Lake Norman Freqs

[jplyler]

I know I should know all of this since I live at Lake Norman But- What freqs do I need to be listening to for lake patrol activity. I monitor marine VHF 16, VHF 11, All CMPD comms (the lake patrol pops on CMPD Div 11,North Divsion talkgroups). But as far as NC Wildlife, Coast Guard Auxillary or anything else. Does anyone have more to add? I though I heard of a coast guard auxillary repeater used for the lake but don't know the details on it or if it truly exists.

jon

 

[Grog]

If I remember correctly, 149.050 or 149.100, 149.150 are possibly the USCG Aux repeater freqs in the area. It's been a long time since I've monitored the system though. I'll try to get in touch with a contact to double check if no one confirms otherwise.

 

[jeffmulter]

Here's some frequencies to check during incidents on Lake Norman:

NC Wildlife -

159.315 / 186.2 R ... Concord repeater (Raleigh dispatch and unit-to-unit)
159.315 / 151.4 R ... Concord repeater (units talking with Raleigh)
151.325 / cs ... tac
151.385 / cs ... tac
151.460 / cs ... tac

US Coast Guard Auxilliary -

143.280 / cs ... nationwide Aux simplex channel
157.150 / cs ... marine chan 23 - assigned for Aux use on Lake Norman

149.050 / cs ... USCG Aux rptr on Lake Hickory (covers Lake Hickory, Lake James and Lake Norman

143.575 / cs ... link from L. Norman remote to L. Hickory rptr

The receiver on Lake Norman can be remotely controlled, and is programmed with several scan lists. Among the channels the remote will receive and relay to the Lake Hickory repeater, depending on how the receiver is set, are:

143.280 / cs
156.300 / cs ... marine channel 6
156.800 / cs ... marine channel 16
157.050 / cs ... marine channel 21
157.100 / cs ... marine channel 22
157.150 / cs ... marine channel 23
157.075 / cs ... marine channel 81
157.125 / cs ... marine channel 82
157.175 / cs ... marine channel 83

( As a reference, channel 21 is the assigned Aux channel on Lake James and Lake Hickory, and channel 83 is the assigned Aux channel on Lake Wylie. )

With regards to other channels to monitor, Lincoln County has employed officers for patrol activity on Lake Norman during the boating season, but I have never heard them on the Lincoln Co LE channels.

I do not know if Catawba County, or Iredell County or Mooresville have officers on the lake during the summer months.

Several fire and rescue agencies do respond to medical calls and boating accidents within their districts. Among those agencies:

Lincoln Co EMS Station 4, and East Lincoln Fire and Rescue -
154.815 / 107.2, 155.160 / 107.2, 159.165 / 218.1

Sherills Ford Fire and Rescue -
154.415 / 131.8, 155.220 / 131.8, 156.0825 / ? (SFF&R tac chan)

I would presume Denver Fire might respond on some lake calls, but have never heard them do so. I've heard they have plans for a second fire station, to be located in the Triangle area (south of Denver on Hwy 16), which will definitely be in a response area for some calls on the lake.

In Iredell County, I would presume the following departments might respond on some lake calls, after being paged out by the county on 154.385 / 151.4 and / or 155.205 / 151.4 ...

- Mount Mourne Fire (154.355 / 179.9 ? R)
- Lake Norman Fire (151.1225 / ? R)
- Mooresville Fire (154.130 / 77.0 R, 155.940 / ? )

Dan Renfro, an amateur radio operator from the Hickory area, wrote an article that appeared in the April, 1999 issue of Monitoring Times about the history behind the Lake Norman remote receiver. He was involved in the construction of the link setup, and might still be involved in its operation.

Some of the information above same from notes I kept about the article by Dan Renfro. Any updates would be appreciated.

Those who haven't monitored the Lake Hickory repeater (149.050) should check it out when we have a stable high pressure system over the southeast U.S. You will likely hear atleast several USCG coastal stations from the Atlantic and / or Gulf coasts broadcasting their Notices To Mariners, and may even hear some shipboard traffic.


Jeff Multer
Fort Mill, S.C.

