably West Dimmit area
172.3000 Didn't write down NAC - Heard fairly strong from Catarina
166.9875 NAC 310 - Very busy Carrizo Springs tower
172.8625 NAC 301 - Crystal City medium strength
169.1375 NAC 290 - Very busy LaPryor tower
170.1500 NAC 294 - Uvalde area, but not in Uvalde proper
168.7625 NAC 289 - weaker signal from Uvalde but decodes okay
166.7375 NAC 314 - Uvalde Tower
167.6875 NAC 167 - FBI Uvalde?

This is in addition to the new towers for the 4D5 system I found in that thread.

 

[K5MPH]

Nice catch......

 

[rattlerbb01]

Nice catch......

We’ll see where my travels take me. I’m floating in the area right now, may end up in Gonzales, may end up in Laredo. But that is everything I detected between Catarina/Briscoe Ranch and Hondo. I stopped several times to really get a good look at the bands on DSD+ and find any signals I could, as well as searching the 163-174 band with the BCD436HP. I’m just encouraged to see a healthy amount of clear transmissions on the federal band, but kind of hope it isn’t to the detriment of their mission at the same time. I passed multiple individuals and groups the last few weeks that were sitting waiting on CBP to pick them up.

 

[memo124]

172.300 is NAC 301. I have that one for Laredo

 

[rattlerbb01]

172.300 is NAC 301. I have that one for Laredo

Sounds about right. I’ll be back down there for a few more weeks at least so I’ll see what else pops up.

 

[memo124]

LOOK OUT FOR THESE TOO IN THE LAREDO AREA
136.375 CBP AIR TO AIR
168.8375 NAC ???
169.5875 NAC 293
173.050 NAC 301
173.0625 NAC 301

 

[Go-West]

We get stuff for CBP here, lots of Illegal Aliens, try 163 to 215, 4 are encrypted now.

 

[ecps92]

added notes to two of your listings

LOOK OUT FOR THESE TOO IN THE LAREDO AREA
136.375 CBP AIR TO AIR
168.8375 NAC 293 - CBP Air 1
169.5875 NAC 293 - likely a VA Hospital
173.050 NAC 301
173.0625 NAC 301

 

[rattlerbb01]

166.5875 NAC 317. Dispatcher encrypted, some units clear. Signal fair from Briscoe Ranch Mines Rd Gate area. Looking for vehicles on FM 186 SW of Carrizo, and one traffic stop heard was all the way at SH 85 and FM 468 in Big Wells, so the antenna must be pretty high up there and on one of these ranches, Briscoe, Faith or Galvan.
169.6375 NAC 301. CBP Apache Ranch Tower confirmed. Similar traffic but more focused on the border area from what I can tell. Not connected to 166.5875 so not networked together, different unit IDs as well. No encryption noted so far, all clear.

 

[rattlerbb01]

170.500 NAC 303 - Pearsall Repeater
173.100 NAC 301 - Catarina to Big Wells area

 

[rattlerbb01]

Lots of additions for Eagle Pass:


163.6250 NAC 300 CBP Full Strength P25e

163.7750 NAC 302 CBP Full Strength P25e

165.8500 NAC 301 CBP weak signal

168.7625 CBP weak signal P25

168.8500 NAC 303 CBP medium strength P25e

170.6500 low baud beeping data

171.2625 NAC 312 CBP medium strength P25e

171.7625 NAC 311 CBP medium strength P25e w/163.775

Most transmissions were in the clear but still 40/60 ENC. Lots of grass fires along the border today, BP directing EPFD through the ranches, a few bailouts, and many walkers reported.

 

[nd5y]

170.6500 low baud beeping data

If this was 1980 I would say it was probably BP geophone sensors.
I don't know if what they have now still uses low speed VHF high band data.

 

[rattlerbb01]

173.100 NAC 301 was very strong in Cotulla so I’m guessing that is a LaSalle Co repeater somewhere that just has a strong footprint through Big Wells and Catarina.

I am getting a little P25 on 171.2625 in Karnes City but not busy enough to catch a NAC yet.

 

[rattlerbb01]

Karnes City/Kenedy was actually 171.2500 NAC 069.
There is another repeater in the area on 171.7625 NAC A90 as well.

 

[rattlerbb01]

169.575 NAC 301 is in the Freer area but outside of the city a ways. I’ll see if I can get a better location.

417.075 P25 is in Freer, but despite parking on it for a while I couldn’t get the NAC alongside the data bursts like I can with the VHF repeaters

 

[rattlerbb01]

Okay, 169.575 NAC 301 is on a tower near the US 59/TX 44 split on the west side of Freer. Pretty active with data bursts but only caught one ENC exchange.

 

[rattlerbb01]

Finally confirmed the Artesia Wells Repeater site, no idea which DNET it is though:
RX 173.100 NAC 301
TX 164.925 NAC 325

This site has excellent coverage from Catarina, to Encinal, to Big Wells, and all over LaSalle County. It is a Laredo Sector site with mostly clear transmissions. Once you cross into the Del Río sector in Dimmit County the ENC ramps up heavily.

 

[ecps92]

169.575 NAC 301 is in the Freer area but outside of the city a ways. I’ll see if I can get a better location.

417.075 P25 is in Freer, but despite parking on it for a while I couldn’t get the NAC alongside the data bursts like I can with the VHF repeaters

first blush would be 417.0750 is an image
based on NTIA format for new systems, this would be the input
406-420 should be using +9 mhz for the input side - not ruling anything out as many legacy systems are still a mish mosh in other regions.

 

[ecps92]

Finally confirmed the Artesia Wells Repeater site, no idea which DNET it is though:
RX 173.100 NAC 301
TX 164.925 NAC 325

This site has excellent coverage from Catarina, to Encinal, to Big Wells, and all over LaSalle County. It is a Laredo Sector site with mostly clear transmissions. Once you cross into the Del Río sector in Dimmit County the ENC ramps up heavily.

They used to have a CBP DNET-02 site there
Wonder if this (WAG) is the new DNET-02 to conform to the NTIA channel plans...

 

[rattlerbb01]

first blush would be 417.0750 is an image
based on NTIA format for new systems, this would be the input
406-420 should be using +9 mhz for the input side - not ruling anything out as many legacy systems are still a mish mosh in other regions.

So strange as it seems, the 417.075 was stronger than the 169.575 from in town in Freer and did not key up at the same time. I thought maybe it was an image at first as well. Only thing i can think is maybe it’s a remote DEA input to a regional office in Laredo, Corpus or the Valley.