Caltrans submissions to the Database

[SCPD]

Here is my submission for Caltrans District 1:

[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']Caltrans District 1 (Eureka)[/font][FONT='Arial','sans-serif'][/font]
Output Input Channel PL Location

857.7375 812.7375 C Unk 18071 U.S. 199 (near OR border)
857.7625 812.7625 O Unk Collier Tunnel Rest Stop
857.7375 812.7375 C Unk Milepost 30 U.S. 199
858.9875 813.9875 I Unk Horse Flat Caltrans Maintenance Station
857.7625 812.7625 O Unk Milepost 26 U.S. 199
858.9875 813.9875 I Unk Milepost 23 U.S. 199
857.7375 812.7375 C Unk Camp Six Radio Site (SE of Gasquet)
858.9875 813.9875 I Unk Milepost 11 U.S. 199
857.7375 812.7375 C Unk Tracy Radio Site (SE of Hiouchi)
857.7625 812.7625 O Unk Hytree Radio Site (SE of Fort Dick
857.9875 812.9875 J Unk Crescent City Airport
857.7625 812.7625 O 110.9 Crescent City Caltrans Maintenance Station
859.7375 814.7375 G Unk Crescent City Caltrans Maintenance Station
860.7375 815.7375 B Unk Red Mtn. (East of Klamath)
856.7375 811.7375 D Unk Red Mtn. (East of Klamath)
857.9875 812.9875 J Unk Milepost 30 U.S. 101 (Cal-Barrel Road at 101)
857.7375 812.7375 C Unk Hilton Road off U.S. 101 (Orick)
858.7375 813.7375 H Unk Milepost 113 U.S. 101 (Big Lagoon north of McKinleyville)
858.7325 813.7625 P Unk Bald Hills (12 miles north of Hoopa)
856.7625 811.7625 N Unk Ukonom Mtn. (north of Somes Bar)
860.7625 815.7625 R Unk Somes Bar (hill NE of Ranger Station)
858.7325 813.7625 P 131.8 Orleans Caltrans Maintenance Station
856.7625 811.7625 N Unk Shelton Butte (north of Weitchpec)
857.7375 812.7375 C Unk Horse Mtn. (SW of Willow Creek)
856.7625 811.7625 N Unk Milepost 18 SR 299
858.7375 813.7375 H Unk Rest Area east of Blue Lake on SR 299
856.7625 811.7625 N 110.9 Eureka at District Office
856.7375 811.7375 D Unk Tompkins Hill (north of Fortuna)
860.7375 815.7375 B Unk Mt. Pierce (west of Shively)
857.7375 812.7375 C Unk Pratt Mtn. (east of Gaberyville)
860.7375 815.7375 B 131.8 Cahto Peak (west of Laytonville)
857.7375 812.7375 C 136.5 Laughlin Ridge (SE of Willits)
857.9875 812.9875 J Unk Mathison Peak (east of Little River)
858.9875 813.9875 I 110.9 90 West Lake north of Ukiah
858.7375 813.7375 H 123.0 Spanish Mtn. (SW of Ukiah)
860.7375 815.7375 B 136.5 Cold Springs Mtn. (NW of Boonville)
860.7625 815.7625 R 131.8 Seigler Mtn. (SW of Clearlake)
856.7375 811.7375 D Unk Bottle Rock Power Plant (SW of Clearlake)
857.7375 812.7375 C 156.7 Cobb Mtn. (SW of Clearlake)

Sorry about all the Font hieroglyphics, but I don't want to do any more editing. The rather close spacing of repeaters up on the Smith River east of Crescent City is hard to understand just looking at raw data. I would imagine that their is some type of voting system for all the repeaters, otherwise the radio operator would have to switch radio channels about every 3-5 miles. This is a unique situation statewide, as there is only one more of these types of systems, which is located in a canyon west of Fresno on Highway 198 in District 6. It only involves two repeaters that are located on the side of the highway like these on Highway 199 are. A comment was made on a thread quite some time ago about California State Parks having to give up on 800 MHz in the northern coast area of the state due to the incompatibility of 800 MHz with the dense tree cover. Given the number of repeaters listed here for one District, it looks like Caltrans had quite a time getting coverage.

Next will be District 2 in a few days. I just have to get a chance to type it up.

 

[SCPD]

Here is Caltrans District 2:


857.7625 812.7625 O Unk Haymaker Mountain (south of Keno, Oregon)
857.9875 812.9875 J Unk Haymaker Mountain (south of Keno, Oregon)
858.9875 813.9875 I Unk Sheepy Ridge (near Oregon border NW of Tulelake, CA)
857.7375 812.7375 C Unk Barnes Grade (NW of Alturas)[/FONT]
856.9875 811.9875 A Unk Surprise Valley Radio Site (east of Lake City, CA)
857.9875 812.9875 J 131.8 Slater Butte (north of Happy Camp)
857.7625 812.7625 O Unk Rocky Gulch (SW of Hornbrook)
856.7375 811.7375 D Unk Tree Heaven Camp (SR 96 5 miles west of I-5)
860.9875 815.9875 E Unk Gunsight Peak (west of Yreka)[
860.7375 815.7375 B Unk Butcher Hill (SE side of Yreka)
857.7625 812.7625 O Unk Denny Point (SE of Etna)
856.7625 811.7625 N Unk Antelope Mtn. (SW of Grenada, CA)
859.7375 814.7375 G Unk Antelope Mtn. (SW of Grenada, CA)
860.9875 815.9875 E Unk Soda Ridge (NE of Dunsmuir)
858.7625 813.7625 P Unk Soda Ridge (NE of Dunsmuir)
856.9875 811.9875 A Unk Flume Creek at I-5 (south of Castella)
856.9875 811.9875 A Unk Gibson Road at I-5 (north of Gibson)
856.9875 811.9875 A Unk Hatchet Mtn. (west of Burney)
857.7375 812.7375 C Unk Sugarloaf Mtn. (NW of Lakehead)
859.7625 814.7625 Q Unk Sugarloaf Mtn. (NW of Lakehead)
857.7625 812.7625 O Unk Round Mtn. (northwest of the town of Round Mtn.)
856.7375 811.7375 D Unk I-5 at O’Brien
859.7625 814.7625 Q Unk Bass Mtn. Marker (I-5 just south of Shasta Lake Bridge)
856.7625 811.7625 N Unk Hoadley Peak (SE of Lewiston)
859.9875 814.9875 F Unk South Fork Mtn. Lookout (north of Whiskeytown Lake)
859.7375 814.7375 G Unk South Fork Mtn. Lookout (north of Whiskeytown Lake)
859.9875 814.9875 F Unk Shasta Bally Mtn. (west of Whiskeytown Lake
860.7625 815.7625 R 110.9 Hayfork (Mtn. Street at Morgan Hill Road in Hayfork)
858.7625 813.7625 P 123.0 Platina (Mtn. Street at SR 36 in Platina)
856.9875 811.9875 A Unk Tuscan Butte (SE of Redding)
858.7375 813.7375 H 146.2 Tuscan Butte (SE of Redding) (shared with D3)
860.9875 815.9875 E Unk Vina (CDF Helitack Base on SR 99 east of Corning)
858.9875 813.9875 I Unk Likely Mtn. (SW of Likely)
860.9875 815.9875 E Unk Big Valley Mtn. (SW of Nubieber)
860.7375 815.7375 B Unk Roop Mtn. (NW of Susanville
857.9875 812.9875 J Unk Antelope Peak. (NE of Susanville)
860.9875 815.9875 E Unk Antelope Peak (NE of Susanville)
856.9875 811.9875 A Unk Shaffer Mtn. (NE of Susanville)
859.9875 814.9875 F Unk Dyer Mtn. (east of Lake Almanor)
857.7625 812.7625 O Unk Black Mtn. (SW of Lake Almanor)
858.7375 813.7375 H 123.0 Red Hill (north of Rich Bar)
860.7625 815.7625 R Unk Red Hill (north of Rich Bar)
859.7625 814.7625 Q Unk Mt. Hough (NE of Quincy)
858.7625 813.7625 P Unk Radio Hill (Quincy)
857.7375 812.7375 C 123.0 Beckwourth Peak (SE of Portola)

