Issue 23 - Scanner Digest Newsletter

ISSUE 23 MARCH 2003PUBLISHERLou Campagna, PublisherPOB 207Jamison PA 18929ScannerDigest@usa.comI’m happy to report that this new format has already increased ourreadership substantially. It’s all about providing updated scannerinformation and the ability to exchange ideas about our hobbybetween readers and our staff. Your comments and suggestionsare always welcome. The staff column editors have done a finejob throughout our transition period. Please show your support bydropping them a line and acknowledging their efforts.GENERAL EDITORJeff NewtonNewton@efn.orgWelcome to another issue of the Scanner Digest, we got off to agreat start on our first issue as an electronic publication.In fact, most of the mail we received at the SD HQ's, was overwhelmingto both Lou and I on its first time out as a electronice-zine. We still plan to offer the hard copy for those that don'thave access to a computer or online services to view the AdobeAcrobat version of our publication.Now with that in full swing and throttle I'd like to take a moment toask all our subscribers, writers and readers of our publication, toremember the "Columbia Seven" that lost their lives upon re-entryto earth, earlier this month.The space program should go on and its challenges andendeavors must continue. With the new space station being builtand inhabitant by astronauts from the various countries that arechipping in to built the state of the art traveling structure, highabove the earth, we can only hope that one day the "Enterprise"and it's crew will arrive to see a fine structure built by membersfrom NASA and other world space organizations.Only one final thought comes to mind here. The "Challenger andColumbia Seven" could all be sharing space with Gene and Carlin the far wonders of the universe.... They shall remain in ourmemories forever, they gave the strength and courage andbelieved space was the most livable frontier of the future...Only Spock would say, "A wise man, could think, where no manas gone before"....Now with that out of the way, I'd like to see more column materialTo be submitted by all editors of the SD. I'd also like to seematerial of interest from our readers as well. If you’re interested insubmitting material to our publication, please feel free to contactme or Lou at our email addresses and will get you started on theright track.Until next month, enjoy the issue!!- JNDELAWAREJack McCartanPOB 9453Newark DE 19714-9451Jackalw29@hotmail.comHello, scanner fans and welcome to the latest issue of theScanner Digest- Delaware Column. I sincerely hope that all of theScanner Digest readers enjoy the new electronic format; althoughthe newsletter will be sent in a hard copy for a short time. Thisnew format will allow the Scanner Digest to continue on as thegreat newsletter it is!As I compose this column, a major snowstorm is pounding thearea. Upwards of two feet of snow may fall before its all over.We've been pretty fortunate in recent years and we were due fora big storm to hit. Be sure to monitor all the weather-relatedfrequencies so you'll be kept informed of everything that's goingon. This includes public works, businesses, highway departments,hospitals, schools, transportation, public safety, FRS, GMRS, andthe itinerants.As we get deeper into 2003, our country is entering an uncertaintime. There is the possibility of war with Iraq and the ever-presentfear of more terrorist attacks. Below is a list of military aircraft callsigns and frequencies. Instead of buying duct tape and plasticsheeting, monitor our brave men and women in our armed forcesdefending our nation:CALLSIGNS: Civil Air PatrolDark Star -AWACSTeam KC-10Sentry-AWACS Slam F-16Thumper-AWACS Cyborg F-15Timer F-16 115 th Fighter GroupJava A10Hightop-KC135 Lucky A-10Push Pull-HuntressTesterRoperNATO-AWACSHonor Marsa F-15Flyer A-10 Lyca F-16Juice F-16Magic-AWACSReach Hitman C-130AIR-TO-AIR FREQUENCIES:324.000 AWACS to tanker143.800 (AM)143.875 (AM)34.750 Flyer flight141.875 (AM) F-16's38.850 unknown A-10's280.450 F/A-18's from Andrews AFB121.500 VHF Guard138.000 F-16's391.200 Cyborg Flight141.825 (AM) F-16's139.625 (AM) F-16's138.625 (AM) F-16's276.675 F-15's from Langley AFB358.850 " " " "389.100 " " " "310.150 unknown355.200 AWACS to tankerSCANNER DIGEST NEWSLETTER – ISSUE 23 PAGE 1

tractor in a travel lane on I290 - so they dropped thetrailer right in the roadway, and grabbed a passingtractor to tow it into the breakdown lane)This info might give you a little insight into which frequencies arebeing used in which Zones, and which traffic is being carried fromout of the area.On a different note, 159.03 are still carrying State Police trafficunits on the Mass Turnpike (I-90) in Boston. Usually just thedispatcher is heard, but once in a while a State Police unit comesover the repeater. I would bet that they are patching the VHFsystem to the 800 MHz system at this time. The dispatcher hasbeen heard communicating with Service Truck 700 and variouspolice units - both underneath the Prudential Tower and onHarborside Drive in East Boston. (This is probably the E-4 MSPdispatcher who controls the Mass Turnpike Extension andpossibly all 3 of the cross-harbor tunnels). The repeater isapparently either low powered or at a low elevation.CONNECTICUTLCD FIREGROUND (SCENE) CHANNELSKeith Victor44 Suffolk DriveEast Hartford CT 06118alarmroom@juno.comBARKHAMSTED 155.8125 MHz D072 (4)Barkhamsted EastPleasant ValleyRivertonKENT 155.8125 MHz D072 (4)SALISBURY 155.8125 MHz D072 (4)LakevilleSalisbury AmbulanceNEW HARTFORD 155.8275 MHz D025 (5)Pine MeadowSouthendNew Hartford AmbulanceNORTH CANAAN 155.8275 MHz D025 (5)CanaanNorth Canaan AmbulanceCANAAN 156.0075 MHz D051 (6)Falls VillageHARWINTON 156.0075 MHz D051 (6)Harwinton West SideHarwinton AmbulanceLITCHFIELD 155.8125 MHz D172 (7)BantamEast LitchfieldNorthfieldLitchfield AmbulanceNORFOLK 155.8125 MHz D172 (7)Norfolk AmbulanceCOLEBROOK 155.8275 MHz D125 (8)ForgeColebrook CenterWARREN 155.8275 MHz D125 (8)HARTLAND 156.0075 MHz D152 (9)East HartlandWest HartlandWASHINGTON 156.0075 MHz D152 (9)Washington AmbulanceCORNWALL 155.8125 MHz D271 (10)ROXBURY 155.8125 