Please point me in the right direction.

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nepatitan

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I'm all for reading up on things and research but.....
I have used scanners in the past, mostly just hit the scan button and see what I find.
I'm not looking more in depth and would like some quick help or to point me in the right direction on what to read.
When looking up a frequency such as Tamiment resort in Pennsylvania. The frequency listed is 462.50000
but when I click on the license I get this... WQBB963 (TAMIMENT RESORT) FCC Callsign Details
Should I just be putting in the 462.50000 or should I be looking through the license page part as well?

Again feel free to point me towards something to read up about.

Thanks
Larry
 

ofd8001

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I would scroll a little farther down on the page of the link to where it says "FCC ULS listing for this callsign". Clicking on that will send you to the FCC Universal Licensing System page for this call sign.

The FCC page will provide details about the licensee and when clicking on the frequency tab, you'll see all the frequencies associated with this license.

It looks like there are about six different frequencies that may be used by this licensee.

For a description of what is meant by station class (as in FB2, MO, FX1), visit the page below:

FCC Station Class Codes - The RadioReference Wiki

Just guessing, the 462.500 frequency is their primary frequency as it is on a repeater. So I imagine this covers a large area (beyond portable to portable). The other mobile (MO) frequencies may be used for "close in" coverage.
 

WA0CBW

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From the license data you can see that they have 3 repeaters (2 data and 1 voice). They have one control station for each repeater. They haven't updated their license for narrowbanding (this should have been done before 1/1/2013). They may or may not be operating narrowband as required by the FCC. If you go to the FCC ULS website it shows their license expired 9/16/2014. I don't see any applications to renew their license. The FCC site has a little more information if you are interested.
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nepatitan

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@ofd8001 I had to read that a few times and look back and forth between web pages lol. So the FB2 is the repeater and works similar to a mobile boosting station? So in theory the frequency associated with the repeater should be picking up all the other mobile units?

@WA0CBW I see thats out of date by about a week or so. Possibly because we are in between seasons here? or is that something that is usually kept up to date.
 

WA0CBW

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The FCC web site is the bible. If it isn't reflected on the web site it doesn't exist. (Ask me how many times the FCC has told us that.) It is up to the licensee to keep their license update. As of just a few minutes ago the site indicated the license was expired. Be aware the FCC doesn't update the site unless you make a modification. So the site only tells you it expired on 9/16/2014. When you renew your license it will then indicate the new expiration date. Same thing with the emission. Currently it indicates wideband. Were the radios narrowbanded by the deadline date 1/1/2014 (I had the wrong date in my previous post). If they were you are ok but you also need to update the license. Usually you can't renew your license until you have correctly modified everything else.
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ofd8001

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So the FB2 is the repeater and works similar to a mobile boosting station?

Yes. In this case portables/mobiles transmit on 467.500 which is received by the repeater. The repeater re-transmits the received signals on 462.500, which is the receive frequency for the portables/mobiles.

So in theory the frequency associated with the repeater should be picking up all the other mobile units?

Yes as long as the repeater can "hear" the mobile units. The mobile units could be too far from the repeater, or the signal from the mobile unit could be obstructed (such as being in an elevator, a basement or on the back side of a mountain).
 

nepatitan

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@ofd8001 ok cool so just say if I wanted to pick up the mobile units no matter what, I'd have to program the mobile unit frequencies in a bank and scan, just in theory?

Sorry been a long night listening to the scanner, living in the poconos about 2 miles from where the accused cop killer is hanging out.
 

Spitfire8520

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@ofd8001 ok cool so just say if I wanted to pick up the mobile units no matter what, I'd have to program the mobile unit frequencies in a bank and scan, just in theory?

It's basically the other way around. Mobile units tend to have a much smaller footprint as to how far away they can be heard directly since they aren't strategically placed on a location that has a wide area of coverage (eg. top off a building or hill). Repeaters are generally placed in such a location to provide a wider area of coverage, so the idea is that the mobile unit doesn't need to be able to "see" the other mobile unit's transmission as long as they can all receive the repeater. Repeaters are also generally have greater power output to allow them to give a wider area of coverage. The diagrams below might be able to help put this explanation into a visual aid.

Diagram Source: UK Walkie-Talkie Hire Centre - What Is A Repeater?

Monitoring a MO (or input) frequency:
Radio-simplex-operation.jpg


Monitoring a FB2 (repeater) frequency:
Radio-repeater-operation.jpg


Having just the mobile frequencies (or the +5 MHz input frequency for UHF repeaters) is generally useful for if you're one to want to know if you have a person transmitting nearby, but don't work well once you get a couple of miles away (very dependent on surrounding terrain). There are times where monitoring a MO frequency is unavoidable if the target you are monitoring doesn't have a repeater and is operating in simplex mode (single frequency, point-to-point).

Sorry been a long night listening to the scanner, living in the poconos about 2 miles from where the accused cop killer is hanging out.

No problem in regards to learning about something new. Everyone was once where you are in trying to learn all this stuff.

At least you have the ability to monitor some of the activity locally as opposed to having to depend on news sources and delayed PIO releases for any sort of information.
 

nepatitan

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@Spitfire8520 The visuals really help me thank you. I have been looking at some of the information in regards to what is going on locally with the manhunt. Other than state police which I believe I cant pick up PA-STARNet, I have been monitoring county police (Monroe County, Pennsylvania (PA) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference) which are up at the location. I can pick up quite a bit but am using an online scanner as well from someone that is located on top of Mount Pocono which pretty much overlooks everything in the area. I'm only using a handheld scanner with a rc telescoping antenna, so I can pretty much pick up east of where we are although we are on the north west side of a mountain. Not sure why that is. Was thinking about using google earth to map my location as well as the tower locations. Not sure if that would help with what I may be able to hear?