This is the second of three districts that had not implemented the conversion to 800 Mhz before the Caltrans 1994 Statewide Radio Plan was written. As a result I have no tones, or just a few that were reported by various people.

People need to monitor Caltrans in the northern portion of the state and report back so we can verify frequencies and determine tones. This database submission gives us a starting point!

 

[SCPD]

Now for District 3. Note that I put the channels in the same order as they were in the program of the District 9 radio I examined. I don't think Caltrans is using channel numbers anymore. They are not using them in D9 as each channel in the radio is labeled for the area it is to be used in.

I don't know how well the list below jives with the listing in the database currently. I think it matches in most cases but I have not taken the time to reconcile the list. Since it was provided with channel numbers, I believe it is an older version than the program I found in the D9 radio and used to develop the list below.

Below the lines that have tone numbers are additional repeater sites that I found by searching the FCC data. Note that I don't have tones for these listings and really don't know if they are presently in use.

Caltrans District 3 (Marysville)

Output Input Channel PL Location (CALTRANS CHANNEL DISPLAY)

859.9875 814.9875 F 123.0 Bloomer Hill (west of Berry Creek) (CHICOOROV)
860.7375 815.7375 B 131.8 Platte Mtn. (north of Forest Ranch) (FORSRNCH)
858.9875 813.9875 I 156.7 Colby Mtn. (north of Butte Meadows) (BUTMEADO)
858.7375 813.7375 H 110.0 Bald Mtn. (NE of Brooks) (WOODLAND)
856.9875 811.9875 A 146.2 1416 Ninth Street, Sacramento (SACRMNTO)
859.9875 814.9875 F 136.5 Pine Hill (NW of Rescue (SO SACR)
858.7375 813.7375 H 131.8 Union Hill (east of Pollock Pines) (PLACRVIL)
858.9875 813.9875 I 123.0 Alder Hill (SW of Kyburz) (KYBURZ)
860.7375 815.7375 B 146.2 Scout Peak (SW of Meyers) (S TAHOE)
859.7375 814.7375 G 123.0 Pilot Hill (SW of the town of Pilot Hill) (AUBURN)
860.7375 815.7375 B 136.5 Banner Mtn. (SE of Nevada City) (NEVADA CTY)
859.7375 814.7375 G 136.5 Drum Forebay (SW of Blue Canyon) (BAXTER)
858.7375 813.7375 H 136.5 Cisco Butte (west of Cisco Grove) (WHITMORE)
859.9875 814.9875 F 110.9 Donner Beacon (west of Donner Lake) (KINGVALE)
859.7375 814.7375 G 136.5 Ski Tow (south of Truckee) (TRUCKEE)
856.9875 811.9875 A 146.2 Peavine Ridge (NW of Reno, NV) (BOCA REV)
858.9875 813.9875 I 146.2 Mt. Pluto (north of Tahoe City (TAHOECITY)
859.7375 814.7375 G 131.8 Snow Valley Peak (west of Carson City) (LAKE TAHOE)
859.7375 814.7375 G 110.9 Nulaid Ranch (NW of Grass Valley) (NEVCTY N)
859.9875 814.9875 F 156.7 Cal-Ida Peak (NE of Camptonville) (CAL IDA)
856.7375 811.7375 D 156.7 Galloway Ridge (south of Downieville) (DOWNIEVIL)
858.7375 813.7375 H 156.7 Hilda Peak (SE of Sierra City) (SIERRACIT)
859.7375 814.7375 G 110.9 Yuba Pass (NW of Sierraville) (YUBA PASS)
858.9875 813.9875 I 110.9 Beckwourth Peak (SE of Portola) (SIERRAVIL)
858.7375 813.7375 H 146.2 Tuscan Butte (SE of Cottonwood) (RED BLUFF) (Shared with D2)
858.7375 813.7375 H 123.0 Pulga Station (Pulga) (PULGA)[/FONT]
858.9875 813.9875 I 131.8 Saint John Mtn. (NW of Stoneyford) (WILLOWS)


856.7375 811.7375 D Unk Downieville Caltrans Maint. Station
857.7625 812.7625 O 110.9 Banner Mtn. (SE of Nevada City)
859.9875 814.9875 F Unk 10152 Keiser, Truckee
859.7375 814.7375 G Unk 10152 Keiser, Truckee
859.9875 814.9875 F Unk Mt. Danaher (NE of Camino)
858.7375 813.7375 H Unk Mt. Danaher (NE of Camino)
858.9875 813.9875 I Unk Mt. Danaher (NE of Camino)
856.7375 811.7375 D Unk 7445 Ice House Road, Pacific House
859.9875 814.9875 F Unk Echo Summit (SW of Meyers)
858.7375 813.7375 H Unk Echo Summit (SW of Meyers)
858.9875 813.9875 I Unk Echo Summit (SW of Meyers)

I have company this weekend and may not be able to type up the next district until Monday, but we will see. I like to get these submissions behind me so I can input Inyo and Mono Counties. Those county listings are not even close to accurate or complete. After that I'm considering a major research project for the California State Park radio system. [/FONT]

 

[SCPD]

I took a look at Caltrans District 3 in the database and compared it to what I came up with. The database does not show an input frequency for Mt. Saint John, locations for any of the repeaters shown, and is short about 22 repeaters. However, the repeaters shown in the current database are all correct. When several sources and two different people come up with the same answer, the result should be pretty close to being accurate.