MHz D271 (10)Roxbury AmbulanceGOSHEN 155.8275 MHz D205 (11)MORRIS 155.8275 MHz D205 (11)BRIDGEWATER 156.0075 MHz D244 (12)SHARON 156.0075 MHz D244 (12)The Main Dispatch channel is: 155.1075 MHz 82.5LCD Command channel is: 155.1225 MHz D532LCD Operations Repeater is: 155.0925 MHz D465LCD Traffic (Fire Police) 158.3025 MHz D532LCD Airtac (Lifestar/Trooper 1) 150.7900 MHz 203.5LCD Interoperations 154.6650 MHz 141.3*• Former State Police ChannelIntra County UHF Channel 463.9250 MHz 192.8Dispatch SignalsSignal 1 Emergency-Involving LCDSignal 2 Emergency-Wide Area IncidentSignal 23 Emergency IncidentSignal 33 Medical IncidentSignal 50 Fire IncidentSignal 85 Radio TestSignal 100 Drill/Training IncidentSignal 200 Non-Emergency IncidentResponse SignalsSignal 43 Responding to stationSignal 45 Awaiting crewSignal 53 Responding to incidentSignal 30 On sceneSignal 31 Enroute to EMS destinationSignal 32 AT EMS destinationCommand SignalsSignal 54 Under controlSignal 71 Clear of sceneSignal 52 In service and availableSignal 80 Incident completedThis is from the LCD Radio System Operational Protocol ManualUpdate 1/21/2003For those of you that follow the utilities on the radio theConnecticut Water Company are changing from the low bandchannel of 47.700 MHz to a repeaterized UHF channel of462.1250 MHz. On the low band they used 114.8 as a PL butwhen they change they may not so if you hear them pleaseadvise me on the PL. The repeaters will be located in:Danielson, Guilford, Naugatuck, Old Saybrook, Plainfield,Plymouth, South Windsor, and Tolland. As you can see this isquite a rather large network, remember there are still otherusers on this business channel.MILITARYDaniel Myers KB3IBQ823 Horsham Rd.Horsham, Pa 19044-1209domyers@voicenet.comAs spring fast approaches some of our thoughts are about theupcoming air show season. Below is a report from the last airshow I attended in 2002 and what we might expect for 2003.NAS Oceana 2002 Air Show ReportSCANNER DIGEST NEWSLETTER – ISSUE 23 PAGE 3

As reported in a past article, the NAS Oceana, VA air show isprobably the biggest public military air event on the east coast.Last year's show was cancelled; it was to take place two weeksafter September 11th. With heightened security at all the 2002shows, strict security notices appearing on Oceana's web site,and rumors and stories from fellow military monitors, we wererather apprehensive about what freedoms we might have or nothave at this year's show. It turned out better than we hadanticipated.ThursdayThe best day for any Blue Angel's air show is Thursday. The teamusually arrives around noon and flies for about three hours doingtheir site survey (circle and arrival) and a practice show. After asix-hour drive we arrived on station around 3 pm just in time tosee the Blue Angels take off for their practice. We watched fromthe skeet shooting range (Navy property) on the backside of thebase. This was a great place for viewing and nobody bothered usthere. On takeoff the boss had an engine flame out on the leftside and had to return for the spare jet. That provided a littleexcitement as well as #5 doing his sneak pass when we allthought we heard a "bang". Did he break the sound barrier? Hispass was certainly low and fast enough!! While there, we alsowatched a lot of the show aircraft arrivals, along with manymultiple approaches and departures of station F/A-18s and F-14s.Just before we departed, around 7pm, there was a Memorial Fly-By by two F-14s making a single pass over the POW/MIAMemorial on Oceana Blvd. The F-14s used the call sign DRAGO.FridayWe arrived on base at the prescribed time to pick up our presspasses. We had no problem getting the wagon on the flight line. Itwas loaded with: battery pack, amplified speakers, two basescanners, five handheld scanners, an amateur transceiver andtwo FRS radios. The security people asked everyone to turn onelectronic devices, including cameras, radios and cell phones.They were extremely thorough and very courteous. We setup show-left, getting there just in time to start monitoring theTACAIR (Tactical Air) Demo and Fly-By. The TACAIR Demo andFly-By is a hallmark of the NAS Oceana air show. Consisting ofeleven planes in total, all Tactical Air and Fleet Fly-Byparticipating aircraft departed at the same time after which asingle US Navy F/A-18 did a high performance demonstration.The first wave of planes to fly by consisted of four REDRIPPER(VF-11) F-14s and four HAWK(VFA-136) F/A-18s in twodiamond formations for a single pass. As they departed the showbox a section (two jets in formation) of one F-14 joined with oneF/A-18 came from left to right for the high-speed (mach .98)sneak pass with ground pyrotechnics. Next to follow was thefighter/bombing demonstration. The four RED RIPPERF-14s and four HAWK F/A-18s then returned to do multiplesimulated bombing runs with massive pyrotechnics being set off.Upon landing, all 11 planes taxied in front of a cheering crowd offor a "pass-in-review".The rest of the show was a fine mix of military and civilianparticipants. The military portion consisted of demos by an ArmyAH-64 Apache, Navy P-3, Air Force East Coast A-10 and F-16demo teams, Canadian CF-18 and Navy F-14. Both The US ArmyGOLDEN KNIGHTS and The British RED DEVILS performedjumps. The civilian aircraft included: an F-4U Corsair,T-6 Texan, F-86 Saber Jet, Stunt Bi-Planes flown by two amazingpilots Sean Tucker and Jim Leroy, and Extra 300s flown by PattyWagstaff and Ian Groom. The F-4U, F-16, A-10 and F-86 all flewtogether in a heritage flight in honor of Fallen Heroes and MilitaryVeterans. Unfortunate to report was the tragic crash, and death ofthe pilot, of a MIG-15UT that was en route to the air show. TheMIG-15UT was a rare two-seat version. It crashed in the denselywooded swamps of southeastern North Carolina. The MIG wasscheduled to fly a demo each day in conjunction with the F-86Saber Jet. The pilot of the MIG 15UT, Dr. Rigetti of Miami, FL,and the pilot of the F-86, Dale Snodgrass, were good friends andbusiness partners.The Canadian SNOWBIRDS arrived early afternoon andperformed their show arrival site survey and practice show.During these maneuvers