Planning a vacation to Iowa!

[scanrrman]

Hey guys!!!
I'm planning a trip to Iowa. City of Wapello in Louisa County. I checked out the database for the city and the county but I'm looking for anything to listen to within in range of there. I have a 396t. Are the Louisa County freqs. good at all. I used to take my pro-95 up there but never got much of anything. Any and all interesting listening please let me know! i.e. Hwy. Patrol, local law, railroad, DNR
Thanks Iowa!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Signal3and2]

No offense on your choice, and welcome to the state, but I think you're the first person I've ever seen that makes place to vacation in Iowa. usually people in Iowa make plans to vacation anywhere but Iowa. It's a nice place to live, but what is there to visit?

 

[scanrrman]

My fiance's dad lives up there. He has about 300 acres of timber that we run around shooting and hunting among other things. I work 6 days a week so any time off is well deserved. It's a vacation from my real world!!
Is the database still current on freqs for Louisa County, Muscatine, Washington, Henry, and Des Moines counties????
I would like to program Muscatine's apco 25. What are the talkgroups for police/fire?

 

[cubn]

Muscatine PD and FD each have their own APCO25 digital repeater channel. It's not trunked, just 800 MHz conventional repeaters operating in APCO25 digital mode.

The Des Moines County database is pretty complete. The county sheriff main dispatch channel is 460.350, but it is simulcast on 453.925, 453.550 and 453.850 (apparently they have different towers throughout the county operating on different frequencies). County fire is on 154.190 in Des Moines Co.

In Henry County, I hear 153.815 and I believe it is 155.070 simulcasting the dispatch side. If anybody has more info about this, please let us know.

Do you use ARC396? If so, I have an .mem file for Burlington/Des Moines Co. I have a few other mem's for Muscatine, Louisa Co, and Henry County--if you're interested, send me a PM or reply and I'll post those files. Except for the Burlington .mem, the rest just contain copy&paste info from the Radioreference.com database.

 

[scanrrman]

Thank you very much for the reply. That makes me feel alot better about it. I was thinking Iowa didn't like strangers!!
I don't have arc396 just the uniden software.

How should I go about programming IA State Patrol. I see in the database that they have a few different "areas" and the PS is on 127.3 PL? Should I just program all the frequencies with that PL? How do you do it and how do I know, looking at the database, which ones are dispatch and cars?
With Muscatine, I program the system as a conventional system and just the 855. and 857. as conventional channels? Seeing as how it's not a trunked system like you said. I didn't know it could be done. Learn something new everyday!
And if you have any freqs. that aren't in the database for Louisa County and Burlington, I would appreciate it yet again! I'm just trying to program as many PS Depts. as I can because I don't know what I can pick up since everything is somewhat far from the city of Wapello in Louisa County.

Would there be any good listening that I could pick up from Illinois? I'm right by the river north of Wapello city?

Once again, cubn, thank you for your help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cubn]

More info for Wapello and SE Iowa

Some more info…

For Muscatine, just put the two frequencies in like you would any other conventional frequency in a conventional system. Make sure to have CTCSS tone search off or the scanner won’t decode the P25 audio.

I don’t have any public safety freqs for Burlington that aren’t in the database. What I have in my file is mostly FCC licensed freqs that I haven’t had a chance to confirm hearing yet (ex. stores in the mall, utility companies, etc.). I think Fun City in Burlington uses 464.500 (88.5) but I haven’t positively confirmed that it was them. Also, when the Catfish Bend boat is in Burlington, they use the freqs listed here: http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&aid=2908

I haven’t been to Louisa county, so I’m assuming the database is correct for there. It looks like if you want to monitor Wapello PD but not the sheriff, put the 154.830 (127.3) in your scanner. If you want to here the sheriff, you’ll have to put in 154.830 without a PL tone, but you’ll also here Wapello and Columbus Junction PD too.

For Illinois, you are very close to Mercer County, Illinois so I’d listen to the Mercer County frequencies: http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&ctid=656 or http://www.carmachicago.com/profiles/MercerCounty.pdf or http://www.scanning1.com/merceril.pdf

Illinois State Police for Mercer County:
FREQ,NAME,TONE
42.340,ISP D7 BASE,Search
42.840,ISP D7 CAR,Search
154.845,ISP D7 HF2 MOBILES,110.9 PL
154.845,ISP D7 HF2 BASE,Search
42.660,ISP D7 LF3,Search,
155.46,ISP HF4,Search
39.46,ISP LF6,Search
155.505,ISP MOB EXTENDER,Search
42.5,ISP CAR-CAR 42.5,Search
155.475,ISPERN,Search
39.5,LOW BAND 39.500,Search
154.905,ISP DCI 1,Search
154.95,ISP DCI CAR-CAR,Search
155.37,POINT-TO-POINT,Search
155.055,IREACH,Search

There likely won't be much activity on it, but you can monitor the Illinois Starcom21 site from Joy, IL on these freqs:
866.83750
867.36250
867.88750
868.41250
868.98750
(set this system up as a Motorola P25 trunked system)

