University of Alabama AIRS

[Randmaster]

Can anyone hear any control channel data or transmissions on the University of Alabama site? I know UA Simulcast and Northport are working. I understand it's fully encrapted, but I want to clear up frequencies that aren't in use.

Also, I've noticed that Tuscaloosa City and County are using the system but they do not have any FCC pending applications or licenses to use it (I could be overlooking or searching incorrectly). Is it "legal" for them to do so?

 

[Remington12G]

Can anyone hear any control channel data or transmissions on the University of Alabama site? I know UA Simulcast and Northport are working. I understand it's fully encrapted, but I want to clear up frequencies that aren't in use.

Also, I've noticed that Tuscaloosa City and County are using the system but they do not have any FCC pending applications or licenses to use it (I could be overlooking or searching incorrectly). Is it "legal" for them to do so?

I'm kinda confused and thrown off by your question here but ill try to answer it. Last time I was in Tuscaloosa, 3 months ago, I got a fantastic full decode on the UA control chnanel. Like you said most is encrypted but other than that it was working for me. University Operations are mostly on DMR and UAPD is on P25 conventional.

Second part. The city and the county are on the system and don't require actual FCC licenses to use that system if its licensed to the State of Alabama and on the system or licensed to another entity who has that site on the system. Most of the time its a contract or two signed and a MOU is established and then they use it.

Where I currently live, if the neighboring county wanted to use our Phase 2 system. They would pay for the radios, instalation, and a rental fee from our county. We would probably license a 7/800MHz tower in thier county under our name, and then write a MOU. They wouldn't need a FCC license in their name to use our system.

 

[Randmaster]

Oops, my fault. I should've been more specific.

In Tuscaloosa, there are three sites listed with active control channels:

UA Simulcast - 773.83125 (which is working)

Northport - 773.13125 (works too)...

...and University of Alabama - 770.35625 (this is the one I can't hear). I wanted to see if anyone was close enough to campus to hear it.

I can hear the UA operations really well (they interestingly display as CAP on my 436). Last I checked, CAP meant "Capacity Plus" which I thought was a type of DMR trunking system??? (I'm still learning about DMR). I tried even looking up the FCC callsign for them and they're not listed as being trunked.

I'm also surprised that UAPD is not using the system. Their 159.15 works (albeit encrapted). I haven't found any new TGs otherwise (other than 50651 which I believe could be TFD).

I do appreciate you clearing up that FCC info for me.

 

[Remington12G]

Oops, my fault. I should've been more specific.

In Tuscaloosa, there are three sites listed with active control channels:

UA Simulcast - 773.83125 (which is working)

Northport - 773.13125 (works too)...

...and University of Alabama - 770.35625 (this is the one I can't hear). I wanted to see if anyone was close enough to campus to hear it.

I can hear the UHF DMR transmissions really well (they nterestingly display as CAP on my 436). Last I checked, CAP meant "Capacity Plus" which I thought was a type of DMR trunking system??? (I'm still learning about DMR). I'm also surprised that UAPD is not using the system. Their 159.15 works (albeit encrapted). I haven't found any new TGs otherwise (other than 50651 which I believe could be TFD).

Ah, So the non-simulcast UA site was on last I was there however my scanner at the time was horrible (mostly because of simulcast distortion). I can tell you that UA might be on a Cap Plus multi-site as recently I have noticed that some corporations or whoever is licensed will use Tier 3 trunking of some sort instead of conventional. I didn't get all TG's logged but the ColorCode are there if the TG's haven't been added yet by someone else.

 

[medic9351301]

FROM MY UNDERSTANDING
UA PD IS NOT ON THE STATE SYSTEM.
LAST TIME I CHECKED UA OPERATIONS WERE DMR NON TRUNKED . IT COULD BE THEY MIGHT HAVE PATCHED DMR OVER TO THE STATE SYSTEM. TPD, TCSO, ARE PATCHED OVER TO THE STATE SYSTEM CAUSE I STILL GET ENC HITS ON THEIR VHF FREQS. NORTHPORT IS 100 PERC ENC. I KNOW YOU KNOW HOW TO CHECK . IF YOU HAVE 2 RADIOS SCAN THE CONVENT FREQS ON ON AND THE STATE ON ANOTHER ONE .