It is a fine morning here in the eastern Sierra, with frost on the roof and no wind. Time to write up another district or two, which will follow shortly.

 

[ScannerDude244]

Good update ex! i'm waiting for my District Monterey county. The frequencies I have for them are 800mhz and low band, I do hear them on both but it sounds like it's cross band? Maybe not enough 800mhz radios to go around?

 

[SCPD]

Caltrans District 4 (Oakland)


Output Input Channel PL Location (CALTRANS CHANNEL DISPLAY)

857.7375 812.7375 C 131.8 English Hill (SW of Sebastopol) (GUERNVIL)
856.9875 811.9875 A 131.8 Mt. Saint Helena (NW of Calistoga) (ST HELEN)
860.9875 815.9875 E 123.0 Atlas Peak (NE of Yountville) (BERRYESA)
857.7375 812.7375 C 110.9 Mt. Vaca (NW of Vacaville) (VACA) Note: Caltrans radio plan shows this as a D10 channel

860.7375 815.7375 B 123.0 Sonoma Mtn. (east of Rohnert Park) (SONOMA)
859.7375 814.7375 G 136.5 Mt. Tamalpais (NW of Mill Valley) (MT TAM)
857.7375 812.7375 C 123.0 San Bruno Mtn. (SE of Daly City) (SAN BRUNO)
860.7375 815.7375 B 123.0 Vollmer Peak (east of Berkeley) (VOLMER)
856.7625 811.7625 N 110.9 North Peak (west of Hillsborough) (NORTH PK)
856.9875 811.9875 A 110.9 Mt. Diablo (NE of Danville) (DIABLO)
858.7625 813.7625 P 110.9 Pigeon Pt. (south of Pescadero) (PIGEON PT)
858.7375 813.7375 H 110.9 La Honda (east of La Honda) (LA HONDA)
856.9875 811.9875 A 123.0 Loma Prieta (west of Morgan Hill) (LOMA)
858.7375 813.7375 H 110.9 Pacheco Peak (south of Pacheco Pass (PACHE PAS)
860.7625 815.7625 R 110.9 Mt. Diablo (NE of Danville) (COCOCO)
860.7375 815.7375 B 131.8 Sunol Ridge (east of Union City) (SONOL)
857.7375 812.7375 C 131.8 Wiedeman Hill (NW of Dublin) (WIEDEMAN)
856.7375 811.7375 D 131.8 Barnabe Mtn. (SE of Olema) (PT REYES)

The above is what the District 9 radio I examined showed. As with District 3 I listed the above in the same order as the D9 radio. The 1994 statewide Caltrans Radio Plan showed several additional repeaters and licenses exist for two more. They are as follows:

858.9875 813.9875 I 110.9 Seaview Ridge (SE of Fort Ross)
860.7375 815.7375 B 110.9 McCray Ridge (SW of Healdsburg)
859.7375 814.7375 G 131.8 Mt. Saint Helena (NW of Calistoga)
858.9875 813.9875 I 146.2 Kregor Peak (east of Clayton)
858.7375 813.7375 H Unk SR 24 at Fish Ranch Road (Caldecott Tunnel)
860.9875 815.9875 E 110.9 Mt. Allison (SE of Fremont)
858.7375 813.7375 H 123.0 Pise Mtn. (east of Half Moon Bay)
859.7375 814.7375 G 123.0 Loma Prieta (west of Morgan Hill)
860.7375 815.7375 B 136.5 Mt. Madonna (west of Gilroy)

My results differ from what is in the database as follows. First I don’t believe “Frequency U” or 857.2625 is used by Caltrans at Pt. Reyes unless someone has actually monitored it with verified Caltrans traffic. Kelty shows this frequency in his book of California State Agencies and the frequency is licensed for a location just east of the lighthouse. The District 9 radio I examined showed D with a tone of 131.8 with a channel label of “PT REYES.” I don’t believe this means it is located there but covers the Pt. Reyes Station/Olema/Inverness area. The actual Pt. Reyes location could not cover this area due to mountains within Pt. Reyes National Seashore, but Barnabe Mountain could. Once out of that valley English Hill on “C” (857.7375) would start being used. I don’t think I’ve seen any other use of “U” (857.2625) that can be attributed to Caltrans, although it does show up as licensed to the State of California in other location around the state.

Second, the frequencies on Mt. Vaca (C and G) show up in the statewide plan as being assigned to D10 where it probably provides coverage for them in the Vallejo area. Third, the database shows “H2” (858.7375 – 123.0 PL) being used on “Volmer.” I found a license for “Vollmer Peak” on a frequency of “B” (860.7375) and a channel labeled “VOLMER” in the D9 radio matching that with a tone of 123.0. Fourth, the database shows “East Contra Costa” using R (860.7625) to actually be located at Mt. Diablo. Finally, the listing for Berryessa Peak, which would provide good central Valley and Lake Berryessa coverage, but not the best Caltrans District 4 coverage, to actually be located on Atlas Peak, located southwest of Berryessa Peak. Atlas Peak is located SW of Berryessa Lake and looks like it would provide good coverage from St Helena to south of Napa, on State Route 29.

That is all for now, next up District 5.

 

[SCPD]

I forgot to mention that in Districts that were not programmed into the District 9 radio I examined, the order of the repeaters is north to south and east to west, more or less. When repeaters are located in a group I list all of them before moving south or east and don't, for example, insert a repeater which might be the next one south, but is located on the far eastern extreme of the District. In some cases, such as District 2, I listed all those repeaters located along I-5 as a group from north to south before moving on east and south. If this is confusing, locating the repeaters on a map using my description should make this fairly obvious.

As I move on to District 5, the repeaters will be listed north to south as D5 is long and narrow.