For Iowa State Patrol in SE Iowa, try these repeaters:

Muscatine
ISP - 155.655 (127.3)
LEA – 155.685 (127.3)

Fairfield
ISP – 155.565 (167.9)
LEA – 155.700 (167.9)


Beaverdale (Burlington) [*I THINK THIS ONE COVERS WAPELLO*]
ISP – 155.565 (127.3)
LEA – 155.700 (127.3)


Cedar Rapids
ISP – 155.655 (167.9)
LEA – 155.685 (167.9)

Iowa State Patrol simplex:

155.430 car-car P25 digital (don’t turn CTCSS search on)
458.625 vehicle repeater/mobile extenders
155.445
155.505
453.950
458.950
453.700
458.700
155.475 mutual aid
155.370 point to point
151.475 Iowa channel

****

If anyone sees incorrect info in what I have provided, please correct me.

 

[Signal3and2]

The Iowa DPS point to point frequency that's listed, 155.370, is a good frequency to listen to. You will hear all sorts of agencies using it. It's what different agencies use to contact eachother. However, in the Cedar Rapids area, agencies use what is called "Area 11" to contact other agencies in DPS's district 11. The frequencies for that are 155.835 and 460.550. They are simulcast.

Sorry for the lack of activity on your thread, for some reason the Iowa board is a little slow.

Also, if you have digital capabilities, check out the DPS Trooper car to car frequencies. They are simplex, but P25. They seem to be fairly active with troopers chatting with eachother. 155.430, 154.920.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

I'm heading to Iowa next week....all this info is a great help! How about any MilAir Freqs.? I'm going to be in the area of Lenox.

 

[scanrrman]

Well, looks like I'm gonna have a great time! Seriously thanks! It's very much appreciated!! I live near KC, MO and I listen 24/7, things just aren't right unless I hear constant chatter from my scanner. Anyone agree? Anyone? Yeah, that's right.

Thanks for the digital programming help. That's new to me and I would've been sure to just program it for trunking.

Once again, THANK YOU

 

[mws72]

Lousia Co Sheriff runs P25 on 154.830 repeater. They have / had a county Poliice Dept. controlled by the Sheriff. One of the towns may of pulled out but I not sure. Quad-Cities doesn't get much news off of Louisa unless it's murder, mem lab, or explosion.

155.310 B 155.910 m is County Information
155.850 is handehelds
Countywide fire 154.145 might be a repeater with tone on the output of 156.7
453.800 is used by someone as remote rx for fire I heard it once in the Coulumbus Jct. area.
151.0100 R (107.2) Lousia County Road Dept.
172.750 is Mark Twain NWR( P25)
The other message listed Beaverdale is correct on DPS/LEA

No Hosptals in Lousia. Everything goes to Muscatine or Burlington. try 155.340
Med Force helicopter in the
Quad-Cities 462.950 R (167.9)
Burlington 464.775 R (151.4)
(try the inputs)

In case it snows try these in P25

159.1800 Iowa DOT F1
159.1950 Iowa DOT F2
159.1650 Iowa DOT F3
158.8950 Iowa DOT F4
151.0850 Iowa DOT F5
159.1200 Iowa DOT F6
151.1900 Iowa DOT F7
151.3250 Iowa DOT F8
156.0450 Iowa DOT F9
151.2500 Iowa DOT F10

Muscatine Co SO uses two repeaters on 158.730 & 151.175 (127.3 ) also p25 enc
Muscatine countywide fire and EMS 154.175 BM (167.9)
city of Muscatine FD fire callouts are on 154.250 (0.0) Base only
otherwise fire is 857.4875 (p25)
Police is 855.4875 (P25) (P25 ENC planned has I heard for Command/Detectives)
155.280 is Buffalo Ambulance the city ambulance provider
MUSCOM is the countywide dispatch for City and County

Forget about Cedar Rapids area. Unless conditions better tham normal you probably won't heard anytihingf from there.

You might be able to hear the Racom Site (system 6) in Muscatine. check the racom info in the database.

Other Channels across the river in Illinois
159.150 (192.8) Rock Island Co Sheriff
154.190 Rock Island Co fiire Depts.
155.550 (146.2) Henderson Co Sheriff

163.4125 R (127.3) US Army Corps of Engineers

 

[DarkPhoenix]

I'm heading to Iowa next week....all this info is a great help! How about any MilAir Freqs.? I'm going to be in the area of Lenox.

I take it nobody read my post? I know most MilAir traffic is in the eatern part of the state...Just wondering if there is any activity in the western part.... Near Omaha....

 

[Signal3and2]

We don't really have any Mil in the Air to listen to.

 

[splash1]

Should be lots of milaircomms in that area, Are you useing just a hand held ant or something else?

Rick L

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Just using my pro-97 and a exten. whip. I've recently been in contact with someone from one of the many mailing list I belong to that has sent me some info...

Thanks!

 

[burner50]

Western Iowa MilAir

We were just discussing MilAIR Scanning over at scaniowa.com forums

http://www.scaniowa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10