CHiP's are VHF? wha??

[mr_hankey]

i'm taking a road trip to Sacramento in October and was compiling a list of frequencies to load into the 296 when i was surprised to find that CHP is still VHF?!?

42.08000 42.76000 KA4993 BM 107.2 AMBER-2 Susanville/Quincy/Alturas Stations FM

is this right?

and some of the repeaters have a tone?

wu-heird.

 

[northzone]

That is correct, why were you suprised?
California has been talking for 10 years about building a statewide trunked system, but the way their Telecommunications Divison functions it will most likely take another 20 years to make it happen.
All the "repeaters" (actually remote bases in many areas) output tone.
By the way you won't hear Susanville dispatch from Sacramento.

Both Sac trunked systems are very busy, and CDF 151.190 & 151.325 are very active. Have a good trip.

 

[RolnCode3]

If there's anything specific you want to listen to (and can't find it in the database), let us know. We'll work on it. And yes, CHP monitoring sucks because you usually only hear half the conversations. I wish they'd do something else.

 

[LarrySC]

As a matter of fact CHiPS added 39MHz to there 42 system in the Riverside area and toward the boarder. Really good signals here on the East Coast during winter. Larry

 

[RolnCode3]

and CDF 151.190 & 151.325 are very active. Have a good trip.

Are those Fire or LE? (I'm assuming Fire in the foothills or Placer County)

 

[ECPD279]

.... And yes, CHP monitoring sucks because you usually only hear half the conversations. I wish they'd do something else.

Around the bay they're all repeated. Have been for about a year now. The dispatchers can turn it on and off at will, but most of the time it's on. Still on the same freqs, but now you can turn on the delay and lock out the mobile channel. Did they not do this in Sac?

 

[RolnCode3]

Supposedly South Sac repeated, but when I monitor I still only get the dispatcher. Maybe I just missed something, but I don't think so (just monitor base freq w/tone, right?). North Sac is definitely still on duplex(according to all the web sites/database). So, no, Sac didn't go the repeated route (which would have been REALLY nice).

*EDIT* When I listen to Black (South Sac), I hear base no problem. Then, sometimes, I hear the field units being repeated on base, but the sound is VERY weak. Very hard to understand. So, it looks like Black is repeated, but it's not very strong.

 

[HamSexy007]

Supposedly South Sac repeated, but when I monitor I still only get the dispatcher. Maybe I just missed something, but I don't think so (just monitor base freq w/tone, right?). North Sac is definitely still on duplex(according to all the web sites/database). So, no, Sac didn't go the repeated route (which would have been REALLY nice).

*EDIT* When I listen to Black (South Sac), I hear base no problem. Then, sometimes, I hear the field units being repeated on base, but the sound is VERY weak. Very hard to understand. So, it looks like Black is repeated, but it's not very strong.

There is no way that Black in South Sac was repeated...at least up until this year. I was in the cruiser trying to listen in on a couple motors that were on 99 going for a reckless (we were about 2-3 miles east at an 11-81) and I couldn't hear them for squat.

If it is then it is recent this year, but from what Roln says then I'm guessing it may be now. The other thing that hurt CHP was ditching the full 1/4w ball mounts and going to the Antenex NMO lowband antenna.

 

[ECPD279]

The other thing that hurt CHP was ditching the full 1/4w ball mounts and going to the Antenex NMO lowband antenna.

Yeah, but heir cars look so much BETTER without that big ass whip hanging off the side.

 

[RolnCode3]

I didn't really mean that I think it is repeated on the black. I just saw it here. Like I said, though, I think I've heard a very weak mobile signal across the base freq, but I'm not sure. It would be nice if it was repeated (or they just ditched the setup totally). I know for a fact that the Sac County system has talkgroups set aside for CHP, should they want them (have the Fleetmap from the radio shop).

 

[selgaran]

I think I've heard a very weak mobile signal across the base freq, but I'm not sure.

You probably heard car-to-car traffic.

 

[HamSexy007]

I didn't really mean that I think it is repeated on the black. I just saw it here. Like I said, though, I think I've heard a very weak mobile signal across the base freq, but I'm not sure. It would be nice if it was repeated (or they just ditched the setup totally). I know for a fact that the Sac County system has talkgroups set aside for CHP, should they want them (have the Fleetmap from the radio shop).

