bchris
Member
I have taken a few road trips this year to look for new (new to me) UCAN sites and to verify others. On the later trips I had a decent homemade yagi antenna so I could determine the signal directions to some extent. On all trips I used my BR330 radio. While on each trip I would gather Control Channel Frequencies and corresponding site #'s, signal strength from various locations, and sometimes the direction. I did not attempt to gather any voice frequencies. When I got home I looked up every CC frequency in the FCC database, compared with my signal strengths and locations, and determined most of the sites. In most cases it just verified what I already knew. In almost every case it was info that you guys already knew.
Trip 1 was in Febuary. I drove East on Hwy6 from Spanish Fork toward Price. I stopped at the Thistle turnoff. Teat Peak was loud and clear. I expected to get at least something from Mt Baldy, towards Indianola, but didn't. I continued toward Price until I got a good signal from Ford Ridge. I turned North to Duchesne, then West to Heber, then South down Provo Canyon, and home. At first I stopped fairly often, but toward the end it was getting late and my wife was getting pretty impatient with me. I was able to verify quite a few Control Channels and/or sites on this trip.
Trip 2 in March. I went to St. George on I-15 twice in March.
Trip 3 in March. I went West on Hwy6 from Santaquin to Eureka. Then NW to Vernon. West-ish on a gravel road over Lookout Pass and to Dugway. Now on a paved road, North through the Indian reservation to Delle. East to Grantsville, then past the SW side of the Army Depot. It was late and dark and I was trying to hurry home, so I missed the turn to Lehi and ended up back in Vernon, so I just went back through Eureka and home. Oh well, I think I made better time that way anyhow.
Trip 4a in March. I found a high point on the North end of West Mtn, just above Lincoln Beach on Utah Lake. I scanned every direction to try out my 'new' directional antenna.
Trip 4b in April. My boy had a soccer game in Highland, so 'while they were warming up' I drove up to the top of Traverse Mtn and scanned all directions. As most of you could guess, I ended up missing most of the game. I can't say if it was worth it, but I did have a great time.
Trip 5 in April. This time I was alone, so I took my time and drove 250 miles in only 10 hours. From Provo to Vivian Park, just below Sundance. I could see the Sundance tower(s) in my binoculars, but the only CC frequency was the same one used for the Heber/Park City SIMO. Continued up Provo Canyon to Wallsburg and Heber. North to Jordanelle, then Park City. I-80 to Echo Reservoir. West to Morgan, then Ogden. I went South, on the East side of Hill AFB, to Farmington. Then South on I-15 back home.
Trip 6 in May. Spanish Fork Canyon to Thistle. South to Indianola, Mt. Pleasant, Manti, and Gunnison. Then North to Levan and Nephi. North on I-15 to Home.
Trip 7a last Sunday. Had to pick up my wife @ airport, so I went an hour early. I hoped from West of the airport I could shoot North across the lake and pick up Cal Mtn and Snowville, but no luck. I thought I had found a new site, but it's ID was #1 and you guys already knew that it was Weber SIMO's backup CC.
Here are some of my observations. Most of my data agrees w/ the Database, so I guess I will just mention those of particular interest.
#1-Weber: Was using the backup CC a few days ago. I have never actually seen a backup CC used until now, so I have not even been programming them anymore. How common is this?
#6-Promontory: From my house on the bench in South Utah County, I must be at just the right angle past Point of the Mtn and Antelope Island, but I can actually Rx this signal enough to read the site # ! (I have also verified from multiple other locations.)
#12-Medicine Butte: Signal Strength of 2 bars w/ high gain antenna @ Park City & again @ Echo Res. I thought it must be mis-reading a weak Nelson Peak signal as site #12, until I looked at the FCC records, and then confirmed it on this web site. It's still hard to believe that I could read it that far away over the mountains w/o line of sight.
#41-Humpy Peak: Same comment as #12, except readings were @ Jordanelle & again @ Echo Res.