the two solos split off from the mainformation of the other seven planes. They all then rejoined toland.Friday Night Twilight ShowFeatured was a large array of performers. All had some type ofpyrotechnics associated with their planes lighting up the night sky.This included everything from afterburners on the F/A-18 and F-14s, JATO (Jet Assisted Take Off) bottles on the Blue AngelsFAT ALBERT C-130, sparklers on the boots of the GoldenKnights and Red Devils jump teams, as well as fireworks andsparklers shooting from the civilian aircraft. But probably the mostspectacular events of the evening were the SHOCKWAVE truck,blowing huge flames from his jet engine and the grand finale offireworks. The evening was then topped off with a rock concert.Saturday and SundayWith the exception of a B-2 stealth bomber single pass fly-by onSunday only, the line up and show schedule pretty muchremained the same for both days. Saturday's Fleet Fly-By provedto be quite exciting. On Saturday a section of one F/A-18 and oneF-14 performed the sneak pass calling their airspeed over theradio at mach .98!! Blowing clouds of vapors, from the morningocean air, off their wings it was a real crowd pleaser!! When wereturned to our hotel that evening we saw on the news thatseveral businesses and homes on the backside of the base hadtheir windows smashed from the concussion of jets passing at lowaltitude overhead. While the Navy initially attempted to place theblame on the ground pyrotechnics, we all suspected the sneakpass. On Sunday the sneak pass was recorded at mach .96, alittle slower and a slightly higher altitude than Saturday.The Navy agreed to investigate Saturday's incident and told theaffected they would pay for any damage.Saturday Night Beach BlastAlong with the Friday Night Show, there is also a Saturday nightbeach show. It took place in the center of town (Virginia Beach)on the beach-walk. The air show portion included the F-14Tomcat doing multiple afterburner passes along with a mass jump(from a CH-53) by both the Golden Knights and Red Devils jumpteams. They were adorned with glow sticks and could be seen asthey exited the helo. When the Red Devils ground crew arrivedwe noticed they were using FRS radios. They informed us thatthe radios would be used for communications with the jumpaircraft. They showed me the radios, which happen to be tuned tochannel 11 with a pl tone of 3. We monitored that frequency butheard nothing. At any future events where the Red Devils areperforming, I would certainly recommend scanning the FRS bandfor activity. Afterwards everyone had a chance to meet the jet andjump teams. Members of the Blue Angels, Snowbirds, GoldenKnights and Red Devils were on hand to sign autographs while amusic group performed a concert with songs from the 70s and80s.The Future-NAS Norfolk, just up the peninsula from NAS Oceana, will noSCANNER DIGEST NEWSLETTER – ISSUE 23 PAGE 4

longer be having it's annual air show. Instead their show will beincorporated into Oceana's as a combined "World Class AirShow". The 2003 show will take place on September 6 and 7. AsOceana's aging F-14s are retired and sent to the bone yard, theTomcat squadrons are transitioning to the new F/A-18E/F SuperHornet. These planes (squadrons) will be based on the westcoast at NAS Lemoore, CA. A petition was being circulated at theair show, for signing, to have the Super Hornet squadrons returnback to NAS Oceana. The following F-14 squadrons have alreadytransitioned to NAS Lemoore, CA.VF-31 TOMCATTERSVF-14 TOPHATTERSVF-41 BLACK ACESVF-102 DIAMOND BACKSVF-2 BOUNTY HUNTERS (in process)FREQUENCIESAs was stated in past issues, the Hampton Roads and VirginiaBeach area is abundantly rich with military facilities and theirassociated radio communications. Just spending a few days, oreven a few hours for that matter, monitoring the military radioactivity one realizes that it is a daunting task to try and capture allthe radio traffic this place has to offer. After finding a "new"frequency via a search, you then have to determine it is an ATCfrequency or a discreet? If it is a discreet, what base is it from? Itis from Langley AFB, NAS Oceana, NAS Norfolk, Giant Killer,Dam Neck, Fort Story, Little Creek Amphibious Base, orsomeplace else? Before I leave on this trip down south, I consultmy past notes, my files and web sites. Once there I enjoy verymuch devoting several PRO-26 scanners to searching for newfrequencies. Below, I have attempted to provide an accuratejournal of what I discovered. As always, I welcome yourcomments.Published123.900 Show Control 360.200 Show ControlTactical41.450 MA ANG A-10s a/a on arrival122.775 VIPER F-16 Demo Team (Shaw AFB)139.800 WI ANG F-16229.075 VIPER F-16 Demo Team (Shaw AFB)242.600 SNOWBIRDS solos (a new listing for me)252.500 PUKIN DOG F-14 (VF-143) a/a Used during thetactical demo.272.100 SNOWBIRDS formation263.75 EXPERT F/A-18 (VFA-122) Demo Team (NASLemoore)263.500 unknown F-14 Squadron Ops264.350 unknown Squadron Ops274.700 HAWK F/A-18 (VFA-136) Squadron Ops and a/a311.500 GUNFIGHTER (VF-101) Squadron Ops F-14 DemoTeam342.900 GUNFIGHTER (VF-101) a/a F-14 Demo Team343.050 RED RIPPER F-14 (VF-11)344.350 RED RIPPER F-14 (VF-11) and HAWK (VFA-136) F/A-18 a/a. This was the primary frequency for the fleet fly-By andTACAIR Demo.20032003 marks the 100th anniversary of Wilbur and Orville Wright'sfirst flight at Kitty Hawk, NC. There was supposed to be a threeweekevent in Hampton Roads VA, called the Worlds Fair AirShow, celebrating this 100 th anniversary of flight. Unfortunately,do to lack of financial commitment on behalf of the sponsors theshow has been cancelled. We were planning on going to thatshow but we will be attending the "100 Years of Powered Flight"show in Dayton, OH instead. This will be a four-day event (July 18to 20) featuring the three North American jet teams. The Frenchwere originally scheduled for this show (as well as other USshows) but have decided not to make the trip abroad. With theimpending war in Iraq and elevated homeland security threats, itremains to be seen what military facilities will be having airshows. At this time we are seeing some of the first