 

[medic9351301]

ULS License - Trunked Public Safety 700 MHz License - WQVC579 - THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA

 

[medic9351301]

ULS License - Trunked Public Safety 700 MHz License - WQVB953 - NORTHPORT, CITY OF

 

[Randmaster]

So I've been studying the system a little yesterday and comparing the talkgroups to the conventional frequencies listed. There are two TGs that aren't listed in the RRDB that I got hits on:

50651 - Tuscaloosa Fire dispatch
50800 - UAPD or operations?

 

[Remington12G]

So I've been studying the system a little yesterday and comparing the talkgroups to the conventional frequencies listed. There are two TGs that aren't listed in the RRDB that I got hits on:

50651 - Tuscaloosa Fire dispatch
50800 - UAPD or operations?

This is from the Wiki

• (50000 series)
• 50001 - Unknown (Encrypted) Northport?
• 50011 - Unknown (Encrypted)
• 50017 - Unknown (Encrypted)
• 50020 - Unknown (Encrypted)
• 50412 - Unknown (Encrypted) Was Patched to/from VHF/UHF?
• 50413 - Unknown (Encrypted)
• 50431 - Unknown (Encrypted)
• 50500 - Unknown ---------------- Possible NPPD and/or Encrypted
• 50501 - Unknown ---------------- Possible NPPD and/or Encrypted
• 50504 - Unknown ---------------- Possible NPPD and/or Encrypted
• 50505 - Unknown ---------------- Possible NPPD and/or Encrypted
• 50506 - Unknown ---------------- Possible NPPD and/or Encrypted
• 50507 - Unknown ---------------- Possible NPPD and/or Encrypted
• 50510 - Unknown (Encrypted) - Possible NPPD
• 50511 - Unknown (Encrypted) - Possible NPPD
• 50513 - Unknown ---------------- Possible NPPD and/or Encrypted
• 50550 - Northport Fire Dispatch (Encrypted) Was Simulcast to 856.71250?
• 50557 - Unknown ---------------- Possible NPFD and/or Encrypted
• 50601 - Tuscaloosa Police Dispatch? (Encrypted) Patch to/from 158.730
• 50606 - Tuscaloosa Police Unknown? (Encrypted) Was Patched to/from VHF/UHF?
• 50651 - Unknown (Encrypted) Was Patched to/from VHF/UHF?
• 50701 - Unknown (Encrypted) Was Patched to/from VHF/UHF?
• 50702 - Unknown (Encrypted) Was Patched to/from VHF/UHF?
• 50800 - Unknown (Encrypted) Was Patched to/from VHF/UHF?

Several of these Unknown Tuscaloosa County TG's are/were being patched to/from either VHF or UHF. If someone local can search the VHF or UHF band and see if any freq.'s are active at the same time the patched TGs show up, please post any freq.'s found above and what TG their patched to. The patched TGs may be Encrypted so you will need a scanner that does not skip or ignore those 'Enc' TGs. 50800 Series TGs may be either Tuscaloosa (City) Police or Tuscaloosa County Sheriff?

 

[Randmaster]

Wow, that list is double than what I have. I think I'll plug them in and see what I can turn up.

 

[BenA2013]

FROM MY UNDERSTANDING
UA PD IS NOT ON THE STATE SYSTEM.
LAST TIME I CHECKED UA OPERATIONS WERE DMR NON TRUNKED . IT COULD BE THEY MIGHT HAVE PATCHED DMR OVER TO THE STATE SYSTEM. TPD, TCSO, ARE PATCHED OVER TO THE STATE SYSTEM CAUSE I STILL GET ENC HITS ON THEIR VHF FREQS. NORTHPORT IS 100 PERC ENC. I KNOW YOU KNOW HOW TO CHECK . IF YOU HAVE 2 RADIOS SCAN THE CONVENT FREQS ON ON AND THE STATE ON ANOTHER ONE .

UAPD and Northport are on the AIRS system and are encrypted. They have several other agencies patched to it as well.

 

[medic9351301]

correct but they are still on vhf patched over to the airs . i heard there 159.150 when i was in the petro at exit 100 .
plus i asked a radio tech in tusc. old ham buddy of mine .