Cleveland National Forest New Forest Net

[Teotwaki]

Updates for the link on 409.1875 that is carrying audio for SBNF Forest Net. Below is a list of tone numbers announced for the units that were talking through repeaters. Also the link is transmitting tone 218.1 and not 103.5 as shown in my previous post.

3 Strawberry
4 Keller
5 Bertha
8 Black

I also heard the same audio on a weaker signal transmitting on 406.3875

 

[es93546]

Any large amount of ferrous metals around those compasses like a tower or vehicle will ruin the accuracy.

A lot of the early lookouts were made of wood. Some of those still survive. A lot of the wood ones were just two story structures, relying on topography for their view, rather than an extended steel tower. The Osborne Fire Finder was invented in 2011 and began deployment into more modern lookouts in 1913. Some of the early lookouts consisted of a wooden platform attached to a topped tree with boards nailed into the stem of the tree serving as a ladder. This is when the staff compass was used. I can't imagine being on one of those topped trees in a thunderstorm. This is when men were men!

 

[Teotwaki]

A lot of the early lookouts were made of wood. Some of those still survive. A lot of the wood ones were just two story structures, relying on topography for their view, rather than an extended steel tower. The Osborne Fire Finder was invented in 2011 and began deployment into more modern lookouts in 1913. Some of the early lookouts consisted of a wooden platform attached to a topped tree with boards nailed into the stem of the tree serving as a ladder. This is when the staff compass was used. I can't imagine being on one of those topped trees in a thunderstorm. This is when men were men!

"The Osborne Fire Finder was invented in 2011"?

 

[es93546]

"The Osborne Fire Finder was invented in 2011"?

Oops, that should be 1911, obviously!

 

[prcguy]

A lot of the early lookouts were made of wood. Some of those still survive. A lot of the wood ones were just two story structures, relying on topography for their view, rather than an extended steel tower. The Osborne Fire Finder was invented in 2011 and began deployment into more modern lookouts in 1913. Some of the early lookouts consisted of a wooden platform attached to a topped tree with boards nailed into the stem of the tree serving as a ladder. This is when the staff compass was used. I can't imagine being on one of those topped trees in a thunderstorm. This is when men were men!

I had a project 30 years ago for a huge satellite receive antenna that covered 70deg of the satellite arc with 35 feeds and it had to be planted on a foundation and aligned to a very small fraction of a degree. The site was polluted with lots of huge steel structures and a tall fence where the vendor could not use a Theodolite to a known target so he drove a very plumb stake in the ground and over three days at exactly 12 noon he planted stakes on the long shadow cast by the first stake and they all lined up perfectly. That gave him exact due south at our location to calculate the angles for the dish foundation.

 

[Teotwaki]

Updates for the link on 409.1875 that is carrying audio for SBNF Forest Net. Below is a list of tone numbers announced for the units that were talking through repeaters. Also the link is transmitting tone 218.1 and not 103.5 as shown in my previous post.

3 Strawberry
4 Keller
5 Bertha
8 Black

I also heard the same audio on a weaker signal transmitting on 406.3875

I submitted a database correction for the 218.1 tone and admin "officer_415" quickly applied the correction. Thanks!

United States Forest Service (California) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference for United States Forest Service (California)

www.radioreference.com

 

[Teotwaki]

406.225 Control Link 1 CNF Admin 192.8
406.275 Control Link 2
406.325 Control Link 3
406.350 Control Link 4
406.3875 Control Link 5 San Ber 103.5
406.425 Control Link 6
406.525 Control Link 7 Santiago 103.5
406.575 Control Link 8 San Ber 218.1
408.9875 Control Link 9
409.1875 Control Link 10 San Ber 103.5
409.3875 Control Link 11
410.7875 Control Link 12 San Ber 218.1

406.575 Control Link 8 San Ber 218.1 - - -

Does have SBNF traffic on it and the tone is correct. Call sign Wilderness 487V calling Dispatch for a radio check. He did not give the tone, signal was noisy. However Charles 1 said he was on Admin tone 2. This appeared to be only the audio coming from a repeater's receiver but not the return audio to be transmitted by the repeater.