#17?-Sundance: The only Control Channel active on this site was #24, Heber/Park City SIMO. I was line of sight about a mile away. There is no doubt that the ID was #24, not #17. I never read an ID#17. Maybe a different story after rebanding..?
#23?-Quarry Mtn: Again, I did Rx a CC on 866.9375 pretty much all the way from Provo to Echo Res, but the ID was always #24. According to my map, GPS, and directional antenna, I did Rx a strong signal from the Quarry Mtn area, but it read #24, not #23. I never read an ID#23.
#23?-St. George: I checked from quite a few locations, and I never got a UCAN signal from the St. George area in March. Now I see the FCC DB has recently added a site in the area for UCAN, so I am anxiuos to try again soon.
#24-Summit County?: The DB shows #24 as Summit County on 867.9375. I have read 5 bars signal strength for site #24 on 866.9375 at numerous locations from Lincoln Beach to Wanship. I am not aware of anything on 867.9375. I am not sure if I am confused on the name as well. #24 seems to have good coverage in at least 3 counties that I know of, with Heber being more in the center of the area.
#27-Wasatch?: I did Rx site #27 on 868.9125. It was zero bars near Strawberry, peaked at 5 bars while in Daniels Canyon, then dropped back down to 3 bars or less everywhere in Heber Valley. When I checked the FCC DB, it shows a UCAN site for this freq in Daniels Canyon that I was not previously aware of. My vote is to name it UCAN#27, Daniels Canyon, CC 868.9125.
#29-Vernon Hills: I parked North of Vernon, very near the Vernon Hills site. I got Zip. I scanned several times, and drove past again several hours later. There was absolutely no Control Channel coming from Vernon Hills in the range of 850-870Mhz when I was in that area, nor have I ever detected any hint of one at any other time.
#32-Wendover Peak: I did Rx a weak signal from 2 locations for site#32 on 868.8125 on one of my trips. This is the same freq used by the Strawberry Peak CC, so I was a little surprised when it said site #32, not #21. I was hoping to get something from Ibapah while I was in this area, but I never did. And believe me, I looked hard because I can't imagine driving clear out to Ibapah just to verify one site. I was told that there isn't even a paved road all the way to the town of Ibapah, let alone near the radio tower. Any volunteers?
#33-Levan Peak: My data agrees perfectly with this DB and I have confirmed from many locations, but the CC freq of 867.4375 is not listed for that site in the FCC database. Whatup?
#34-Manti: I read site #34 from Barton Peak on 868.7750. FCC shows Barton Peak for this freq, which is indeed West of Manti, but this DB is confusing due to the name used for site #35. My vote is UCAN#34, Barton Peak, CC 868.7750.
#35-Barton Peak: Very similar situation as above. I read site #35 from Gunnison Prison on 868.7250. FCC shows Gunnison Prison for this freq, which is SOUTH-WEST of Barton Peak and on the NORTH end of Gunnison. My vote is UCAN#35, Gunnison, CC 868.7250.
FCC lists a pretty new UCAN license for Mt Baldy, near Inianola. I parked a few miles from the site, probably line of sight but the air was so dirty that day that I couldnt actually see it. There was absolutely no signal there. I guess it is not active yet. You would think they would hold off any new sites at this point until after rebanding. I guess you could say the same for the new St. George site.
FCC also shows sites in AF Canyon and Hobble Creek Canyon. I would have thought that somewhere in my travels I would have heard them, but I have not. Junior1970 mentioned that you need to be 1/3 mile into the canyon for AF, so maybe its the same for Hobble Creek. I will drive up there one day and check.
FCC also shows sites for Snowville, Powder Mtn, and Tabby Mtn. I have never heard them, nor have I seen any mention of them on this forum. Does anybody know anything about them?
