I’ve been monitoring FDNY EMS Subway for a few days on my xtl5000 and all it ever does it key up with no voice. The key ups are of random length like a voice transmission is coming over but never heard. I am assuming they use this system for subway coverage.
FDNY EMS Subway
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Danny37
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I dont think I've ever heard traffic on that frequency. It always sounds like a beacon going off so I just locked it out
I'd assume the subway repeaters are low power designed to work underground in the subway system. If your trying to monitor from above ground and from the other side of the city, you prob won't hear anything. And you're only going to hear something if there's an ems or fire call in the subways, so maybe monitor that freq when there's a decent size event going on
Danny37
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True, I've only heard activity on FD fire subway repeaters during an incident while I was walking home. I heard everything when I was near the station but as I walked 3 blocks home, the signal was degrading rapidly. Once I stepped into my house all I got was static. The subway repeaters must be very low powered from what I experienced
Found this article
The subway radio system consists of a network of street-level antennas that capture the Fire Departments radio signals and carry them below-ground to a network of amplifiers and antenna cable that run through the subway tunnels. It also works in reverse, carrying the communications of below-ground personnel to the street level. It was intended to allow commanders to speak directly to those fighting a fire below ground. It would also allow firefighters spread out within the subway system to communicate with one another.
The subway radio system consists of a network of street-level antennas that capture the Fire Departments radio signals and carry them below-ground to a network of amplifiers and antenna cable that run through the subway tunnels. It also works in reverse, carrying the communications of below-ground personnel to the street level. It was intended to allow commanders to speak directly to those fighting a fire below ground. It would also allow firefighters spread out within the subway system to communicate with one another.
Actually last Friday evening I was hearing a bunch of testing on that channel from my location in SW Connecticut. Full repeater mode. Units or techs were calling out their locations throughout the city. First time I've heard this so it caught my attention.
radioman2001
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Nearly 40 years later and they are still using the same not ready for prime time technology. When I worked NYCEMS 911 in the early 80's the NYPD radio shop built what I call a subway extender for the 109 pct frequency at Main and Roosevelt. It was nothing more than a big yagi aimed at the nearest transmitter with 7/8 coax run underground to believe or not a RX amplifier in a 1900 electrical box with a unity whip mounted on it. On the opposite platform was a unity whip on the 1900 box the RX amp inside with 7/8 coax run to topside omni antenna.
It would make more sense to just run a IP line to a repeater station with leaky cable, and I know they have IP since all the signs are IP.
One of the requirements for these relays is that they cannot transmit any power that would interfere with the above ground radio.
GCT has a very large infrastructure of radio equipment for FDNY, NYPD, FDNYEMS, MTAPD plus the RR freqs covering all areas of the terminal, building and tracks. Unfortunately IMO they are doing the same thing just with very expensive in band simplex repeating, and while I was still there we had some outside antennas stolen.
During at multi-agency drill in the Park Ave tunnel one night FDNY had some neat equipment that relayed the portables to above ground command vehicle using fiber optic cabling. For MNRR Fire Brigade I had built a cross band repeater in a pelican case with battery which I located at the bottom of the escape stairs that took our VHF Fire channel and sent it upstairs on a UHF interop and it worked great.
Besides radio equipment FDNY had a battery powered trolly that came in 3 pieces with a stretcher that could run on the rails, and it was also the first time I saw re-breather packs being used.
It would make more sense to just run a IP line to a repeater station with leaky cable, and I know they have IP since all the signs are IP.
One of the requirements for these relays is that they cannot transmit any power that would interfere with the above ground radio.
GCT has a very large infrastructure of radio equipment for FDNY, NYPD, FDNYEMS, MTAPD plus the RR freqs covering all areas of the terminal, building and tracks. Unfortunately IMO they are doing the same thing just with very expensive in band simplex repeating, and while I was still there we had some outside antennas stolen.
During at multi-agency drill in the Park Ave tunnel one night FDNY had some neat equipment that relayed the portables to above ground command vehicle using fiber optic cabling. For MNRR Fire Brigade I had built a cross band repeater in a pelican case with battery which I located at the bottom of the escape stairs that took our VHF Fire channel and sent it upstairs on a UHF interop and it worked great.
Besides radio equipment FDNY had a battery powered trolly that came in 3 pieces with a stretcher that could run on the rails, and it was also the first time I saw re-breather packs being used.
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radioman2001
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dup
Danny37
Member
do members change their portables to the subway channel when they enter the transit system or does the subway repeater rebroadcast chatter from HT-1?
Negative FDNY FFs are never to change their radios off HT1 unless instructed by a white shirt or incident commander… usually only command and above would have 2 radios to communicate with borough dispatch
It's definitely interesting.
I get clear keyups with no static in different variations on a consistent basis, but i never hear voice.
Thanks for all the info, I love learning about the backbone of the systems the city has installed.
I get clear keyups with no static in different variations on a consistent basis, but i never hear voice.
Thanks for all the info, I love learning about the backbone of the systems the city has installed.
Ok.
That's clean this up a bit.
There are 3 fdny subway channels.
1 citywide subway for both fire and ems.
Designed to work throughout the system.
2 subway channels used for incidents
Designed for use in a station with breaks between stations. So you can talk station to station.
Firefighters setup a radio relay on ht1, called core. This is the normal sop and legacy procedure still in use.
Officer and chief will switch to 1 of the 2 station repeaters during an incidents.
However some units will use the repeaters for other runs like ems as ht 1 won't work.
That's clean this up a bit.
There are 3 fdny subway channels.
1 citywide subway for both fire and ems.
Designed to work throughout the system.
2 subway channels used for incidents
Designed for use in a station with breaks between stations. So you can talk station to station.
Firefighters setup a radio relay on ht1, called core. This is the normal sop and legacy procedure still in use.
Officer and chief will switch to 1 of the 2 station repeaters during an incidents.
However some units will use the repeaters for other runs like ems as ht 1 won't work.
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