Changes to USFS Los Padres NF

[Kirk]

I've updated the database with the new frequencies. Forest Net output and input have changed, and the input to Service Net (which is now called Admin Net) has changed.

Of note, while I *usually* am decoding 103.5Hz PL on Forest Net, I just copied a status and weather discussion using PL 110.9. Probably best to program for CSQ or Search in receive mode.

 

[ScannerDude244]

They also changed LPF tac 2 is now 3 and tac 3 is 4

Also I see CalFire has LPF Tac 3 as 168.2625 not sure if that's going to be the new tac frequency

 

[ko6jw_2]

According to information from WildCad run cards 168.2625 is a primary air tactics frequency and 164.150 is the secondary. These seem to be different than the database. So far no opportunity to test these out at an actual fire.

A friend and fellow ham who is a contract radio technician for USFS says that there will be a law enforcement net in LPF at some point in the near future. No word on what frequency. He doesn't know until he's sent out to program radios.

The basic output PL seems to be 103.5. The inputs vary depending on what repeater you want to hit. Try listening on the Forest Net input during weather or morning line up with your PL set to search.

I've always thought that a common output PL made a lot of sense because units won't always know what repeater they are in range of and having multiple receive PL's could create problems.

My friend also told me that the UHF link repeaters are a secondary system for backup. I was told that they might go away in the future, but now he says they have all new radios (and new frequencies) so they will probably stay up for a long time.

 

[bryan_herbert]

Last year every forest in Region 5 was assigned primary and secondary Air Tac freqs.
Additional Air Tac freqs for complex fires can be pulled from this pool when approved.

162.7500 Air Tac 30
163.1625 Air Tac 31
163.6875 Air Tac 32
164.1375 Air Tac 33
164.5000 Air Tac 34
164.7875 Air Tac 35
164.8750 Air Tac 36
164.9375 Air Tac 37
164.9875 Air Tac 38
165.0125 Air Tac 39
165.0750 Air Tac 40
165.2250 Air Tac 41
166.2500 Air Tac 42
167.7000 Air Tac 43
168.8375 Air Tac 44
168.9625 Air Tac 45
169.1250 Air Tac 46
169.1750 Air Tac 47
170.5250 Air Tac 48
173.7750 Air Tac 49
168.2625 Air Tac 50 LPF Air Tac Primary
164.1500 Air Tac 51 LPF Air Tac Secondary

 

[Progline]

I was in Lompoc yesterday, and can confirm 110.9 for the weather read and on other traffic which sounded on the more northern end of the forest....

 

[ko6jw_2]

It appears that both 103.5 and 110.9 are in use. During the morning line up today the stations were checking in on 170.4625Mhz with a PL of 103.5. However, the dispatcher was using 103.5 for the Santa Lucia District and 110.9 for the Santa Barbara District. I have reprogrammed to have two Forest Net channels. (I prefer PL decode to eliminate stray interference breaking squelch.)

 

[ko6jw_2]

Los Padres Radio Information

The attached pdf was sent to me today by a friend who is a contract radio technician for LPNF. This should be the most up to date information and it has a nice map of repeater sites. He is not aware of why some transmissions have 103.5 PL and some have 110.9 PL, but says that mobile units and portables use only CSQ.

 

[Progline]

that was really great, thanks! Just went up the coast a couple weeks ago on SR1, and trying to figure out WHERE there would be a repeater @ Piedras Blancas?????

 

[ko6jw_2]

I believe that the sites in italics may be future sites. I have never heard any traffic that referred to Piedras Blancas and I listen to the link frequencies all the time. Same for Santa Cruz Island. Santa Barbara County has a sheriff and fire repeater on Santa Cruz and the Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club has a 220 repeater out there as well. It is an excellent site to cover into the canyons along the coast. I know that Monterey County has radio sites at Point Sur. I believe that the CHP uses it too.

 

[ko6jw_2]

It turns out that Monterey County uses Piedras Blancas in addition to Point Sur.

 

[SCPD]

Mistakes -LPNF pdf

My uncle's not thinking too quickly, clearly and isn't seeing so good, but he saw the error on the attachment after a few minutes. 3&4 are not NIFC tacs, they are Los Padres Tac 3&4.

He's gotton some phone calls this week from some friends. I wasn't here so I'm going to have to try to figure out what his notes say. He was given some changes from around Calif & I will pass along when we can figure what the scratches on the paper are. I might haveto call people back. He remembers lots of changes for Sequoia Natl Park.

Smoky's Nephew

 

[Kirk]

The Piedras Blancas site is in a water tower.

Water tower at Piedras Blancas Light Station carries a secret | The Cambrian | SanLuisObispo

 

[Kirk]

I also notice that Calandra (aka: Williams Hill) is on the map, but not on the tone plan.

 

[ScannerDude244]

It turns out that Monterey County uses Piedras Blancas in addition to Point Sur.

Monterey county has sites at Anderson,Piedras Blancas, Point sur and Post Ranch state park on the coast. Piedras Blancas is only used for Monterey SO.

And thanks for PDF good info!

My uncle's not thinking too quickly, clearly and isn't seeing so good, but he saw the error on the attachment after a few minutes. 3&4 are not NIFC tacs, they are Los Padres Tac 3&4.

Hope Smokey gets better!

I also notice that Calandra (aka: Williams Hill) is on the map, but not on the tone plan.

Admin net uses Calandra and they use tone 4 for the King City USFS office.

 

[ko6jw_2]

Observations this morning indicate that the 110.9PL is coming off of Santa Ynez Peak. SY Peak is a remote base not a repeater. My inside source says that there were programming errors and this may be one of them. Apparently Cone Peak also put out 110.9, but has been fixed. When I have time I will use two receivers and monitor and try to correlate input and out put tones.

The chart lists repeaters. It does not show SY Peak either because it's not a repeater. Maybe Calandra in a remote base. I can find out.

 

[ko6jw_2]

A final observation during the morning weather is that when 110.9 PL appears on the Forest Net output, there is no signal on the repeater input. This leads me to believe that this PL is on Forest Net direct off of the Santa Ynez Peak remote base.

The table in the pdf only shows some of the input PL's. When the weather is being broadcast the repeater input has tones that do not appear in the table.

 

[Kirk]

I'm guessing some repeaters will key with their main pl and an alternate pl that works on multiple repeaters. This would make it easier to send bulletins on multiple sites at once.

 

[ko6jw_2]

You are correct, but when they try to simulcast there is horrible phase distortion so they don't do it very often. It is almost impossible to keep multiple repeaters in sync. Santa Barbara County Fire synchronizes their repeaters at least once a day, but there are still serious problems.

I passed my info on to my friend who is a contract USFS technician and he is going through channels to have the problem with the PL fixed. At some point SY Peak will go back to 103.5 where it should be.

 

[scottyhetzel]

The attached pdf was sent to me today by a friend who is a contract radio technician for LPNF. This should be the most up to date information and it has a nice map of repeater sites. He is not aware of why some transmissions have 103.5 PL and some have 110.9 PL, but says that mobile units and portables use only CSQ.

Hi, I see the teal circles that are towers, however what is the purple triangle ?

 

[Kirk]

Forest Headquarters? I know it is (or was) in Goleta.