State Fair

[n4jri]

Here's some info from the Virginia State Fair, at Meadow Farm next to Kings Dominion

All internal public safety is via the STARS trailer. Police service by VSP and Fire/EMS by a contractor, Emergency Training Services, Inc.(ETS). STARS trailer CC is 868.925 (set as P25 Auto) and all are using TG 6162.

All traffic control is VSP on STARS using TG 0096 Richmond 3.

Four simplex freqs in use by Fair personnel

451.3375 [d411] Parking/Gates
451.4375 [d411] poss. maintenance/engineering
451.5375 [d411] sounds like interdepartment
451.6375 [d411] poss. supervisory

FCC DB for Caroline shows 4 more UHF simplex freqs licensed.

Other parties:
151.865 [203.5] - discussed a loss of waterflow.
153.410 [d047] - mention of candy bags and apple trays
152.885 [CSQ] - most likely Deggeller (Midway)
151.760 [CSQ] - most likely Deggeller (Midway)
464.550 [67.0] - NFM, use unknown. Also in use at Kings Domonion with 118.8 tone
464.9625 [131.8] - unknown - spectrum sweeper hit
158.4525 [d412] - unknown
159.600 [d073] - Anytime Towing
467.6375 [d115] - unknown
464.325 [d546] - RMC Events (security, pedestrian traffic)

Not as radio-intensive as previous fairs, but very organized and very regulated ingress/egress.

As of Sunday, most livestock had not yet arrived. Maybe someone will pick up some more traffic as fair activities pick up.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[shumadine]

Allen (and others),

Pardon the dumb question, but can I assume that the control channels posted on the RR Database are obtained from whatever we the readers find, like you did yesterday? I really don't search much and rely instead on the database for programming. Had I had my scanner at the Fair yesterday and not known about this post, I guess I would have missed all VSP traffic from not having 868.925 programmed in as a control channel....

So did you just do a limit search between 866-869 mhz. and listen for a data channel? Is it that simple?

(and same for 151-153 and 158-161 mhz for the other towers' control channels?)

Thanks....

 

[n4jri]

Allen (and others),

Pardon the dumb question, but can I assume that the control channels posted on the RR Database are obtained from whatever we the readers find, like you did yesterday? I really don't search much and rely instead on the database for programming. Had I had my scanner at the Fair yesterday and not known about this post, I guess I would have missed all VSP traffic from not having 868.925 programmed in as a control channel....

So did you just do a limit search between 866-869 mhz. and listen for a data channel? Is it that simple?

(and same for 151-153 and 158-161 mhz for the other towers' control channels?)

Thanks....

EXACTLY that simple. The database is really good, but STARS keeps changing. The database freqs for the trailer were gotten from incidents in Div.5. Freqs in use at the Fair are actually licensed in Div.1, but are temporary and subject to rebanding. So there are no guarantees for next time. I searched 851-869 just in case they had been rebanded.

If anybody could get by there, it might be fun to see what Pro96com would show on the trailer's CC.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[BoxAlarm187]

Also note that Hanover Tac 20 and Caroline F/R Tac-2 are patched for the duration of the event.

ETS is contracted for fire & EMS, using folks who've provided fire/EMS the state fair in the past to staff their vehicles. They're using 2 ETS owned ambulances and a privately owned attack pumper which once belonged to Henrico Fire.

Thanks for the additional information, Allen.

 

[dtscho]

What is Caroline F/R Tac 2? I know 154.3850 is Channel 1, and 154.9650 is Channel 3, but I've never seen a Tac 2.

Thanks for all the freqs, Allen. I'm going to try to make it down there sometime this weekend.

Dave

 

[BoxAlarm187]

What is Caroline F/R Tac 2? I know 154.3850 is Channel 1, and 154.9650 is Channel 3, but I've never seen a Tac 2.

I'll see what I can find out, information came from a source within Hanover.

 

[KD4KNR]

It might be one of the newer simplex channels added a couple years ago. I believe it is named something like "special events 1 and 2. " I've never heard of just "tac 2"

Steve

 

[n4jri]

Also note that Hanover Tac 20 and Caroline F/R Tac-2 are patched for the duration of the event.

ETS is contracted for fire & EMS, using folks who've provided fire/EMS the state fair in the past to staff their vehicles. They're using 2 ETS owned ambulances and a privately owned attack pumper which once belonged to Henrico Fire.

