VSP Div 1, ch. 1 on 156.2400 mhz.

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W4UVV

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I am about 20 air miles from Richmond. This morning tuning a R7000 across 155-156 mhz. I heard VSP Division 1, ch. 1, 159.0000 mhz. simulcasted analog on 156.2400 mhz., pl 173.8. The signal was not strong about S5. It was not RFI or an image. I also was hearing some NC and MD signals on the same frequency. As the sun rose and conditions deteriorated the signals weakened and all but a couple eventually disappeared including the 156.2400 mhz. signal.

156.2400 mhz. licensed to the state for many years has been used by solely by MCV for paging. Presently I am not hearing any paging on this frequency. Possibly MCV has made other arrangements for paging (I hope). If so that means the state has an unused frequency available for reuse.

I have a theory which probably is incorrect but it's a start. My guess is there is a low power fixed transmitter simulcasting possibly from MCV's roof that is being monitored by Downtown Expressway and/or Powhite Parkway HQ personnel for possible traffic situations involving them.

Anyone in Richmond close to MCV can check it or those transiting the MCV area can program this frequency and check reception, if any.
 

c5corvette

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I am about 20 air miles from Richmond. This morning tuning a R7000 across 155-156 mhz. I heard VSP Division 1, ch. 1, 159.0000 mhz. simulcasted analog on 156.2400 mhz., pl 173.8.

Is Richmond still even using 159.0000 in conventional mode???
 

beastieboy101

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I dont think that richmond has been on the old legacy channels (159.000 & 158.985) for some time now. I dont live there but when passing through it is 100% STARS now, no simulcasting.
 

c5corvette

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I know Division 7 and 2 both did a hot cutover (no simulcasting) with the exception of one legacy site in Division 2 for the northwestern area of Rockingham County.

A more likely guess is he was hearing some voice channel that no one has found yet since I dont see it listed in the db (yet). Afterall, I was out boating this weekend and heard VSP traffic loud and clear on Marine Channel 25 ;-) seems Hogback site is using Marine Channel 25 as a voice channel.

I just don't know how they would get a paging allocation, much less a maritime allocation. I know in Fairfax they have an old school bus frequency that was given to them by the county, so you never know where these allocations come from.
 
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I live in Richmond 159.000 is still active simulcast, with the occasional regional sheriff traffic, 158.985 has been dead for about 4 months now.
 

W4UVV

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No

I know Division 7 and 2 both did a hot cutover (no simulcasting) with the exception of one legacy site in Division 2 for the northwestern area of Rockingham County.

A more likely guess is he was hearing some voice channel that no one has found yet since I dont see it listed in the db (yet). Afterall, I was out boating this weekend and heard VSP traffic loud and clear on Marine Channel 25 ;-) seems Hogback site is using Marine Channel 25 as a voice channel.

I just don't know how they would get a paging allocation, much less a maritime allocation. I know in Fairfax they have an old school bus frequency that was given to them by the county, so you never know where these allocations come from.

No, I am not hearing some voice channel that no one has found yet because you don't see it in the RR database. Reality is some RR listings are not error and/or omission free. I'll leave it at that. As for STARS using FORMER MARINE Channel 25 that is correct for a reason. Before the advent of cellphones the FCC allocated a few frequencies in the 157 and 161 mhz. range solely for coast/ship voice traffic the majority of which was phone patches. Does anyone else remember the "Norfolk Marine Operator" on 161 mhz?. The 157 mhz. range was ship traffic and 161 mhz. coast station traffic. As technology developed these Marine frequencies eventually were not used by AT&T or whomever provided the service because they could not compete with cellphones. This resulted in a grouping of "dead" vhf frequencies. Subsequently the FCC reallocated the FORMER MARINE 161 mhz. grouping for licensing in other selected services to include Public Service users. Such 161 mhz. FORMER MARINE reallocations were a godsend to STARS which from the outset underestimated the number of vhf frequencies needed for the system.

"I just don't know how they would get a paging allocation much less a marine allocation". FYI the State of Virginia via VITA is the office of record for state radio licensed entities. VITA coordinates with the requested state entity,prepares, submits and controls license applications, modifications, cancellations, etc. to the FCC. MCV is a STATE operated medical facility. The 156.2400 mhz. license was issued to the STATE of Virginia not MCV.

