Has anyone used or heard of anyone using itinerant business frequencies for temporary use by public safety? For example, law enforcement or fire department using itinerant business frequencies during a large scale response to a natural disaster where multiple agencies are involved and existing radio systems maybe down and/or too busy.
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Itinerant Business Freqs used for Public Safety
- Thread starter BlueDevil
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mmckenna
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Not saying it can't be done, but I don't think I've ever seen it. There are no itinerant channels in the Part 90 public safety pool. Itinerants are all in the business/industrial frequency pool.
And there's no real good reason for them to need itinerant channels. There are a ton of interop channels that public safety has access to that can be used anywhere in the country. Just take a look at the NIFOG guide.
And there's no real good reason for them to need itinerant channels. There are a ton of interop channels that public safety has access to that can be used anywhere in the country. Just take a look at the NIFOG guide.
wtp
Member
the closest i have gotten was a couple of years ago.
i am home all day and would scan the 460 to 465 band.
on a low 462 freq (not gmrs) i would catch what sounded like two sheriff deputies talking and driving around.
it sounded like a handheld and was low power. i have not heard it in years now.
i am home all day and would scan the 460 to 465 band.
on a low 462 freq (not gmrs) i would catch what sounded like two sheriff deputies talking and driving around.
it sounded like a handheld and was low power. i have not heard it in years now.
I am very familiar with the NIFOG. It honestly doesn't have much for VHF frequencies, especially if you are needing to use 1 or more repeaters. Just to be clear, I have not used Itinerant frequencies for Public Safety and I am also not trying to justify using Itinerant frequencies for public safety. Just polling the audience. It recently occurred in a region nearby and I wanted people's thoughts and input.
mmckenna
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A good resource would be your Statewide Interoperability Coordinator. SWIC. In California, that fulls under the California Office of Emergency Services. They are the ones who are supposed to coordinate interoperability resources within the state. If the VTAC channels are not enough, then it sounds like you may need more resources. They would be the ones involved in the process.
mmckenna
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I still run across radios where they are missing. Hell, even Harris will include them preloaded in the radio for free.
I am actually a member of our State's Interoperability Executive Committee (SIEC). I will be bringing this up at our next meeting. I wanted to see what other's in the industry have experienced. Maybe this is a common practice that I just haven't heard about.
nd5y
Member
There are but only on 700 MHz.
3 frequency pairs are available for nationwide itinerant use. They are limited to 2 watts.
See 90.531 (b) (4).
RFI-EMI-GUY
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I recall. There is some provision in the Public Safety rules that permit random low power frequencies be used on an ad hoc basis for surveillance purposes.
mmckenna
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How many VHF itinerant repeaters do you need at one time?
601
Member
Years ago, I heard two cops talking on 151.625, using it as an unofficial car to car channel. I remember it being in Monmouth County, NJ. Just don't remember the town. It was the late 90s. I was listening to dispatch, then they switched and were commenting on the call they were just on.
It is very common for us to deploy at least 2 or 3 repeaters along with 4 or 5 simplex tactical channels. All VHF.
mmckenna
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Got it.
So between the VTAC VFire, VLaw and VMed, still not enough? Might want to see if the state has any simplex channels you can use. I know California has some additional stuff on top of the NIFOG channels.
ecps92
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Yes, but that is/was many years ago, when they were trying to use COVERT Channels
ie: 154.5750 instead of 154.5700
As well as the little known rule of simplex, low power secondary use by LE for surv ops, allows them to pop up (w/o a license) almost anywhere
19-685
Member
Over the past 30+ years of monitoring, I've monitored some limited car/car and tactical stuff on the common VHF itinerant frequencies.
154.6000 used as a chit-chat channel by LE
154.5700 used as a non-fire ground ops channel by fire and EMA (parade details, sporting events, firehouse open houses/outreach events)
Also don't forget those inexpensive FRS walkie talkies.
Have even monitored the occasional occurrence of fire/LE comms popping up on the local Two-Way radio dealer's business band repeater systems and trunked systems.
That's why it's called a hobby....
19-685
154.6000 used as a chit-chat channel by LE
154.5700 used as a non-fire ground ops channel by fire and EMA (parade details, sporting events, firehouse open houses/outreach events)
Also don't forget those inexpensive FRS walkie talkies.
Have even monitored the occasional occurrence of fire/LE comms popping up on the local Two-Way radio dealer's business band repeater systems and trunked systems.
That's why it's called a hobby....
19-685
I am working on finding some additional frequencies. The spectrum is largely spoken for. Frequency coordinators haven't been able to find anything that we can license for low power statewide use.
We use the VTACs. The VFIRE channels are just mutual aid channels and I don't believe they have the same provisions for use and the VTACs. In Washington State, many agencies already have the VFIRE channels licensed as apart of their existing public safety radio system. I know in my county, we have at least 1 VFIRE frequency as an output in one of our heavily used repeaters. The VLAW is reserved and used by Law Enforcement in our State and the same is true with the VMED frequencies. VHF is King in Washington State, especially Eastern Washington where a lot of this larger scale incidents occur.
Check out Section 90.267g which provides for nationwide on a coordinated basis licensing of low power public safety frequencies.
mmckenna
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Same thing down here. Finding a free VHF pair has been impossible. Too many regional trunked systems that refuse to release the old VHF pairs, "just in case". I know some have been trying to grab Part 22 frequencies as those sort of come free.
Good luck on finding something that will work. I think getting deep into the rules is probably the way to go.
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