Treasury Common PL Tone

[Joseph11]

I originally posted this question in the NY forum, but I am also posting here because the frequency I need the PL tone for is a federal frequency and is used nationwide. The frequency is 166.4625 MHz. I've seen PL tones 100.0 Hz, 103.5 Hz, and 167.9 Hz listed for this, but I don't know which one is correct. I've been monitoring the frequency but haven't heard anything on it, so that is why I am posting here. I am aware that P25 is also used on it, but I do not own a digital scanner. Please post if you know the correct PL tone.

BTW, if anyone knows the PL used by US Customs on 169.4500 MHz and if the proper output frequency for the Organized Crime Task Force (OCDETF) is 164.5500 MHz or 168.8625 MHz, please post also. Thanks.

 

[tom_guess]

This seems like a good place to post a question that has been nagging me about PL tones.

Why is there such an interest in knowing/using them. Unless you have a nearby signal from another source that you don't want reception of, you're not hearing what is broadcast on a specific frequency.

I haven't bought a new scanner in years. I tend to use my older ham rigs as the scanning engine for VHF/UHF frequency. My ham rigs have a PL search function. Don't new scanners have some type of PL search to them? Seems like if they did, it would answer the question of what PL tones are used.

 

[Joseph11]

I often travel up to NYC area and listen to my scanner up there. I live 70 mi. south of NYC and can't get much radio stuff from up there unless there's tropospheric ducting.

 

[Russell]

Aside from blocking unwanted signals searching for or using the correct PL is part of the fun. It also helps ensure that you are monitoring who you think you're monitoring. In this case 166.4625 being a Treasury common you might be able to figure out that 167.9 is probably FBI, 100.0 might be INS (now BICE), and 103.5 is ??? Agencies typically stick with the same tone, so it could help you identify a user on a new freq. I would put all three in if you have the room.

 

[Larry51]

OCDETF Freqs

I believe 164.5500 is the simplex and repeater output with 168.8625 being the input frequency.

 

[Joseph11]

That's what I thought, but on one site I saw 168.8625 MHz listed as the output and 164.5500 MHz listed as the input and simplex. You're probably right. Thanks.

 

[maalox]

That's what I thought, but on one site I saw 168.8625 MHz listed as the output and 164.5500 MHz listed as the input and simplex. You're probably right. Thanks.

hi .what kind of scanners do you have?

 

[Joseph11]

PRO-92 and BC 175XL.

 

[gewecke]

Re;pl tones...

I originally posted this question in the NY forum, but I am also posting here because the frequency I need the PL tone for is a federal frequency and is used nationwide. The frequency is 166.4625 MHz. I've seen PL tones 100.0 Hz, 103.5 Hz, and 167.9 Hz listed for this, but I don't know which one is correct. I've been monitoring the frequency but haven't heard anything on it, so that is why I am posting here. I am aware that P25 is also used on it, but I do not own a digital scanner. Please post if you know the correct PL tone.

BTW, if anyone knows the PL used by US Customs on 169.4500 MHz and if the proper output frequency for the Organized Crime Task Force (OCDETF) is 164.5500 MHz or 168.8625 MHz, please post also. Thanks.

You probably already know that varios tones are used depending on which agency
is on air,but I can tell you that 167.9 is used for most FBI traffic.

 

[tom_guess]

I would have never thought that all the government agencies would comingle their frequencies the way its described above. I thought the government allocation table for the different agencies was pretty specific on who had what specific frequency.

 

[Joseph11]

I got a reply in the topic I posted in the NY forum.

 

[kb2vxa]

Hi all,

Sorry if I fail to understand the need to program a PL tone. Even shared frequencies are pretty much agnecy exclusive in a given area, the Postal Service in Baltimore may share with Customs in New York but I've never heard of sharing in the same city. Think of the lost communications if two agencies with different tones operated that way. If the wrong signal captures the receiver the squelch won't open even if the correct one is under it.

 

[W4KRR]

BTW, if anyone knows the PL used by US Customs on 169.4500 MHz

I can tell you that here in South Florida, the tone used with 169.450 is 100.0 hz.

 

[W4KRR]

Hi all,
Sorry if I fail to understand the need to program a PL tone.

I always program the PL tone into my scanners' conventional frequencies. Another reason besides those already mentioned is the elimination of interference. In my area, there are a few frequencies that I could not otherwise monitor due to the scan constantly stopping on them due to noise and other interference. The use of the PL tone insures that I can scan them knowing the scan will only stop on them if there is an actual transmission on them, not noise or interference.

 

[10-95]

The PL usually depends on the agencys involved in an operation. I can tell you that in the older FBI channel schemes radios would have T-COMM programmmed in several channels with different PL's so they could flip to specific memory channels and interact with sepcific agencys. Later radios offered selectable PL option and the entire spread of the 6 or so PL's were stored in the radio's selectable PL menu to be called up on the fly. I beleive I still have a list from around 10 years ago that came from a good source and I'll try to find that.
I do remember 103.5 Hz being used by the U.S.S.S.

 

[10-95]

Nationwide T-COMM PL is 100.0 Hz. Other Pl's used on the frequency are :

103.5 Hz(USMS,USSS),
167.9 Hz (FBI,ATF,DOJ)
156.7 Hz (DEA)
123.0 Hz (Customs service in some areas)

 

[10-95]

165.2375/166.4375 US CUSTOMS A-1
166.4375/166.4375 US CUSTOMS A-2
164.6000/166.4875 US CUSTOMS A-6
166.4875/166.4875 US CUSTOMS A-7
165.6875/166.2250 US CUSTOMS A-8

282.425 Mhz AM mode US CUSTOMS AIR