shows on thewest coast already deciding to cancel. If you plan on attendingany of these events this year, you would be well advised to callahead or check their web sites. Let us all hope we win this warquickly and return to a pre-September 11th life style of freedomand security.WEBSITESTwo websites that I usually consult for air shows are:http://www.airshows.org/http://schultzairshows.com/.This site has links to all the jet teams and the military highperformance demonstrations.NAS Oceana, VAhttp://www.neptuneairshow.com/Dayton, OHhttp://www.usats.org/index.htmlOn a related note, as one might expect there have been massmigrations of all types of military aircraft overseas. As reported inthe issue #8 of the SCANNER DIGEST these movements can bemonitored on the Cornet Frequencies.I wanted to pass on along a hardly congratulations to our ownVirginia Editor, Rob Turner. Rob has recently joined the amateurradio community as a No-Code Technician Class radio operator(KG4YJB). Rob told me he bought the study guide at a localbookstore, studied the material and took the test three weekslater. Way to go Rob!! I am looking forward to our first QSO thissummer. Dan KB3IBQPHILADELPHIA METROLou CampagnaPOB 207Jamison PA 18929-0207ScannerDigest@usa.comPhilly Going DigitalDuring the first week of February 2003, most conventional policeand fire communications over the UHF and VHF bands wentsilent. Most of the new communications were being conductedover the 800MHz Motorola digital trunked system. Conventionalscanner listeners were only left with a “J” Band (453.7500) acitywide alert frequency to hear the major crime broadcasts.Most of us will miss KGF587 (PD) and KGB476 (FD) as call letterwere broadcast over the 453MHz band and the 154MHz band.All fire and EMS communications have done a complete crossoverand unless your equipped with a digital-capable scanner,fire/EMS communications are no longer being simulcast over154MHz band. Police communications will continue with only themajor broadcasts being simulcast over “J” Band.Many scanner buffs are attempting to acquire a digital capablescanner through Uniden. The BC785D base/mobile and theSCANNER DIGEST NEWSLETTER – ISSUE 23 PAGE 5

BC250D handheld portable can be used in conjunction with theBCi25D digital module that can be plugged in either unit. Totalcost will set you back close to $700. This is needed to currentlylisten to public safety communications coming out of bothPhiladelphia and Bucks County PA.I did a quick search of reputable scanner dealers and found thatNational Electronics had the best deal going. For thosecontemplating a purchase of new digital capable system it isrecommended that you check out the various deals being offered.Be sure to calculate the shipping costs as you search for the best“bottom-line” price.National Electronics Tel. 913-888-8864POB 15417Shawnee Mission KS 66285Email:Web:sales@national-electronics.comwww.national-electronics.comUniden BC785D $339.95Uniden BC250D $339.95Uniden BCi25D $289.95Typical shipping expense of either the base/mobile or portablescanner with the plug-in board via UPS ground from Kansas tothe east coast is approximately $13.00.Philadelphia Trunked Radio SystemUniden ID Motorola TG Band Districts0016 001 Far-Northeast Band 7, 80048 003 Northeast Band 2, 150080 005 North-Central Band 22, 230112 007 Central Band 6, 9, Center City0144 009 South Band 1, 170176 00B Southwest Band 12, 18, University City (UC)0208 00D West Band 16, 190240 00F North Band 14, 350272 011 Northwest Band 5, 390304 013 East Band 24, 260336 015 25 Band 250464 01D South 2 Band 3, 4, South Street0368 017 J Band City-Wide 1/Administrative0400 019 T Band Traffic0432 01B M Band City-Wide 20496 01F Special Events 10528 021 Special Events 2Philadelphia Fire DepartmentUniden ID Motorola TG Use3792 0ED North Fire Band3824 0EF South Fire Band3856 0F1 North Medic Band3888 0F3 South Medic Band4144 103 Fire All Group4176 105 PPD/PFD 14208 107 PPD/PFD 24368 111 EOC-14400 113 EOC-24432 115 EOC-3/Second Alarmers4464 117 EOC All GroupThe information provided on Philadelphia’s new 800MHz digitaltrunked radio system was courtesy of Joe Cardani. Completeinformation can be obtained by contacting Joe directly at his website. www.PhillyScanner.comEASTERN PENNSYLVANIASteve Bower Jr.POB 942Fogelsville PA 18051-0942Steve1Radio@aol.comHello everyone, Welcome once again to another edition of theScanner Digest!! Hope you all had a joyous and happy holidayseason!!Our Christmas will be one to remember, It first started around10pm on Christmas Eve, SNOW!! This turned into rain Christmasmorning and turned back over to heavy snow. Let’s just say byabout 1:30pm Christmas day we had NO POWER!! Trees werestarting to crackle down and electrical lines down. Our Christmasdinner was prepared on a wood stove and grill. It was fun though,Since it was too cold on Friday night we stayed at a relativesplace until we got power back on Friday morning early. Someareas did not receive power until late Sunday.With the power interruption my new toy got some use out of theRadio Shack PRO-95 Dual Trunk scanner. There are some goodand bad details about this scanner but over all for the price it is asteal!! Would like to thank Santa (My Wife) again who got it forme!This is what we have found so far, Special thanks to L. Snyder ofBerks County for all his help:GPU – Met Ed (Metropolitan Edison Company)Reading, Pa. (EDACS System)Note:1011 st frequency MUST Be in Channel 01 of the bank!! Ex:856.3875, 857.3875, 858.3875, 859.3875, 860.3875, 860.7625System I860.7625, 859.7625, 858.7625, 857.7625, 856.7625,System IIBoth systems inter-connect with each other; Reading, Easton,Hamburg, Lebanon Service areas in Pa.Tracker Code:0610 Reading Line – Dispatcher0578 Lebanon Line – Dispatcher0620 Boyertown Line – Dispatcher0621 Hamburg Line – Dispatcher0580 Lebanon Line – Business OfficeThere are many different talk groups in that system, These werethe most active. A lot of the Easton units sounded to be sometype of Digital system?Once again special note: FREQUENCIES MUST BE LISTED INORDER FOR TRUNKING TO WORK. SET TO ED SYSTEM,START WITH FIRST CHANNEL IN BANK. (Ex: M101 notchannel M100)855.2125, 856.4375, 856.9375, 857.4375, 858.4375, 859.9375,859.4375, 858.9375, 860.9375MhzAll are in EDAC Mode:Allentown Fire Dept. – Dispatch 2047Allentown Fire F-1 0529SCANNER DIGEST NEWSLETTER – ISSUE 23 PAGE 6

