Snow Jobs

[Mark]

Since I'm stuck inside with all the snow figured I would do some freq searches for M-DOT plows etc..
So far have come up with

453.6000 weak but readable talking about using Blue Salt,prob Baltimore area.

151.0400 Sounds like MD Highway responding to accidents on I-95?

Any others out there on standard VHF/UHF?

Mark
Northeast Maryland

 

[Dispatcher308]

Mark,
453.600 is Baltimore City plows it is patched with the City's 800mhz system.

151.040 is SHA Frequency for I-95 bet 62mm and the 109mm

 

[ka3jjz]

Since I'm stuck inside with all the snow figured I would do some freq searches for M-DOT plows etc..
So far have come up with

453.6000 weak but readable talking about using Blue Salt,prob Baltimore area.

151.0400 Sounds like MD Highway responding to accidents on I-95?

Any others out there on standard VHF/UHF?

Mark
Northeast Maryland

Mark, the State Highway Admin would be running salt trucks and such on the major highways, as well as some plows (though I think the state mostly uses private contractors). Anyway, the 47 mhz SHA system - which, by the way is almost entirely a simplex matter, so you need a pretty decent antenna to hear them - is laid out here:

http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&aid=606

Now, as for Harford, it's an interesting question seeing as the new TRS is in something of a hold status...here's what I have for Harford and Cecil counties (need updates, of course)...

Cecil county 39.90
- Northeast maintenance 37.10

Harford county 37.94 and 37.96
- Aberdeen pub works 153.86 [127.3]
- Belair pub works 155.145
- Havre deGrace utility? 451.05

and I think Baltimore county's plows are on one of their TRSs.

Updates welcome. 73s Mike

 

[TinEar]

I have an additional frequency for BWI airport snow plows. They are using their normal freq of 154.98 and also today 156.195. Both freqs have a PL tone of 123.0.

Ft Meade snow plows are working TG944 on their system.
Prince George's County is using 155.94 as is normal.
Anne Arundel County plows on their TG5136.

 

[scansomd]

Saint Mary's county road crews - 156.18 MHz (Repeater).

NAS Patuxent River MD flight line crews 138.975 MHz

 

[TinEar]

Add City of Laurel plows on their DPW freq 453.375, PL 146.2
PG County also using 159.18, their DPW freq for plows.

 

[doctordave]

RE: Balt Co Plows......on the public safety trunked system, Tg 40240 is "Highways" - worth keeping in....good spot to catch major updates on road closures, etc...also a TG for PD/FD to speak directly w/ Balt Co road crews. As for more routine comms of plows, perhaps they use TGs on the non-public safety Balt Co trunked system?

 

[doctordave]

Reception on SHA F-1 is particularly good....far better than on other SHA freqs. From Northern Balt Co, I can very clearly hear the Chestertown shop & other distant shops.....wonder if this particular freq is repeated....or maybe some shops have multiple towers that they can select/deselect (much like MSP barracks)?

 

[ka3jjz]

Great updates, all. Tinear, I'm hearing 156.195; it seems to be a simplex channel, much like 154.98. Interesting, too, that they're using a freq which is in a splinter between marine channels 63A and 5A.

Keep em coming. When this is all over I'll update the snowplows text file that is posted in the various Yahoo groups. If there's interest, I'll post it here as well.

73s Mike

 

[TinEar]

Right Mike, definitely simplex on 156.195. From what I've heard, it seems that group is doing the taxiways and the 154.98 group is doing the runways. They also mentioned a snow melter just showed up. I'd like to see that in action.

The de-icing freq at Signature is active again on 130.175. Funny that I can hear all the aircraft on that freq using the normal AM mode but the de-icing controller almost sounds like he's using FM. He's very difficult to copy but the aircraft don't seem to be having trouble copying him. I would guess he uses very low power.

Talbot County is using their TG560 on the UESC for plowing.
Baltimore City with scads of talkgroups in the 3xxx range doing plowing as is normal for them.

Police and fire departments all over the area reporting "departmentals." I wonder who first coined that euphemism. It's a nice cover though.

Dave, I put that 47.32 freq on (I'm assuming that's the one you meant) after you posted your message and haven't heard a peep from my location.

 

[Spleen]

http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&action=isf&stcd=MD&freq=151.040

So, it IS SHA, just repeating the MSP Barrack M txmissions...better signal here than the 39.24 MHz source, anyway.

I doubt the highway guys are on the lookout for #1 males, etc., as I'm hearing now, but you never know. :wink:

 

[MCMD5]

Montgomery County were using 453.950 and 453.400 for county crews.

 

[doctordave]

Spleen, Yep, 151.04 is output for both MSP "M" and SHA on the "highway." Since keeping I-95 traffic flowing is such a huge priority, there is just this sort of communication coordination arrangement....very unique in Maryland, as far as MSP goes. You'll also note that many "M" cars have push-bumpers for nudging disabled vehicles out of travel lanes, to go along w/ this theme.