Thanks for the additional information, Allen.

And each agency has a trailer on the grounds. Caroline's is labelled it's "Mass Casualty Unit" and is parked by the ETS HQ. The Hanover trailed is parked by a a large blue tent near the parking area.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[dtscho]

Allen,

You mentioned the control channel for the STARS trailer is 868.9250. Is this simply a new frequency for the STARS mobile site (site 1-020 in RRDB)? Or were you seeing a different site number for this control channel?

If 868.9250 is part of site 1-020, I'll guess I'll have to add that to the database...

Thanks,
Dave

 

[trainman111]

I'm going to try to make my way up there this weekend to see if I can help with this puzzle. I was up there last weekend but didn't have much time for scanning, however, IIRC, the STARS trailer wasn't broadcasting 1-020 as its site ID. I could be wrong on that, but I remember saying 'huh, interesting' to myself.

 

[n4jri]

Allen,

You mentioned the control channel for the STARS trailer is 868.9250. Is this simply a new frequency for the STARS mobile site (site 1-020 in RRDB)? Or were you seeing a different site number for this control channel?

If 868.9250 is part of site 1-020, I'll guess I'll have to add that to the database...

Thanks,
Dave

Pro96com shows Site 120 (T0114), and callsign WQFZ347. Look up the license and you'll see why the frequencies are different. Location 7 is the temporary base for Division 1 and location 15 is the temp base for Division 5. I think you'll recognize the frequencies. You may also find some of the attached correspondence interesting. Bottom line: Even though there is a smorgabord of freqs even for the trailer, they could all be different after the license expires in two weeks, or after rebanding. BTW, the CC showed only one table, "00" which was 800 MHz.

Also watch 153.1625 [d205] when near Kings Dominion. I heard it at Virginia Travel Plaza, where I was picking up nothing simplex from the Fair. I don't think it's Fair-related.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[dtscho]

Pro96com shows Site 120 (T0114), and callsign WQFZ347. Look up the license and you'll see why the frequencies are different. Location 7 is the temporary base for Division 1 and location 15 is the temp base for Division 5. I think you'll recognize the frequencies. You may also find some of the attached correspondence interesting. Bottom line: Even though there is a smorgabord of freqs even for the trailer, they could all be different after the license expires in two weeks, or after rebanding. BTW, the CC showed only one table, "00" which was 800 MHz.

Also watch 153.1625 [d205] when near Kings Dominion. I heard it at Virginia Travel Plaza, where I was picking up nothing simplex from the Fair. I don't think it's Fair-related.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

I received 153.1600 [ d205] at both the 2005 and 2006 Fairs. I have it listed as Food/Concessions.

Dave

 

[n4jri]

I received 153.1600 [ d205] at both the 2005 and 2006 Fairs. I have it listed as Food/Concessions.

Dave

Hmmm...maybe I should pay them another visit since my STARS goals up in NOVA are meeting with such dismal failure. Last Sunday, I went before the livestock arrives. This weekend I can go after it's left. Sometimes life is just out of sync...

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[dtscho]

Here's what I found at the Fair on Saturday/Sunday (copied from my website):

Virginia State Police used talkgroup 96 (Richmond 3) on STARS for traffic control/parking. VSP and medical teams primarily used talkgroup 6162 for internal operations. Talkgroup 6163 was also used, and was identified as "Channel 2." These talkgroups originated from the "STARS trailer" mobile system on-site. The control channel for this low-power system was 868.9250.

155.2200 [ d546] Caroline Fire/Rescue?
451.3375 [ d411] Parking
451.4375 [ d411] Engineering/Electrical
451.5375 [ d411] Administration
451.6375 [ d411] Guest Services Golf Carts
452.3125 [ d411] Parking Lot Trams
452.4125 [ d411] Beverages/Beer
464.3250 [ d546] RMC Events
464.9625 [131.8] (same frequency/tone used at 2009 Maryland State Fair for parking)

Dave

 

[n4jri]

464.9625 [131.8] (same frequency/tone used at 2009 Maryland State Fair for parking)

Dave

An article in Tuesday's Richmond Times-Dispatch states that the Fair contracts Standard Parking for its parking management. A Bing search produced this link:

Standard Parking

No mention of Virginia or Maryland state fairs, but who knows...

73/Allen (N4JRI)