Cape May Beach Taggers/Beach Patrol SWITCHED

[jaymatt1978]

OK I I have been down in Cape May for a few years now and have their radio usage down. Every public safety is on VHF, even the Beach Taggers (150.9950), EXCEPT the Beach Patrol which WAS on UHF(453.5500). I thought this was odd because I have HEARD the Beach Patrol talk to the FD on their VHF frequency. Anyway the Beach Patrol was very never active, even during the summer. Now; since Memorial Day weekend I have CONFRIMED the Beach Taggers have moved to 453.5500 and The Beach Patrol is on 150.9950 . Now as I type this I heard "BEACH PATROL" come up on 150.9950 for a "missing igirl"

 

[markjrenna]

is that a girl that works for Apple?

 

[mshumeyk]

OK I I have been down in Cape May for a few years now and have their radio usage down. Every public safety is on VHF, even the Beach Taggers (150.9950), EXCEPT the Beach Patrol which WAS on UHF(453.5500). I thought this was odd because I have HEARD the Beach Patrol talk to the FD on their VHF frequency. Anyway the Beach Patrol was very never active, even during the summer. Now; since Memorial Day weekend I have CONFRIMED the Beach Taggers have moved to 453.5500 and The Beach Patrol is on 150.9950 . Now as I type this I heard "BEACH PATROL" come up on 150.9950 for a "missing igirl"

Thank you so much for posting. I am really glad to hear that as I recently purchased a Unication G5 to monitor the NJICS now that Lower, Middle and Wildwood Crest are using that system. I have been very impressed by the G5 analog performance as well as it's durability. I thought it would be great for the beach but the only downside is that I wouldn't be able to listen to the Cape May Beach Patrol. Now I can! On rough water days you will hear a number of rescues. After the rescue you will here a quick summary like "Two Guards, Two Swimmers". Also you hear occasional lost children. I like to have a BP-capable radio with me at the beach because whenever the guards go running or the BP vehicles hurry with their emergency lights on my family always asks me what is going on. Listening to the Beach Patrol also lets me know the water temperature and the number of rescues gives me an idea of how rough the water is before I leave for the beach. By the way, the BP Lieutenants always carried high band FD radios and called Cape May FD on 155.88 when an ambulance was needed at the beach.

I always get a kick out of listening to the Beach Tag Checkers. Much of their communications are about who needs change or who needs a bathroom break but you also get some of the scuttlebutt of the town. One of the checker's voices really reminded me of Howard Wolowicz's mom on "The Big Bang".

Again, thanks again for posting and submitting. I am heading down for another visit in a couple of weeks so your timing was perfect.

 

[jaymatt1978]

I don't think folks get this one, this is bigger than if Cape May City went to NJICS because ok big whoop new NJICS talkgroups, snore. Cape May, West Cape May and Cape May Point are STAYING on VHF for the forseeable future. The switch is just one phase of what they plan to do. Right NOW of you look at the database it lists 153.9650 as "Fire Police" this is actually going to change ALSO but I can;t confirm it YET The really interesting part is technically they don't have "new frequencies" everythng has been licensed for awhile! It's a shift. The reason being is now the PD, FD and now lifeguards are all on VHF. I never really understood why the life guards were on UHF and the beach taggers were on VHF. They have switched now so the PD AND FD can talk to the Beach Patrol

 

[mshumeyk]

In the days before I had a scanner with PL capability while at Cape May I would sometimes hear the TriBoro Bridge and Tunnel Authority transmissions on the Beach Patrol UHF frequency 453.55. It would usually come in late in the afternoon and would signal an evening of "ducting" atmospherics with good long range reception on UHF and VHF. NYPD and NYFD would come in. I even received Ramapo PD when they were on VHF.

 

[jaymatt1978]

I moved down here from Bergen County a few years ago. In Bergen County you really needed the PL because of interference. Now I have most of the frequencies on tone search mode, gets really ineteresting when the bands open up a bit. Cape May County shares two of the old FDNY VHF channels, 154.1900 and 154.2500 respectivey, so l keep tone search on them all the time even though I know the tones are 118.8

In the days before I had a scanner with PL capability while at Cape May I would sometimes hear the TriBoro Bridge and Tunnel Authority transmissions on the Beach Patrol UHF frequency 453.55. It would usually come in late in the afternoon and would signal an evening of "ducting" atmospherics with good long range reception on UHF and VHF. NYPD and NYFD would come in. I even received Ramapo PD when they were on VHF.