As for hearing what is really going on as opposed to what is being broadcast on the news..... its almost a 180 lol
 

ofd8001

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I'd program the following frequencies:

[FONT=&quot]000462.50000000 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]000463.52500000 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]000464.27500000 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]000468.52500000 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]000469.27500000 [/FONT]

If you are close enough to the radios, you should hear them.

Just guessing, but I'd say if you are within 20 miles of the repeater (462.500) you should hear it. Mobile radios are probably 5 miles and portable radios 1 mile. That's factoring in a portable scanner with telescoping antenna.

Yes using Google Earth to see where you are with respect to transmitter sites is practical - something I do regularly.

I always error on the side of caution. If I think I "might" hear something, I'll program it in my scanner. If I'm too far away, the scanner just skips over the channel and moves on. There isn't much time taken during the scanning process, so little is lost.

There is a whole lot of stuff that can influence scanner reception. Terrain and weather conditions, foliage on trees are all "biggies". If there's a mountain between you and what you want to hear, reception is diminished. Just like the mountain would block lights, it would also block the radio waves.

If there is a fog or thunderstorm in the area, reception is increased. Leaves on trees soak up radio signals, so winter time tends to improve reception a tad.
 

nepatitan

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@ofd8001 weird wasn't able to get on this morning. I've been trying to pick up the portables from the man hunt, occasionally I can hear but one or two officers but mainly hear dispatch.
I should easily be able to pick up Tamiment as we are about equal altitudes with nothing higher inbetween but have not hear anything, though it is off season. I do have a cheap radio shack Outdoor VHF-Hi/UHF Scanner Antenna. Using that I have easily been able to pick up mt pocono mobile units which is about 15 miles away. I have mounted on my deck but haven't ran the wire inside and into a wall plate so as it is right now I only use that when sitting outside with the dogs and its been raining last night into the morning.
 

ofd8001

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There are so many variables it's hard to say what is going on.

Radio stuff can be fickle. For example, if a thunderstorm is approaching, you may hear more things due to "ducting" (radio waves bouncing off the clouds). But when the rain actually starts, you might hear less (radio waves bouncing off the rain backward).
 

nepatitan

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I'm acutally going to go out later and get a adjustable painter pole, supposedly up to 28 feet to try to get the antenna higher. Just stinks because the local news is so bad about reporting what is happening but on cool nights I can sometimes hear the mobile groups around the perimeter
 

ccs247

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I'm all for reading up on things and research but.....
I have used scanners in the past, mostly just hit the scan button and see what I find.
I'm not looking more in depth and would like some quick help or to point me in the right direction on what to read.
When looking up a frequency such as Tamiment resort in Pennsylvania. The frequency listed is 462.50000
but when I click on the license I get this... WQBB963 (TAMIMENT RESORT) FCC Callsign Details
Should I just be putting in the 462.50000 or should I be looking through the license page part as well?

Again feel free to point me towards something to read up about.

Thanks
Larry

A search of Tamiment Resort shows that it closed in 2005. That would explain why the license was not modified for narrow band or renewed.
 

N8IAA

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@ofd8001 weird wasn't able to get on this morning. I've been trying to pick up the portables from the man hunt, occasionally I can hear but one or two officers but mainly hear dispatch.
I should easily be able to pick up Tamiment as we are about equal altitudes with nothing higher inbetween but have not hear anything, though it is off season. I do have a cheap radio shack Outdoor VHF-Hi/UHF Scanner Antenna. Using that I have easily been able to pick up mt pocono mobile units which is about 15 miles away. I have mounted on my deck but haven't ran the wire inside and into a wall plate so as it is right now I only use that when sitting outside with the dogs and its been raining last night into the morning.

Very possible that they are using simplex frequencies on the portables. This would be why you wouldn't hear them or not. With the terrain that you are in, it would be a problem to hear them at all.
Larry
 

nepatitan

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@ccs247 They are certainly still open but I think its more of a summer home village than a typical resort. I live about 10 mins away and brings back memories of being up there in the winter with my parents many years ago.
http://eaglevillagepoa.webs.com/ it still says Tamiment on the sign but I guess its listed as East Village Resort now

@N8IAA the terrain out here is certainly an issue, one of the reasons the local manhunt for Eric Frein is proving more difficult to find him in the thick woods.
 

nepatitan

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I do have another noob question if you all don't mind as you have been so helpful.
Since I have been listening to the county police involved in the manhunt up here, I do know that the atf is involved as well and do have a srt team up here. I checked online and found two rr webpages, I looked through http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Bureau_of_Alcohol_Tobacco_Firearms_and_Explosives_(ATF) and noticed that my state is missing (Pennsylvania). Is that due to the frequencies not being known etc. Again very new to in depth scanning.

Thanks
Larry
 

ccs247

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Please note that the last paragraph of the Eagle Village Resort web site says the Tamiment Resort is closed. There are no FCC licenses for Eagle Village Resort.
 
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nepatitan

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@ccs247 ahh ok so there is probably no radio system there at all anymore. Maybe they use walkie talkies now.
 

ofd8001

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I do have another noob question if you all don't mind as you have been so helpful.
Since I have been listening to the county police involved in the manhunt up here, I do know that the atf is involved as well and do have a srt team up here.

I have programmed my scanner for the ATF's Nationwide Channel Plan frequencies shown in the top box of Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) - The RadioReference Wiki

A good number of federal law enforcement agency communications are encrypted. "Manhunt" situations are sure to be encrypted.

It would be a fluke if you were to hear "in the clear" transmissions.

If your scanner was to pick up an encrypted analog transmission, it would be a "hiss" or "rush" type of sound.
 
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