 

[jplyler]

thanks for the info Jeff. Very interesting info about the CG AUX radio system, I need to investigate it a little further myself. I have all of the other freqs. It looks like someone updated the CMPD system talkgroups to include 2 lake patrol talkgroups (1 for Wylie, 1 for Norman). I live in Cornelius and monitor the CMPD north division, North Meck talkgroups, MCFD and EMS groups as well as all Mutual Aid groups. I haven't heard any Lake specific traffic from Lincoln county either. I have all of the Catawba and Iredell freqs but they are up the lake from me. I have heard activity on VHF 16 recently and the Peninsula Yatch Club uses VHF 11 for their comms. I will program the CG Aux freqs you sent and report back on my findings.

Jon

 

[Grog]

Come on Jeff, one of these days you need to learn to give enough info :lol:

I think I may have someone I can talk to about what Lincoln Co units will work the lake, and what they will operate on. I'll update this if I do.

 

[jeffmulter]

If the yacht club is operating a radio as a base station ... not on a boat ... then they are operating illegally. Base stations require an FCC license that would show in the FCC ULS databased ... unless it's under another name ?

A couple of years ago, I was chatting with a Catawba County sheriffs officer who worked off-duty for Lincoln County on Lake Norman. I wish I had asked what they used for communications.

Any chance you have the Sherills Ford and / or Lake Norman Fire Dept PL tones for their tac channels, Jon ?


Jeff

 

[jplyler]

sorry Jeff, I don't have those. All I have is what's in the RR Database. I really haven't been listening to Iredell Co too much since I moved to Cornelius. As far as the PYC, they all use marine HTs for comms, no base stations. Thanks again for the other info.

Jon

 

[CATAWBA911]

Sherrills Ford Terrell Fire and Rescue Tac Channel 4 156.0825/131.8 (Catawba County Station 16)
Denver Fire and Rescue does handle both fire and rescue calls in their district. In Catawba County their (Denver) rescue district is the same as their fire district. They go alot of times with Sherrills Ford, both agencies work well with each other. Denver is Station 1 in Lincoln Co and Station 21 in Catawba Co. As for the Law Enforcement on lake norman, Catawba Co has 2 full time lake officers (Unit 124 and 134) they work alternating shifts day time only except for special events on the lake. Catawba County uses their normal VHF radios for communications with thier Communications Center. To talk to Lincoln and Iredell County officers they have a 4 yes I said a 4 channel UHF radio. They use their VHF Radios to talk with wildlife officers and they have a VHF Marine band radio that they also use.

 

[CATAWBA911]

Jeff if you have the article scanner about the Lake Norman remote history I would love to read it.

 

[rickellenburg]

PYC

I think the PYC does indeed have a base unit in the ships store, I'll look next time I'm there.

FYI, it may not show up in the FCC database because until a month or so ago the club was owned by Crescent Resources, the developer of the Peninsula. Crescent is a subsidary of Duke Power the power company that built the lake. It maybe that it is listed under Duke.

 

[jeffmulter]

Catawba 911 - e-mail me with an address I can use to send the article.

If you don't use Catawba 911 in your e-mail address, put something like USCG AUX in the subject header, so it catches my attention.


Jeff Multer
jamulter@aol.com

 

[FireCop]

Jeff and Others,

Mooresville Fire & PD do not work incidents on the lake at the present. Iredell County SO uses their primary UHF channel. Shepherds, Mount Mourne, Lake Norman, and probably Troutman fire units respond to some lake incidents. Mooresville Rescue responds as well to lake incidents. Fire units use the main county fire channel. The rescue units use the main county EMS/Rescue channel. Hope this helps.

 

[Grog]

Today I heard Catawba County lake units calling Lincoln County on the sheriffs dispatch (453.100) for a radio check. They advised they installed a new antenna. they also mentioned something about mile or post 17 or 18. I was not sure as a harley was starting next to my car.

So we know Catawba has UHF.

 

[jplyler]

If the units were on the lake they could be referring to channel marker numbers.

jon

 

[Grog]

OK, That does make sence. The closest I come to being a boater is when I get in the hut tub