Allentown Fire F-2 0530Allentown Ambulance F-1 0785(Simulcast of 155.040 for City EMS old Police F-3, * See Note*)Allentown Ambulance F-2 0786EMS – to Lehigh Valley Hospital I-78 0849EMS – to LVH 17 th street 0850EMS – Sacred Heart (“The Heart”) 0851EMS – St. Luke’s – Allentown 0853EMS – LVH Muhlenberg 0854Police F-1 Dispatch 0273(Simulcast of 158.7900 for Police F-1)Police F-2 Scope 0274(Simulcast of 159.0900 for Police F-2, * See Note*)Police F-3 Desk 0275Police P-Events1 0289Police – Investigations 0276Parking Enforcement 1345Streets Department 1041Code Enforcement 1043Parks/ Recreation 1060EMS – to Medical Command 2045EMS – to Medical Command 2046There are many other talk ID’s that we have not confirmed whothey are, any help would be appreciated!! **Note Police F2 andold Police F-3 still have a Repeater System set-up in order tocommunicate with outer communities.158.7900 Police F-1 Dispatch159.0900 Police F-2 Scope155.0400 Allentown EMS F-1461.5000 Allentown School District – Operations502.9125 Allentown School District – Transportation154.5700 Allentown Fire Police AssociationAlso keep a listen on a few of the old Allentown City frequencies.The City must have transferred the following to Lehigh County,However none are in use at this time:453.4750 and 453.8250 KNHT865, Which was repeated andused for Allentown Fire. 156.2400 KKR207, Which was used forCity Streets Department has all been licensed to Lehigh County.Keep a listen and see what happens!!Keep an ear out on those new Lehigh County frequencies as well.154.2725, 151.0175, 150.7825, 153.7625 are set-up as FB2 andMO operations.Well that should do it from the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. I’mstill looking for your help out there!! If anyone is from theSusquehanna Valley or the Pocono area, I would like to hear fromyou. Happy New Year and as always Be Safe & Take Care!!Regards, Steve B.NEW HAMPSHIREJohn Bolducc/o Scanner DigestPOB 207 Jamison PA 18929N1qgs@yahoo.comA major fire in the generator building atop of Mt. Washingtonburned for 18 hours, destroying all 3 generators and thegenerator building. The five man observatory crew tried toextinguish the fire with twenty fire extinguishers to no avail. Theyhad to be rescued from the mountain top to prevent freezing todeath.This was the biggest fire on the summit of Mt. Washington sinceAugust 1915 when the Tip Top house burned down. The biggestfire on the mountain was in June 1908 when the Second SummitHouse and all other buildings, but one, were destroyed by fireThis knocked out or degraded communications for NH StatePolice, 2 FM radio stations, several governmental andcommercial 2-way outlets, and NOAA weather on 162.500.Affected WPKQ 103.7 is a clone of WOKQ 97.5 andmuch of their coverage overlaps.Also affected, WHOM 94.9 boasts that it has the largest land areasignal coverage of any FM station in America. There are a coupleof stations that have a wider signal radius, but much of theirsignal contours are over ocean, not land. WHOM is now on verylow power and their signal which could easily be heard over 100miles away even under bad conditions, is only heard in the Mt.Washington Valley. WHOM's parent company in the meantime isrelaying WHOM programming over 93.9 in the Portland ME area.93.9 previously was a clone of an another Maine based rockstation on 94.3.Londonderry Fire on 151.175 is now on a repeater with an inputof 156.1125. PL tone has changed from 136.5 to dpl 466.Franklin Pierce College in Rindge has their security operations on154.680 repeater with dpl 251.A new fire buff group is starting in the southern New Hampshirenorthern Massachusetts area. The dispatch channel is 461.125 /156.7.In the have it your way department, UHF links for 33.640 are inplace in the Milford / Brookline area. You can hear 33.640 / 136.5traffic on 453.6125 / 114.8, only hearing low band traffictransmitting the 136.5 tone. On the other hand, you can monitor453.3625 / 103.5 and hear low band traffic from 33.640regardless of low band PL tone.A few acquaintances have acquired the new Bearcat digitalcapable scanners and report very good results. NH State Police,all counties utilizing digital, Nashua, Concord, Claremont, Fishand Game are all heard successfully. The one gotcha with thenew scanner are systems that used mixed digital and analog,such as Hillsboro County on 155.520R. Dispatch is usually analogwhile the cruisers are digital. You only need to program thefrequency in your scanner in one location, despite the mixedmode.When switching from analog to digital, the scanner reactsimmediately. However, in the digital mode, the scanner will notswitch back to analog for about 10 seconds.Claremont Police, seems to be using analog a little bit more thanpreviously reported on 154.845R. On January 23-24, 2003 theywere entirely analog, I suspect they had system problems.South Hampton Fire, previously dispatched by Amesbury MA on158.955 / 203.5 is now dispatch by Rockingham County on154.190 / 136.5.SCANNER DIGEST NEWSLETTER – ISSUE 23 PAGE 7

