Clearwater Florida trip

[LEH]

Greetings folks, I'll be in the Clearwater area for a business trip next week. I''ve got a couple of questions about scanning in the area.

1. How digital is the Pinealls County system. The RR DB says it is mixed so should I put anything into my BC246 or go for the PRO96?

2. Does anyone have the frequency for the Sheraton Sand Keys? That is where I'll be staying. I could probably find it with the close call feature, but if anyone knows it ahead of time that would be nice.

3. Does anyone have any of the Tampa Airport operational frequencies? Not the tower and approach, but the ground frequencies the airlines use for maintenance, scheduling, gate agents, and basic airport operations? Always (sic) fun to sit and listen to what's happening beyond the gate. Actually, it has saved me a couple of times. Heard my plane was broke and was able to move to the new gate ahead of the rush.

4. Is Clearwater Beach part of Clearwater, part of the sheriff or its own system that I don't see?

5. Which of the sites for Pinealls County should I program in? Ridgecrest or Toy Town. I have started with Ridgecrest as it seems the largest system, but then I don't know the area and Clearwater Beach may be a fringe area.

Any help would be appreciated. TIA.

 

[mr-fordtruck]

1 - most stuff is not digital yet

2 - dont have it, try MURS VHF or the dot channels of UHF - lots of hotels use those

3 -
St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE)

118.3 /128.4 Tower/CTAF
121.9 Ground
134.5 ATIS
122.95 UNICOM
120.6 CLEARANCE DELIVERY
118.875 SPG (9 nm S) (
121.125 VDF (19 nm E) ()
Tampa International Airport (TPA)
119.5 Tower
121.7 Ground
125.3 Tampa Departure West
Albert Whitted (SPG)
127.4 Tower


Clearwater Airpark (CLW)
123.0 (Unicom)

4 clearwater beach is part of city - use the edacs sys for clearwater -11 west
5 ridgcrest

 

[LEH]

Mr-Fordtruck,

Thank you for the input. I do appreciate it.

 

[kny2xb]

Tampa International Ground Ops

Try searching between 460.55 and 461.0 for airline / airport ground operations

The ground op frequencies are listed in the RR DB under FL / Hillsborough County / Tampa International Airport towards the bottom of the page.

Enjoy your trip and scanning.

Greg
Palm Harbor

 

[LEH]

kny2xb,

Thank you that is just what I was looking for. I've got to sit for an hour or so waiting for the boss to arrive, so I may as well enjoy myself.

All I had to do was look a bit further. One day I will wake up.

 

[LEH]

Well I answered a couple of my questions, though one had been answered previously.

First, one of the frequencies used by the Sheraton Sand Keys is 467.200. I know they have at least two as I was sitting with the scanner locked down on the above and the employee next to me radio was blaring away and I wasn't hearing anything. Close call isn't working too well as there are a couple of nearby repeaters in the 471 range that keep activating close call and then seemingly never shutting down.

The other question, answered by Mr-Fordtruck, is that Pinealls County is still pretty much analog.

My only complaint so far is that I have my camera here and they put me in a room with a lovely view of the parking lot and not the pool.

 

[ericcarlson]

The Sheraton Sand Key is licensed under "Sand Key Association Ltd" -- here is the license:
http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&action=fcc&cs=WPXR810
You will find a 462.2 MHz repeater output on that license (467.2 MHz being the repeater input).

Here is another license for them:
http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&cs=KB39366&action=fcc

And another expired license:
http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&cs=KA82493&action=fcc

-Eric

 

[nikoz1200]

Looks like your trip is over already, but for the sake of replying anyway, here it goes.

1. I have seen one or two talkgroups that have had digital traffic on them on the Pinellas County system. Most anything you want to listen to, like fire, ems, and regular pd dispatch and tac groups are analog.

2,3. Can't help ya there. Sorry.

4. Clearwater Beach belongs to Clearwater, which is on it's own radio system. Mind you, Clearwater PD and city public works are the only ones on it. Clearwater FD is dispatched on the County system, and mostly use 1-B as their working TAC. Your hotel is right across the street from the new station 44. Not real busy though.

5. Program in the County Wide cell (Ridgecrest). I haven't seen any activity besides the active control channel on sites 3 and 4.

I am in the process of updating my Pinellas site...
www.photonick.net/radio

Some things are out of date, but it's enough to get you there. Of course, the RR here is great also.

 

[LEH]

Eric and Nikoz,

Thanks for the additional info. As I am still on the road (will be here til NEXT Friday), I'll put it to good use.

Actually station 44 is on the same side as the Sand Keys resort, we've got the parking lot, the entrance to the public beach parking and the fire station, then the bridge. You are right that they don't get a lot of action, but I was glad to hear they are part of Clearwater, I'll change from Pinealls County to the Clearwater system now. No wonder I didn't hear the one dispatch where I heard sirens.

Again thanks.

 

[fmon]

Lynn,

Are you and Brian from Hampton on the same trip? I think he recently ask for info regarding the Clearwater/Pinellas area in one of the Yahoo groups. Enjoy your trip.

 

[LEH]

Frank,

I am not sure, I tend to stay away from Yahoo for some reason or another. There are a lot of things going on around here. There are two big conferences going on here at the hotel this week. When we both take breaks at the same time, the lobby gets a bit crowded.

I am sure there are other things going on elsewhere that I don't even know about. I'll PM you with some other info.

 

[LEH]

Well I made it back safe and sound. Many thanks to all who provided input.

As I sat (and sat and sat some more) at the Tampa Airport I discovered one thing. The free wireless I found on the outbound trip (sitting waiting for my boss to arrive) in the main terminal area is not out in the outbound terminal (at least it wasn't working in F while I waited). There was a pay for use service available (rather weak one at that).