Here is that line from FON:

..........Office................Units...Channel..Base...Mobile...Tone...Rpt

South Sacramento..252..112.....Black....42.46...42.70...179.9..(yes?)


I never looked that close at it before to notice it was repeated. It wasn't last year, but this may be new.

Like I said, though, I think I've heard a very weak mobile signal across the base freq, but I'm not sure.

That was more than likely car to car, as said above. Trying to listen with a scanner is hard, since lowband requires a decent receiver to be useful. Even with the same commercial gear, it's hard to hear the cars unless they are pretty close...except if you are quite a distance away and get them from other areas since the 42 MHz signals bounce around very well.

As for the "tuna pole" lowband antennas, I must respectfully disagree that their removal made the cars look better...IMHO it's to the contrary. Those antennas were a sign of authority and made a CHP car readily indentifiable to the public, not to mention they worked better!

The state of Missouri still uses lowband also. I've got a former Missouri State HP Caprice that I show with a tuna pole and it scares people around here...there hasn't been lowband in this state since the early 70's. The Caprice has the correct functional GE radios, and I can hear the current MSHP 42 MHz freqs while I'm driving it around when the band is open...even get CHP once in a while. I did some tests with a NMO mount Comtelco lowband antenna vs the ball mount, and the ball mount smoked the NMO antenna.

The (unfortunate) reason CHP got rid of the tuna pole was mutual interference between the radio and laptop when they started getting them in 1998. They had to move to a roof mounted NMO to get shielding (the roof) in between the computer and radio antenna.

 

[RolnCode3]

I think I've heard a very weak mobile signal across the base freq, but I'm not sure.

You probably heard car-to-car traffic.

Correct. That's my point. Unless it's repeated, I shouldn't hear ANYTHING but the dispatcher on that frequency.

 

[HamSexy007]

I think I've heard a very weak mobile signal across the base freq, but I'm not sure.

You probably heard car-to-car traffic.

Correct. That's my point. Unless it's repeated, I shouldn't hear ANYTHING but the dispatcher on that frequency.

Don't know if you've read this (or even care)...I've talked with the site owner about a few things and he's got "the" site for CHP comms.

http://www.mbay.net/~wb6nvh/CHP2001.htm

 

[selgaran]

Correct. That's my point. Unless it's repeated, I shouldn't hear ANYTHING but the dispatcher on that frequency.

Ah, a point of clarification: CHP car-to-car traffic takes place on the base frequency, so that units doing car-to-car still hear dispatch. Which means on those random times when a unit is near you, or is up someplace high, etc., you may hear them.

 

[RolnCode3]

Don't know if you've read this (or even care)...I've talked with the site owner about a few things and he's got "the" site for CHP comms.

I have read it (and do care). That answered many questions for me in the beginning. Thanks for reposting the link.

I also understand the C2C thing now.

Another question. Why would they do 800 for the computers, but not voice?

 

[ECPD279]

Correct. That's my point. Unless it's repeated, I shouldn't hear ANYTHING but the dispatcher on that frequency.

CHP radios are WIERD! The mic has TWO BUTTONS. They push the top one to talk to dispatch, and the bottom one for car to car. Car to car talks on the dispatch frequency, and if you are line of sight you will hear it.

 

[HamSexy007]

Correct. That's my point. Unless it's repeated, I shouldn't hear ANYTHING but the dispatcher on that frequency.

CHP radios are WIERD! The mic has TWO BUTTONS. They push the top one to talk to dispatch, and the bottom one for car to car. Car to car talks on the dispatch frequency, and if you are line of sight you will hear it.

It is actually a center-off rocker switch, and there is a third pushbutton for the PA...total tally is 3 functions can be controlled from the mic. Neat, huh?

CHP had the lowband Rangr custom-made for them by GE in the late 80's, and GE marketed it in other bands to other users once they figured out how good a radio it was. Must be nice to be CHP, huh?

Take a good look at the link I posted...there is a lot of good info. Also read his pre-2001 site about the older systems they used. Plenty of wierd stuff that only CHP could pull off because of their clout with suppliers.

 

[selgaran]

Another question. Why would they do 800 for the computers, but not voice?

I think they were/are using a commercial carrier for the data stuff.

 

[HamSexy007]

I also understand the C2C thing now.

Another question. Why would they do 800 for the computers, but not voice?

CHP uses a cell provider (or providers) and a 800 MHz cellular modem for their data, not a conventional data frequency like most agencies.