 

[SCPD]

Ok, here is District 5:

Caltrans District 5 (San Luis Obispo)


Output Input Channel PL Location

860.7375 815.7375 B 110.9 Eagle Rock (SE of Big Basin State Park HQ)
859.7625 814.7625 Q 136.5 Ben Lomond Mtn. (NW of Boulder Creek)
860.7625 815.7325 R 123.0 Fremont Peak (NE of Salinas)
857.7625 812.7625 O Unk Cal Mtn. (NE of Pinnacles National Monument)
857.7375 812.7375 C Unk Eastside Radio Site (unnamed peak east of Chualar)
856.7625 811.7625 N 110.9 Mt. Toro (SW of Chualar)
860.7375 815.7375 B Unk Palo Escrito Peak (west of Soledad)
858.9875 813.9875 I 123.0 Little River Hill (NE of Point Sur)
856.7625 811.7625 N Unk Pfeiffer Ridge
859.7375 814.7375 G Unk 2 Broadway Circle, King City
858.9875 813.9875 I 110.9 Calandra Lookout (Williams Hill) (east of Lockwood)
860.7375 815.7375 B 131.8 Point Piedras Blancas (NW of San Simeon)
858.9875 813.9875 I 136.5 Green Valley (along SR 46, 8-10 miles east of Cambria)
860.7375 815.7375 B 136.5 Mt. Lowe (NE of San Luis Obispo)
857.7625 812.7625 O 146.2 San Luis Obispo (at D5 District Office)
859.7625 814.7625 Q 146.2 Plowshare Peak (NE of Santa Maria) (SR 166 Coverage)
860.9875 815.9875 E 110.9 Mt. Solomon (south of Santa Maria)
858.9875 813.9875 I 131.8 Santa Ynez Peak (NW of Goleta)
856.9875 811.9875 A Unk Northbound Gaviota Rest Stop (north of Gaviota)
857.7375 812.7375 C Unk Santa Barbara (3999 State Street)

 

[SCPD]

Now to District 6 of Caltrans:

Caltrans District 6 (Fresno)


Output Input Channel PL Location (CALTRANS CHANNEL DISPLAY)

856.9875 811.9875 A 110.9 Breckenridge Mtn. (SW of Havilah) (BRECKENR)
857.7375 812.7375 C 123.0 Oak Flat (NE of Bakersfield) (SR 58)
856.9875 811.9875 A 123.0 Pelato Peak (south of Maricopa) (MARICOPA)
857.9875 812.9875 J 123.0 Elk Hills (NE of Taft) (BAKERSFLD)
857.9875 812.9875 J 131.8 Shirley Peak (west of Lake Isabella) (SR 178)
857.7375 812.7375 C 110.9 Blue Ridge (east of Visalia) (VISALIA)
857.9875 812.9875 J 110.9 Joaquin Ridge (NW of Coalinga) (FRESNO)
857.7375 812.7375 C 123.0 Converse Mtn. (north of Pinehurst) (SR 180)
856.7625 811.7625 N 136.5 Big Creek Maint. (near Huntington Lake) (HUNT LAKE)
857.9875 812.9875 J 136.5 Musick Mtn. (north of Shaver Lake) (MUSICK)
857.7375 812.7375 C 123.0 Deadwood Peak (SW of Oakhurst) (MADERA)
856.9875 811.9875 A 110.9 Meadow Lakes (NE of Prather) (AUBERRY)

The following is licensed and/or on the Caltrans Statewide Radio Plan of 1994.

859.7375 814.7375 G 123.0 Deadwood Peak (SW of Oakhurst)
857.7625 812.7625 O Unk Big Creek Maint. Station (south of Huntington Lake
856.7625 811.7625 N Unk Musick Mtn. (north of Shaver Lake)
857.7625 812.7625 O Unk Black Mtn. (SE of Prather)
859.9875 814.9875 F Unk Milepost 2.8 on SR 198 (west of Coalinga)
859.9875 814.9875 F Unk Milepost 18.9 on SR 198 (SW of Coalinga)
856.7625 811.7625 N Unk Smith Mtn. Lookout (SW of Coalinga on Fresno Co. line)
859.9875 814.9875 F Unk Waterhole (rest area 6 miles north of Lebec


I followed the order of the repeaters as shown in the program of the D9 radio I examined when I listed the first group of repeaters. It is more or less shown in south to north order. For the repeaters taht are licensed or in the 1994 Statewide Plan, I followed a north to south, and west to east order.

I'm going to try to post D7 before I quit today.

 

[SCPD]

Now on to District 7:

District 7 (Los Angeles)


Output Input Channel PL Location (CALTRANS CHANNEL DISPLAY)

856.9875 811.9875 A 123.0 Sierra Peak (west of Corona) (SIERRA)
866.0375 821.0375 K 123.0 Rolling Hills (Palos Verdes Peninsula (ROLLING)
860.9875 815.9875 E 123.0 Johnstone Peak(north of San Dimas) (JOHNSTONE)
868.0375 823.0375 M 110.9 Mt. Lukens (NE of Tujunga) (LUKENS)
860.9875 815.9875 E 110.9 Los Pinetos Electronic Site (north of Sylmar) (PINETOS)
857.9875 812.9875 J 110.9 South Mtn. (SE of Santa Paula) (SOUTH)
867.0375 822.0375 L 110.9 Castro Peak (south of Westlake Village) (CASTRO)
859.9875 814.9875 F 110.9 Red Mtn. (south of Lake Casitas) (RED)
860.7375 815.7375 B 110.9 Sisar Peak (NE of Ojai) (SISAR)
857.7375 812.7375 C 123.0 Hauser (NW of Acton) (HAUSER)
858.7375 813.7375 H 110.9 Tejon Peak (NE of Gorman) (TEJON)
858.9875 813.9875 I 110.9 Waterhole (rest area 6 M north of Lebec) (WATERHOL)
856.9875 811.9875 A 131.8 Oat Mtn.(north of Chatsworth) (OAT MTN)
860.9875 815.9875 E 123.0 Geary Hill (SE of Point Magu) (PT MAGU)

That’s it for the program I found in the D9 handheld radio I examined. The only channels it did not contain and are licensed and/or on the 1994 Statewide Radio Plan are the following:

859.7375 814.7375 G 110.9 Los Pinetos Electronic Site (north of Sylmar)
859.7375 814.7375 G 110.9 Johnstone Peak(north of San Dimas)
856.9875 811.9875 A Unk D7 Office Complex (320 West 4th, L.A.)

Whew! That is 4 districts in one day! I'm going to quit for the day and finish up with 8-12 later. Districts 8 and 10 are the most complex of those remaining. District's 11 and 12 have almost no conventional frequencies as they use trunking almost exclusively.

 

[SCPD]

Just a note about why I have spent the time I have researching Caltrans statewide. I find that when traveling, the highway department of the state I'm in is important to monitor while on the road. I've saved dozens of hours in traffic by always monitoring this type of agency. I almost always have the state's highway patrol and highway department scanning whenever I travel. What I find is that the highway patrol is very curt, and short of details about an incident on the highway I'm traveling on. The highway department or Dept. of Transportation (DOT) is usually much more chatty about the same incidents. This allows me to find out such details as to where the traffic is backed up and what lane is the best to get by the incident. Often they will chat about the best detour around the incident.