 

[Teotwaki]

Summary of control link updates as heard at my location in Orange County, Calif

406.225 Control Link 1 CNF Admin Net 192.8
406.275 Control Link 2
406.325 Control Link 3
406.350 Control Link 4
406.3875 Control Link 5 SBNF 103.5 same audio as on 10 (?)
406.425 Control Link 6
406.525 Control Link 7 CNF Forest Net 103.5 Very likely located on Santiago
406.575 Control Link 8 SBNF Admin Net 218.1
408.9875 Control Link 9
409.1875 Control Link 10 SBNF Forest Net 218.1 Same audio as on 5 (?) Strong, possibly located on Santiago (?)
409.3875 Control Link 11 Los Padres NF audio heard but think it is a relay of some sort
410.7875 Control Link 12 SBNF 218.1

 

[Teotwaki]

Today's update - Adding Prevention 25

Black Eagles, Sequoia NF Tribal Crew/Hotshot Wildland Crew (says the Internet)
Brush 288
Camp 31
Comms 22, 26, 27, 28, 29
2Charles1 (Patrol Captain)
2Edward 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12
Engineer 325
Field 31
2King 1 & 5 (canine units)
Lookout 03, 41, 50, 51 57, 62 (Palomar), 10, 21, 86, 87 (KCB591 Boucher Hill), 13, 22, 33, 34, 38, 39, 64, 68 (High Point poss KFX215)
Marauders, IA crew from Antelope Valley
Mountaineer arriving at Alpine
OHV2
Patrol 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 31, 33, 34, 41, 42
Prevention 24, 25
Ranger 2
Rec 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31
Trails 21, 25, 32, Volunteer 33
2Tom 2 (LEO Trainee)
Utility 28, 36

 

[Teotwaki]

Morning update - Adding Lookout 71 at Boucher Hill. They used Tone 4 which is the High point repeater.

Black Eagles, Sequoia NF Tribal Crew/Hotshot Wildland Crew (says the Internet)
Brush 288
Camp 31
Comms 22, 26, 27, 28, 29
2Charles1 (Patrol Captain)
2Edward 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12
Engineer 325
Field 31
2King 1 & 5 (canine units)
Lookout 03, 41, 50, 51 57, 62 (Palomar), 10, 21, 71, 86, 87 (KCB591 Boucher Hill), 13, 22, 33, 34, 38, 39, 64, 68 (High Point poss KFX215)
Marauders, IA crew from Antelope Valley
Mountaineer arriving at Alpine
OHV2
Patrol 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 31, 33, 34, 41, 42
Prevention 24, 25
Ranger 2
Rec 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31
Trails 21, 25, 32, Volunteer 33
2Tom 2 (LEO Trainee)
Utility 28, 36

 

[Teotwaki]

Adding Rec 32, going to Palomar

Black Eagles, Sequoia NF Tribal Crew/Hotshot Wildland Crew (says the Internet)
Brush 288
Camp 31
Comms 22, 26, 27, 28, 29
2Charles1 (Patrol Captain)
2Edward 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12
Engineer 325
Field 31
2King 1 & 5 (canine units)
Lookout 03, 41, 50, 51 57, 62 (Palomar), 10, 21, 71, 86, 87 (KCB591 Boucher Hill), 13, 22, 33, 34, 38, 39, 64, 68 (High Point poss KFX215)
Marauders, IA crew from Antelope Valley
Mountaineer arriving at Alpine
OHV2
Patrol 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 31, 33, 34, 41, 42
Prevention 24, 25
Ranger 2
Rec 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31, 32
Trails 21, 25, 32, Volunteer 33
2Tom 2 (LEO Trainee)
Utility 28, 36

 

[Teotwaki]

A couple of interesting call signs came up this morning. One was a unit reporting to El Cariso and he used OWF332 along with saying he used Tone 6 (Ortega Repeater). Maybe that identifier is from another forest area? The other call sign was someone at a lookout (I missed which one) KGR406 which might be at Palomar.

