Hi. I've been monitoring the local IDOT communications under the Starcom Program for quite some time. No issues there. A few days ago I came across another Illinois Tollway site that looks like it uses a conventional, 800mhz system. There are three departments, "Maintenance, Patrol, and Mutual Aid". These are all silent. Anyone have any experience with this system? Thanks. Greg
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IDOT on Old 800 Mhz System
I wondered too. I believe this is very old and outdated info from the original ISP's Motorola Smartnet 800 Mhz Analog Trunked System? which used to carry Dist15, (etc all) and the Maintenance Trucks. I used to listen to this all the time and then everything went Starcom. But I always heard IDOT trucks on analog 453 Mhz and 151 Mhz and then they went P-25 conventional digital and I was boiling mad. No money for new scanners back then, and just mad at everything going to these new complex digital systems.
I think that 800 Mhz system (the frequencies, equipment, towers) were all re-purposed into the Starcom system. I have 10 yr old Carma printouts and older Police Call books which have this system listed as you found. N9JIG, Rich might know, but anybody else?
I wondered too. I believe this is very old and outdated info from the original ISP's Motorola Smartnet 800 Mhz Analog Trunked System? which used to carry Dist15, (etc all) and the Maintenance Trucks. I used to listen to this all the time and then everything went Starcom. But I always heard IDOT trucks on analog 453 Mhz and 151 Mhz and then they went P-25 conventional digital and I was boiling mad. No money for new scanners back then, and just mad at everything going to these new complex digital systems.
I think that 800 Mhz system (the frequencies, equipment, towers) were all re-purposed into the Starcom system. I have 10 yr old Carma printouts and older Police Call books which have this system listed as you found. N9JIG, Rich might know, but anybody else?
The Tollway (both Patrol and Maintenance) used to be on a repeatered 800 MHz system whose frequencies were rolled into StarCom in 2007? 2008?
ISP District Chicago was on an EDACS system (along with other agencies including Argonne Labs) that went away when StarCom came around.
ISP District Chicago was on an EDACS system (along with other agencies including Argonne Labs) that went away when StarCom came around.
Thanks for the info. I wonder why RR still has these frequencies? I'm NOT criticizing RR. All my knowledge about scanners and frequencies, repeaters, etc, can be written in bold print on the head of a pin. It is fun tho....found and input the Chicago CTA/PACE system yesterday. Now that's FUN!
I just posted a question as to why my submission was a week old without activity. I received a response that it didn't show a state so that's why it's pending.
I have found alot of outdated information on the database, and if you're uploading from there, you're already behind the eight ball.
As far as the Chicago CTA/Pace system, please be advised Pace buses are now on the Starcom system and the CTA buses use mainly an automated data system, so not much voice. The CTA Supervisors still get notified, and the L trains are still using their UHF-T system...until of course they will be forced off all UHF-T come 2023.
I get a lot of traffic on the CTA/Rail conventional channels. Not only supervisors, but I seem to get all the "colored" lines, such as blue, purple ,etc. Are there any better places to look? My Rail channels are all in the 470.xx area.
The buses don't use radios much. The Supervisor channels are active.
While I have your help today, could you say whether the conventional Illinois "Emergency Management" and the Common/Shared Emergency channels are worth keeping in? I just programmed them today, got a few brief hits concerning an accident, but not much else. Perhaps they are busier during "emergencies"
Any info appreciated. Thanks. Greg
Any info appreciated. Thanks. Greg
While I have your help today, could you say whether the conventional Illinois "Emergency Management" and the Common/Shared Emergency channels are worth keeping in? I just programmed them today, got a few brief hits concerning an accident, but not much else. Perhaps they are busier during "emergencies"
I don't know what ones you're referring to, but I just keep the IDOT Starcom talk groups in, separate them into groups, and that's it.
I wasn't talking IDOT. Sorry for the confusion. I meant the Illinois "Emergency Management" and the "Common/Shared Emergency" channels available on RR. They are conventional channels. I found them today and imported them. Just wondering if you had any experience with them. Thanks again. Greg
No problem..no I haven't. I don't have them programmed.
While I have your help today, could you say whether the conventional Illinois "Emergency Management" and the Common/Shared Emergency channels are worth keeping in? I just programmed them today, got a few brief hits concerning an accident, but not much else. Perhaps they are busier during "emergencies"
The IEMA low band channels are still in use but fairly rarely, all of the frequencies listed for them in the database except the UHF one are in the state Interoperability Field Operations Guide. IEMA tests on IEMA 1, 45.440, statewide every week. The tones listed in the database are also partially inaccurate: everything low band has a PL of 103.5, ESMARN is 123.0, and the IEMA VHF frequency is CSQ (I've only heard this in use around Springfield, not really sure what it's for). I also believe the search & rescue channels get used, although I don't have them programmed in so I can't confirm. Here's a link to the guide, interop plan starts on page 33. This is the 2014 version, but nothing major changed from this one to the 2016. https://www.illinois.gov/iema/localema/documents/scip/iifog2014.pdf
As far as Statewide/Common/Shared, the firegrounds are nice to have programmed in but Red, Blue, and White and the ones that you're most likely to hear traffic on. I keep ISPERN (as CSQ, since bases are 71.9 and mobiles are DPL 156), Point-to-Point, IREACH, and the firegrounds.
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