Forest Fire on DEP F-1

Status
Not open for further replies.

w2xq

Mentor
Joined
Jul 13, 2004
Messages
2,323
Location
Burlington County, NJ
That is typical. You'll also hear them sign on in the morning. And you confirm that the PL is apparently statewide; heard here in the Pine Barrens as well.
 

Tech792

Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2003
Messages
2,910
Location
Central NJ
Must be just up in Div A because here in Div B, towers still using ch 6 & 8. I heard last week that Div A Ch 7 repeater was down. Maybe that has something to do with it.
 

w2xq

Mentor
Joined
Jul 13, 2004
Messages
2,323
Location
Burlington County, NJ
Are all the DEP outputs, parks and fire, using 179.9 PL? (At one time I thought a couple were on a different one.) Temperature inversion this morning was driving my scanner crazy. PL might at least limit what is heard to just DEP. Thanks.
 

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
According to the Scanner Master Guide, this is what they have.

Location Input PL
Montclair 82.5
Waterford 88.5
Bakers Basin 94.8
Hill 1606 179.9
Toms River 107.2
Mt. Kipp 110.9
Belle Mont. 192.8

I'm not sure if this info will help
 
Last edited:

GM

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,078
For the most part, the DEP is currently using an output CTCSS tone of 179.9, except the Forest Fire "A" channels, which use an 82.5 tone. However, this may change when narrowbanding is implemented, since a DCS tone sounds better on a narrower bandwidth frequency. It is unknown at this time whether DCS tones will be used or not, but I heard it's not out of the question. I also understand that P25 digital mode may be implemented further down the line, depending on funding, so I wouldn't be surprised if you hear a VHF channel or two in P25 mode (F/W uses P25 on the NJSP TRS already as a primary mode). However, VHF P25 would be many years down the line I would think...

The other tones listed above are the input tones to the repeaters, however a few are not listed and I know of one that is incorrectly listed.

4F19
 

editorabc

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 26, 2006
Messages
9
Location
Oakland, NJ Palm Coast, FL
Re: Division A Forest Fire On DEP Ch. 1

The primary Division A repeater (7 North) which was located on Milton Firetower atop Bowling Green Mountain in Oak Ridge has been removed from service following the loss of an amplifier circuit. Until that situation is remedied, Division A units will be using NJ DEP Channel 1 as their primary repeater. Please note, the Channel 7 south repeater, located in Hunterdon County, is still operational...however it's location limits access by Forest Fire units in the northern counties.

DEP Channel 1 output is 151.190 MHz, with a PL of 179.9 and the input frequency is 159.300 MHz. There are multiple repeaters on that system which are accessed with different input PL tones.

Current operations in Division A only are as follows:

"Hill 1606" repeater, with an input PL of 131.8
"Ramapo" repeater, with an input PL of 123.0
"Montclair" repeater is optional, with an input PL of 82.5

Simplex operations are as follows:

Channel 8A, 159.270 MHz with a PL of 82.5
Channel 9A, 159.405 MHz with a PL of 82.5
Air Net (Interagency Ops) 159.285 MHz CSQ

***Engines and Firetowers also have the option of using Channel 1A, Simplex on 159.300 MHz with a PL of 179.9***

Forest Fire Divisions B & C communications are on their normal channels.

Ed Seifert
NJ Forest Fire, Division A, Section 2
Engine A-16
 
Last edited:

w2xq

Mentor
Joined
Jul 13, 2004
Messages
2,323
Location
Burlington County, NJ
GM and Ed, thanks very much for the information. Are the layouts for FF Div B and C similar to A? That is, as I understand it, the day-to-day communications use 179.9 and the Ops/Tac channels use 82.5? Using PL on the repeater input -- unless the repeater retransmits the tone -- suggest one should not add the PL's to the repeater entries in a scanner and the RR db. Living on the fringe of the Pine Barrens near Brendan T Byrne State Forest, with double-digit acreage of pitch pines and hardwoods surrounding us, smoke and fire alarms attract my attention.
 

DJ88

Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2003
Messages
2,073
Location
Brick Twp., New Jersey
Radio Channel Layout for Divisiona B & C

