HUGE Skip Event 1/4/07

[RandyB]

From my location about 20 miles west of Nashville, TN, I'm receiving signals from Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, and perhaps further. So far the furthest signal I've identified is Baldwin County Sheriff's Department near Mobile, AL on 156.21 PL 146.2 (nearly 500 miles away).

I'm using PL tones, dialect, and any other methods I can to try and narrow down more signals. It's very difficult because nearly every VHF frequency allocated to police or fire use has multiple stations coming in at once. I haven't even attempted UHF yet.

Anyone else working this event? I'll post an update shortly.

UPDATE (8:54 AM CST):

Many departments having trouble communicating with each other as a result of the ducting.

Other signals I've identified:
Louisville Police (both rural/VHF and urban/UHF divisions)
Lexington Police
Baldwin County Sheriff's Department in Alabama
Cleveland, TN Police Department
Butler County, OH Sheriff's Department
Georgia State Police
(will add more shortly once I have time to go through the radioreference database)

In the 2-meter ham band, the 146.955 repeater in Nashville has been very active with distant stations making contact on this repeater from as far away as Pensacola, FL, Akron, OH, 75 mi north of Indianapolis, Columbus, MS, Salem, IL, Evansville, IN, and just north of Atlanta, GA. Also there was a mobile station near Crestview, FL.

I will post some of the frequencies I have yet to identify shortly (over 100 now).

UPDATE (1:30 PM CST):

Unbelievable! 800 MHz trunking systems coming in from all over!

First trunking system:
Motorola TRS (using control channel only mode)
Control channel: 860.2375
Other frequencies in the system: 860.7375
Talkgroups: 33075 P25, 39152 P25
Notes: I have no idea where this is coming from as there. Very weak signal.
(UPDATE: confirmed: Jefferson County, AL TRS)


Second trunking system:
Motorola TRS (using control channel only mode)
Control channel: 859.7125
Other frequencies: 856.4375, 860.7125, 858.4375, 860.9875, 860.4875, 854.0125
Talkgroups: 80, 112 (both are police), and 5072 "delta one team leader"
Notes: I believe this is the Huntsville, AL TRS

Third turnking system:
Motorola TRS (using control channel only mode)
Control channel: 857.9625
Talkgroups: 1200
(confirmed: Bowling Green TRS)

Fourth turnkig system:
Motorola TRS (using control channel only mode)
Control Channel: 860.2125
Talkgroups: 16432, 16816, 19568, 18640, 22288, 21200, & numberous others
Notes: Still receiving pretty well as of 12:53 PM CST
(confirmed: Chattanooga TRS)

Here is what I have logged thus far in the VHF band:

154.725 PL 91.5
155.19 PL 100.0 (THP's 159.09 repeater getting into this repeater. Funny thing is, Hamilton, OH police getting into the THP repeater! -- Means the 155.19 must have an inut of 159.09)
155.13 PL 186.2 Dalton, GA PD?
155.49 PL 151.4 (confirmed: Henderson, KY Police)
155.49 PL 107.2 (ATIS signaling used)
155.685 PL 123.0 (confimred: Robertsdale, AL police)
156.21 PL 146.2 (confirmed: Baldwin County, AL Sheriff)
155.7 D031
155.775 PL 131.8
154.8825 DPL? "county road 961" - EMS traffic
155.025 PL 100.0 (MDC600 signaling used)
155.43 PL 156.7 (busy / well organized agency)
155.52 PL 127.3
155.73 PL 192.8 (MDC1200 signaling)
154.695 CSQ (dispatch only / midwestern accent) "X-37 go ahead"
155.415 PL 88.5
155.55 D143
155.58 "1010 Nevada" (Nevada pronounced na-vay-dah)
155.655 PL 146.2
172.475 VSELP
164.325 (Encrypted analog)
155.64 PL 114.8
155.67 PL 186.2
155.865 PL 100.0
155.52 PL 203.5 (confirmed: Henderson, KY S.O.)
154.8 PL 107.2 (confirmed: Butler County, OH)
155.925 PL 100.0
155.9625 PL 100.0
155.19 PL 167.9 (two received with same tone, one is Massac County, IL, not sure about the second)
155.685 PL 91.5
155.7225
154.815 PL 114.8
154.8825 D516
155.505 "county road 116 and county road 131"
154.815 PL 192.8
154.755 PL 186.2
155.07 PL 192.8
155.73 PL 192.8 (MDC1200 signaling)
155.79 D065 (midwestern accent)
155.415 D343
155.07 PL 123.0
154.77 PL 100.0
155.94 PL 141.3
155.58 PL 141.3
155.685 PL 162.2
460.1 PL 192.8 (confirmed: Louisville Police)
460.15 PL 192.8 (confirmed: Louisville Police)
460.025 PL 192.8 (confirmed: Louisville Police)
154.74 PL 146.2 (confirmed: Louisville Police/rural)
154.86 PL 146.2 (confirmed: Louisville Police/rural)
453.325 PL 192.8 Kenton County, KY?
453.7 "south I-71 at 70 mile marker"
158.73 D223 (confirmed: Tuscaloosa, AL Police)
154.725 PL 210.7 (getting into Oak Grove, Ky PD repeater on 155.79) "Limestone S.O."
154.7925 D412
155.415 PL 131.8
155.49 PL 100.0 (St. Clair Co, IL?)
154.68 CSQ (Dalton, GA GSP post)
155.52 PL 100.0
158.73 PL 88.5
159.06 PL 173.8 linked with 159.015 PL 141.3 (forestry?)
154.725 PL 114.8

