New AWIN Freq?

[WTRickman]

I was trolling around on the FCC license search, looking for new things to listen to, when I found several site license listings for the AWIN towers. When looking at the tower locations, most were the tower sites we all know and love, (Dennard, White Oak, Nimrod, Gold Creek, Guy, etc)

But I saw one that I didn't recognize from our tower lists... see what you think of this:

J 11DUTCH CREEK 16 KM WEST
SHARK, AR YELL County
Operating on frequencies: 856.3125, 857.3125, 858.3125, 859.3125

Those freqs are re-used in Sheridan, so that's plenty far away to be using those frequencies. Anyone closer to Yell county check these out, and see if it's broadcasting Troop J?

 

[hitophikers]

New AWIN (Troop J)

I programmed all those frequencies into my scanner and started my logging program. Of course I have not heard anything, but I'm sure since the freqs were recently assigned, it will be some time before the equipment is up and running. Actually, I really don't expect to hear anything here as the site is about 20 miles west of Danville and North of Highway 80. But it is on a pretty high point. Who knows.

Russellville has also requested an AWIN repeater for better coverage in the southern part of Pope County. Once it's installed, RPD will make the move. They already have 800mhz radios in most patrol cars now and are using car-2-car NPSPAC channels. No AWIN TG's have been assigned (yet) that I'm aware of. Downtown access to existing AWIN is scattered at best, this far from any existing towers. This new AWIN will be located on Skyline Drive (Norriston) at an existing site.

The latest word is that the Russellville Fire Department is NOT planning on using AWIN as the voice quality can be dangerously compromised with current technology radios. However, this is not to say that at some time in the future, when technology allows digital equipment to operate in extremenly noisy environments, that they will not make the move.

Pope County SO also has many 800mhz units in their cars and HT's. They have been using AWIN, for those that can, for over a year now. They also have issues in the Russellville area with the current AWIN coverage. HT's mostly don't work very well at all in town.