Cape May vacation

[cavmedic]

Heading down to Cape May Tuesday for a few days. Ive been searching and not coming up with the definitive answers i seek.

Im looking to basically listen to Fire/PD/EMS while Im down, mostly in the evenings while back at the Hotel.

Looking at the G5 PPS , on the RR Import for NJICS, there are a bunch of talkgroups for Cape May County. Im not 100% on the geography down there to decipher , but for local things along the Cape May beach area, should I bother to load up a zone with cape may county site and those talk groups, or is that area not on the statewide system and should just program an old analog handheld and take with.

 

[w2xq]

Heading down to Cape May Tuesday for a few days. Ive been searching and not coming up with the definitive answers i seek.

Im looking to basically listen to Fire/PD/EMS while Im down, mostly in the evenings while back at the Hotel.

Looking at the G5 PPS , on the RR Import for NJICS, there are a bunch of talkgroups for Cape May County. Im not 100% on the geography down there to decipher , but for local things along the Cape May beach area, should I bother to load up a zone with cape may county site and those talk groups, or is that area not on the statewide system and should just program an old analog handheld and take with.

We just came back from a few days at Congress Hall in Cape May. Don't bother taking a radio. Too much to do during the evening. 😀

 

[jaymatt1978]

You didn't look me up when yo\u were down here????

We just came back from a few days at Congress Hall in Cape May. Don't bother taking a radio. Too much to do during the evening. 😀

 

[mshumeyk]

or is that area not on the statewide system and should just program an old analog handheld and take with.

You definitely need the G5 or other Phase2 capable radio. I've just come back from Cape May and can report the transition to the NJICS continues to progress. Cape May City PD and FD are on the NJICS, along with Wildwood Crest, Lower Twp, Middle Twp, Stone Harbor and Avalon. AtlanticCare Medic dispatch and most EMS communications in the county are on the NJICS, although FD communications seem to still be transitioning. During an incident in Middle Township involving multiple fire companies I heard a chief request that the "patch" be turned on which seemed to be between the NJICS channels and the old VHF channels.

Wildwood PD is still on VHF and North Wildwood PD is DMR UHF. I did hear Wildwood Island FD comms on 155.79 and 151.13. Sea Isle City is still on 155.565.

On the Cape May NJICS you will also consistently hear the REMCS South Medical Helicopter DIspatch,, Cape May County Sheriff, The Garden State Parkway 1 COMM and the NJSP Troop A 3 COMM.

In Cape May City the Beach Patrol is still on 150.995 and the Beach Badge Checkers on 453.55, analog.

 

[w2xq]

You didn't look me up when yo\u were down here????

I was too busy with family that we see only 1x/year -- and working on the delicious Blue Pig Martinis. We may make a day trip or two later this summer. Inflation has pushed everything -- hotel, food, drink, fudge, ice cream, pizza, gas -- way far out of bounds on the island.

 

[cavmedic]

You definitely need the G5 or other Phase2 capable radio. I've just come back from Cape May and can report the transition to the NJICS continues to progress. Cape May City PD and FD are on the NJICS, along with Wildwood Crest, Lower Twp, Middle Twp, Stone Harbor and Avalon. AtlanticCare Medic dispatch and most EMS communications in the county are on the NJICS, although FD communications seem to still be transitioning. During an incident in Middle Township involving multiple fire companies I heard a chief request that the "patch" be turned on which seemed to be between the NJICS channels and the old VHF channels.

Wildwood PD is still on VHF and North Wildwood PD is DMR UHF. I did hear Wildwood Island FD comms on 155.79 and 151.13. Sea Isle City is still on 155.565.

On the Cape May NJICS you will also consistently hear the REMCS South Medical Helicopter DIspatch,, Cape May County Sheriff, The Garden State Parkway 1 COMM and the NJSP Troop A 3 COMM.

In Cape May City the Beach Patrol is still on 150.995 and the Beach Badge Checkers on 453.55, analog.

I imported the site with all the talk groups, then created a trunking monitor for the site as well on the g5. I did an analog import of the area, along with some CG, marine, FRS and others on the Whistler for Misc stuff.

This should get me through. Im tempted to bring my protable 891 setup and my mag loop but It will probably be slammed with noise setting it up on the hotel balcony. I typically use that when we go to Assatague VA and setup on the beach along the water of the OSV portion of the beach where there isnt anyone to bother you .

 

[cavmedic]

We just came back from a few days at Congress Hall in Cape May. Don't bother taking a radio. Too much to do during the evening. 😀

After baking on the beach all day and walking to and from dinner, when we get back to the hotel, I'm usually ready for some balcony relaxation. Thats when Ill break them out.

 

[mshumeyk]

I imported the site with all the talk groups, then created a trunking monitor for the site as well on the g5. I did an analog import of the area, along with some CG, marine, FRS and others on the Whistler for Misc stuff.

You'll find local Coast Guard Station comms on marine ch 21,23, 83, CG 114 VHF digital, and CG 409 UHF digital. Sector Delaware Bay is on CG 121 VHF digital. 409 seems encrypted most of the time and the VHF digital channels some of the time. You may get lucky and see CG helicopters and boat doing rescue swimmer training off the Cape May Beach.. They usually use 83 but you might check 81 as well. The local chit chat marine channel is 65A. Channel 14 is used by the Delaware Bay Pilot Station communicating with ships approaching Delaware Bay coordinating pilot transfer.