Division B
Primary Command (N) - Division B Repeater - 8 TX 159.2700 PL 179.9 RX 151.4750 PL 179.9
Primary Command (S) - Division B Repeater 8N - TX 159.2700 PL 107.2 RX 151.4750 PL 179.9
Secondary Command DEP Repeater - 1 TX 159.300 PL * RX 151.1900 PL 179.9
Primary Tactical (N/S) - Forest Fire Tactical 6 TX 159.3750 PL 179.9 RX 159.3750 PL 179.9
Secondary Tactical (N) - Iinvestigations - 11 TX 159.4350 PL 179.9 RX 159.4350 PL 179.9
Teritary Tactical - DEP Simplex 2 TX 159.3000 PL 179.9 RX 159.3000 PL 179.9
Common Tactical - 7A TX 159.2400 PL 82.5 RX 159.2400 PL 82.5
Common Tactical - 8A TX 159.2700 PL 82.5 RX 159.2700 PL 82.5
Common Tactical - 9A TX 159.4050 PL 82.5 RX 159.4050 PL 82.5
Air To Ground - Air Net 10 TX 159.2850 PL 179.9 RX 159.2850 PL 179.9
Structure Protection - State Fire TX 154.2650 CSQ RX 154.2650 CSQ
Coordination - SPEN 1 TX 154.5800 PL 131.8 RX 154.2650 PL 131.8
Coordination - SPEN 4 TX 153.7850 PL 131.8 RX 153.7850 PL 131.8
Logistics - Parks 5 TX 159.4650 PL 179.9 RX 159.4650 PL 179.9

Division C
Primary Command (N) - Division C Repeater - 9 TX 159.4050 PL 179.9 RX 151.2650 PL 179.9
Primary Command (S) Division C Repeater (9-S) TX 159.4050 PL 131.8 RX 151.2650 PL 179.9
Secondary Command - DEP Repeater - 1 TX 159.3000 PL * RX 151.1900 PL 179.9
Primary Tactical (N) - 7A TX 159.2400 PL 82.5 RX 159.2400 PL 82.5
Primary Tactical (S) - 8A TX 159.2700 PL 82.5 RX 159.2700 PL 82.5
Secondary Tactical (N) - DEP Simplex 2 TX 159.3000 PL 179.9 RX 159.3000 PL 179.9
Common Tactical - Forest Fire Tactical - 6 TX 159.3750 PL 179.9 RX 159.3750 PL 179.9
Common Tactical - 9A TX 159.4050 PL 82.5 RX 159.4050 PL 82.5
Common Tactical - Investigations - 11 TX 159.4350 PL 179.9 RX 159.4350 PL 179.9
Air To Ground - Air Net 10 TX 159.2850 PL 179.9 RX 159.2850 PL 179.9
Structure Protection - State Fire TX 154,2650 CSQ RX 154.2650 CSQ
Coordination - SPEN 1 TX 154.6800 PL 131.8 RX 154.6800 PL 131.8
Coordination - SPEN 4 TX 153.7850 PL 131.8 RX 153.7850 PL 131.8
Logistics - Parks 5 TX 159.4650 PL 179.9 RX 159.4650 PL 179.9
 
Last edited:

DJ88

Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2003
Messages
2,073
Location
Brick Twp., New Jersey
Yes. I also made a few minor corrections. When I read the list the first time all looked okay but just read it again, and noticed for a few frequencies I left out "TX" and also had "TX" or "RX" listed for both frequencies a few times, so I made the corrections. No actual frequency changes though. They're all okay. Just wanted to let you know in the event that you may have made a copy of it.
 
Last edited:

editorabc

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 26, 2006
Messages
9
Location
Oakland, NJ Palm Coast, FL
Re: Division A Forest Fire On DEP Ch. 1

As of March 23rd, the New Jersey Forest Fire, Division A primary Channel 7 north repeater was being tested on a limited basis from the Division headquarters in Andover. The repeater has been set up using the antenna at that location to see if the transmit problems reoccur. Thoughts are that the problem with output power may have been due to the antenna on Milton firetower, not the amplifier board.

If all goes according to plan, the repeater will be reinstalled at the 150 foot level of a commercial communications tower located just south of Milton firetower on Bowling Green Mountain. Plans call for an environmentally controlled enclosure, new cable and new antenna. Work could begin as soon as the purchase order is generated. Stay tuned.

Ed Seifert
NJ Forest Fire, Division A, Section 2
Engine A-16
 

kennyloatman

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 25, 2007
Messages
629
Location
Cumberland Co., NJ
Today after I heard the fire towers sign on the air on channel 9 [151.265 pl 179.9] I realized I never hear anybody answer them. So I turned off the PL and I immediately started hearing Mays landing conversing with the towers. I even heard Mays Landing sign off the air at 5 pm tonight, That was a first. I have also heard Blue Anchor tower conversing with Medford and a ground unit [C-13] which was something new. What gives ? Is it possible that some units are transmitting with one PL and receiving with another PL ?
 

kennyloatman

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 25, 2007
Messages
629
Location
Cumberland Co., NJ
No, this was a PL of 179.9, Since I have turned off the PL I have a lot more traffic on CH 9. I especially hear the C-xxx trucks responding to fires that I didn't hear before. Don't know if it make a difference but I'm located less than a 1/2 mile from the DEP tower licensed for that frequency.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top