New Allegheny County / Pittsburgh FCC filing - SWAT & Bomb Squad / EOD

[PittsburghPoPo]

On 4/12/10, Allegheny County filed a new application with the FCC:

ULS Application - Public Safety Pool, Conventional - 0004206446 - ALLEGHENY, COUNTY OF

Purpose: "FREQUENCIES WILL BE USED BY EOD / SWAT AGENCIES WITHIN THE COUNTY "

Frequency---Class-Units--Power---Emission Designator
2462.0000-----MO-----2-------5.0-----2M40W7D
0458.8375-----MO-----2-----15.0-----9K30F1D
0153.9125-----MO-----2-------5.0-----11K0F3E

Emission Designator Definitions

Bomb Squad Robot (Dual Ch Data)-----2M40W7D
Bomb Squad Robot (DATA)----------------9K30F1D
Bomb Squad Robot (VOICE)--------------11K0F3E

The application is still "pending".

It may make for some interesting listening during incidents if the VOICE channel ends up being analog, or at least not encrypted. The voice channel is only 5 watts, but I've had excellent success with the low power narcotics & surveillance channels that run around 2 watts. I use handhelds exclusively, but have custom tuned/built antennas... purchased from Austrailia of all places!

 

[tim369xxx]

i thought they ran off the city channels 7, 8, 11, & 12, or countywide tac. channels 1 through 12 UHF

 

[n3obl]

This is possibly for a robot. Base on the data and the emission codes.

They still use the other channels and cell phones as needed

Frank

 

[tim369xxx]

Eather way I put em in my PSR-500 V1.8 / 1.4 & ill let you know if I hear Data or Voice. 10-4

 

[PittsburghPoPo]

The emission designators in the filing are generally for a "remotely operated vehicle". I just called it a robot. I do not believe there is a master list of emission designators. Given that the license is expressly for EOD and SWAT, and that these designators have been used as a group for robots, I believe it is a reasonable assumption that Pittsburgh is implementing a new robot for EOD and SWAT use.

The ability to pick up the audio and video feeds will obviously depend on whether the feeds are encrypted, your proximity to the signal, and your equipment (digital/analog).

 

[tim369xxx]

ok. il monitor just in case because city had som possible class 1's lately & with the ohio twp. grenade simulator i think there might be some stuff to listen to.

BTW im in mckees rocks right by the bridge so i got good line of sight toward downtown & northside.

if its encrypted o well. ill listen on the primary freqs.



thanks for the info

 

[Idontknowradio]

It is for a damn robot, not for anything. Its not for some covert SWAT/EOD operations as you guys are thinking. Did the city just buy a new EOD robot?

 

[PittsburghPoPo]

Idontknowradio,

I think I was pretty clear that it was for a "robot". SWAT/EOD are not covert units. My assumption is that a robot was purchased for SWAT/EOD. Nobody in this thread was under the impression that the communications would be covert type operations.

If you reread the thread, the only point in referencing narcotics/surveillance ops was that they also run low power transmissions. So you'll have to work a little harder to pick up transmissions from the robot when it is in use. Hopefully the comms won't be encrypted.