On the beach you might want to have a portable scanner on the beach patrol channel 150.995. When you hear multiple rescues you know the water is potentially hazardous. There were two drownings in Wildwood and Wildwood Crest this past week I monitored as they occurred.

In the good weather there is indeed so much to do at Cape May that I don't spend much time monitoring. I do leave a Unication on voice record on 154.13 so I am aware of the EMS and FD dispatches of the day. But for someone looking for interesting monitoring, Cape May is a great spot. With the right setup you can also monitor military comms offshore and Worcester Co/Ocean CIty Maryland, and with ducting NYPD comes in.

And yes, everything has gotten pretty expensive there, including the tank of gas to get there, but it is still a great place. Hope you have a nice visit!

 

[w2xq]

After baking on the beach all day and walking to and from dinner, when we get back to the hotel, I'm usually ready for some balcony relaxation. Thats when Ill break them out.

You don't go downstairs to the Brown Room? 😀 Have fun.

 

[cavmedic]

You don't go downstairs to the Brown Room? 😀 Have fun.

Anything I need will be present 🤐

 

[captaincab]

Lots of good listening in the wildwoods used to go every summer as a kid always brought my bc55xlt 10 channel hand held in the good nights you could hear Philly fire with the ducting when they were still on vhf.

 

[MUTNAV]

Don't forget they have a really nice, large (and free) zoo. I don't know how interesting there comms will be though.

Thanks
Joel

 

[HM1529]

You'll find local Coast Guard Station comms on marine ch 21,23, 83, CG 114 VHF digital, and CG 409 UHF digital. Sector Delaware Bay is on CG 121 VHF digital. 409 seems encrypted most of the time and the VHF digital channels some of the time. You may get lucky and see CG helicopters and boat doing rescue swimmer training off the Cape May Beach.. They usually use 83 but you might check 81 as well. The local chit chat marine channel is 65A. Channel 14 is used by the Delaware Bay Pilot Station communicating with ships approaching Delaware Bay coordinating pilot transfer.

Regarding Sector Delaware Bay, I don't listen often, but it seemed to me that the VHF channels were sort of sectored off. I hear CG-121 in use in the river and upper bay area (Philly, Wilmington, Salem, etc), but hear CG-114 and CG-115 on the ocean side. This old graphic shows the breakdown of the response areas for each station within the Sector. I'm only at the beach a couple times per year and don't get much time to listen while there. Does anyone who listens more often know if 114 and 115 are only used for particular areas or am I just making a leap?

 

[jaymatt1978]

Cape May City FD is patching or downright using 155.8800. Cape May PD is on the NJICS full time, although kI heard them on 155.700 briefly a few days ago so I know they still have access it their old stuff. Everything else is the same!! The .latest I heard isa the PD's are transitioning fulltie but the FD's are pretty much staying on VHF. Io always hear Lower Twsp FD on 154.400 and a few others

You definitely need the G5 or other Phase2 capable radio. I've just come back from Cape May and can report the transition to the NJICS continues to progress. Cape May City PD and FD are on the NJICS, along with Wildwood Crest, Lower Twp, Middle Twp, Stone Harbor and Avalon. AtlanticCare Medic dispatch and most EMS communications in the county are on the NJICS, although FD communications seem to still be transitioning. During an incident in Middle Township involving multiple fire companies I heard a chief request that the "patch" be turned on which seemed to be between the NJICS channels and the old VHF channels.

Wildwood PD is still on VHF and North Wildwood PD is DMR UHF. I did hear Wildwood Island FD comms on 155.79 and 151.13. Sea Isle City is still on 155.565.

On the Cape May NJICS you will also consistently hear the REMCS South Medical Helicopter DIspatch,, Cape May County Sheriff, The Garden State Parkway 1 COMM and the NJSP Troop A 3 COMM.

In Cape May City the Beach Patrol is still on 150.995 and the Beach Badge Checkers on 453.55, analog.

 

[tvengr]

Don't forget they have a really nice, large (and free) zoo. I don't know how interesting there comms will be though.

I found 3 frequencies licensed for the park and zoo. 153.995 and 155.745 are simplex. 151.2125 is a repeater output.

 

[mshumeyk]

Cape May City FD is patching or downright using 155.8800. Cape May PD is on the NJICS full time, although kI heard them on 155.700 briefly a few days ago so I know they still have access it their old stuff. Everything else is the same!! The .latest I heard isa the PD's are transitioning fulltie but the FD's are pretty much staying on VHF. Io always hear Lower Twsp FD on 154.400 and a few others

I would definitely keep monitoring Cape May Fire South TG 4985 for FD and EMS ops on the Cape May Island. The CM FD clearly was using it as their primary when I was down a couple of weeks ago. Earlier this week on the Broadcastify Cape May stream, Cape May Point FD and Cape May FD 51-1 were clearly digital at a Sunset Beach incident even if I couldn't see the talkgroup ID. Lower Twp Inspira EMS was using TG 4989 on NJICS when I was there. It certainly makes sense to maintain the VHF FD radios for coordination with FD's on the Wildwood Island, the Coast Guard Training Center FD and other agencies still on VHF. We won't be back until September so any updates would be appreciated!