In short, I need the information I'm posting here and it appeared that if I didn't do the research, it would not get done, or would only be a partial job. With the 1994 Caltrans Statewide Radio Plan and a list of the programs for each district (excluding Districts 1 , 2, and 5) that came out of a D9 radio I was able to examine, it seemed as though I was the best equipped to take on this research.

I know there are people out there with access to a Caltrans radio that is current and their information might be better than mine, but I haven't seen any good submissions since District 3 was submitted a year or two ago. If anyone has better information than I've submitted, please post it here. That includes people who are in locations that enable them to monitor what I've posted and can verify or modify these submissions.

Let's hear from some of you!!!!!

 

[SCPD]

Here is District 8 of Caltrans, which now includes all of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties.


Caltrans District 8 (San Bernardino)


Output Input Channel PL Location (CALTRANS CHANNEL DISPLAY)

866.0375 821.0375 K 156.7 Box Springs (NE of Riverside) (BOX SPRING)
859.7375 814.7375 G 123.0 Banning Caltrans Station (east of Banning) (CABAZON)
868.0375 823.0375 M 123.0 Cactus Spring (SE of Indio) (INDIO)
867.0375 822.0375 L 136.5 Chuckwalla Pk. (south of Desert Center) (DESRTCENT)
860.7375 815.7375 B 110.9 Blythe (unknown location not licensed) (BLYTHE)
859.7375 814.7375 G 146.2 Murrieta (Pabesu Road north of Murrieta) (MURRIETA)
868.0375 823.0375 M 123.0 Frost Peak (SW of Wrightwood) (WRITWOOD)
867.0375 822.0375 L 136.5 Strawberry Pk. (SW of Lake Arrowhead) (ARROWHEAD)
868.0375 823.0375 M 136.5 Keller Peak (SE of Running Springs) (DRY CREEK)
856.9875 811.9875 A 110.9 Big Bear Sheriff’s Station (Summit Blvd) (BIG BEAR)
859.7375 814.7375 G 131.8 Bear Mtn. (SE of Big Bear) (ANGEL OAKS)
867.0375 822.0375 L 131.8 Onyx Peak (SE of Big Bear) (ONYX)
866.0375 821.0375 K 131.8 Yucca Valley Hill (south of Yucca Valley) (YUCCA)
856.9875 811.9875 A 131.8 Donnell Hill (Cactus Drive in 29 Palms) (29 PALMS)
858.9875 813.9875 I 123.0 East Iron Mtn. (west of Vidal Junction) (E IRON)
859.7375 814.7375 G 131.8 Vidal Junction (SR 62/U.S. 95 Junction) (VIDAL)
866.0375 821.0375 K 110.9 Sacramento Mtn. (south of Needles) (S NEEDLES)
866.0375 821.0375 K 110.9 Cajon Pass (SW of Hesperia) (CAJON)
860.9875 815.9875 E 146.5 Quartzite Mtn. (north of Victorville) (VICTORVIL)
867.0375 822.0375 l 123.0 Flash II (north of Barstow) (BARSTOW)
858.9875 813.9875 I 136.5 Rodman Mtn. (SE of Newberry Springs) (RODMAN)
860.9875 815.9875 E 136.5 East Bristol (NE of Amboy) (AMBOY)
868.0375 823.0375 M 131.8 Goffs Butte (south of Goffs/NE of Essex) (ESSEX)
858.9875 813.9875 I 110.9 Spirit Mtn. (NW of Laughlin, NV) (NEEDLES)
866.0375 821.0375 K 131.8 Turquoise Mtn. (NE of Baker) (BAKER)
860.9875 815.9875 E 131.8 Clark Mtn. (north of Mountain Pass) (MTN PASS)

This completes the District 8 listing in the order of and program found in the District 9 radio I examined. District 8 has quite a few more repeaters licensed and I will list them in north to south order.

857.7375 812.7375 C Unk Flash II (north of Barstow)
860.9875 815.9875 E 146.2 Flash II (north of Barstow)
858.9875 813.9875 I Unk Flash II (north of Barstow)
860.9875 815.9875 E Unk Onyx Peak (SE of Big Bear)
858.9875 813.9875 I Unk Onyx Peak (SE of Big Bear)
859.7375 814.7375 G Unk Black Peak (SE of Parker, AZ)
859.2250 814.2250 T* Unk Temecula (roadside I-15 south of Temecula)
859.2250 814.2250 T* Unk Santa Rosa Peak (west of Mecca)

*T is a special border frequency for these locations.

 

[WayneH]

857.7375 812.7375 C 131.8 Wiedeman Hill (NW of Dublin) (WIEDEMAN)

This repeater was removed.

Third, the database shows “H2” (858.7375 – 123.0 PL) being used on “Volmer.” I found a license for “Vollmer Peak” on a frequency of “B” (860.7375) and a channel labeled “VOLMER” in the D9 radio matching that with a tone of 123.0.

Volmer is 858.7375 123.0.

Fourth, the database shows “East Contra Costa” using R (860.7625) to actually be located at Mt. Diablo.

This is correct. But I don't believe the radio says "COCOCO"; it's some variation of "E COCO" or "EAST COCO".


ETA: changed "site" to "repeater".

 

[SCPD]

Here is District 9:

Caltrans District 9 (Bishop)


Output Input Channel PL Location (CALTRANS CHANNEL DISPLAY)

