New "High Band" For Vinton

[RFEMSG1]

Ok was listening to Vinton today around 9:30 p.m and some units were clearing up from the fire they had and 2501 was trying to call 250 (rescue captain) when Vinton dispatch said that he was trying to call her on "this new high band radio on the countertop". Anyone know what this frequency may be. I have checked the FCC database but no UHF for Vinton. Thanks for the info.

 

[John]

I am not aware of any "new" frequencies but I do know they were planning on adding some new repeaters to replace existing ones.

The Vinton high-band channels were:

154.085 Rptr 156.000 input

155.055 crosspatch to low-band (46.48)

155.895 ???

 

[RFEMSG1]

John, do you know what these are for besides fire pagers on 155.055? Or are they for utilities, water dept...etc

 

[John]

I think all of these were their old Police and Public Works frequencies before they switched to the 800 system. I don't believe anyone uses them today except the "First Aid Crew" (i.e. Vinton rescue squad).

The 155.055 channel is a cross-patch to low band. I think it turns PL on and off depending on whether or not Vinton pager tones were received. If Vinton's tones come out first it turns on PL otherwise it is off. That way they can monitor the channel and not have to hear every call in the county.

The repeater channel is what they generally refer to as "high-band". They have this in all their mobiles as well as all the members (or most anyway) having HT-750 (or above) portables on VHF. They can use them to talk betweem crew members as well as to the vehicles and dispatch. You hear a lot of traffic here during special events. They also use MDC signalling on them.

If I remember right, the repeater channel is also tied to low-band but only if the Vinton tones are transmitted first. This turns on the patch on that channel for a short period of time to alert their members they have a call and they can hear the alert. I think they are considering a patch to 800 instead of low-band for when the county starts their new paging system and quits using low band.

They used to have VHF in the police cars so they were able to talk on the "high-band" repeater but I think they may have removed most of those. They were old GE Deltas.

Hope that helps. Just need to listen to them for a while. I have had them turned off for a long time since they talk too much.....

John

 

[musicman]

Vinton High Band Radio

Radio testing heard recently on the 154.085 repeater in Vinton.

 

[resqpig]

When I was a member in Vinton, the 154.085 was the primary channel on "high band". This has been switched to the 155.055 for whatever reason. The second channel, now being 154.085, should be used for rescue administration but all members have access to it. John is correct in that almost all members carry portables and it is connected with the low band paging for a short period of time after tones are set out. Members can mark enroute to the station or the scene. Usually dispatch will not acknowledge this as it is to time consuming, although dispatch does have the frequency and will monitor in case a member comes on scene before the unit, etc. It is used heavily for logistics.
The Vinton police no longer have the mobiles in the cars. They also used to have 15 or so portables on the "high band" and I don't know if they still have those. These were 154.860 and 154.875. It was used primarily as backup in the event 800mhz went out. Animal Control also was strickly on high band, but has been on 800mhz for quite some time now.
All the rescue portables and mobiles also have 155.205 (statewide rescue mutual aid) and 155.340 (H.E.A.R) along with a base station at the Rescue 2 with these.