California Radio Interoperable System (CRIS)

[mcjones2013]

There is a new 700 MHz P25 control channel that's able to be heard in various portions of southern Sacramento County at 769.96875. I have submitted it to the database. I ran Unitrunker and was able to identify the signal as Site 2 of System 9D2, with no site neighbors, and 1 control channel, 3 alternate control channels.

I'm not sure the transmitter is in Sacramento County, but for now, that's where I've submitted it.

The frequencies are licensed under WPTZ774, the 700 MHz Public Safety State License (SL) to the State of California. The system identifies via Unitrunker as a Motorola manufactured system.

There's a chance this may be the start of the new state P25 system, which at one point in a government document was slated to be called the "California Radio Interagency System (CRIS)", but since there are no site neighbors and no voice traffic, I cannot confirm. Because of this, I will keep this under its own thread, for now.

Here is my submission:

This unknown P25 trunking system can be heard in various parts of the southern Sacramento County area. I am not sure where the transmitter is located, or the area intended for its use, so for now, I believe Sacramento County is the most appropriate location for the system to be added.

The frequencies are part of the State of California's 700 MHz State License (SL): WPTZ774

Because the frequencies are part of a State License (SL), it will be nearly impossible to narrow down the transmitter location without foxhunting.

I'm guessing this may be the start of the new state P25 system, slated to be called the "California Radio Interagency System (CRIS)", but since there are no site neighbors and no voice traffic, I cannot confirm.

System Name: Unidentified State of California Project 25 BEE00-9D2
Location: Sacramento, CA
System Type: Project 25 Phase I
System Voice: APCO-25 Common Air Interface Exclusive
System ID: 9D2
WACN: BEE00

_____
Site: 02
Site NAC: 9D2
Site Description: Site 02 -
Site County Location: Sacramento
Site Neighbors: None
Site FCC Licenses: WPTZ774
Site Frequencies:
769.96875 - CONTROL CH
770.81875 - ALT CONTROL CH
773.34375 - ALT CONTROL CH
773.79375 - ALT CONTROL CH

------------------------------------
New System Location: Sacramento County, CA

 

[mcjones2013]

I had a chance to run the system tonight on DSDPlus for a bit. The Base Station Identification (BSI) channel was identified as 774.78125. DSDPlus will provide the call sign when the BSI channel is active. While it should be showing WPTZ774, DSDPlus showed the callsign as "CHANGEME".

Now, here's something interesting I've noticed.

769.96875 is "VRS16" for the California Highway Patrol (CHP), one of their vehicle repeater system frequencies (listed on the CHP database page).
774.78125 is "7CHP BB" or "7CHP HQ" for the CHP, labeled as "CHP BASE 13" on the CHP database page.

I don't know if that means this new P25 system is going to be for CHP exclusively, or more evidence pointing towards the multi-agency CRIS system mentioned in my first post.

 

[KG7PBS]

would love CHP to be on 700 P25 System it would be better to listen to them

 

[mcjones2013]

A new site (Site 1) has popped up this week in the Sacramento area. Thanks, @scannerboy02 for finding it!

Site: 1
NAC: 9D1
Callsign: WPTZ774
769.40625 control channel
770.65625 alt control channel
773.30625 alt control channel
773.59375 alt control channel
774.34375 base station identification (bsi)

 

[mcjones2013]

NOTE: 769.40625 (and 770.91875) was broadcasting a Caltrans audio test the past couple of weeks. Now that 769.40625 has become a control channel, I'm thinking one of three possibilities:

1 - Likely - This is the start of the "statewide" CRIS (California Radio Interagency System)
2 - Somewhat likely - This is a new P25 system dedicated for Caltrans District 3 (since they were running Caltrans audio tests before making it a control channel)
3 - Less likely - This is a P25 system dedicated for CHP, since two of the frequencies used for Site 2 are currently used by CHP as VRS/LMR frequencies.

 

[scannerboy02]

I was out doing some RF target hunting today and I can not say that I am 100% sure that 769.96875 (BEE00-9D2-001-002) is on the Twitchell Island tower but I think it is. I parked about a quarter mile from the tower and was getting full signal on all radios and UniTrunker.

My logs show
769.96875 - Active Control Channel
770.91875 - Alternate Control Channel
773.34375 - Alternate Control Channel
773.79375 - Alternate Control Channel
C4FM modulation
NAC: 9D2

Of note, this site as well as the 'site 1' site are not showing any peers at this time.

 

[scannerboy02]

So after posting the above I saw another post that took me to the CRIS coverage map. I now think,
BEE00-9D2-001-001 is Pine Hill
BEE00-9D2-001-002 is Mt. Oso.
This would tend to make since being that I basically had a direct line of site to Mt. Oso from the Twitchell Island tower location.
I will try to take a drive up to Pine Hill in the next day or two to see if I can confirm that as the 'Site 1' location, Mt Oso is a little out of the range I will be able to drive during this Sacramento vacation.