Troy Highway moved over to 154.540 / 114.8 in late January2003. Their tremendous signal from the southwest corner of thestate can be heard very well hear in the Merrimack Valley. Somuch so that other users, business and otherwise, havecommented on "the interference".On January 23, 2003 I heard SWNH in Keene dispatch anambulance for Alstead on 158.925 / 136.5, ID'ing as KCA394.Towards the end of the transmission, the dispatcher soundedconfused and immediately dispatched over 154.430/ 146.5 and155.220 / 136.5 the same traffic. The 158.925 frequency islicensed to Acworth, but I have not heard anything herebefore or since this occurrence.NEW HAMPSHIRE TOWNS WITH NO FIRE DEPARTMENT OFTHEIR OWN:(Town in parenthesis indicates departments that providedcoverage):AlbanyBentonCambridgeChathamClarksvilleDixville(Conway and Madison)(Haverhill and Woodstock)(Milan and Errol)(Saco Valley FD Fryeburg ME)(Pittsburg and Stewartstown)(Colebrook)With one engine stationed at Balsam's Hotel in DixvilleDorchester (Lyme and Rumney)Eaton(Conway & 1 surplus NHDRED military truck)Ellsworth (Rumney and Campton-Thornton)Livermore (Lincoln and Bartlett)Hales Location (Conway)Hart's Location (Bartlett & Twin Mountain FD in the town ofCarroll)Millsfield (Errol)Orange (Canaan)Roxbury (Keene)Roxbury does have a rudimentary department, but Keeneresponds on all callsSharon (Peterborough)Success (Berlin)Wentworths Loc'n (Errol)Maidstone VT (Northumberland NH)TOWNS WITH MULTIPLE Fire Precincts/Districts/Departments:Andover Andover, East Andover, Proctor Academy FDBartlett Bartlett, GlenChesterfield Chesterfield, Spofford, West ChesterfieldConway Conway Vlg, Redstone, E Conway, CtrConway, No ConwayDerryDerry and East Derry DublinDublin, CheshamFitzwilliam Fitzwilliam, Meadowood Hartford VTHartford, White River Junction, Quechee HaverhillHaverhill, North Haverhill, Woodsville Newbury VTNewbury, West Newbury, WellsRiver Newbury MADEPARTMENTS INCORPORTATING MULTIPLE TOWNS:Campton-Thornton Groton-HebronWarren-Wentworth Winnisquam covers parts of Belmont,Tilton, Sanbornton and MeredithNewbrook VTNewfane-Brookline (dispatch out ofKeene NH)New Hampshire and bordering ambulances/rescues Date indicates datewhen verified/heardName Freq PL Town served / date heardAlstead Ambulance 154.430 136.5 BLS 9/25/02Alton Amb 159.900 d311 AltonAMR 154.190 136.5 Sandown 10/09/02,Newton AMR 154.130 114.8 HampsteadTrinity 155.3625 d423 Hampstead 11/20/02Pelham xmtr AMR (ex-Benoit) 157.470Somersworth AMR 154.010 114.8 West Newbury 11/28/02Antrim Ambulance 154.430 136.5 Antrim, Bennington, StoddardBristol 159.900 d311 Bristol, HillBrookline Ambu 33.640 136.5 BrooklineCare Plus 460.550 151.4 Lebanon MECare Plus ch. 1 154.505 123.0 Candia 11/28/02Care Plus ch. 2 heard reference to ch 2, unknown what it isDeerfield Val Res 154.430 136.5 Wilmington VTDerry Fire Res 154.130 114.8 Derry,E.Derry,Chester,AuburnDeLuzio Ambu 154.430 136.5 Rich’d,Marlow,Harrisville,SwanzeyDeLuzio 154.430 136.5 Fitzwilliam (for ALS)Exeter ALS 154.190 136.5 Exeter, Raymond for ALSFitzwilliam Ambu 154.430 136.5 Fitzwilliam BLSGolden Cross 155.265 Claremont, Unity, Ascutney VTGrace Cottage Amb 154.430Jamaica Townshend NewfaneGreenland Amb 154.190 GreenlandHillsborough Para 154.355 DeeringHollis Ambu 33.640 HollisHudson Ambu 153.950/155.955 Hudson, LitchfieldLeFevbre Ambu 154.430 Langdon, North Walpole VlgLeFevbre 154.430 Westminster, Bellows FallsLeFevbre 154.430 Saxtons River VT,LeFevbre 154.430 Medic to Alstead & AcworthJaffrey/Rindge Amb 154.430Jaffrey, Rindge,Keene Ambulance 154.430Keene, Sullivan, Westmoreland,RoxburyKeene Amb 154.430 Troy for ALS, 19U1 to Alstead w/MedicLondonderry Amb 151.175 LondonderryLakeside 154.250 WolfeboroLittleton Amb 154.400 Littleton, Franconia 12/12/02Londonderry Amb 154.145 179.9 Londonderry VT, Winhall VTLordsMarHar Amb 154.430 Marlow and HarrisvilleMedCu Portland ME ?Med-Star 154.175/155.355 Repeater in MoultonboroughNew Hampton Amb 159.900 9/25/02Penacook Rescue 154.355Boscawen, CanterburyRacewayLoudonRaymond AMB (BLS)154.190 Raymond for BLSRescue Inc. 154.430 Putney VT, Chesterfield 12/6/02Rescue Inc. "302" 155.160 to Brattleboro KCF944 / KGV302Rescue Inc 155.160 136.5 Hinsdale 12/02/02Rockingham 800 trunked Manchester, NashuaSouhegan Val Amb 153.890 186.2 New Ipswich 10/3/02,Greenville9/30/02Springfield FAST Squad 153.950 141.3 SpringfieldStewarts 37 159.900 d311Tri-Town 39 154.040 136.5 Allenstown, Pembroke, HooksettTrinity Amb 155.160 d125Trinity 155.3625 d251 Lowell, Chelmsford Pelham xmtrUpper Valley Amb 154.130 141.3 Bradford VT 9/22/02Walpole Amb 154.430 Walpole 9/5/02Whitingham VT Amb 154.430 Whitingham,Jacksonville 12/9/02Wilmington VT Amb 154.430 136.5 Wilmington VT, Halifax VTWilton-Lyndeborough Amb 33.640 Wilton, Lyndeboro 9/4/02Winchendon MA Amb 153.830Winchester 154.430 Winchester,DeLuzio (Medic) 9/22/02Windsor (VT) Amb 158.745 123.0 Hartland VT, W.Windsor VT9/24/02Lowell MA area 461.275 167.9 Pelham xmtr 11/11/02SCANNER DIGEST NEWSLETTER – ISSUE 23 PAGE 8

VERMONTJim Lawrencec/o Scanner DigestPOB 207 Jamison PA 18929ScannerDigest@usa.comShortly after its release, I decided to buy a Uniden 250D with itsBCi 25D accessory card so I could once again listen to lawenforcement in New Hampshire. I've had my unit about threeweeks and I love it!The 250D features 1000 memory locations divided into 10 banksand covers frequencies from 25 to 512 and 806 to 1300 MHz,minus cellular of course. It also offers three modes, AM, FM andNFM, as well as the ability to decode APCO Project 25 (P25)digital voice. And, of course, it tracks trunked systems.The radio's a champ when it comes to listening to APCO P25digital voice. I can once again listen to the Grafton County, NHsheriff as well New Hampshire State Police. In addition, there areseveral federal law enforcement agencies that are using APCOP25 digital voice, including ATF and DEA in Vermont. When theytransmit non-encrypted voice, the 250D receives it perfectly.When the radio receives an encrypted voice signal, the displaywill show the letters "ENC" to let you know that it's receiveda signal it knows something about but it can't decode. The audiofrom an encrypted signal sounds exactly like the beeps andboops made by the Star Wars' robot R2D2. The only thing theradio can't do is whistle.Now for some bad news about federal land mobile monitoring. Ifyou're hoping to use the 250D to listen to the FBI, you'll bedisappointed. In Vermont, the FBI is still using DES encryptionand the 250D doesn't know a thing about that. In addition, the USBorder Patrol is using APCO P25 digital now but it's alwaysencrypted.And I've received a report that the Newport PD also cannot beheard using the 250D. They are using Ericcson's proprietaryAegis digital voice.Listening to a digital signal successfully on the 250D requires twothings; a strong signal and tuning the unit to set the sound qualityof the digital signal. If the signal received is not strong and clearenough, the radio opens the squelch and you'll hear the digitalhiss normally heard on analog-only receivers. Also, once