State Police Using VHF Low Band?

[jimlawrence]

Every summer, I enjoy chasing VHF low bank skip. Which state police around the U.S. are still using VHF low band?
California?
Tennessee?
North Carolina?
Mississippi?
Any others?

Also, if your local or county PDs are using low band, please list them as well.

Thanks!

--Jim

 

[ka3jjz]

In spite of a slow migration to a statewide 700 Mhz system, Maryland's State Police still have an extensive 39 Mhz system - all simplex, though, but when the skip is rolling, it's certainly possible at distances much further afoot...Mike

 

[reconrider8]

Jim what range do you search when you are looking for skip in the low band range?

 

[SCPD]

Oklahoma still has low band in use.

 

[GB1952]

NC still using low band 42 mhz

 

[ka3jjz]

Jim what range do you search when you are looking for skip in the low band range?

I'm not Jim, but I've done some Lo band skip chasing, so allow me to throw out some general ideas and comments...

Lo band skip can happen under many circumstances, but one of the most spectacular is when there's a lot of solar activity. The same conditions that make 50 Mhz cross country contacts possible for us hams may cause the same conditions on lower frequencies in the VHF spectrum.

As an example, several years ago, when we were at the last solar peak, I could easily hear the CHIP officers (yes, California) on an old Regency handheld using a 6 meter mag mount in my car on many afternoons. The 'interference' was so strong, that at least 1 Maryland State Police barracks had to shift frequencies to escape it. You could easily tell it was California - the time checks were all off 3 or 4 hours, and the roads didn't correspond to any addresses in Maryland.

There are several other conditions - many weather-related - that can also cause such conditions, although not to that extreme extent. We have several articles on that subject linked in our wiki here...

DXing Above 30 Mhz - The RadioReference Wiki

Don't be turned off by discussions of FM broadcast or 6 meter amateur DX. The exact same conditions that can (and often do, if it's strong enough) cause FM broadcasters (or 6 meter ham) transmissions to travel much further than one would ordinarily think possible are the same for public service transmissions in the 40 Mhz range. The range of frequencies impacted can be tricky to predict, and is a subject of extensive study by hams and many others.

Mike

 

[reconrider8]

Laird Tech CW37 - $69.95 : The Antenna Farm :: , Your Two Way Radio Source! would something like that antenna run with the skip pretty good?

 

[KB1UAM]

I know for a fact Massachusetts still usess low band on 42.46 and also 42.500 for secondary comms.

 

[n4yek]

Tennessee still uses Low Band but are in the process of upgrading to a state trunk system.

 

[doburnside]

West Virginia

 

[KJ6ZNS]

California Highway Patrol is still on VHF Low. Quite a few frequencies have changed though, so check the DB for current info.

 

[Stephen]

I live in Texas, and there is not much VHF Low in my area. Just curious though what kind of radios are they using for low band these days when it comes to manufacturer or model?

 

[bama9999]

MHP, especially in the northern part of the state, still uses low band VHF. I think most of the rest have made the switch to the MSWIN system. Some Sheriff Dept's still run VHF low for car to car comms as well.

 

[nd5y]

...Just curious though what kind of radios are they using for low band these days when it comes to manufacturer or model?

Here are a few low band radios:
Midland Radio - Midland Radio | Communication Solutions For Your World
Vertex Standard | VX-6000
Kenwood - TK-690-790-890

 

[902]

Missouri is also still using Low Band, but is phasing in a VHF and 700 MHz trunked radio system.

Also, keep your ears open for the 33 MHz and 46 MHz fire frequencies, still pretty well used in the Northeast. These are my favorites; once upon a time not so long ago, you could drive across all of Pennsylvania with each of the frequencies programmed into scan and listen to just about everywhere.

 

[Stephen]

Thanks Tom for the information. I was not sure if departments were still fixing the old Syntors and Maxtracs or if something more modern had come out.

 

[ka3jjz]

Laird Tech CW37 - $69.95 : The Antenna Farm :: , Your Two Way Radio Source! would something like that antenna run with the skip pretty good?

Looks OK, although above and below that freq range, the antenna would likely suffer a bit from going beyond its rated range, but not so much that you would notice it in a receive only application

Get it up as high as you can on the vehicle, mount it firmly and you should be good to go...Mike

 

[KB7MIB]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; U; en-US) Gecko/20081217 Vision-Browser/8.1 301x200 LG VN530)

30.8600-31.9800 Parks & Forests
33.0200-33.1000 EMS, Highway Crews, Special Emergency
33.4200-33.9800 Fire
37.0200-37.4200 Local Gov, Police
37.9000-37.9800 EMS, Highway Crews, Special Emergency
39.0200-39.9800 Police, Local Gov

 

[KB7MIB]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; U; en-US) Gecko/20081217 Vision-Browser/8.1 301x200 LG VN530)

42.0200-42.9400 State Police
44.6200-46.5800 Parks & Forests, Fire, Local Gov, EMS, Police, Highway Crews, Special Emergency
Nowadays, almost any public safety/local gov agency can license in any of those bands. It's no longer allocated as above.