Unknown digital signal 154.180 Bucks County

[KC2OVX]

I have been logging Lehigh County Pager frequency 154.175 using SDR Sharp. I see in the waterfall that there is a very weak constant digital signal transmitting on 154.180

I can't find any FCC license for the frequency and I have been unable to get a bearing on which direction it is coming from.

The only return to a Google search comes up with an old Allegheny county frequency for Traffic Control, but there is no active license and that is on the other side of the state.

If anyone knows what this signal is, or if you can see if you can pick it up and let me know your location, maybe we can figure out what it is

Thanks
Bill
KC2OVX

 

[zLILdeM0N]

I have been logging Lehigh County Pager frequency 154.175 using SDR Sharp. I see in the waterfall that there is a very weak constant digital signal transmitting on 154.180

I can't find any FCC license for the frequency and I have been unable to get a bearing on which direction it is coming from.

The only return to a Google search comes up with an old Allegheny county frequency for Traffic Control, but there is no active license and that is on the other side of the state.

If anyone knows what this signal is, or if you can see if you can pick it up and let me know your location, maybe we can figure out what it is

Thanks
Bill
KC2OVX

Is it possible for you to play signal detective?

 

[KC2OVX]

The signal is extremely weak. I didn't see it till I looked really close. If I open the squelch I can just barely hear the digital transmission in the static. Even stranger there is another even weaker digital signal at 154.1675

I am guessing these are some automated control devices that are either talking to each other or to a base station reporting their information, like SCADA or similar infrastructure monitoring.

We have lift stations and wells all over the area as well as natural gas and pretrol pipelines.

It could be a sensor on on of these remote sites streaming data to a receiver.

I drove around looking for the signal to get stronger but it never did.

Now I am hoping everyone in Eastern PA can pull up their sdr and see if they see it and if anyone is able to get a stronger signal.

 

[nd5y]

Is it there all the time? Can you receive it on something besides a SDR?

 

[zLILdeM0N]

The signal is extremely weak. I didn't see it till I looked really close. If I open the squelch I can just barely hear the digital transmission in the static. Even stranger there is another even weaker digital signal at 154.1675

I am guessing these are some automated control devices that are either talking to each other or to a base station reporting their information, like SCADA or similar infrastructure monitoring.

We have lift stations and wells all over the area as well as natural gas and pretrol pipelines.

It could be a sensor on on of these remote sites streaming data to a receiver.

I drove around looking for the signal to get stronger but it never did.

Now I am hoping everyone in Eastern PA can pull up their sdr and see if they see it and if anyone is able to get a stronger signal.

This is very important because it could be faulty equipment or someone with a very bad intention of doing harm. If you have directional antenna that you could do a 360 with and pin point what direction it's coming from and follow it

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

I have been logging Lehigh County Pager frequency 154.175 using SDR Sharp. I see in the waterfall that there is a very weak constant digital signal transmitting on 154.180

154.1825 is the closest valid FCC frequency above 154.175. Have you confirmed it's "digital" by means of DSDPlus or similar app? Are you sure it isn't this?

154.1825

664 DPL

WQAE560

Berks Fire A (West) Rebroadcast

Cumru Township Municipal

Berks

PA

 

[zLILdeM0N]

154.1825 is the closest valid FCC frequency above 154.175. Have you confirmed it's "digital" by means of DSDPlus or similar app? Are you sure it isn't this?

154.1825

664 DPL

WQAE560

Berks Fire A (West) Rebroadcast

Cumru Township Municipal

Berks

PA

If it's this then it's definitely faulty equipment

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Now I am hoping everyone in Eastern PA can pull up their sdr and see if they see it and if anyone is able to get a stronger signal.

Zilch for me at the moment between Lehigh and Burlington County NJ dispatch channels (from Montco, PA). @KC2OVX it may help if you posted a screenshot of two or what you're seeing. If it doesn't appear to get any weaker or stronger no matter what direction you drive, it could be internally generated RFI. Just a thought

 

[KC2OVX]

Is it there all the time? Can you receive it on something besides a SDR?