youdecide which systems you want to listen to, you must sit downwith the unit and set the sound quality for that system. If you'relistening to a system with relatively little traffic, this may takesome time.Information from listeners in New Hampshire indicate that the250D does a great job on both trunked and non-trunked systemsstatewide.The unit also offers superior image and intermod rejection. Of allthe handheld scanners I've owned over the years, this one doesthe best job handling noisy pager systems and their splash allover the VHF public safety and federal government bands.Another feature this unit offers that I really like is access to the225 to 400 MHz military aviation band. Also built in to the unit arecertain pre-set frequency ranges associated with services such aspublic safety or civil aviation. I really like this capability and use itwhen I go frequency hunting.The unit offers computer control, and the software and cablecame included with mine. I have not tried this feature out as ofthis writing as I am still getting used to all the features in the radio.Obviously, this is a new toy that really takes some time to getused to.Now, clearly, this receiver's digital voice capability is not one thatyou'll use a lot here in Vermont where virtually all signals areanalog and there are very few trunked systems. However, ifyou're like me and you travel to states where a digital voicesystem is in use, you'll definitely want one. I like my 250D somuch that I've made it my everyday take-it-wherever-I-goscanner. It is pricey with the digital decode board option; I paidaround $700 for mine, including shipping.Finally, here are a few New Hampshire frequencies to try in yournew 250D:NHSP - Troop C - 154.6650NHSP - Troop F - 152.6300NH Fish & Game - 151.3400Grafton Co. sheriff - 154.7700I'm sure there will be much more discussion about the 250D andlistening to digital systems in the New Hampshire column nowbeing edited by the very knowledgeable John Bolduc.In other news, the State of Vermont's Agency of Transportation isin the planning stages of upgrading their radio system. The plancalls for a separate frequency for each of the nine districts.New frequencies from Orange County include Tunbridge fire nowreportedly dispatched on 154.2050.Finally, we'll wrap up this edition with a few frequencies fromWindham County, located in southeastern Vermont along theMassachusetts border.Vermont State Police - 453.3000 and 460.4750 for extremenorthern Windham County.Windham Co. sheriff - 158.7300, 453.0500, 460.4500, 857.2125,858.2125 (800 MHz used very little). And I got these from arecent FCC listing: 155.5050, 159.4200, 156.0150 and 159.9200.State of Vermont uses 159.4050 for fish & wildlife and 45.5200,453.8250 and 458.8250 for emergency management.Environmental Conservation works 151.4750. Agency ofTransportation is on 159.1800 and 159.1950.Local PDsBrattleboro PD - 460.2000Dover PD - 453.3000, 453.7250Wilmington PD - 460.2500, 453.3000Fire & EMSWindham Co. fire mutuals - 154.3850, 154.8300, 154.2800Londonderry - 154.1450, 154.4450, 154.2950Brattleboro - 33.5400, 33.6800, rescue 155.1600Vernon & Guilford - 33.4800, 33.5400Virtually all the other towns in Windham Co. are dispatched bySWNH on 154.4300.And that's it from the Green Mountains. As always, if you haveany frequencies to share, I'd love to hear from you. Drop me aline at the address above!SCANNER DIGEST NEWSLETTER – ISSUE 23 PAGE 9

NORTHCENTRAL OHIOMike Finkc/o Scanner DigestPOB 207 Jamsion PA 18929admin@ohioscan.comwww.ohioscan.comLets get started with this issues North Central Ohio Column.With cabin fever in full swing there's been lots of time to scan sohere we go.Brecksville PD changed dispatch channels, 151.370 formerly Ch9is now Ch1 Dispatch "570"BRECKSVILLE, CITY OF WPVP570PW - PUBLIC SAFETY POOL,9023 BRECKSVILLE RDBRECKSVILLE OH 44141LOC. 1. 10000 Brecksville Rd Brecksville, CUYAHOGA OHLOC. 2. 9023 Brecksville Road, CUYAHOGA OHLOC. 3. area of operation operating within a 17.0Km radiusaround fixed location Number 1LOC1. LOC. 4. 9069 Brecksville Road Brecksville, CUYAHOGAOH1. 151.370 FB2 12. 159.345 FX1 13. 159.345 MO 604. 151.370 FB2 1CONTROL POINTS: 10000 Brecksville Rd. Brecksville,CUYAHOGA OH 9023BRECKSVILLE RD BRECKSVILLE, CUYAHOGA OHThe city of Strongsville's Fire & EMS will be taking responsibilityfor the 7-mile stretch of Ohio Turnpike that is within theStrongsville city limits. The City of N. Royalton plans to build asatellite station for the fire department at Albion & York roadsintersection. The city of 28,000 has one station to handle the2,500 calls in Cuyahogas second largest city area-wise. Theproposed two bay station will house four firefighters/paramedics,a pumper and rescue squad.The five cities of Bay Villages, Fairview Park, North Olmsted,Rocky River & Westlake who are members of the WestshoreCouncil of Governments are hiring a consultant to determine thefeasibility of sharing a central fire dispatch center. With acombined population of 120,000 a combined dispatch would helppool fire resources. Lakewood the sixth member of thecouncil will not participate. St. John West Shore Hospital inWestlake has offered space to the cities at no cost.WEST SHORE FIRE DEPTS.BAY VILLAGE FD 1X -PL-110.9 KAP967FAIRVIEW PARK FD 3X -PL-110.9 KAP968NORTH OLMSTED FD 5X -PL-110.9 KNAG250OLMSTED FALLS FD 4x -PL-110.9 KRL284OLMSTED TOWNSHIP FD 8x -PL-110.9 KYF288ROCKY RIVER FD 6X -PL-110.9 KAP969WESTLAKE FD 7X -PL-110.9 KAP970153.830M CH2*154.250R CH1 DISP*154.280 CH3 CECOMS MUTUALThe city of Lorain in Lorain County has a new MDT freq.LORAIN, CITY OF POLICE WPVB326PW - PUBLIC SAFETY POOL,200 W ERIE AVELORAIN OH 44052LOC. 1. 200 WEST ERIE ST LORAIN, LORAIN OHLOC. 2. area of operation operating within a 15.0KM RadiusAround Round FixedLOC 1. 1. 460.400 FB2 1MDT 2. 