This is the easiest way to find the contractors. During Beryl here in Houston the crews were all on their own radios, with supervisors coordinating with Centerpoint. VHF and UHF simplex in the business bands are where these traveling crews are probably talking.
This is the easiest way to find the contractors. During Beryl here in Houston the crews were all on their own radios, with supervisors coordinating with Centerpoint. VHF and UHF simplex in the business bands are where these traveling crews are probably talking.
Hydro One was on their way down. You can check these frequencies although they tend to use cellphones for most stuff:
Hydro One (Ontario) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference
Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference for Hydro One (Ontario)
www.radioreference.com
CanesFan95
Analog already is interoperable.
TECO site 2's been running fine here in Tampa. For a while, my Unication was flashing SITE TRUNKING, but not anymore.
For those who are upset about SARNet being "taken over by power hungry authoritarian state guys", SARNet antennas are on FDOT towers with the repeaters and backhaul systems being managed usually by clubs and a few individuals. During times of emergency and on every Wednesday at 1300, the state activates a controlled net. The Wednesday check in is so the state EOC, local EOC's, and various teams from the ESF2 and ESF 4/9 desks can check the functionality of the system as well as their equipment to ensure it is in a constant state of readiness. The times it is activated during a state of emergency, it is there so that State and local EOC's can communicate with emergency shelters. While inconvenient to HAMs it is important to keep these lines of communication open in case of an emergency. I don't recall which year, storm, and county; however during and after one storm, said county lost all communication capabilities with the exception of SARNet. The HAM operators at the local EOC and shelters used this to communicate needs amongst themselves and to the state until MARC teams and the State Com-U could get in place and get coms back up. So while it may be inconvenient for some of us/you, just think if you were in a shelter with no other ability to communicate, and you or your loved one was having a life threatening emergency, what would be more important? A 10 or 20 minute rag chew between a couple of people or saving a life? For what it is worth, I work for a local agency, I am on a MARC (mutual aid radio communications) Team, I am a HAM (newer), and we monitor SARNet religiously during these events so that we can get help to those in the communities throughout the state. We provide coms to the Search and Rescue teams that are out searching for victims. So please, I am very humbly asking those who are upset about it, to again, please think of those lives which might be saved by having this open source of communication. It can truly mean life or death in many instances. During Milton, I heard a gentleman call out a tornado that touched down across the street from him. They lost communication but he was able to get his location and local services were dispatched to him. I don't know his status, but I do know that had people been in a rag chew session he may very well not have been able to communicate the emergency. So again please be patient and kind to us. We aren't trying to flex muscles or exercise control and authority and force people into submission; we are trying to prevent the loss of life. I promise, as soon as it is possible they will end the net and open it back up for everyone's use.
This was taken by a member of MARC 5 while providing temporary emergency communications for a county post Idalia.
This was taken by a member of MARC 5 while providing temporary emergency communications for a county post Idalia.
I was monitoring SARNet as part of my job, and I know for fact that they were calling out Tornado touch downs and warnings during Milton. I heard a citizen call out his location and that one had touched down across the street from him when coms were lost. I know that Fire/Rescue was dispatched to him. I don't know the gentleman's status but I hope that he is okay. Please understand that a controlled net is only put in place during a state of emergency to help prevent the loss of life and on Wednesdays at 1300 (for check in). As soon as the emergency is over the state will end the net. Thank you
I’m going to chime in for the last time on SarNet. This is an amazing system. It is hosted by the state, powered by volunteers and is provided resources (tower spots and power) that cost a fortune in the real world.
I think the beef here is that the cat calls/noises, innuendo, etc. that occurs during true times of emergency don’t get the attention of the network to locate and stop this nonsense.
Ham radio has evolved. I’d much rather see a network with some type of user authentication (old days it was MDC) than some free for all where any dummy with a BaeoFung can interfere with valid emergency comms. This reminds me of the old guard in the 1980s who adamantly did not accept “PL” for ham repeaters. I think most hammy hams don’t realize they are keying up the entire state when they say “K4XYZ. Radio check”.
End of day, SarNet should look into some kind of authentication system that precludes moronic behavior. Why? Because if I was a mucky-muck in FL politics and was sitting at the Tallahassee EOC with the Governor and some person started the fart machine or yelling racist crap over the entire state, I’d be embarrassed.
/end of line
I think the beef here is that the cat calls/noises, innuendo, etc. that occurs during true times of emergency don’t get the attention of the network to locate and stop this nonsense.
Ham radio has evolved. I’d much rather see a network with some type of user authentication (old days it was MDC) than some free for all where any dummy with a BaeoFung can interfere with valid emergency comms. This reminds me of the old guard in the 1980s who adamantly did not accept “PL” for ham repeaters. I think most hammy hams don’t realize they are keying up the entire state when they say “K4XYZ. Radio check”.
End of day, SarNet should look into some kind of authentication system that precludes moronic behavior. Why? Because if I was a mucky-muck in FL politics and was sitting at the Tallahassee EOC with the Governor and some person started the fart machine or yelling racist crap over the entire state, I’d be embarrassed.
/end of line
Last edited:
MTS2000des
5B2_BEE00 Czar
Not to mention, when ungrateful and entitled hams piss and moan about gov's using ham in situations like this, or moaning about their FREE RENT, utilities, support...these crybaby hams can always contact American Tower, Crown-Castle, SBA, or local RF slumlord and BRING MONEY WITH YOU to the tune of THOUSANDS A MONTH, not to mention jump through hoops, to put their equipment of commercial sites. It is a PRIVILEGE not a right to exist on GOV sites. Behave accordingly or, as my late Mother used to tell me, when you're rude to the supplier, the supply ends.
I have a new goal in life...
Considering that Florida DOT is improperly using its Part 101 license by allowing 3rd party traffic on it when it is licensed for "Private Internal Communications", they should move the Part 97 gear off, replace it with Part 90 DMR equipment and register users through DOT and the respective County EOC's with a license agreement. Slot 1 could be utilized between EOC's and Slot 2 can be utilized by the registered users and monitored by the State EOC.
See page 3 - https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/re...er?applType=search&op=RefCopy&applId=13114558
See page 3 - https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/re...er?applType=search&op=RefCopy&applId=13114558
I agree Mark and when I had the job for a few years to PM all those DOT sites (old Turnpike UHF Kenwood system), I never understood why Sarnet was thought of/created in the way that it was considering no one was utilizing the existing multicast UHF system and those freqs could have gone to another mode like you said DMR and then vet users on the system for EMCOM etc. I even recall them talking about ordering new analog radios for that old UHF system but never got off the ground to do so. I guess the use case for the old UHF pairs are still for DOT road guys to use but I never heard any traffic just a radio check once in a while or when I was sweeping antenna lines for replacement we would do tests. Oh well...
sounds similar to the FDOT low band system. in 25+ years of monitoring, the only thing I have >EVER< heard on that system are radio checks.