Skip Conditions

[mbstone99]

The conditions tonight are up pretty good in the 148-174Mhz band right now. The 400-420 Mhz band was up earlier but its quiet now. I did catch the FTW prison for a while but it faded out after a while and a EDACS control channel on 407.0750 but couldn't get a good decode to figure out who it was. I have been logging all kinds of stations from around North Texas as far as down to Waco.

Matt

 

[mbstone99]

Conditons back to normal

Ahh darn it looks like the conditions are back to normal now. It was a really wacky night tonight with stations fighting it out on the frequency for supremacy. LOL. The furthest station I heard was a good 100 miles away down in Waco which happened to be the NOAA station down there. I added my log from tonight to my webpage for anyone who is interested in taking a look. It's located under the Scanner Dxing section.

Matt

 

[SCPD]

Even without Skip I get DPS Waco on 155.3700 up in SW Fannin Co. But I have been getting Lacy Lakeview Police in the mornings on 159.1500 PL: 100.0 pretty darn well. Skip has been good lately, though not NEER as good as last years was around this time.

 

[JoeTex1]

Its Called Ducting Here

''well Here In Way South Texas I Recive Dallas Pd Houston Pd..and Alot Of Uknown Northern Texas Agancies Only The One's That Still Transmitt On Old U.h.f.

 

[mbstone99]

Skip

''well Here In Way South Texas I Recive Dallas Pd Houston Pd..and Alot Of Uknown Northern Texas Agancies Only The One's That Still Transmitt On Old U.h.f.

About a week ago some nice skip was coming in from San Antonio area and it wasn't just in the lower VHF and UHF bands it was all the way up into the 800's. The local NOAA station in Dallas on 162.4000 was also getting totally wiped out by the one down in San Antonio. I tried to decode a few of the 800Mhz control channels I was hearing but couldn't get a strong enough signal to get a good reading.

There are actually quite a few agencies around the Metroplex that transmits in the 453Mhz bands.. I believe the majority of them being out in the more rural parts Tarrant County (as my main scanning region in this comparison would be Tarrant, Dallas, Collin, Denton, Rockwall counties). I believe for the most part Dallas is the main user in the 460Mhz band. The Rockwall County PS LTR trunk is in both the 453/460Mhz bands.

But it seems the past week has been pretty damn quite as far as skip goes. Hopefully there will be another opening soon.

Matt

 

[Firetxmi]

I've been "dxing" around the Plano area for a couple of days (I'm home on Vacation). Your website has been incredibly helpful in identifying freqs.!!!

What antenna and scanner are you using? I am using a pro-96 and a stock antenna (and am looking for a better "dxing" antenna). What would you suggest for the area?

 

[mbstone99]

Scanner

I've been "dxing" around the Plano area for a couple of days (I'm home on Vacation). Your website has been incredibly helpful in identifying freqs.!!!

What antenna and scanner are you using? I am using a pro-96 and a stock antenna (and am looking for a better "dxing" antenna). What would you suggest for the area?

As far as suggestions go for antenna I am not sure what you want to listen to or if you want a portable or at home type solution? I have a couple of scanners here.. A Uniden BC-246T is my main scanning antenna when I am out and about, a Radio Shack Pro 2051 for the scanner feed and a Radio Shack Pro 2067 which has the discriminator tap for the trunk control channel decoding. As far as antennas goes I am an apartment dweller so I am limited to what I can use. I do have a Diamond RH77CA which I use when doing range scans, great antenna for VHF/UHF but the 800/900 which it is suppose to receive as well is lousy. I have the the Max Systems 800/900 antenna which I must say is a great portable antenna for high band stuff. I also have one of those cheapo Radio Shack "stubby" antenna which I use when I want to hear stuff in the vicinity I am in, which I use a lot if I am scanning in downtown Dallas or at a retail plaza. I also use a cheapo Radio Shack mag mount antenna on the balcony for the antenna for the scanner feed and I also have a Wilson 1000 CB antenna which most of the time is hooked up to a CB but I use it also on my scanner for VHF low band scanning when there is skip down in that range.

Matt

 

[Firetxmi]

Very good! Thank you!

Did you catch the band opening late last night?

I was catching Marshall County OK Sheriff (which was interesting since it sounded like an officer was being assaulted), Boyd FD, Mineral Wells (possibly DPS or County Sheriff), and various others freqs. that I am trying to identify as we speak.

