Hearing East Brunswick NJ FD on 156.800

W2PSK

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I have an old crystal controlled Regency scanner. One of the channels is Marine channel 16. Today I picked up the East Brunswick FD on that frequency. I can tell it's not exactly on frequency as it has the distinctive sound of someone talking close, but not on the frequency, like they're on 156.790 or 810. I thought EB used a digital system for the fire department (paging is analog) but this is regular communications I'm hearing between the dispatcher and the engines. Any idea why I'm hearing this here?
 

etr37

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Not sure what might be going on in your exact situation (I'm sure someone more technical will have an answer), but can confirm that in addition to paging EBFD rebroadcasts dispatch and ops on 33.72 from the digital system, and potentially on some of the other legacy conventional frequencies as well (have heard District 1 on 151.445 before).
 

Tech792

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EBFD is paged out on 150.95 (and on their trunked system), maybe transmitter is close to you since South River borders East Brunswick. Plus, its an older crystal scanner.
 

W2PSK

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EBFD is paged out on 150.95 (and on their trunked system), maybe transmitter is close to you since South River borders East Brunswick. Plus, its an older crystal scanner.
This is more than the paging. This is communications between dispatcher and responding units/units on scene and I thought that was done on a digital system.

Several years ago, EB's radio system was causing interference on 2 meters. I was hearing periodic noise on 146.520. One day I had my scanner on and when I heard the interference, I also heard EB FD being dispatched. The interference lined up with the transmissions. That's when I realized what it was. I contacted the radio guy from EB and told him about the interference. I don't hear it anymore so I am not sure if they did something. This might be a similar situation.
 

etr37

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This is more than the paging. This is communications between dispatcher and responding units/units on scene and I thought that was done on a digital system.

Several years ago, EB's radio system was causing interference on 2 meters. I was hearing periodic noise on 146.520. One day I had my scanner on and when I heard the interference, I also heard EB FD being dispatched. The interference lined up with the transmissions. That's when I realized what it was. I contacted the radio guy from EB and told him about the interference. I don't hear it anymore so I am not sure if they did something. This might be a similar situation.
As I said in my first post, EBFD rebroadcasts dispatch AND ops on 33.72 (all districts), 151.445 (at least District 1), and (maybe?) 150.950 (at least paging, as stated by Tech792).

Interference on old equipment (along with maybe some kind of harmonic?) wouldn't be the worst guess - I'm in the Lawrence Brook section of town, and whenever Milltown does their nightly test on 156.000 it blows out the front end of my BCD325p2 and I hear it on multiple frequencies (the RR band, and specifically 161.010 AAR 60/60 [Amtk NEC locally] seems to be best for this).
 

W2PSK

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As I said in my first post, EBFD rebroadcasts dispatch AND ops on 33.72 (all districts), 151.445 (at least District 1), and (maybe?) 150.950 (at least paging, as stated by Tech792).

Interference on old equipment (along with maybe some kind of harmonic?) wouldn't be the worst guess - I'm in the Lawrence Brook section of town, and whenever Milltown does their nightly test on 156.000 it blows out the front end of my BCD325p2 and I hear it on multiple frequencies (the RR band, and specifically 161.010 AAR 60/60 [Amtk NEC locally] seems to be best for this).
Yeah, they are using 150.950 for dispatch. Somehow they managed to get a license for 100 watts within 3 miles of another station on the same frequency, also licensed for 100 watts. It seems they got properly licensed after they were caught using 150.950 without a license.
 
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