Federal repeater locations
- Thread starter ctadam12
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Generally with a lot of gasoline, the right equipment, and most importantly, experience. Start with a directional antenna like the one below and gain experience on many known locations before doing unknown ones.
(I have had more success with these than beams. Be sure to look for the null, add/subtract 90 deg, and turn the AGC OFF.)
(I have had more success with these than beams. Be sure to look for the null, add/subtract 90 deg, and turn the AGC OFF.)
ecps92
Member
Many ways
a. Many Years of listening and a slip of the tongue to give the City/Town name [which maybe the Repeater name, but not the actual location]
ie: I have one listed as Greenfield MA yet it is actually in Winchester VT
b. Depending on the Federal Agency, finding a document on-line [sometimes an ICS 205, for the Forest / Parks]
c. Lots of Gas, driving, using DF Techniques and equipment
d. Making Friends and finding someone inside who might share bits and pieces.
e. and some of it is just a spit-ball based on the area you hear them operating from [Surv type ops]
f. Others well, that is the fun of FEDCOM
What are you trying to find ?
a. Many Years of listening and a slip of the tongue to give the City/Town name [which maybe the Repeater name, but not the actual location]
ie: I have one listed as Greenfield MA yet it is actually in Winchester VT
b. Depending on the Federal Agency, finding a document on-line [sometimes an ICS 205, for the Forest / Parks]
c. Lots of Gas, driving, using DF Techniques and equipment
d. Making Friends and finding someone inside who might share bits and pieces.
e. and some of it is just a spit-ball based on the area you hear them operating from [Surv type ops]
f. Others well, that is the fun of FEDCOM
What are you trying to find ?
Howdy - in addition to the above post, some Federal Repeaters / Antenna's are located on Federal Buildings (some - not all for sure) and most have FCC Registration on the FCC Site as that is needed for Frequency Coordination and mitigating interference as well.
Several Federal & State and Local Public Safety Repeaters may well be on "shared towers" as well.
One size does not fit all & depends a lot on the type of system as many 700/800 P25 Systems may have one or more towers for Simulcasting or "voting" systems common on some VHF repeater systems.
FCC License search site is one method of searching for both frequencies and-or locations (GEO Search).
LINK:
Hope this gives you a few ideas too...
Several Federal & State and Local Public Safety Repeaters may well be on "shared towers" as well.
One size does not fit all & depends a lot on the type of system as many 700/800 P25 Systems may have one or more towers for Simulcasting or "voting" systems common on some VHF repeater systems.
FCC License search site is one method of searching for both frequencies and-or locations (GEO Search).
LINK:
Hope this gives you a few ideas too...
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No they don't. Essentially, none do as they are not licensed/registered by the FCC but by NTIA.
ecps92
Member
The tower owner, would generally have an FCC Registration (Note this is not a license)
but you won't see those sites come back to the Leasee only the Tower owner.
but you won't see those sites come back to the Leasee only the Tower owner.
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Of course I was replying to his claim about licenses for frequency coordination being in the FCC database . (The tower database is essentially the result of FAA requirements and does not include beyond what ecps92 said--particular antennas nor users are included.)
ecps92
Member
Yes..but it does tie back to Alliances post, finding Federal Sites, you might find them by Tower Registrations or Not.
All part of the methodical part of listen, notes, DF, etc
All part of the methodical part of listen, notes, DF, etc
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Knowning where towers are is of some help but still requires other work as you note and that other work is essential. But I was replying to " some Federal Repeaters / Antenna's are located on Federal Buildings (some - not all for sure) and most have FCC Registration on the FCC Site as that is needed for Frequency Coordination and mitigating interference as well" which is not at all true.
(Also: I live in the greater DC area with lots of Federal operations and I know of no Federal operations that are on their own towers except those that are on military bases.)
(Also: I live in the greater DC area with lots of Federal operations and I know of no Federal operations that are on their own towers except those that are on military bases.)
You are correct, federal systems are usually on leased commercial or local government sites as well as on military bases. But there are a few and far between that do have and own their own towers. We have one agency here in South Florida that owns its own tower and even has two other federal agencies on it. That tower will not be found on the FCC tower registration (ASR) system.
But the frequencies at use at those towers is not included, correct?
ecps92
Member
When the contract bids went out on the FBO gov web site, sometimes we could stumble on a list of tower sites as well.
Don't be quick to rule out in a major city that the Radio site is not on their own building.
Don't be quick to rule out in a major city that the Radio site is not on their own building.
ecps92
Member
Correct
spacellamaman
Member
i see everyone is showing their hands today eh?
heh
always makes me feel a little dirty, like i'm a stalker or something.
"You see officer, the reason i was hanging this thing out the window...is....well you see, I'm trying to fi.....I'm off my meds, let's just go with that. I think it will make things simpler for both of us."
RadioJonD
Exalted Nabob
As others have explained, most federal radio repeater systems will be located at non federal sites, especially in rural areas.
Back in the day and, perhaps now, the feds used to piggy back Public Television towers and facilities in Alabama.
You can pretty much bet anywhere a NWS WX broadcast station is located, other federal agencies that still maintain radio systems will be as well.
I remember when stand along radio towers identified by their owners were printed on Alabama County maps. The National Park Service, Natchez Trace Parkway and the Tennessee Valley Authority towers were on my local county map. I don't remember when they were first omitted.
Back in the day and, perhaps now, the feds used to piggy back Public Television towers and facilities in Alabama.
You can pretty much bet anywhere a NWS WX broadcast station is located, other federal agencies that still maintain radio systems will be as well.
I remember when stand along radio towers identified by their owners were printed on Alabama County maps. The National Park Service, Natchez Trace Parkway and the Tennessee Valley Authority towers were on my local county map. I don't remember when they were first omitted.
Oh, I don't know about that. Depends on the agency and what their mission is.
Definitely, federal radio systems will strive to locate at federal installations, whether their own agency's or another. Issues of paperwork. Federal agencies with rural presence will locate at whatever site is most suitable, developing new sites only if there are no other decent options. There can be federal installations on non-federal land or vice-versa. I personally am familiar with a fair number of situations where a federal radio system is located in a non-federal facility located on federal land... or vice-vice-versa.
spacellamaman
Member
just a semi-related observation, a number of years ago i tracked down the last Fort Bragg Base Support Trunked Radio System tower, that the exact location had yet to be reported. one of the four in "Pineland". just a rather short, non descript cell tower, plunked in a woodline out in the sticks, nothing unusual about it at all. research on the tower simply showed standard equipment and normal users, cell phone stuff basically.
and as one would expect, no info saying anything that would lead you to think otherwise.
and as one would expect, no info saying anything that would lead you to think otherwise.
It's not easy to get a lot of stuff from pure research, and it's not limited to the feds. When Virginia first put its STARS network on, we found control channels by searching, but they weren't in the license data, or in the normal public safety pools. I'm assuming that they were leased. As the system expanded westward, we found them on former Marine 'public correspondence' channels. Voice channels were all licensed, but many CC's were not. I know one guy who found some of the leasing info, but it wasn't complete. We burned a lot of gas and took a lot of notes, and the only thing that really helped us was the fact that there were control channels constantly transmitting. Federal agencies on conventional freqs should keep you busy for quite a while.
73/Allen (N4JRI)
73/Allen (N4JRI)
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