CalFire Scanning Q

[brendan3]

Hey all,

Thanks for helping me understand how this works as I am just getting into the hobby of scanning with my BC125AT.

I have programmed the CalFire frequencies in my local area and wanted to make sure that I would not miss any transmissions with the way I have programmed my scanner. CalFire uses tones on many of their frequencies and some of their radios have RTA or "repeater talk around" ability. My question is if they are using the RTA function, which I was taught as basically meaning line of sight to other radios directly, would I be missing any transmissions because I was searching for a specific tone? Would it be better to program my scanner to search for frequencies instead?

I'm sure I am probably overthinking this and appreciate your responses to help me understand these systems better.

 

[officer_415]

Repeater talk around (AKA direct/simplex) will use the repeater output tone, so you shouldn't miss anything. If you're worried about it, you can always program them with CTCSS search, or CSQ/no tone.

 

[gmclam]

Monitoring just Cal Fire can be very interesting. Especially in California in the summer time. In addition to all the Cal Fire frequencies, you ideally need the NIFC, USFS and nationwide frequencies programmed as well. Lastly, a good outdoor antenna if you're not really close to the action.

 

[f40ph]

Not to change your subject away from CalFire but along the same lines as your original question: if programming USFS repeaters, I would recommend NOT adding the CTCSS tone. They don't configure their repeaters in the same fashion as CalFire across the state.

 

[officer_415]

Not to change your subject away from CalFire but along the same lines as your original question: if programming USFS repeaters, I would recommend NOT adding the CTCSS tone. They don't configure their repeaters in the same fashion as CalFire across the state.

Some forests (i.e. Cleveland, El Dorado, Tahoe Management Unit) have transitioned to a standard output tone across all repeaters. If there's a USFS net in the database that has a tone but should be listed as CSQ please let me know.

EDIT: Looks like that may be the case for Angeles, Los Padres, San Bernardino, and Sequoia. Are you aware of any BDF repeaters that don't use 103.5 PL output? Any locals please feel free to comment about any of these forests.

 

[es93546]

Some forests (i.e. Cleveland, El Dorado, Tahoe Management Unit) have transitioned to a standard output tone across all repeaters. If there's a USFS net in the database that has a tone but should be listed as CSQ please let me know.

There is an equal amount of National Forests where the input tone is carried over on the output frequency of the repeater. I have the Inyo National Forest, which is one of these forests, programmed with a channel for each repeater, based on it's input/output tones. In this way the scanner displays what repeater and by interpretation, what area is involved in the communication. The base stations and remote bases on the system pass this tone on to the computer screen console in dispatch and lights up or flashes the corresponding box each repeater has on the screen. Mobiles and handhelds do not use this output tone in any way as it would require that, like my scanner, I use a separate channel for each repeater and would require the radio be in scan. That is why each unit initiating a communication to announce the tone it is using. That is, "Inyo, Rec 21, Tone 3" or "Rec 26, Rec 21" Tone 2."

The 4 southern California forests all use 103.5 on the output frequency. This is to help reduce interference from unlicensed radio transmission from Mexico. They have been using this configuration since CTCSS tone guarding became widely available.

 

[officer_415]

The 4 southern California forests all use 103.5 on the output frequency. This is to help reduce interference from unlicensed radio transmission from Mexico. They have been using this configuration since CTCSS tone guarding became widely available.

Thanks. Do you know if all SQF repeaters use 127.3 PL output?

 

[AM909]

Thanks. Do you know if all SQF repeaters use 127.3 PL output?

The database says the SQF service net (172.400), LPF service net (171.500), and LPF simplex tacs are CSQ. Do they need updating?

 

[officer_415]

The database says the SQF service net (172.400), LPF service net (171.500), and LPF simplex tacs are CSQ. Do they need updating?

SQF emergency and fire nets are listed as 127.3 PL, I believe they should be CSQ unless someone here has better info.

 

[es93546]

SQF emergency and fire nets are listed as 127.3 PL, I believe they should be CSQ unless someone here has better info.

The official listing does not show any output tones. Someone needs to monitor and confirm. It would not surprise me if they use an output tone.

EDIT:

Someone should make sure to monitor traffic from several repeaters to make sure 127.3 does not match the repeater on that tone (Tone 12), which is used to access the Parkridge repeater. It is likely a frequently used repeater that can be heard all over the southern Central Valley. From Bakersfield the Breckenridge repeater should be heard and it is on Tone 11 (114.8). Another repeater that should be heard in the southern Valley is Jordan Peak and its access is via Tone 8 (103.5). It would not completely surprise me if this forest is transmitting the input tone on the repeater output.

 

[officer_415]

I asked someone to monitor SQF for the past week and they observed several different output tones, so I'm going to change it to CSQ in the database.