 

[Teotwaki]

Adding Lookout 75, 120 (Palomar)

Black Eagles, Sequoia NF Tribal Crew/Hotshot Wildland Crew (says the Internet)
Brush 288
Camp 31
Comms 22, 26, 27, 28, 29
2Charles1 (Patrol Captain)
2Edward 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12
Engineer 325
Field 31
2King 1 & 5 (canine units)
Lookout 03, 41, 50, 51 57, 62, 75, 120 (Palomar), 10, 21, 71, 86, 87 (KCB591 Boucher Hill), 13, 22, 33, 34, 38, 39, 64, 68 (High Point poss KFX215)
Marauders, IA crew from Antelope Valley
Mountaineer arriving at Alpine
OHV2
Patrol 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 31, 33, 34, 41, 42
Prevention 24, 25
Ranger 2
Rec 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31, 32
Trails 21, 25, 32, Volunteer 33
2Tom 2 (LEO Trainee)
Utility 28, 36

 

[Teotwaki]

Interesting traffic on Common 3 168.6125 right now

Bison Command is above Rancho Santa Margarita on the Bell View Trail, maybe running some brush clearing ops

They have called in a medical helicopter evac for a patient that may be injured/overheated/heat stroke

Patient was transferred to the helo and they concluded by radioing in that Bison Command was terminated.

 

[Teotwaki]

Adding 2 Edward 6

Black Eagles, Sequoia NF Tribal Crew/Hotshot Wildland Crew (says the Internet)
Brush 288
Camp 31
Comms 22, 26, 27, 28, 29
2Charles1 (Patrol Captain)
2Edward 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12
Engineer 325
Field 31
2King 1 & 5 (canine units)
Lookout 03, 41, 50, 51 57, 62, 75, 120 (Palomar), 10, 21, 71, 86, 87 (KCB591 Boucher Hill), 13, 22, 33, 34, 38, 39, 64, 68 (High Point poss KFX215)
Marauders, IA crew from Antelope Valley
Mountaineer arriving at Alpine
OHV2
Patrol 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 31, 33, 34, 41, 42
Prevention 24, 25
Ranger 2
Rec 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31, 32
Trails 21, 25, 32, Volunteer 33
2Tom 2 (LEO Trainee)
Utility 28, 36

 

[es93546]

Adding 2 Edward 6

Black Eagles, Sequoia NF Tribal Crew/Hotshot Wildland Crew (says the Internet)
Brush 288
Camp 31
Comms 22, 26, 27, 28, 29
2Charles1 (Patrol Captain)
2Edward 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12
Engineer 325
Field 31
2King 1 & 5 (canine units)
Lookout 03, 41, 50, 51 57, 62, 75, 120 (Palomar), 10, 21, 71, 86, 87 (KCB591 Boucher Hill), 13, 22, 33, 34, 38, 39, 64, 68 (High Point poss KFX215)
Marauders, IA crew from Antelope Valley
Mountaineer arriving at Alpine
OHV2
Patrol 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 31, 33, 34, 41, 42
Prevention 24, 25
Ranger 2
Rec 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31, 32
Trails 21, 25, 32, Volunteer 33
2Tom 2 (LEO Trainee)
Utility 28, 36

I just noticed you label the Black Eagles as a "Hotshot Wildland Crew." This crew is not listed on the National Interagency Hotshot Crew list of 116 total crews (says the Internet 😉) They are what the wildland fire profession call a 'Blue Card Crew." These are crews that organize every year with 20 members who are at least Firefighter 1 qualified (40 hr. course). Therefore they are a Type 2 crew, not a Type 1, which is what a Hotshot Crew is. Typically they have a fulltime agency crew boss. This might be someone in fire management and might be part of what is commonly referred to as the "militia," which are non fire management employees (function varies, timber, range, recreation, wildlife, etc.). Members of the militia are often very dedicated to the fire management mission and try to get training and experience to gain increasingly responsible positions within the Incident Command System.

However, some of these blue card crews have been around long enough to have qualified crew bosses and squad bosses. At that point they become a Type 2 IA crew. That means they don't need an agency crew boss and the crew can be split up into squads who can work the fire in separate locations. The Native American crews are more likely to be Type 2 IA crews as their membership remains relatively stable year to year.

The blue card crews I ran did not have enough year to year returnees so they were only Type 2 crews. Often times they were going to their first assignments as a crew. This presented challenges, but every one of them turned out to be a pleasure to work with. The only crew I had an unpleasant experience with was a military crew. I won't elaborate.