For anyone who takes the time to listen he will find 159.0000 mhz. Div 1 analog quite active 24/7.

There is nothing nefarious or sinister happening. The state probably got a better deal for MCV paging via a private sector carrier using 929-931 mhz. instead of contracting another service on a state licensed frequency in this situation 156.2400 mhz. The license for the frequency still is valid and VITA approved its' current use to a state entity who does not have to be MCV. VITA is not required to publicly disclose whom the state user is of a particular radio frequency.
 

c5corvette

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No, I am not hearing some voice channel that no one has found yet because you don't see it in the RR database. Reality is some RR listings are not error and/or omission free. I'll leave it at that.

So if you are hearing 159.000 conventional - I have to ask why would someone rebroadcast it in the same locality on the same band as where you can already hear it. Something else is going on!
 

gcgrotz

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John: I remember some years back just after I exited the paging business, the state was licensing a 900 MHz freq statewide for paging. I don't remember what it was but perhaps MCV moved there. I don't even know if it was ever built out.

Last time I checked, UVA hosp was still in the 454 range here, but not as busy. They are going to a distributed antenna system from ntelos for messaging and data in the hospital now on standard PCS freqs.

BTW, I was in Norfolk 4 or 5 years ago at the main telco CO on Bute Street and most of the equipment for that old Marine phone system was still in the racks; receivers, encoders, decoders and the antennas were still on the roof but no transmitters. The guy said nobody ever sent an order to remove the stuff so they never did. Leave it to the phone company...
 

W4UVV

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Good riddance

John: I remember some years back just after I exited the paging business, the state was licensing a 900 MHz freq statewide for paging. I don't remember what it was but perhaps MCV moved there. I don't even know if it was ever built out.

Last time I checked, UVA hosp was still in the 454 range here, but not as busy. They are going to a distributed antenna system from ntelos for messaging and data in the hospital now on standard PCS freqs.

BTW, I was in Norfolk 4 or 5 years ago at the main telco CO on Bute Street and most of the equipment for that old Marine phone system was still in the racks; receivers, encoders, decoders and the antennas were still on the roof but no transmitters. The guy said nobody ever sent an order to remove the stuff so they never did. Leave it to the phone company...

Probably the Governor's mandate to all agencies to reduce operating costs caused somebody to have to justify 156.2400's continued costs when other lower cost options were available. Whatever the reason I am sure a cost/benefit analysis review was involved and I am glad it is gone. From a monitoring perspective it was nothing but a constant RFI source. Another bit of good news for monitoring is the 500 Watt and 1KW wide area Metrocall paging volume on 158.7000 mhz. is down at least 50-75% and 158.1000 mhz. to very little which probably is attributed partly to the different device comm feature options now available for users. That's bad news for Metrocall et. al but good news for monitoring. Anyway good riddance to all vhf pagers.
 

WB4EOT

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Additional Information for VSP uasge of 161.850

Concerning why Virginia is using 161.850 Mhz lead me to search for possible FCC filings related to this issue. To my surprise a few keywords located the attached file titled "Applications for Assignment of 150 MHz Marine Channels to the Commonwealth of Virginia" dated August 2004.

Briefly, Virginia filed a waiver of Part 80 Rules to permit operation on specific Marine Channels to augment frequency needs for Part 90 operation. Specifically, the applications propose to partition and disaggregate twelve 12.5 kHz channel pairs (157.2250/161.8250 MHz, 157.2375/161.8375 MHz, 157.2500/161.8500 MHz, 157.2625/161.8625 MHz,
157.2750/161.8750 MHz, 157.2875/161.8875 MHz, 157.3000/161.9000 MHz, 157.3125/161.9125 MHz,
157.3250/161.9250 MHz, 157.3375/161.9375 MHz, 157.3500/161.9500 MHz, and 157.4000/162.0000 MHz) in the central Virginia counties of Amelia, Brunswick, Clarke, Culpeper, Cumberland, Goochland, Greensville, Louisa, Lunenburg, Madison, Nottoway, Orange, Powhatan, Rappahannock, and Warren.

