Washington County Sheriff's Office

[Whistler]

A friend on mine had noticed today that the Washington County Sheriff's Office has UHF antennas on there cars for use as mobile extenders of their 39.1800 MHz frequency. There is nothing on the database about this frequency. Has anyone else noticed these mobile extender antenna or do they know the frequency they are using?

 

[Mick]

Hello. I was looking at their licenses and wonder if any of these could be used:

WNQI848
WASHINGTON, COUNTY OF
35 W. Washington St. Suite 104
HAGERSTOWN, MD 21740
Control Points: WASHINGTON CTY SHERIFF DEPT
500 WESTERN MARYLAND PKY
HAGERSTOWN, MD
460.075
460.150
465.075
465.150

Or maybe some of these 453 MHz frqs. under WPVV545:
http://tinyurl.com/lvmrl

Or these:
KD50881
WASHINGTON, COUNTY OF
35 W WASHINGTON ST
HAGERSTOWN, MD 21740
453.8375
458.8375

 

[ambdrvr]

Hello,

Could these antennas possibly be 800mHz? Hagertown city police use and 800mHz system, mabye these are antennas for use with their system? Just a thought.

Ambdrvr

 

[spanner]

I have never heard a Deputy come up on HPD channels....

Even on Saturday night, when there was a fight involving 40+, they did not come up on the 800....

But, I will put in those freqs, and see if anything developes.......

Carl

 

[Whistler]

I think they may be mobile extender for their 39.1800 but I don't know what frequencies they are using.

 

[spanner]

I plugged the above listed frequencies yesterday, and listened all day.

Nothing....

Not even when the Williamsport units were around the block at a local pub....

I will keep trying....

 

[spanner]

Been listening for a few days, and there seems to be no transmissions on the above named freqs....

I will keep them in there though....

Carl

 

[Whistler]

"A Friend of Mine" is a Washington County Deputy. May have to Close Call when I see him. He may even know what they are for.

 

[Gilligan]

I never thought about those freqs being used for mobile extenders. Most agencies with low-band do use mobile extenders, and they wouldn't be on VHF-low, so that seems to make the most sense. And if activity is not heard very often, that could explain it, since they would be low-power. The next time you see WCSO making a traffic stop, scan these freqs and use Close Call (if you have it) and you may find these freqs to be mobile relays. They may even have simplex UHF capability for mobile to mobile, like when they're training or too far from their vehicles. Looking back, it makes a lot more sense than having UHF repeaters for chatting, at least to me.

For a close-up of this UHF or 800 antenna, here's a good pic: http://www.washcosheriff.com/graphics/crawford.jpg

And their communications page says that there is a Narcotics Task Force freq that only they use, and that it is encrypted. The picture of their dispatch is http://www.washcosheriff.com/graphics/dispatch_01.jpg and the console (which I think is a Motorola Centracom II Dispatch console) is pictured at http://www.washcosheriff.com/graphics/radio.jpg. I'd like to find out more about that NTF freq.

 

[maus92]

Whoa, are you talking about that itty-bitty conductor in front of the light bar? It's almost certain that's for a ME setup.

CA
Annapolis

 

[Gilligan]

Whoa, are you talking about that itty-bitty conductor in front of the light bar? It's almost certain that's for a ME setup.

Are you talking about an MDT? By the way, I'm now wondering if their handhelds are really on low-band. It seems I remember seeing county fire and sheriff using large portables with extra long rubber antennas, which would imply low-band. But I question how well they would work out in the country, when talking back to base.

 

[maus92]

The little antenna is UHF, and could be used for a mobile extender (ME) or for a MDT status system, or even a mobile data terminal. The long antenna on the portables sounds like low band, ruling out the UHF ME theory. Even though a VHF-lb portable has limited range, it might be useful in areas near towers, and to other units nearby. It's also posible that the VHF-lb could be using a different lb frequency to the car, and then the message retransmitted on the operating freq. Look for an additional lb antenna on the car.

CA
Annapolis

 

[kb3jkc]

That UHF antenna is for their mobile extenders for the mobile low band (39.18 & 39.60) radios. Not sure of the frequencies for UHF, but I know they do have a non repeated, talkaround channel for short range portable to portable comm in addition to the freq used for the repeater. Up until maybe 8 years ago, they used low band portables, just like fire and ems still use in Wash. Co. But too many dead spots prompted them to switch to the vehicular repeater system similar to MSP.

It may have been mentioned on these forums previously, but Wash. Co. will be switching to a UHF trunked system sometime in the future ('07 or '08) for sheriff, fire & rescue, and other county departments.

 

[Gilligan]

Thanks KB3JKC for your input. I'm glad to have an answer on this. Appreciated.

 

[lawman349]

we have them on our cars...

the mobile video equipment uses UHF to receive audio transmitted from the mic on the officer. i am not sure what the freq is, but i am almost certain it uses some kind of DPL or PL.

check to see if Wash Co. has video. I'd bet thats what the antenna is for.

 

[kb3jkc]

No video cams or MDT's in their cars. The short antennae are definitely for the UHF repeaters for lowband mobile radios.

 

[Gilligan]

Okay, so are the UHF repeaters operating on 460.075/465.075 and 460.150/465.150? The database shows 2 repeaters on these freqs, not 50 mobile repeaters on these freqs. But I'd still venture to guess that it's a good possibility.

 

[Whistler]

Washington County Sheriff's Office Trunk

I see that they are now licensed as of Sept 06 for a Trunk system WPVV545. Does anyone have any info that they could submit to the Database?

 

[spanner]

From the FCC website:

453.15
.2375
.2875
.3125
.7625

458.150
.2875
.2375
.3125
.7625

460.075
.1375
.150
.2125
.3875

465.075
.1375
.150
.2125
.3875

Now all we have to do is find out what kind of Motorola system it is.....

 

[ambdrvr]

Washington County UHF System

Hello all,

From what I've heard so far on the Washington County system to come, it's going to be a P25 system. I've only heard that rumor, but my source is pretty reliable so I'd venture that it's true. If I hear anything else I will post it.

Ambdrvr