Frederick 39.4 MHz?

[palmerjrusa]

Anyone know if anything's happened to the Frederick MSP frequency of 39.4 MHz (110.9 Hz). It's just recently gone from being very active and hearing both sides to little activity and hearing only the dispatch side?

 

[maus92]

Anyone know if anything's happened to the Frederick MSP frequency of 39.4 MHz (110.9 Hz). It's just recently gone from being very active and hearing both sides to little activity and hearing only the dispatch side?

Last week in Frederick, I saw some Trooper cars (especially the old Crown Vics) with VHF whips, and some without. I don't monitor the low band frequency, but I do monitor the state police on the Frederick County system, and Maryland FiRST. The county system is pretty active with state police traffic, and *maybe* a bit less on FiRST. The bottom line is VHF is going away soon...

 

[riveter]

It will be maintained as a backup until they have blessed full statewide acceptance of FiRST, but will no longer be primarily used once cutover happens. Patches to and from the VHF system may come down here and there where no longer viable once barrack cutovers occur.

 

[palmerjrusa]

Last week in Frederick, I saw some Trooper cars (especially the old Crown Vics) with VHF whips, and some without. I don't monitor the low band frequency, but I do monitor the state police on the Frederick County system, and Maryland FiRST. The county system is pretty active with state police traffic, and *maybe* a bit less on FiRST. The bottom line is VHF is going away soon...

Thanks for that info.
I also listen to the MSP on the county system but I like to have one vfo on 39.4 while I scan that system plus others. Shame to see 39.4 MHz go silent, I guess I'm suffering from frequency nostalgia.

 

[palmerjrusa]

It will be maintained as a backup until they have blessed full statewide acceptance of FiRST, but will no longer be primarily used once cutover happens. Patches to and from the VHF system may come down here and there where no longer viable once barrack cutovers occur.

Thanks for that information.
What do you mean by "cutovers"?

 

[Linkero]

Here in Hagerstown is basically the same way. On 39.34 I'm able to get some dispatch, and a bit of responses as well(Hgr barrack). I also listen to 39.4 and it's essentially the same as here. MSP in washington county has been using FiRST a lot more tho, so definitely check your county p25 system and see how actively they're on it. There's almost always someone pulled over on I-70 everytime I drive through the county!

 

[riveter]

Thanks for that information.
What do you mean by "cutovers"?

Cutover is transition from one system to another. As county-covering sites come online for MD FiRST, they get tested and the barracks get acquainted with the idea... and then at some point they say "okay, October 24, THIS barrack will transition from VHF to FiRST" and then they do it.

 

[maus92]

Here in Hagerstown is basically the same way. On 39.34 I'm able to get some dispatch, and a bit of responses as well(Hgr barrack). I also listen to 39.4 and it's essentially the same as here. MSP in washington county has been using FiRST a lot more tho, so definitely check your county p25 system and see how actively they're on it. There's almost always someone pulled over on I-70 everytime I drive through the county!

'The Washington County / Hagerstown Barracks "officially" cut over its operations to Maryland FiRST earlier in the summer. The VHF freq will probably still be patched to the FiRST system for a while.