According to the map they should also have sites at Mt. Bullion, Joaquin Ridge, Blue Ridge and Round Mountain.

 

[inigo88]

Nice find guys, system added to the database here: Unidentified State of California Project 25 BEE00-9D2 Trunking System, Sacramento, CA, California - Scanner Frequencies

I'll keep everything listed as "Unknown" until you can positively identify the sites. I think the hunch that it's the new CRIS system is a good one, but let's hold off on labeling it as such until that's positively confirmed. Also when submitting sites don't forget to include both the RFSS and the Site number, so for example site 1 is actually "101" in many scanner formats and "1-001" in radioreference format, where the RFSS is first and then the site number.

Thanks and looking forward to following your progress on this system.

 

[scannerboy02]

I just took a drive to Pine Hill and I can confirm the 769.40625 control channel is broadcasting from that location. I was getting full signal with the antennas off.

 

[mcjones2013]

Radio test counts heard today on talk group 100, listening to site 1 (thought to be Pine Hill). No encryption noted.

 

[KG7PBS]

Was it phase 1 or phase 2 TDMA?

 

[vince48]

Greetings,
I'm receving the control channel 769.40625 strongly here in Visalia. DSD+ identifies this site as BEE00.9D2.1-4 NAC: 9D4. At looking at the Phas 1 map, THis must be the BlueRidge site.

 

[scannerboy02]

Great find! All six sites should be on the air.

This is the latest update from the CRIS website.
"2019 – PSC is granted funding to implement CRIS. The central California region is selected to pilot CRIS; six sites with microwave backhaul operating on one central core.
PSC has completed the deployment of infrastructure at six (6) sites as part of the initial phase of CRIS within the central valley along the major traffic arteries of Highway 99 and Interstate 5. The initial phase of CRIS is operational."

 

[mkewman]

I know that CHP has low band equipment on one of the TV towers in Walnut Grove, so I'm a little surprised that they would go down to Twitchell Island, but then again, the state owns that land, so it would be cheaper in the long run.

I was out doing some RF target hunting today and I can not say that I am 100% sure that 769.96875 (BEE00-9D2-001-002) is on the Twitchell Island tower but I think it is. I parked about a quarter mile from the tower and was getting full signal on all radios and UniTrunker.

My logs show
769.96875 - Active Control Channel
770.91875 - Alternate Control Channel
773.34375 - Alternate Control Channel
773.79375 - Alternate Control Channel
C4FM modulation
NAC: 9D2

Of note, this site as well as the 'site 1' site are not showing any peers at this time.

 

[scannerboy02]

I updated this post, this was NOT coming from Twitchell. I was not able to 100% confirm the location but looking at the site map it's probably Mt. Oso.

If I have time I'm going to take a couple days (no guarantee I will be able to do this) to go check on each of the six sites on the map during my vacation in a few weeks.

 

[mkewman]

Copy that, If I can get over there in the meantime, I'll do the same. Also, have a coworker going down there as well, so maybe he can bring the spectrum analyzer.

 

[scannerboy02]

Greetings,
I'm receving the control channel 769.40625 strongly here in Visalia. DSD+ identifies this site as BEE00.9D2.1-4 NAC: 9D4. At looking at the Phas 1 map, THis must be the BlueRidge site.

Were you able to get alternate control channels or any site neighbor information?

 

[vince48]

yes,
1-1384 - 770.65625
1-1808 - 773.30625
1-1854 - 773.59375
1-1974 - 774.34375

Neighbors:
site BEE00.9D2-1.5; CC=1-1350 770.44375
site BEE00.9D2-1.6; CC=1-1274 769.96875
site BEE00.9D2-1.1; CC=1-1184 769.40625
site BEE00.9D2-1.2; CC=1-1274 769.96875
site BEE00.9D2-1.3; CC=1-1312 770.20625

 

[scannerboy02]

yes,
1-1384 - 770.65625
1-1808 - 773.30625
1-1854 - 773.59375
1-1974 - 774.34375

Neighbors:
site BEE00.9D2-1.5; CC=1-1350 770.44375
site BEE00.9D2-1.6; CC=1-1274 769.96875
site BEE00.9D2-1.1; CC=1-1184 769.40625
site BEE00.9D2-1.2; CC=1-1274 769.96875
site BEE00.9D2-1.3; CC=1-1312 770.20625

Awesome, thank you!

 

[scannerboy02]

yes,
1-1384 - 770.65625
1-1808 - 773.30625
1-1854 - 773.59375
1-1974 - 774.34375

Neighbors:
site BEE00.9D2-1.5; CC=1-1350 770.44375
site BEE00.9D2-1.6; CC=1-1274 769.96875
site BEE00.9D2-1.1; CC=1-1184 769.40625
site BEE00.9D2-1.2; CC=1-1274 769.96875
site BEE00.9D2-1.3; CC=1-1312 770.20625

Interesting that it appears to be using the same frequencies as site 1, including the same control channel frequency.