U.S. Forest Service Channel Plans

[scottyhetzel]

What Make/Model Scanner??

It could have been an image from 152-155 Mhz

Uniden / 996xt with an antenna spectra roof mounted ...

 

[DeeBotchery]

ExSmokey...

I learned long ago that I was missing quite a bit of traffic by monitoring just the 170.55 (old Los Padres Forest forest net output frequency) and added its input of 169.9 to the line-up. I continued the practice with the new frequencies.

As you can see below, my scanner checks the output (170.4625) before the input (164.9125) yet the input still collects transmissions that the output does not. I am within 20 miles of both the Santa Ynez repeater and Goleta headquarters yet I will receive transmissions off Frazier (110.9) and Sissar (123.0) on input and not on output.

USFS LP-1 FN FRZ 170.462500 NFM CTCSS 110.9
USFS LP-1 FN SSR 170.462500 NFM CTCSS 123.0
USFS LP-1 FN LCM 170.462500 NFM CTCSS 131.8
USFS LP-1 FN ALD 170.462500 NFM CTCSS 136.5
USFS LP-1 FN BLK 170.462500 NFM CTCSS 146.2
USFS LP-1 FN TRY 170.462500 NFM CTCSS 156.7
USFS LP-1 FN PNS 170.462500 NFM CTCSS 167.9
USFS LP-1 FN SYZ 170.462500 NFM CTCSS 103.5
USFS LP-1 FN TSJ 170.462500 NFM CTCSS 100.0
USFS LP-1 FN CHW 170.462500 NFM CTCSS 107.2
USFS LP-1 FN PLW 170.462500 NFM CTCSS 114.8
USFS LP-1 FN TPQ 170.462500 NFM CTCSS 127.3
USFS LP-1 FN AND 170.462500 NFM CTCSS 141.3
USFS LP-1 FN FIG 170.462500 NFM CTCSS 151.4
USFS LP-1 FN PDR 170.462500 NFM CTCSS 162.2
USFS LP-1 FN SCZ 170.462500 NFM CTCSS 192.8
USFS LP-1 FOREST 170.462500 Auto Search
USFS LP-2 FN FRZ 164.912500 NFM CTCSS 110.9
USFS LP-2 FN SSR 164.912500 NFM CTCSS 123.0
USFS LP-2 FN LCM 164.912500 NFM CTCSS 131.8
USFS LP-2 FN ALD 164.912500 NFM CTCSS 136.5
USFS LP-2 FN BLK 164.912500 NFM CTCSS 146.2
USFS LP-2 FN TRY 164.912500 NFM CTCSS 156.7
USFS LP-2 FN PNS 164.912500 NFM CTCSS 167.9
USFS LP-2 FN SYZ 164.912500 NFM CTCSS 103.5
USFS LP-2 FN TSJ 164.912500 NFM CTCSS 100.0
USFS LP-2 FN CHW 164.912500 NFM CTCSS 107.2
USFS LP-2 FN PLW 164.912500 NFM CTCSS 114.8
USFS LP-2 FN TPQ 164.912500 NFM CTCSS 127.3
USFS LP-2 FN AND 164.912500 NFM CTCSS 141.3
USFS LP-2 FN FIG 164.912500 NFM CTCSS 151.4
USFS LP-2 FN PDR 164.912500 NFM CTCSS 162.2
USFS LP-2 FN SCZ 164.912500 NFM CTCSS 192.8
USFS LP-2 FOREST 164.912500 Auto Search
USFS LP-3 TAC-3 170.475000 Auto Search
USFS LP-4 TAC-4 172.350000 Auto Search
USFS LP-7 AN FRZ 171.550000 NFM CTCSS 110.9
USFS LP-7 AN SSR 171.550000 NFM CTCSS 123.0
USFS LP-7 AN LCM 171.550000 NFM CTCSS 131.8
USFS LP-7 AN ALD 171.550000 NFM CTCSS 136.5
USFS LP-7 AN BLK 171.550000 NFM CTCSS 146.2
USFS LP-7 AN TRY 171.550000 NFM CTCSS 156.7
USFS LP-7 AN PNS 171.550000 NFM CTCSS 167.9
USFS LP-7 AN SYZ 171.550000 NFM CTCSS 103.5
USFS LP-7 AN TSJ 171.550000 NFM CTCSS 100.0
USFS LP-7 AN CHW 171.550000 NFM CTCSS 107.2
USFS LP-7 AN PLW 171.550000 NFM CTCSS 114.8
USFS LP-7 AN TPQ 171.550000 NFM CTCSS 127.3
USFS LP-7 AN AND 171.550000 NFM CTCSS 141.3
USFS LP-7 AN FIG 171.550000 NFM CTCSS 151.4
USFS LP-7 AN PDR 171.550000 NFM CTCSS 162.2
USFS LP-7 AN SCZ 171.550000 NFM CTCSS 192.8
USFS LP-7 ADMIN 171.550000 Auto Search
USFS LP-8 AN FRZ 164.150000 NFM CTCSS 110.9
USFS LP-8 AN SSR 164.150000 NFM CTCSS 123.0
USFS LP-8 AN LCM 164.150000 NFM CTCSS 131.8
USFS LP-8 AN ALD 164.150000 NFM CTCSS 136.5
USFS LP-8 AN BLK 164.150000 NFM CTCSS 146.2
USFS LP-8 AN TRY 164.150000 NFM CTCSS 156.7
USFS LP-8 AN PNS 164.150000 NFM CTCSS 167.9
USFS LP-8 AN SYZ 164.150000 NFM CTCSS 103.5
USFS LP-8 AN TSJ 164.150000 NFM CTCSS 100.0
USFS LP-8 AN CHW 164.150000 NFM CTCSS 107.2
USFS LP-8 AN PLW 164.150000 NFM CTCSS 114.8
USFS LP-8 AN TPQ 164.150000 NFM CTCSS 127.3
USFS LP-8 AN AND 164.150000 NFM CTCSS 141.3
USFS LP-8 AN FIG 164.150000 NFM CTCSS 151.4
USFS LP-8 AN PDR 164.150000 NFM CTCSS 162.2
USFS LP-8 AN SCZ 164.150000 NFM CTCSS 192.8
USFS LP-8 ADMIN 164.150000 Auto Search
USFS LP FN RPTR 406.325000 Auto Search
USFS LP AN RPTR 408.987500 Auto Search
USFS LP A-G PRI 167.475000 Auto Search
USFS LP A-G SEC 168.637500 Auto Search
USFS LP AIRTAC-P 168.312500 Auto Search
USFS LP AIRTAC-S 169.175000 Auto Search
USFS LP CREW 168.200000 Auto Search