Tin Ear, 47.32 has quieted down significantly in the late afternoon. Nice thing about this statewide SHA freq is that you get major updates, such as where snow emerg plans are starting/ending, as well as major corridor closure info. Certainly nowhere near as busy as the individual district freqs. Interesting to note the better scanner reception range for copying the SHA trucks vs MSP cars. Something to be said for having the base of your mobile antenna elevated about 9 feet in the air, vs 2.5 feet on the cars.


Dave

 

[TinEar]

NSA parking lots being plowed using 410.025, PL 82.5. This is a known freq.
Noticed the plows on the Ft Meade net (TG944) mentioning they were going to help out in the NSA area but needed their badges before they could enter the parking lots. Hmmm. The NSA crew also has a "melter" they've brought in. No mountains of snow in the lots for them.

The airport has maintained fairly normal operations throughout. They closed for a very short time for runway clearing. The de-icing operation is causing slowdowns for departures and arrivals are a bit stacked waiting for gates but they are keeping close to schedules. Many flights are terminating here that were originally scheduled to depart for other places. Stacked up baggage is causing problems in the Southwest areas. They have a small army of plows, sweepers and melters operating at the airport today which has kept things close to normal as could be expected.

UESC Talkgroup 1552 used for roads/plowing. Not sure which county it belongs to.

 

[ka3jjz]

NSA parking lots being plowed using 410.025, PL 82.5. This is a known freq.
Noticed the plows on the Ft Meade net (TG944) mentioning they were going to help out in the NSA area but needed their badges before they could enter the parking lots. Hmmm. The NSA crew also has a "melter" they've brought in. No mountains of snow in the lots for them.

The airport has maintained fairly normal operations throughout. They closed for a very short time for runway clearing. The de-icing operation is causing slowdowns for departures and arrivals are a bit stacked waiting for gates but they are keeping close to schedules. Many flights are terminating here that were originally scheduled to depart for other places. Stacked up baggage is causing problems in the Southwest areas. They have a small army of plows, sweepers and melters operating at the airport today which has kept things close to normal as could be expected.

UESC Talkgroup 1552 used for roads/plowing. Not sure which county it belongs to.

Al, somewhere in the back of my mind, I seem to recall that the NSA freq for the contractors was encrypted. Now it's in the clear? That's a significant change if true. 73s Mike

 

[TinEar]

Yes, they have been in the clear for as long as I've had them programmed - which has only been the past few months. I submitted a couple of freqs I identified as being from Ft. Meade (409.375 and 417.60) yesterday and they have been listed under a Ft. Meade heading. I just sent a note to Eric correcting that info since I've been listening to those snow plows simulcasting on 409.375 and 410.025 which ties them all together. I believe the four freqs are 408.65 for the NSA Police which is encrypted and the other three freqs are in the clear, all use PL 82.5, and are for contractors and uncleared support staff that work within the huge complex of buildings. All four of the freqs transmit the Morse identifier DOD FMEADE.

 

[ka3jjz]

Yes, they have been in the clear for as long as I've had them programmed - which has only been the past few months. I submitted a couple of freqs I identified as being from Ft. Meade (409.375 and 417.60) yesterday and they have been listed under a Ft. Meade heading. I just sent a note to Eric correcting that info since I've been listening to those snow plows simulcasting on 409.375 and 410.025 which ties them all together. I believe the four freqs are 408.65 for the NSA Police which is encrypted and the other three freqs are in the clear, all use PL 82.5, and are for contractors and uncleared support staff that work within the huge complex of buildings. All four of the freqs transmit the Morse identifier DOD FMEADE.

Ah, OK thanx for the fix

Another one to add to the snow list - the MTA Garage/courtesy van freq of 453.1375 [123.0] has also had some snowplow traffic, relating mostly to plowing the roads leading to/from the various parking lots. One comment from the dispatcher had to make you laugh a bit 'drop your blade before you drop your sand'.....duh.....73s Mike

 

[Dispatcher308]

Hey Tin DPW for Harford County will remain on there Low Band Frequencies and will not migrate to the New system. I know that there is a TG assigned for them but it will either be a patch set-up or it will be at the County Highways Shop for their Dispatcher.

 

[ka3jjz]

Montgomery County were using 453.950 and 453.400 for county crews.

They're not on the county digital system? I think they do have tgs assigned for them. 73s Mike

 

[ScanManQSL]

Public Works & Transportation

Montgomery County were using 453.950 and 453.400 for county crews.

They're not on the county digital system? I think they do have tgs assigned for them. 73s Mike

There right here under the Public Works & Transportation - Highway Maintenance Talkgroups under the Montgomery County System