VDOT & Snow removal

[n4jri]

With the snow/ice storm set to hit tonight, it could be a great time to search 47 MHz and see what freqs/tones VDOT is using in your area and update our info here.

It'd also be interesting to know if any contractors or VMS have radio contact active.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[CalvinNutler]

I'm sure the folks at VDOT will be hopping. The VMS contractors that I usually deal with all use Nextel as well as VMS themselves. Just fyi VMS is no more. The company was purchased by Transfield Services North America. So the former VMS is now TSNA. They have already changed out business cards, equipment and clothing emblems to reflect the new change. In the future as the word gets out you should start hearing the new name in radio comms.

 

[MOTORHEAD3902]

That Frog aint nothing to mess with...

 

[appalachianscanner]

The Interstate agency down this part of the state ... south and west of wytheville is called TME

sounds like they subcontracted the sub-contractor


159.6300 TME/ VMS Interstate Service VA Wythe
159.9450 150.9050 74.4 TME/ VMS Interstate Service VA Wythe
451.9500 TME/ VMS Interstate Service VA Wythe
43.7800 71.9 TME/ VMS Interstate Service FB2 VA Wythe

 

[Wahoos4Life]

Vdot dosent Seem to chatter much if it all

 

[n4jri]

Sorry to take so long, but I had a power outage of roughly 4 hours here in downtown Richmond.

47.30 [114.8] - Chesterfield Residency (note that this is a change in CTCSS)

47.30 [123.0] - No voice heard. Just brief instances of open carrier with some sort of data bursts

47.12 [114.8] - Ashland Residency? - most traffic involved northern or eastern Hanover County

47.20 [114.8] - At least one reference to "54" (western Hanover Co.) Maybe Goochland as well.

47.22 [110.9] - very scratchy. At one point I thought I heard mention of Amelia.

Also some admin activity on STARS TG 5029

Non-VDOT snow activity:

City of Richmond - TG 35888 (DPW5) on the trunked system

City of Colonial Heights - TG 27936 (public works)

Hanover County - TG 06-021 (Gov. Disp.)

Defense Supply Center Richmond - TG 592 (public works)

Contractors:

Radio Comm of VA trunk (Midlothian site)
TG 8720 - contractor in western Henrico Co.
TG 30784 - sounds like a snowplow, location unknown
TG 3920 - possibly tow truck

Will try searching 47 some more later today, possibly while warming up the truck.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[n4jri]

Vdot dosent Seem to chatter much if it all

Don't count on the stuff in the database to be correct--particularly where the CTCSS is concerned. Have you tried searching 47.0-47.5?

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[K4APR]

The Interstate agency down this part of the state ... south and west of wytheville is called TME

sounds like they subcontracted the sub-contractor


159.6300 TME/ VMS Interstate Service VA Wythe
159.9450 150.9050 74.4 TME/ VMS Interstate Service VA Wythe
451.9500 TME/ VMS Interstate Service VA Wythe
43.7800 71.9 TME/ VMS Interstate Service FB2 VA Wythe

TME is running MotoTrbo digital. We installed about 100 units for them at our shop. The only way to hear them, at this point, is to have a MotoTrbo radio yourself and program it.

 

[fmon]

My very large town (area) is using TG 60240, though we don't have the problem Allen is dealing with but they are busy. BTW, we lost power from 2015 to 0250 last night.

 

[Wahoos4Life]

Don't count on the stuff in the database to be correct--particularly where the CTCSS is concerned. Have you tried searching 47.0-47.5?

73/Allen (N4JRI)

Someone gave me the local vdot here in palmyras frequencies

Not a peep out of them lastnight

 

[n4jri]

Someone gave me the local vdot here in palmyras frequencies

Not a peep out of them lastnight

One thing I've learned about monitoring is never to take anyone's word for anything--even if (and sometimes PARTICULARLY if...) they're an end user. Try putting a 47 MHz search object in your 106's regular scan and see what turns up.

