Maryland FIRST 700mhz TRS

[troymail]

Has the opportunity to travel the ICC (I95 to I97) last night. The only active control channel is the Anne Arundel site. Signal wasn't that good and was going by the time I reached I97.

I must have been tired.... (I was)...

Let's try this again:

Had the opportunity to travel the ICC (I-95 to I-97) last night. The only active control channel is the Anne Arundel site. Signal wasn't that good and was gone by the time I reached I-97.

I don't use chat or send many text messages but it sometimes looks like I do when I post here.

 

[Dewey]

Has anyone taken a listen to the old MdTA UHF freqs to see if they're still being used (maybe simulcasting from FIRST), or are they dead?

Department of Transportation Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

As I scan this thread, I didn't see anything about the Hatem or Nice bridges (although the way things are going, it would appear they too will show up on FIRST at some point)...we need to update the DB with this...Mike

While driving home yesterday, I heard the familiar turkey call of an old G-Star identifier. When I looked down after wondering "who was that", I thought I saw the scanner just leaving the Nice Bridge channel. I'll give it a listen over the weekend once I get home.

Dewey

 

[riveter]

They haven't switched yet, so that's probably why you're still hearing those wonderful GE-Star squawks.

 

[troymail]

While driving home yesterday, I heard the familiar turkey call of an old G-Star identifier. When I looked down after wondering "who was that", I thought I saw the scanner just leaving the Nice Bridge channel. I'll give it a listen over the weekend once I get home.

Dewey

If you do get a chance to check things out, I'm real curious to know if there is a LIVE control channel frequency active down there. I suspect there isn't an immediate need because the MdTA ICC folks have a talkgroup on the Charles County trunked system (at least partially).

 

[troymail]

7130 appears to be Bay Bridge related also - several BB units on that TG during the propane tanker incident the other day - "CV" and "L" units both.

 

[riveter]

I'm pretty sure 30 is BAY TAC, that's how I have it in my scanner, so I'm pretty sure somebody said something to the effect of 'switch to bay tac' at some point. Not DB-worthy at this point since I'm not totally sure, but I think so.

 

[riveter]

Oh never mind I'm dumb- I already submitted that puppy.

While I'm at it though, looks like 7116 might be KEY's own tac channel, separate from PORT's, or something similar. Heard the Curtis Bay Drawbridge operator trying to call a K unit on it a few times for traffic hold coordination. Not sure, but it's something like that, and fits right in their numeric series of tac TGs.

 

[troymail]

Haven't heard Bay Bridge units since approx. 0500 this morning.... AA site (102) still seems to be active just not BB activity... seems odd.

Checking recordings -- actual voice was 0413 --- wait -- just got activity.... strange - nothing from 0413 to 0848 --

I did notice my "sweet spot" for reception of site 102 wasn't as good as normal.... maybe I just wasn't locked in to the CC -- but I was receiving McHenry and Port activity during this period....

Ah - likely reason: I'm only monitoring/tracking the sole primary control channel frequency for sites 101 (one radio) and 102 (the other radio) --- I suspect the CC frequency went to an alternate for a time this morning. Seems to be back to the primary CC frequency now.

 

[doctordave]

Troy,

Are you able to lock onto the Kent towers from your home location? I'm curious if they've been doing much testing and/or patching of the 700 system to any of the existing VHF freqs, while they await the mobile radio installs next month. Later today, I'm going to do a sweep with my yagi and see if any towers other than the Balt metro portion can be pulled in from here.

 

[troymail]

Troy,

Are you able to lock onto the Kent towers from your home location? I'm curious if they've been doing much testing and/or patching of the 700 system to any of the existing VHF freqs, while they await the mobile radio installs next month. Later today, I'm going to do a sweep with my yagi and see if any towers other than the Balt metro portion can be pulled in from here.

I am only able to get 101 and 102 (Baltimore and Anne Arundel) from my location. I too am curious to know when they are testing/planning to come on line.

 

[troymail]

Appears I've lost the AA County control channel/frequency again -- I'm hearing the Baltimore site but the signal is a bit shakier than normal.

I've done a search on the 769-777 range and only get hits in the Baltimore site and the PG County system.

Anyone else noticing any of this? Weather? Other reason?

EDIT (1634): I took a drive up to BWI airport where I believe one of the tower/transmitter sites is -- nothing.

 

[riveter]

I have AA site just fine using CC freqs 773.83125 and 774.13125. Very strong signal, and probably from the BWI tower too.

 

[troymail]

I have AA site just fine using CC freqs 773.83125 and 774.13125. Very strong signal, and probably from the BWI tower too.

It's back now -- I wasn't getting anything earlier -- like I said, not even via search at BWI airport.

Did you see the system actually using 774.13125 as the CC?

 

[riveter]

No, I don't have that capability- I was just saying those are the ones my PSR is set up to monitor.

 

[troymail]

No, I don't have that capability- I was just saying those are the ones my PSR is set up to monitor.

Actually - you do if you have the PSR800.... You can set up the display to show voice and control channel frequencies on the bottom line of the display... Also, you can set up logging (data dump) to the SD card. It's under the advanced features tab. If you use the dump to card, you can review the logs and see which control channel frequency is in use at various times.

Did you capture any recordings on the AA site (102) in the 4:00 5:30 timeframe?

 

[riveter]

Good point, I'd forgotten about dump and that other func (which I don't use because I'm usually much more interested in seeing who than how). Didn't get any recordings in that frame though- radio was with me at work and turned off from this morning to when I posted that message.

 

[riveter]

Little submission update- MdTAP added 7103 today for the BWI airport detachment. Might be a simulcast of MAA P25 for now- I'm only seeing one RID pop up. Definitely them though, they call their dispatch Control.

 

[troymail]

Little submission update- MdTAP added 7103 today for the BWI airport detachment. Might be a simulcast of MAA P25 for now- I'm only seeing one RID pop up. Definitely them though, they call their dispatch Control.

I concur -- sounds pretty bad - clearly a patch and I also only see one radio ID -- there was an announcement at 0800 on 10/29 (yesterday) that they were now live on the 700 system -- odd since I haven't seen any real radios other than the patch ID.

Also - and this is really odd -- I am only getting this TG on the Baltimore site (101) and not the AA County site (102) -- odd because (a) I believe BWI has a "tower" on site 102 and (b) BWI is IN Anne Arundel.... I wonder it this is because the patch is actually feeding in via the Baltimore site and there really aren't any radios in the AA County site range (yet).

 

[troymail]

7117 Harbor Tunnel ("BHT") maintenance?

 

[troymail]

Well.... google continues to be my friend.... this takes some (advance) mystery out of things....

MDTA Fleetmap by Ray Lehr on Prezi

http://prezi.com/r3bvniesnv8r/md-first-planning/

Actually, it says that BWI, ICC, and Nice Bridge were to go live yesterday.... and MSP JFK and Hatem were supposed to be live today....

BWI is there but I don't think I've noticed any others yet.