Please read attached file for more details. Simply stated Virginia filed a waiver in 2004. Waiver was granted to permit operation of allocated marine channels for use with STARS system.

This explains why Hogback Mountain site use 161.850 and why I can hear Control Channel activity on 162.000 Mhz. As previously stated nothing sinister nor nefarious is going on. Simply well planned frequency reuse by cooperating agencies.
 

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N4VKF

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Stars

I know Division 7 and 2 both did a hot cutover (no simulcasting) with the exception of one legacy site in Division 2 for the northwestern area of Rockingham County.

A more likely guess is he was hearing some voice channel that no one has found yet since I dont see it listed in the db (yet). Afterall, I was out boating this weekend and heard VSP traffic loud and clear on Marine Channel 25 ;-) seems Hogback site is using Marine Channel 25 as a voice channel.

I just don't know how they would get a paging allocation, much less a maritime allocation. I know in Fairfax they have an old school bus frequency that was given to them by the county, so you never know where these allocations come from.

Yes I also have confirmed no simulcasting in Div 2 and 7.. : (
 

W4UVV

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Concerning why Virginia is using 161.850 Mhz lead me to search for possible FCC filings related to this issue. To my surprise a few keywords located the attached file titled "Applications for Assignment of 150 MHz Marine Channels to the Commonwealth of Virginia" dated August 2004.

Briefly, Virginia filed a waiver of Part 80 Rules to permit operation on specific Marine Channels to augment frequency needs for Part 90 operation. Specifically, the applications propose to partition and disaggregate twelve 12.5 kHz channel pairs (157.2250/161.8250 MHz, 157.2375/161.8375 MHz, 157.2500/161.8500 MHz, 157.2625/161.8625 MHz,
157.2750/161.8750 MHz, 157.2875/161.8875 MHz, 157.3000/161.9000 MHz, 157.3125/161.9125 MHz,
157.3250/161.9250 MHz, 157.3375/161.9375 MHz, 157.3500/161.9500 MHz, and 157.4000/162.0000 MHz) in the central Virginia counties of Amelia, Brunswick, Clarke, Culpeper, Cumberland, Goochland, Greensville, Louisa, Lunenburg, Madison, Nottoway, Orange, Powhatan, Rappahannock, and Warren.

Please read attached file for more details. Simply stated Virginia filed a waiver in 2004. Waiver was granted to permit operation of allocated marine channels for use with STARS system.

This explains why Hogback Mountain site use 161.850 and why I can hear Control Channel activity on 162.000 Mhz. As previously stated nothing sinister nor nefarious is going on. Simply well planned frequency reuse by cooperating agencies.
Early on the state realized that the responsible parties for STARS system planning basically screwed up and grossly underestimated the number of vhf frequencies that would be required. Additionally another emergency waiver letter request was sent to the FCC requesting licensing selected frequencies in the 151 mhz. range which was approved. That may be why some of them did not appear in the FCC database during that time period.
 

PLHamp

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I am thoroughly confused. I am in NOVA and hear nothing on the 159 freqs. I tried download form RR and no changes. Could some one please explain what is going on so I can get my scanner programed again so I can hear VSP again. I haven't made any changes in a while and was surprised the freqs had gone dead. Thanks for any help.

PLH
 

Stick0413

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I am thoroughly confused. I am in NOVA and hear nothing on the 159 freqs. I tried download form RR and no changes. Could some one please explain what is going on so I can get my scanner programed again so I can hear VSP again. I haven't made any changes in a while and was surprised the freqs had gone dead. Thanks for any help.

PLH

Division 2 & 7 both switched over to STARS and are not simulcasting.
 

rtharmon1

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VSP Div 4 has switched to STARS

Does anyone have the control freqs for Wytheville Virginia State Police?
When I try to enter 152.04, my RS PRO-2096 changes it to 152.03750 and it changes 152.79 to 152.7875.
Does anyone know why?
I am new at trying to program trunk tracking and would really appreciate some help.
 

acrane

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division four stars

I have found the following control channels for Division Four Stars

152.6825
152.6850
152.0800
152.0825
161.810
161.815
161.950
 
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