If any of these look familiar, please let me know!

-Randy

 

[slatescan]

I just now go into thisa opening and holy cow! i was blowed away In Hendersonville I heard many pds


I heard NWS staines from GA MS and KY so far it's ongoing and with the help of randy b i am trying to coform the pds i have more to comne later

 

[slatescan]

Here's the loggings from today's opeing so far sincei am not a donater at the monet i nedd help cofroming these pds


154. 355 203.5


155.535 100.0


154.3700 71.9

155.7000 203.5


154.745 141.3


154.415 192.8


155.49 136.5 had a est time check at 10.58 CST


159.2100 123.0


154.175 151.4 Walker Co GA Fire and EMS


154.875 156.7

4:13 CST update

aother one coformed and sad to hear

154.4000 Monore CO TN Fire pageing the last tones for a Telllco Plains FF who passed away


alll and all a great opening witch i think is winding down

all made on my NEW pro 96 witch i got yearrday any help is greatfulll

 

[RandyB]

My update didn't go through for some reason. I'm away from my log now and will be until later this afternoon. When I return home I'll post the update again. It's pretty lengthy.

Amazing skip/ducting event across most of the eastern half of the nation!

UPDATE:

I finally got it to work. See original post at the top for the updated list.

 

[slatescan]

thnaks Randy yeah mine went tough had no idea why yours didn'ts if you would will yo9u look my logggings up and see what you can dig up thnaks



It's showinig down a lil bit here

 

[RandyB]

http://www.mountainlake.k12.mn.us/ham/aprs/path.cgi?map=na

This site plots APRS station contacts that are of significant distance. Very interesting and a good gauge as to how good the VHF ducting is and where it is best. A lot of red on the map today!

 

[muhockey86]

Your 155.5800 "Nevada" is Nevada, MO

 

[jeffmulter]

Randy -

What model of scanner are you using ?

 

[mrradio2]

Yesterday Skip

154.695 csq that is Illinois State Police Dist 10 Pestoum Il just south of Champaign-Urbana on i-57 and there car's go by x-

 

[K9GTJ]

How is the skip today? (I'm at work but thinking about tonight.)

 

[slatescan]

a coiople more loggging confromed from yeserday


162.425 WWH 23 Buchanan, GA this is 1000 watt staion

158.7300 88.5 DeKalb Co AL RandyB helped me nail this one down this is my frist AL SO ever heard from from my QTH

 

[RandyB]

Thanks to muhockey86 and mrradio2 for your help in identifying those two frequencies.

What model of scanner are you using ?

I'm using a BC796D with a 30' run of RG-213/U to a Radio Shack scanner antena in the attic. It's not the best setup in the world but it gets the job done. I found that just the extra 20 or so feet in height really helps!

 

[jeffmulter]

Thanks for the scanner setup information, Randy.

I was curious as to whether you had a scanner - such as the Uniden 396 or 996, or Radio Shack Pro 96 or 2096 - that would read the Motorola trunked system site I-Ds, which can be helpful is making a positive I-D of the system.

Although I have one discone outdoors just above roof level, I have three more discones in the attic - on Christmas tree stands - that I use for monitoring. Although initial placement in the attic was a bit critical to get the best signal coverage, I have to agree that the setup "gets the job done."

Congratulations on a very good list of loggings.

 

[bagmouse7]

Check out this site for some great information about skip conditions:
http://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo.html

 

[KC0UWS]

I was listening to Cheyenne, Wyo PD car-to-car (I think it was)

 

[k9rzz]

Okay, I'm being picky, but be careful using the term 'skip' for every band opening. It sounds like you had 'tropo' or 'enhancement', but not 'E skip'. 154 mhz will _RARELY_ E skip, and 800 certainly won't.

:^]

John k9rzz

 

[gmclam]

I am picking up transmissions on low band VHF (39-45 MHz) that I normally do not get. OTOH, my reception on VHF high (151-164 MHz) has been horrible and I can not pick up stuff clearly that usually is. Crazy.