During the morning status report on the forest net, my first catch will be on 164.9125 with open tone search bringing in 77.0 or 77.9 tones. I lock-out that channel and immediately pick-up the UHF repeater (406.325 103.5) channel. I lock-out that channel and I will not hear anything on 170.4625 even though the status report is still being transmitted.

I don't know if there is an easy explanation (beyond my question about opening all repeaters with 77.0/77.9) for these occurrences. I just thought you might be interested in what is being heard in this forest system.

Thank you for the time you've taken on this and all the information you provide to this site.

 

[ko6jw_2]

The transmissions on the input that you are hearing all originate from the Santa Ynez remote base. You very likely cannot hear Frazier or Sisar from your location because you hear nothing on the output. You are hearing transmissions off of Santa Ynez with the correct tones to bring up those other sites. Where I live in Santa Ynez, I can hear the outputs from La Cumbre, Tepuquet and Plowshare. I long ago stopped listening on the inputs and just listen to the links (if I want lots of traffic) or the output when I only want to hear local traffic.

The 77 and 77.9 tones are not part of the standard set of sixteen tones. I have not seen any forest in California using non-standard tones. Also, you will find that most systems (commercial, government or amateur) use tones above 100Hz for technical reasons.

Listening to the input will sometimes give you information that you would not otherwise hear, but that's what the link frequencies are for. All important traffic is sent out multiple times on multiple repeaters so you won't miss a fire dispatch, for example. Local traffic is obviously not repeated this way, but again you will hear both sides of the conversation on the link.

As I said in an earlier post, they did try simulcasting, but it creates so much phase distortion that they don't do it anymore.

I done with this obsessive interest in input tones. They don't matter.