Thats all I have for now. Sorry about the long post. I guess I've been saving it all up for a while. BTW, I really enjoyed all of these trips, especially the one to the North. It was a beautiful drive and I didn't worry about having to entertain anyone along the way. My friends and family are convinced I am insane. Am I in the right forum for this condition?
Mr. Heaton - I would welcome and encourage verification before changing anything in the DB. Let me know if you have any questions.
Trip 1 was in Febuary. I drove East on Hwy6 from Spanish Fork toward Price. I stopped at the Thistle turnoff. Teat Peak was loud and clear. I expected to get at least something from Mt Baldy, towards Indianola, but didn't. I continued toward Price until I got a good signal from Ford Ridge. I turned North to Duchesne, then West to Heber, then South down Provo Canyon, and home. At first I stopped fairly often, but toward the end it was getting late and my wife was getting pretty impatient with me. I was able to verify quite a few Control Channels and/or sites on this trip.
Trip 2 in March. I went to St. George on I-15 twice in March.
Trip 3 in March. I went West on Hwy6 from Santaquin to Eureka. Then NW to Vernon. West-ish on a gravel road over Lookout Pass and to Dugway. Now on a paved road, North through the Indian reservation to Delle. East to Grantsville, then past the SW side of the Army Depot. It was late and dark and I was trying to hurry home, so I missed the turn to Lehi and ended up back in Vernon, so I just went back through Eureka and home. Oh well, I think I made better time that way anyhow.
Trip 4a in March. I found a high point on the North end of West Mtn, just above Lincoln Beach on Utah Lake. I scanned every direction to try out my 'new' directional antenna.
Trip 4b in April. My boy had a soccer game in Highland, so 'while they were warming up' I drove up to the top of Traverse Mtn and scanned all directions. As most of you could guess, I ended up missing most of the game. I can't say if it was worth it, but I did have a great time.
Trip 5 in April. This time I was alone, so I took my time and drove 250 miles in only 10 hours. From Provo to Vivian Park, just below Sundance. I could see the Sundance tower(s) in my binoculars, but the only CC frequency was the same one used for the Heber/Park City SIMO. Continued up Provo Canyon to Wallsburg and Heber. North to Jordanelle, then Park City. I-80 to Echo Reservoir. West to Morgan, then Ogden. I went South, on the East side of Hill AFB, to Farmington. Then South on I-15 back home.
Trip 6 in May. Spanish Fork Canyon to Thistle. South to Indianola, Mt. Pleasant, Manti, and Gunnison. Then North to Levan and Nephi. North on I-15 to Home.
Trip 7a last Sunday. Had to pick up my wife @ airport, so I went an hour early. I hoped from West of the airport I could shoot North across the lake and pick up Cal Mtn and Snowville, but no luck. I thought I had found a new site, but it's ID was #1 and you guys already knew that it was Weber SIMO's backup CC.
Here are some of my observations. Most of my data agrees w/ the Database, so I guess I will just mention those of particular interest.
#1-Weber: Was using the backup CC a few days ago. I have never actually seen a backup CC used until now, so I have not even been programming them anymore. How common is this?
#6-Promontory: From my house on the bench in South Utah County, I must be at just the right angle past Point of the Mtn and Antelope Island, but I can actually Rx this signal enough to read the site # ! (I have also verified from multiple other locations.)
#12-Medicine Butte: Signal Strength of 2 bars w/ high gain antenna @ Park City & again @ Echo Res. I thought it must be mis-reading a weak Nelson Peak signal as site #12, until I looked at the FCC records, and then confirmed it on this web site. It's still hard to believe that I could read it that far away over the mountains w/o line of sight.
#41-Humpy Peak: Same comment as #12, except readings were @ Jordanelle & again @ Echo Res.
#17?-Sundance: The only Control Channel active on this site was #24, Heber/Park City SIMO. I was line of sight about a mile away. There is no doubt that the ID was #24, not #17. I never read an ID#17. Maybe a different story after rebanding..?