It is there all the time. I can hear it on my Uniden scanner and my ham radios but it is very weak. Definitely digital stream that is on all the time. I am pretty sure it is some device transmitting information for infrastructure. It could be traffic controllers talking to each other but I drove around and it never got stronger.

 

[KC2OVX]

If it's this then it's definitely faulty equipment

I can hear it is a digital stream and definitely.180 not .1825. I tried posting photos but it say the screenshot is too big to post. I will try to get it smaller

 

[KC2OVX]

Zilch for me at the moment between Lehigh and Burlington County NJ dispatch channels (from Montco, PA). @KC2OVX it may help if you posted a screenshot of two or what you're seeing. If it doesn't appear to get any weaker or stronger no matter what direction you drive, it could be internally generated RFI. Just a thought
View attachment 192907

 

[KC2OVX]

I didn't notice this a week ago when I started logging 154.175. it may be new or I might have not seen it, but it is always there now. I remember 10 years ago I picked up a low power 900hz frequency and it was 70 miles away and I was shocked it reached this far on just 5 watts. This could be the Allegheny county traffic controllers but I doubt it. They were the only one that had used this exact frequency in PA. But that license is not valid. I don't know what power level might not require a license. I am also wondering if this might be from the new equipment they installed on I-476. They put up a bunch of overhead RFID readers and license plate readers and radar guns and they are all wireless with big VHF antennas. I would have to pay and drive it to see if this is what is transmitting.
They use 900 MHz for the RFID and those I pick up when I get a few 100 feet from the overhead readers. They have been working on 476 for the past 20 years widening it.

 

[KC2OVX]

In pointing the antenna horizontal instead of vertical and doing 360, the signal is a little stronger pointed towards Bethlehem from here in Quakertown.

 

[zLILdeM0N]

In pointing the antenna horizontal instead of vertical and doing 360, the signal is a little stronger pointed towards Bethlehem from here in Quakertown.

If you have the time to track it down go for it and then notice those who needs to know about it. Also if anyone is in that area that can pick it up could.

 

[KC2OVX]

154.1825 is the closest valid FCC frequency above 154.175. Have you confirmed it's "digital" by means of DSDPlus or similar app? Are you sure it isn't this?

154.1825

664 DPL

WQAE560

Berks Fire A (West) Rebroadcast

Cumru Township Municipal

Berks

PA

I just saw this today for the first time. Very weak signal from my location. Not the same as the mystery signal.

 

[cavmedic]

I just saw this today for the first time. Very weak signal from my location. Not the same as the mystery signal.

That's an analog rebroadcast of A County hailing Talkgroup. Its an APX cross banded into a Quantar using a community tone panel. It sits on a mountain top along 222 business in Cumru Township. As noted, not your digital signal.
Formally the Townships EMA channel prior to Berks p25

 

[KC2OVX]

It is interesting that they have Williamsport on 154.190 and I hear that stronger than Berks

They must interfere with each other 154.1825 and 154.190
The 154.175 Lehigh county bleeds over 154.1825 from where I am in North bucks county.

I remember when the spacing was .030 between Frequencies in the 70s.
.0125 spacing and.00625 spacing is amazing how many channels they pack in now

 

[cavmedic]

It is interesting that they have Williamsport on 154.190 and I hear that stronger than Berks

They must interfere with each other 154.1825 and 154.190
The 154.175 Lehigh county bleeds over 154.1825 from where I am in North bucks county.

I remember when the spacing was .030 between Frequencies in the 70s.
.0125 spacing and.00625 spacing is amazing how many channels they pack in now

Even in Narrow band, scanners are weak in the adjacent channel rejection category. A LMR radio wouldn’t have much issue with that at the distances they are licensed.


And they pack and stack users these days.

I am coordinated on one of my frequency pairs at a 1200 ft MSL site and another co channel user is 1/4 mile away, also licensed and coordinated.