860.7375 815.7375 B 110.9 Crestview Electronic Site (SE of June Lake) (CRSTVW)
860.9875 815.9875 E 123.0 Conway Summit (north of Lee Vining) (CONWAY M)
859.7375 814.7375 G 123.0 Conway Summit (north of Lee Vining) (CONWAY C)
860.7375 815.7375 B 123.0 Sweetwater Elect. Site (NW of Bridgeport) (SONOR JCT)
860.9875 815.9875 E 110.9 Leviathan Pk. (west of Topaz Lake) (WOODFRDS) (D10 Site)
856.9875 811.9875 G 110.9 Breckenridge (Mtn. (SW of Havilah) (KEENE) (D6 Site)
860.9875 815.9875 E 110.9 Oak Peak (SE of Tehachapi) (TEHACHAPI)
860.7375 815.7375 B 110.9 Government Peak (south of Ridgecrest) (MOJAVE)
860.7375 815.7375 B 110.9 Government Peak (south of Ridgecrest) (INYOKERN)
859.7375 814.7375 G 110.9 Government Peak (south of Ridgecrest) (INYOK C) (not licensed but was listed on the 1994 Statewide Plan)
860.9875 815.9875 E 110.9 Bear Peak (NW of Walker Pass) (WELDON)
860.7375 815.7375 B 123.0 Cottonwood Elect. Site (south of Lone Pine (LONE PINE)
866.0375 821.0375 K 131.8 Turquoise Mtn. (NE of Baker) (BAKER) (D8 Site)
856.9875 811.9875 A 110.9 Tecopa Peak (SE of Tecopa) (SHOSHONE)
859.7375 811.7375 G 123.0 Rogers Peak (SW of Furnace Creek) (DVAL CON)
868.0375 823.0375 M 110.9 Unknown (DVAL JCT) (not licensed)
860.9875 815.9875 E 123.0 Rogers Peak (SW of Furnace Creek) (FURNACE)
867.0375 822.0375 L 110.9 Unknown (STOVEPIPE) (not licensed)
866.0375 821.0375 K 110.9 Unknown (PANAMINT) (not licensed)
860.7375 815.7375 B 123.0 Cottonwood Elect. Site (LONE PINE)
856.9875 811.9875 A 110.9 Car to Car Direct (CAR-CAR)
860.9875 815.9875 E 110.9 Silver Peak (NE of Bishop) (BISHOP M)
856.9875 811.9875 A 110.9 Car to Car Direct (CAR-CAR)
859.7375 814.7375 G 110.9 Silver Peak (NE of Bishop) (BISHOP C)
856.9875 811.9875 A 110.9 Queen Bee Hill (SE of Bodie State Park) (JUNE LAKE)

That completes the D9 list. I don’t know why they duplicate frequencies so often, especially where they call frequency B on Government Peak MOJAVE on one channel and then call the same frequency on the same peak (INYOKERN) on the next channel. Mojave and Inyokern happen to be two different towns and have a Caltrans maintenance station in each town and that is the only reason. I don’t know why they duplicated the Cottonwood Electronic Site in two places and called it LONE PINE each time. I don’t know why they duplicated the car to car direct with only one channel separation. As for the unknown locations, since they haven’t been licensed I could not say with any certainty where they are. I’m not sure whether they are being used or if they are just in the radio for future use. District 9 was the first district to be converted from low band back in 1982 so the channel plan should be fairly stable, but in comparing the licenses with the channel plan it would not seem so.

One other location was licensed in D9 but not shown on their channel plan as follows:

860.7375 815.7375 B Unk Oak Peak (SE of Tehachapi)

 

[SCPD]

Here is Caltrans District 10:


Caltrans District 10 (Stockton)


Output Input Channel PL Location (CALTRANS CHANNEL DISPLAY)

860.7375 815.7375 B 156.7 Mt. Oso (NW of Patterson) (STOCKTON)
856.7375 811.7375 D 110.9 Mt. Zion (south of Pine Grove) (PINEGROVE)
860.7375 815.7375 B 123.0 Basalt Hill (south side San Luis Reservoir) (LOS BANOS)
857.7625 812.7625 O 123.0 Mt. Bullion (NW of Mariposa) (MERCED)
857.7625 812.7625 O 136.5 Fowler Peak (SW Angels Camp) (MODESTO)
860.9875 815.9875 E 123.0 Telegraph Hill (east of Columbia) (SONORA)
857.7625 812.7625 O 146.2 Peddler Hill Maint. Station (on SR 88) (PEDLERHIL)
860.7375 815.7375 B 156.7 Caples Lake Maint. Sta. (NE of Kirkwood (CAPLESLAK)
858.9875 813.9875 I 131.8 Cabbage Patch (SW of Ebetts Pass) (CABAGEPAT)
860.9875 815.9875 E 110.9 Leviathan Pk. (west of Topaz Lake) (LEVIATHON)
857.7625 812.7625 O 146.2 Woodfords Maint. Station (Woodfords) (WOODFORDS)
857.7375 812.7375 C 136.5 CDF Station, San Andreas (SANANDRES)
860.9875 815.9875 E 110.9 Leviathan Pk. (west of Topaz Lake) (MONTR PAS)

This completes the listing shown in the District 9 handheld I examined. Now for more licensed repeaters in District 10 (north to south):

857.7375 812.7375 C 110.9 Mt. Vaca (north of Fairfield)
859.7375 814.7375 G 146.2 Mt. Vaca (north of Fairfield)
859.7625 814.7625 Q 110.9 West Point (Maintenance Station on SR 26 in West Point)
859.9875 814.9875 F 131.8 Double Dome (west of Dardanelle)
860.7375 815.7375 B Unk Big Trees (NE side of Calaveras Big Trees State Park)
859.9875 814.9875 F 131.8 Elizabeth Peak (NW of Twain Harte)
859.7375 814.7375 G 131.8 Mt. Oso (NW of Patterson)
859.9875 814.9875 F Unk Mt. Oso (NW of Patterson)

EDIT**** I forgot to compare what I have above with what is listed in the database.

The listing showing "Coronado" is for Coronado Ave. in Stockton. The license was canceled in August, 2005.
The listing showing "Mt. Bullion 2" on F4 is not licensed.
The listing for Double Dome showing as F4 (859.9875 136.5 PL) I show the PL as 131.8, according to the D9 radio I examined.
The listing for "Hawkins Peak" on B5 (860.7375 146.2 PL) is not licensed and did not show up in the D9 radio. Hawkins may provide some coverage that Leviathan cannot so this makes sense except it isn't licensed. I wasn't aware of anything being located on Hawkins except for the Forest Service. I believe the access to the top of Hawkins is by helicopter or foot and you usually don't find the state doing something like that.
The listing for "Woodfords" is shown as O1 (857.7625 110.9 PL) I show as O5 (PL of 146.2), per the D9 radio.
The listing for "Topaz" on A1 (856.9875 110.9 PL) is not licensed. Many years ago I saw a license for this but it does not exist now. I searched both Mono, Calif., and Douglas, Nevada Counties.
The listing for "Liberty Hill" on R3 (860.7625 131.8) is no longer licensed. The license shows canceled in the FCC records.
The listing for "Calaveras Big Trees" on N1 (856.7625 110.9 PL) I show licensed on B (860.7375), but don't have a PL tone for.
The listing for "Mt. Vaca D4" I show as being District 10's. The FCC license lists the D10 address in Stockton as the control station. The D9 radio shows it listed in D4. The Statewide Caltrans radio plan shows it as a D10 site. It would seem as though it would have to be a D10 site as they would need it for their coverage of the Vallejo area.
The listing for "Pine Hill" should show as "Pine Hill D3."
The listing for "Scout Peak" should show as "Scout Peak D3."
The listing for "Placerville" should show as "Union Hill D3", as this is the actual location of the repeater on H3 (858.7375 131.8 PL).
The listing for "Kyburz" should show as "Alder Hill D3" as this is the actual location of the repeater on I2 (858.9875 123.0 PL)
The listing for "Joaquin Ridge" should show as (Joaquin Ridge D6) as this is a D6 repeater and is shown on the D9 radio as "Fresno" with a frequency of J1 (857.9875 110.9 PL)
The listing for "Mt. Vaca Construction D4" is the same as the discussion for Mt. Vaca I made above.
The listing for "Emergency Roadside" is difficult to track. I suppose this could be for G1 (859.7375 110.9) in direct mode and would show up in the statewide license for mobiles on this frequency, but that would be impossible to tell that it was being used for this purpose. It wasn't shown anywhere on the D9 radio channels I looked at for District 10.
The listing for "Ione Mtce Station" on P1 (858.7625 110.9 PL) no longer exists. I think it said "canceled, terminated, or expired" but I don't remember. I did not write this license action down.
The listing of D10's channels by numbers differs from the D9 radio I examined. I've taken a quick look at another D9 radio that is current (Spring 2007 anyway) that does not show any channel numbers at all, just channel names. In District 10's case, just like most of those in other districts, the channel name reflects the area the channel is to be used in rather than the name of the electronic site, so it would make sense that the D10 radio no longer has channel numbers.