#23?-Quarry Mtn: Again, I did Rx a CC on 866.9375 pretty much all the way from Provo to Echo Res, but the ID was always #24. According to my map, GPS, and directional antenna, I did Rx a strong signal from the Quarry Mtn area, but it read #24, not #23. I never read an ID#23.
#23?-St. George: I checked from quite a few locations, and I never got a UCAN signal from the St. George area in March. Now I see the FCC DB has recently added a site in the area for UCAN, so I am anxiuos to try again soon.
#24-Summit County?: The DB shows #24 as Summit County on 867.9375. I have read 5 bars signal strength for site #24 on 866.9375 at numerous locations from Lincoln Beach to Wanship. I am not aware of anything on 867.9375. I am not sure if I am confused on the name as well. #24 seems to have good coverage in at least 3 counties that I know of, with Heber being more in the center of the area.
#27-Wasatch?: I did Rx site #27 on 868.9125. It was zero bars near Strawberry, peaked at 5 bars while in Daniels Canyon, then dropped back down to 3 bars or less everywhere in Heber Valley. When I checked the FCC DB, it shows a UCAN site for this freq in Daniels Canyon that I was not previously aware of. My vote is to name it UCAN#27, Daniels Canyon, CC 868.9125.
#29-Vernon Hills: I parked North of Vernon, very near the Vernon Hills site. I got Zip. I scanned several times, and drove past again several hours later. There was absolutely no Control Channel coming from Vernon Hills in the range of 850-870Mhz when I was in that area, nor have I ever detected any hint of one at any other time.
#32-Wendover Peak: I did Rx a weak signal from 2 locations for site#32 on 868.8125 on one of my trips. This is the same freq used by the Strawberry Peak CC, so I was a little surprised when it said site #32, not #21. I was hoping to get something from Ibapah while I was in this area, but I never did. And believe me, I looked hard because I can't imagine driving clear out to Ibapah just to verify one site. I was told that there isn't even a paved road all the way to the town of Ibapah, let alone near the radio tower. Any volunteers?
#33-Levan Peak: My data agrees perfectly with this DB and I have confirmed from many locations, but the CC freq of 867.4375 is not listed for that site in the FCC database. Whatup?
#34-Manti: I read site #34 from Barton Peak on 868.7750. FCC shows Barton Peak for this freq, which is indeed West of Manti, but this DB is confusing due to the name used for site #35. My vote is UCAN#34, Barton Peak, CC 868.7750.
#35-Barton Peak: Very similar situation as above. I read site #35 from Gunnison Prison on 868.7250. FCC shows Gunnison Prison for this freq, which is SOUTH-WEST of Barton Peak and on the NORTH end of Gunnison. My vote is UCAN#35, Gunnison, CC 868.7250.
FCC lists a pretty new UCAN license for Mt Baldy, near Inianola. I parked a few miles from the site, probably line of sight but the air was so dirty that day that I couldnt actually see it. There was absolutely no signal there. I guess it is not active yet. You would think they would hold off any new sites at this point until after rebanding. I guess you could say the same for the new St. George site.
FCC also shows sites in AF Canyon and Hobble Creek Canyon. I would have thought that somewhere in my travels I would have heard them, but I have not. Junior1970 mentioned that you need to be 1/3 mile into the canyon for AF, so maybe its the same for Hobble Creek. I will drive up there one day and check.
FCC also shows sites for Snowville, Powder Mtn, and Tabby Mtn. I have never heard them, nor have I seen any mention of them on this forum. Does anybody know anything about them?
Thats all I have for now. Sorry about the long post. I guess I've been saving it all up for a while. BTW, I really enjoyed all of these trips, especially the one to the North. It was a beautiful drive and I didn't worry about having to entertain anyone along the way. My friends and family are convinced I am insane. Am I in the right forum for this condition?
Mr. Heaton - I would welcome and encourage verification before changing anything in the DB. Let me know if you have any questions.