I've found all kinds of things driving around the state with 453 and 460 search objects just running in the regular scan on my PSR-500. During this snow, 47 MHz is hopping. Ditto for the SMR's in this area with tow trucks and small plowing contractors. One great thing about a day when the governments shut down...you get to hear lots of users that are normally lost in the shuffle.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[n4jri]

New VDOT callsigns

One thing I'm noticing on this snow for the first time, is VDOT unit numbers other than the normal number series. (4300's = Richmond Dist, Ashland Res., 4400's = Richmond Dist, Chesterfield Res.) I'm hearing a number of location names followed by a single number. Can't be sure, but these could be the names of various Area Headquarters within the residency.

For example, I just heard 4316 talking to "Mechanicsville 9" on 47.12 [114.8]. I'm thinking this is Ashland Residency, but am starting to wonder if it could be Sandston. Anyway, more stuff to know and ponder.

Nothing more heard on STARS thus far.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[freqhopping]

I've been hearing them on
Ch 31 Culpeper 47.34 PL110.9
Ch 32 Leesburg 47.08 PL110.9 and input 45.38 PL110.9

 

[appalachianscanner]

TME is running MotoTrbo digital. We installed about 100 units for them at our shop. The only way to hear them, at this point, is to have a MotoTrbo radio yourself and program it.

My local Town (Abingdon, VA) Public Works got some of those too, Only one I know of in my range down here thats using it.
TME from Wytheville is still on conventional for now.

 

[n4jri]

I've been hearing them on
Ch 31 Culpeper 47.34 PL110.9
Ch 32 Leesburg 47.08 PL110.9 and input 45.38 PL110.9

Nice! Both of these are changes from what's in the database. I'm assuming 7000-series units from Culpeper and 9000-series units from Leesburg? First digit should be district and second should be residency in most cases. Maybe we should be watching those as well.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[CVASSB]

Wahoos4life

I gave you those Palmyra VDOT frequencies,but they where not talking on them last night. I'm sorry. They use to talk on them,and that one in the 45 Mhz area. They must have gone to the new systems that have been talked about. I didn't here a peep out of them either. Sorry.

 

[freqhopping]

Nice! Both of these are changes from what's in the database. I'm assuming 7000-series units from Culpeper and 9000-series units from Leesburg? First digit should be district and second should be residency in most cases. Maybe we should be watching those as well.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

What database are you looking at? That's exactly how they are listed in the RR DB. The call each other by first name or Building # (9,15,17 heard on Ch31).

 

[n4jri]

What database are you looking at? That's exactly how they are listed in the RR DB. The call each other by first name or Building # (9,15,17 heard on Ch31).

I'm looking at the district-by-district breakdown. Just looked at the straight channel listing and it's definitely more up-to-date. In the district listing, Culpeper is listed as ch-8 47.34 [82.5] and Leesburg as ch-1 47.22 [77.0].

One inaccuracy in the Channel Plan listing is that Ch-27 47.22 [110.9] is listed for Bristol District and Abingdon Residency, but lists no users in the Richmond area. I think it could be Amelia, but I heard a stronger signal in Mechanicsville today than I've been hearing in Richmond. Of course, that could be altitude.

Also today while listening to Ashland on 47.12 [114.8] someone was instructed to contact a base this evening on ch-44 47.20 [114.8]. This should be a base which services Goochland Co. and western Hanover. I think it's located in Oilville. According to the VDOT website, Ashland Residency covers both counties.

Curiously, no traffic at all for Henrico, even though many of the main routes are still VDOT responsibility.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[n4jri]

47.22 [110.9] ID'ed

'

One inaccuracy in the Channel Plan listing is that Ch-27 47.22 [110.9] is listed for Bristol District and Abingdon Residency, but lists no users in the Richmond area. I think it could be Amelia, but I heard a stronger signal in Mechanicsville today than I've been hearing in Richmond. Of course, that could be altitude.

The mystery location for 47.22 [110.9] turns out to be King William County. (Aylett and the Pamunkey reservation were discussed) That would put it in the Bowling Green Residency. Unknown if Caroline or Essex are using the same freq. The database lists this residency in both sections as being ch-23 47.04 [94.8].

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[appalachianscanner]

Nice! Both of these are changes from what's in the database. I'm assuming 7000-series units from Culpeper and 9000-series units from Leesburg? First digit should be district and second should be residency in most cases. Maybe we should be watching those as well.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

Does anyone have the unit number structuring for all the district/residencies?