I should note that none of the D3 or D6 channels listed showed up in the D9 radio I examined, however, these are channels on the adjacent portions of bordering districts so I suppose they could be in D10's radios now. The one thing that makes me doubt this is the channel numbers are shown for D10 in the database and I think channel numbers are no longer being used.

Everything else matches what I show using the D9 handheld and FCC license data.

 

[SCPD]

This is correct. But I don't believe the radio says "COCOCO"; it's some variation of "E COCO" or "EAST COCO".

The District 9 handheld I examined said "COCOCO", which, of course, would stand for Contra Costa County. In looking at the radio sites in District 4 it seems like a good assumption that this repeater, located on Mt. Diablo, would be used for eastern Contra Costa County. I would assume that A1 (856.9875 110.9 PL) would be for non-trunked use in eastern Alameda County. The use of I5 (858.9875 146.2 PL) on Kregor must be for northern Contra Costa County, and H2 (858.7375 123.0 PL) on "Volmer" (my topo map shows "Vollmer Peak" but what's one L mean anyway) would be used for western Contra Costa County, i.e. Richmond. Are these assumptions correct? Wayne, you should be able to pick up A1 and R1 on Mt. Diablo from your location. It has been about 5 years since I visited Livermore and it was at Thanksgiving with no weather events so the D4 system was pretty much dead so I don't recall if the San Leandro Hill trunking system is used for eastern Alameda County or not. Is it?

My point in showing the R1 frequency use on Mt. Diablo is that the database entry for this frequency is the only one that doesn't show the actual peak or mountain that the repeater is located on. Since Caltrans has quite a few low level repeaters I would want to know that a repeater is located on Mt. Diablo as I would imagine the A1 and R1 repeaters can be copied in much of the Central Valley.

Vollmer being on H makes the license for the Caldecott Tunnel area more interesting. It appears that in three places in the state, this one, on State Route 198 in western Fresno County, and on U.S. 199 along the Smith River in Del Norte County, that some sort of ground level extender system of sorts is employed. Those along SR 198 and U.S. 199 look like they must employ voting as the frequency use is so complicated I can't imagine anyone in those locations being able to switch channels so often. Do you know anything about this Caldecott Tunnel use? There are several other tunnels in the Bay Area and I don't see similar arrangements for them, but maybe they aren't as long. I don't know enough about the Bay Area to know these things.

I'm about to wrap up this Caltrans project as I only have Districts 11 and 12 remaining and they are not much to speak of from the conventional frequency standpoint.

 

[SCPD]

Caltrans District 11 (San Diego)


The FCC license data shows 26 lines of information for conventional frequency use in San Diego, Imperial, and eastern Riverside Counties. In a reorganization several years ago, eastern Riverside County was given to District 8 (San Bernardino) so I’ve already listed the three sites in eastern Riverside in D8. FCC license data then shows trunking using frequency K (860.0375), L (867.0375), M (868.0375); and the so called “S” frequencies of S1 (856.100), S2 (857.100), S3 (858.100), S4 (859.100), and S5 (860.100). The trunked sites include Cuyamaca Peak and a very complicated set of nearly a dozen other peaks. Those who follow the San Diego area radio systems know that the regional trunking system there is pretty complex. Caltrans has joined that regional system and does not have its own radio system anymore, according to what I have heard. As a result I’m not going to list all the licenses for District 11 unless someone sees the need.

The District 9 radio I examined had a total of 4 conventional channels programmed into it and they are as follows.

Output Input Channel PL Location (CALTRANS CHANNEL DISPLAY)

868.0375 823.0375 M 156.7 Unknown as this is not licensed (METRO)
868.0375 823.0375 M 131.8 Unknown as this is not licensed (ESCONDIDO)
868.0375 823.0375 M 123.0 Unknown as this is not licensed (EL CAJON)
868.0375 823.0375 M 136.5 Unknown as this is not licensed (EL CENTRO)

It is difficult to reconcile this with the licenses as only three “M” licenses show up for San Diego and Imperial Counties. One is at 7183 Opportunity Road in the 805/163/52 triangle where the Traffic Management Center is located. A second is on Soledad Mtn. The third is at an address listed as 1 Killingsworth Drive Felicity, CA. The lat and long of this last one shows it located on the north side of I-8 just west of the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation. Most uses in the El Centro area are usually on Black Mtn. east of Glamis.

Now that leaves us District 12 (Orange County with its District Office in Irvine), Caltrans newest district, formed in 1988 from a portion of District 7 (Los Angeles). Since most of Orange County can be covered from Santiago Peak, for Caltrans purposes, they use the trunking system located there, and shared with Districts 7 and 8, almost exclusively. They do have one conventional repeater located on Sierra Peak, located in the Santa Ana Mountains north of Santiago Peak. This repeater must be employed in a short section of State Highway 91 where the north end of the Santa Ana Mountains could possibly form a shadow for Santiago Peak coverage. The 1994 Caltrans Statewide Radio System plan I have listed a repeater on the Palos Verdes Peninsula (Rolling Hills) on C2 (857.7375 123.0 PL), but it is no longer licensed. So here is D12’s conventional repeater listing:

Caltrans District 12 (Orange County)


Output Input Channel PL Location (CALTRANS CHANNEL DISPLAY)

856.9875 811.9875 A 123.0 Sierra Peak (SW of Corona) (SIERRA)

The remainder of the handheld I examined had frequencies A through O with channels for each of the six tones programmed into groups 11-15 and group 16 was not programmed. I didn’t write down the model of the radio I was examining, but it had a rotary switch with 16 numbers, one for each district except 1 and 2, and groups 11-16 as I’ve explained. The channels were selected with up and down arrows after choosing the district on the rotary switch.