All from West Plano area.

 

[mbstone99]

Dx

Very good! Thank you!

Did you catch the band opening late last night?

I was catching Marshall County OK Sheriff (which was interesting since it sounded like an officer was being assaulted), Boyd FD, Mineral Wells (possibly DPS or County Sheriff), and various others freqs. that I am trying to identify as we speak.

All from West Plano area.

I did catch the tail end of the opening last night. I was at the in laws out in Rockwall until the late evening. It seems that is the case a lot of the time that when there is an opening. LOL. I did notice that there was quite a few non local stations still in action when I got home. I would be interested to see what you got last night. Where abouts in West Plano are you? I am around Windhaven & the Tollway area.

Matt

 

[Firetxmi]

I go between Windhaven and the Tollway area and Park and Preston area.

For last night I got:

159.2100 PL 141.3- Mineral Wells DPS
154.7750 PL 173.8- Marshall County OK Sheriff
155.3100 PL 77.0 Unknown
159.1500 PL 127.3 Unknown
158.7900 PL 114.8 Duncanville PD (thanks to your site)
155.6700 PL 151.4 Dallas County SO (again, thanks to your site)
154.4450 PL 131.8 Boyd Fire Dept.
154.1000 PL 88.5 Unknown
155.1300 PL 173.8 Unknown Oklahoma PD station (I suspect near OKC)
I also received a station near White Oak, TX but couldn't catch the freq. in time.

The two furthest received stations were the one from White oak and 155.1300 (the reason I count this as the furthest is because the listings for OK- which I am sure it is from Oklahoma- on the FCC website are all listings around OKC).

This was my first band opening to ever catch so needless to say I was really excited!

 

[mbstone99]

Skip

I go between Windhaven and the Tollway area and Park and Preston area.

For last night I got:

159.2100 PL 141.3- Mineral Wells DPS
154.7750 PL 173.8- Marshall County OK Sheriff
155.3100 PL 77.0 Unknown
159.1500 PL 127.3 Unknown
158.7900 PL 114.8 Duncanville PD (thanks to your site)
155.6700 PL 151.4 Dallas County SO (again, thanks to your site)
154.4450 PL 131.8 Boyd Fire Dept.
154.1000 PL 88.5 Unknown
155.1300 PL 173.8 Unknown Oklahoma PD station (I suspect near OKC)
I also received a station near White Oak, TX but couldn't catch the freq. in time.

The two furthest received stations were the one from White oak and 155.1300 (the reason I count this as the furthest is because the listings for OK- which I am sure it is from Oklahoma- on the FCC website are all listings around OKC).

This was my first band opening to ever catch so needless to say I was really excited!

Skip is very exciting to listen to for sure! Not too bad at all. The VHF and UHF bands are great for skip as well as the 800Mhz band. If you watch the CB band and when there is a lot of stations skipping in that is a great time to check out the 30-50Mhz band. When the conditions are right you will might hear stuff coming in from a over 1000 miles away. I remember years ago when I was still living in Canada hearing stuff coming as far away as California in the VHF lowband, some 2000 miles away or so. I would love to see that kind of skip come back.

I checked the database on RR.. which I will admit it is well worth donating on here just for the ability to search the database. Anyways here are some of the possibilities for your unknowns.

155.3100 PL 77.0 Azle Police (Tarrant Co)
159.1500 PL 127.3 Electra Police (Witchita Co)
154.1000 PL 88.5 Crowley Police (Tarrant Co)
155.1300 PL 173.8 Cooke County Sheriff

Matt

 

[Firetxmi]

Awesome. Thanks for checking the D.B.

I hope to be able to donate after I graduate from college and get a job in December... But as of right now- well, you know how the saying goes, "poor college student."

It was interesting because all the PD Officers were complaining about the "Bleeding" and "Skip" to dispatch- especially the ones in Oklahoma.

 

[mbstone99]

Skip

Awesome. Thanks for checking the D.B.

I hope to be able to donate after I graduate from college and get a job in December... But as of right now- well, you know how the saying goes, "poor college student."

It was interesting because all the PD Officers were complaining about the "Bleeding" and "Skip" to dispatch- especially the ones in Oklahoma.

Not a problem.. any other ones that you are not sure of or want me to check just let me know.

Matt