UFA - Lock-down Channel(s)?

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qlajlu

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At approximately 8:10 this morning UFA dispatch announced, "Radio backup drill. Switch to lock-down channels." Immediately following that announcement all the stations began a call-in similar to a roll call in station-numeric order. I was copying this on 460.6250 and TG 21216 on UCAN site 3 (CC 868.1125). Once all the stations and Battalion Chiefs had called in (8:16 am), the dispatcher announced the drill was complete and instructed everyone to return to "regular operating channels." That prompted all stations and Battalion Chiefs to once again go through a roll call according to numeric ID stating they were, "back on channel 1."

Now the questions are:
(1) I copied this traffic on the same "channel" we normally call the dispatch frequency or "channel 1," so what are the "lock-down channels?"

(2) If they all went to another channel, why was I copying the traffic on normal channel 1?

(3) What are the lock-down channels?
(a) Their use?

(b) Where are they in the spectrum (are they actually a separate TG)?

(c) What triggers their use?

(d) How many are there?​
 

Utah_Viper

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We had a discussion on this awhile back:

http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43376&highlight=lock

Seems that we determined that "lock down" is a switch to the trunking fail soft mode. Now as to the other questions in your post...

3-a I heard them use this a few times when a major incident, or many calls were out. This was used to somewhat separate dispatch back to individual cities. Another time it has been done was when there were dispatch and/or radio troubles.
 

qlajlu

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Utah_Viper said:
We had a discussion on this awhile back:

http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43376&highlight=lock

Seems that we determined that "lock down" is a switch to the trunking fail soft mode. Now as to the other questions in your post...

3-a I heard them use this a few times when a major incident, or many calls were out. This was used to somewhat separate dispatch back to individual cities. Another time it has been done was when there were dispatch and/or radio troubles.
Thanks, Viper, I don't remember that thread and found it quite interesting. I can say, though, that the other thread mentioned "beeping" every 10 seconds while on lock-down but that definitely did NOT happen today, and I don't think I missed any station checking in which would be unusual if lock-down mode reverts to a line-of-sight communication.
 

theaton

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qlajlu said:
At approximately 8:10 this morning UFA dispatch announced, "Radio backup drill. Switch to lock-down channels." Immediately following that announcement all the stations began a call-in similar to a roll call in station-numeric order. I was copying this on 460.6250 and TG 21216 on UCAN site 3 (CC 868.1125).
Interesting stuff. 460.625 isn't in the DB, and I don't think I've ever heard it. Is it a conventional repeater linked to TG 21216? Maybe they were using 460.625 as their backup, but it was still linked to UCAN so you were hearing it both places?? Did you catch a tone on 460.625?

-Tim
 

Utah_Viper

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theaton said:
Interesting stuff. 460.625 isn't in the DB, and I don't think I've ever heard it. Is it a conventional repeater linked to TG 21216? Maybe they were using 460.625 as their backup, but it was still linked to UCAN so you were hearing it both places?? Did you catch a tone on 460.625?

-Tim

460.625 used to be West Valley City fire. I have not monitored it so I do not know if it is linked to UCAN at all.
 

qlajlu

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theaton said:
Interesting stuff. 460.625 isn't in the DB, and I don't think I've ever heard it. Is it a conventional repeater linked to TG 21216? Maybe they were using 460.625 as their backup, but it was still linked to UCAN so you were hearing it both places?? Did you catch a tone on 460.625?

-Tim
Unfortunately, no, I did not get a tone because I copied that traffic on my OLD (emphasis on OLD) Uniden BC350A which doesn't seem to regard a tone input as important. I always use the BC350 when I'm scanning because the fire departments' dispatchers still come over on the VHF/UHF links on their dispatch channels so I know that they are rolling on something even though my trunking scanner may not have picked it up being stopped on something else.

I also searched the frequency 460.625 using the utility in our Db and found that frequency to be licensed to VECC (WNUZ697) and West Valley City (WSV424). I just a$$ u med it was in the Db since I have been receiving on it forever.

Other VHF/UHF frequencies I scan on the BC350 are 154.16 (Weber County Fire page), 155.0850 (So. Summit Fire page), 453.2000 (Salt Lake City Fire dispatch). These frequencies, along with 460.625, give me advance notice if something large is popping so I can find it on the trunking scanners and follow along. It seems that the fire departments are always the first to get sent on all major events. These frequencies are the only ones I scan on the BC350.
 

theaton

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I just checked my log from my recent SLC trip and I have dozens of recordings of 460.625, all with a tone of 156.7 Hz. It's mostly dispatch calls. I'll add it to the DB.

If someone would like to log the links between the UCAN and conventional VECC frequencies it would be nice to add those to the DB also.

-Tim
 

gldavis

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From the freqs in the two above links, I have the following:
154.3400 I heard some comms on this yesterday. 2 mobile units chit-chatting about setting up near construction zones on I-15/215. I assume they were UHP.

453.2000 FD/EMS disp w/tone D431
154.2350 FD/EMS disp no tone
453.8000 FD/EMS disp w/tone127.3
460.6250 FD/EMS disp w/tone 156.7
154.3850 FD/EMS disp w/ at least 3 different tones
153.8900 FD/EMS disp w/tone 186.2
154.2950 FD/EMS disp w/tone 100.0

And this evening I've been monitoring UCAN TG 21216. I've copied simocast of this on freqs, 460.6250, 153.8900, 154.3850, 154.8000, and 154.2350. And not all at the same time. example 453.8000 and 154.235 are together, but not the others.
 

Utah_Viper

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gldavis said:
And this evening I've been monitoring UCAN TG 21216. I've copied simocast of this on freqs, 460.6250, 153.8900, 154.3850, 154.8000, and 154.2350. And not all at the same time. example 453.8000 and 154.235 are together, but not the others.

My guess is that the uhf/vhf only rebroadcast the particular department that it was originally assigned i.e. WVV/SSL on 460.625 This could be good news as I have wondered if there was a way to still only get the dispatch for the local areas without monitoring all of VECC FD dispatch.
 

gldavis

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Rechecking my Conventional list I found153.905 and 154.700 also being used for area FD/EMS page out.
 
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