That’s it!! My next project will be the State Park radio system. I will research the same as I did for the Caltrans radio system. I will perform a statewide license search on each of the frequencies listed in various directories as California State Park frequencies. I will then double check this by performing county by county searches in the 850-868 frequency range. You would think the answer would be identical using each of these methods, but I found differences when I was doing the Caltrans research. Go figure.

 

[Mick]

In Orange County Caltrans also uses 856.9875 110.9 car to car simplex at construction sites.

Caltrans District 11 (San Diego)


The FCC license data shows 26 lines of information for conventional frequency use in San Diego, Imperial, and eastern Riverside Counties. In a reorganization several years ago, eastern Riverside County was given to District 8 (San Bernardino) so I’ve already listed the three sites in eastern Riverside in D8. FCC license data then shows trunking using frequency K (860.0375), L (867.0375), M (868.0375); and the so called “S” frequencies of S1 (856.100), S2 (857.100), S3 (858.100), S4 (859.100), and S5 (860.100). The trunked sites include Cuyamaca Peak and a very complicated set of nearly a dozen other peaks. Those who follow the San Diego area radio systems know that the regional trunking system there is pretty complex. Caltrans has joined that regional system and does not have its own radio system anymore, according to what I have heard. As a result I’m not going to list all the licenses for District 11 unless someone sees the need.

The District 9 radio I examined had a total of 4 conventional channels programmed into it and they are as follows.

Output Input Channel PL Location (CALTRANS CHANNEL DISPLAY)

868.0375 823.0375 M 156.7 Unknown as this is not licensed (METRO)
868.0375 823.0375 M 131.8 Unknown as this is not licensed (ESCONDIDO)
868.0375 823.0375 M 123.0 Unknown as this is not licensed (EL CAJON)
868.0375 823.0375 M 136.5 Unknown as this is not licensed (EL CENTRO)

It is difficult to reconcile this with the licenses as only three “M” licenses show up for San Diego and Imperial Counties. One is at 7183 Opportunity Road in the 805/163/52 triangle where the Traffic Management Center is located. A second is on Soledad Mtn. The third is at an address listed as 1 Killingsworth Drive Felicity, CA. The lat and long of this last one shows it located on the north side of I-8 just west of the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation. Most uses in the El Centro area are usually on Black Mtn. east of Glamis.

Now that leaves us District 12 (Orange County with its District Office in Irvine), Caltrans newest district, formed in 1988 from a portion of District 7 (Los Angeles). Since most of Orange County can be covered from Santiago Peak, for Caltrans purposes, they use the trunking system located there, and shared with Districts 7 and 8, almost exclusively. They do have one conventional repeater located on Sierra Peak, located in the Santa Ana Mountains north of Santiago Peak. This repeater must be employed in a short section of State Highway 91 where the north end of the Santa Ana Mountains could possibly form a shadow for Santiago Peak coverage. The 1994 Caltrans Statewide Radio System plan I have listed a repeater on the Palos Verdes Peninsula (Rolling Hills) on C2 (857.7375 123.0 PL), but it is no longer licensed. So here is D12’s conventional repeater listing:

Caltrans District 12 (Orange County)


Output Input Channel PL Location (CALTRANS CHANNEL DISPLAY)

856.9875 811.9875 A 123.0 Sierra Peak (SW of Corona) (SIERRA)

The remainder of the handheld I examined had frequencies A through O with channels for each of the six tones programmed into groups 11-15 and group 16 was not programmed. I didn’t write down the model of the radio I was examining, but it had a rotary switch with 16 numbers, one for each district except 1 and 2, and groups 11-16 as I’ve explained. The channels were selected with up and down arrows after choosing the district on the rotary switch.

That’s it!! My next project will be the State Park radio system. I will research the same as I did for the Caltrans radio system. I will perform a statewide license search on each of the frequencies listed in various directories as California State Park frequencies. I will then double check this by performing county by county searches in the 850-868 frequency range. You would think the answer would be identical using each of these methods, but I found differences when I was doing the Caltrans research. Go figure.

 

[SCPD]

One last item pertaining to the Caltrans information I've presented. The District map shown on a link provided in the database is the same as is shown on the Caltrans website. It shows all District boundaries on county lines, no exceptions. The older District map had places where counties were split, one of the best examples being where District 9 (Bishop) had portions of Kern County (east of Keene on SR 58) and for the portions of San Bernardino County where State Highways 178 and 127 are located. District 9 employees still maintain the roads and facilities in those areas. Another example is the Vallejo area where District 10 maintained I-80 and the rest of the roads in Solano. I was told by a D9 employee that the county line district map only applies to planning functions and that there are still some areas where the old District map applies as far as who maintains the highways, buildings, and rest areas. I don't know if this applies to Solano County or not. Those in that area that listen to Caltrans would have a better idea than I would. If all of Solano County is, in fact, being maintained by D4 as the statewide district map and D4 district map show, then the two repeaters on Mt. Vaca are part of the D4 system.

Other areas where this is an issue include the boundary between Districts 1 and 2 along the Del Norte and Humboldt County lines where they border Siskiyou County. The second is the area where Butte, Plumas, and Tehama Counties meet north of Lake Oroville. The Caltrans Districts did not follow county lines there as it didn't make sense from a highway access point of view to do so.

I would hope we would hear from some of our members in those areas to let us know their observations relative are to this issue.

 

[SCPD]

In Orange County Caltrans also uses 856.9875 110.9 car to car simplex at construction sites.

Mick, this makes sense. At one time Caltrans had this frequency (shown as Channel A in the statewide plan) listed as "Statewide Special" and it was supposed to be used for portable repeaters, traffic control, and car to car traffic only. As the conversion from low band to 800 MHz evolved, they put up permanent repeaters on Channel A to fill in some blind spots that existed once they had enough experience to figure out what those spots were.

I've heard some traffic in D7 on Channel A also for car to car and simplex traffic. In D9 where I live I've heard them using the closest repeater channel set to direct for the same purposes even though the radios in D9 have Channel A labeled "car to car" in more than one place.