465.400 MO 60 CONTROLPOINTS: 200 West Erie Lorain, Lorain OHAssociated Call Signs: KWB349In state news the Ohio Highway Patrol cruisers are changingcolors. Current cruisers will be replaced by the white 2003 FordCrown Victoria’s once they hit about 100,000 miles, Each cruiseris driven about 30,000 miles each year, said Lt. Gary Lewis,patrol spokesman. Old cruisers will be sent to a state auction,Lewis said. "Our gray cruisers are harder to see at low lights,especially at night," Rosta said. "Drivers will be able to see usmore than they did with the gray cruisers and hopefully takesteps to slow down, stop at stop signs and avoid following tooclosely." White is the second-most visible color after lime green,said Lt. James Wernecke of the Mansfield post and member ofthe cruiser selection committee.While the Ohio Highway Patrol plans to change the color of itscruisers to increase visibility and safety, sheriffs' offices acrossthe state do not, a state official said Monday. Bob Cornwell,executive director of the Buckeye State Sheriffs' Association, saidthe patrol's recent announcement that it will change from charcoalgray to white cruisers has sparked no similar discussions amongsheriffs. "We feel our lettering and striping on the blackbackground is identifying and safety-oriented," Cornwell said."And our light bars allow for proper notification."(Excerpts from a story by)By SUSAN DIMAUROAdvocate ReporterThe State of Ohio multi-agency statewide voice, data, vehiclelocating and computer-aided dispatch 800Mhz Astro TRS calledMARCS (Multi-Agency Radio Communications System) is finallystarted to roll out. This system is supposed to be completed by2003 but I don't see it happening that soon. When completed theMARCS system will have 201 radio sites, 68 regional dispatchfacilities and 1 central communications center and serve almost10,000 radio units. Agencies listed for participation are theDepartment of Public Safety (OSP, Liquor Enforcement & EMA),ODOT, State Fire Marshall's, EPA, DOC, PUCO, BCI, OTC andthe Departments of Taxation, Administrative Services and YouthServices. How many really sign up will probably drop or bedelayed due to cost.Here are some MARCS sites currently operating in NE Ohio(d) CCCUYAHOGA-HOPKINS SITE 44866.87500 867.3000d 867.8500dID32720 32728 64608CUYAHOGA-CLE W. 3RD866.6000 867.6500 867.6375867.9125CUYAHOGA-BEACHWOOD866.7000 867.7875 868.1000CUYAHOGA\MEDINA-STRONGSVILLE867.8750 866.9875 867.4250SCANNER DIGEST NEWSLETTER – ISSUE 23 PAGE 10

LORAIN-GRAFTON866.9375 867.3625 867.8125868.3125 868.9750854.3875 The Grafton Correctional Institution is currentlyoperating in conventional mode ASTROLORAIN-ELYRIA SITE 25866.7875-cw id 867.2000d 867.7000d867.9875dSUMMMIT-RICHFIELD SITE 46866.9875d 867.9375d 868.6000d868.3500dThat’s it for this issue, stay warm and remember to send infrequencies and or ideas for the column.MikeMAINELoren Fieldsc/o Scanner DigestPOB 207Jamison PA 18929hornsmoke@prexar.comIn lieu of a column Loren has provided us some photos of themobile installation of scanners and transceiver radios in hisvehicle. They are shown on page 13.OREGONJeff Newtonc/o Scanner DigestPOB 207 Jamison PA 18929newton@efn.orgWell time flew by fast since, the last issue and its first adobeformatted e-zine of the SD.Some good news this month from the central valley area! DigitalScanners have been making its rounds in the Eugene andSpringfield area and the pricing isn't all that bad from a RadioShack, perspective, $701.99, which includes the scanner, APCOcard and the shipping of the unit, a BC-250D handheld digitalcapable scanner.I had a chance to trot on down to my local RS store and chat withthe local Senior Manager, Peter Wood, KB9MTL on this store'sdisplay unit.Wood has the store unit, programmed to the digital system ofEugene Police and Springfield Police Department's. To myamazement, I was hearing both Eugene Police and SpringfieldPolice in their APCO 25 digital systems."Geez", I thought this couldn't be and it couldn't be possible -nope I was really hearing the real thing, gang! A analog scannernut's dream come true!!Unfortunately, I need to compare the audio from a friend’s AstroSabre. More likely, the Uniden 250D will beat out the Astro bymargin points. Once I get my hands on my own unit, I'll startcomparing the merit points with my buddy's Astro Sabre fromwork.Other news from the region! Oakridge Police have started usingtheir UHF repeater which is simulcast to their 155.955 frequencyin the Dexter/Lowell area. Only problem is, the repeater is onlyten feet in the air and in the back yard of a Lowell resident...OPD has said, they will move the repeater to higher ground soon,than those in the far reaches of the valley west toward Eugenewill be able to hear them on 453.800 simulcast from their mainrepeater in Oakridge on 155.955.Jim Hanahran wrote recently, to tell me that a bunch of listmembers from the NWSCAN Mailing list have their own UHF talkgroup on a E.F Johnson trunking system in the Albany area andcoverage does reach up north to the Portland Metro area.However, he say's it will not reach south of Albany towardEugeneMeanwhile, Oregon Firepage based in Eugene/Springfield areahas recently utilized a UHF trunking radio system of their own inthe Willamette Valley. OFP say's their coverage is in the Eugene -Springfield area, north toward Albany, west toward the OregonCoast and the I-5 corridor south toward Cottage Grove.OFP is utilizing their system among incident dispatchers andnews photographers from a local television station to coordinatelocal incident coverage as well as incident coverage from itsdispatchers in Eugene/Springfield, Albany/Salem and Portlandareas via its page relays from dispatchers outside the Eugenearea.Members are using their own radio equipment, Kenwood TK-380HT's with a 250 conventional channel capacity and a 600 channeltrunking capacity built into the radio.A rumor has been circulating around the amateur radiocommunity in the Eugene area that "Up the Crick radio club" isfolding. Many of its members have been reported to have jumpedship and gone to their local radio clubs serving the area, such asValley Radio Club of Oregon, a long-standing ARRL member clubsince 1932, Lane County Sheriff Amateur Radio Operators andvarious other local amateur radio clubs.Up the Crick Radio Club has been known to put on a local hamfair each spring, but local's say they've not seen one since 2001.Hopefully local hams from the other radio clubs will band togetherand have their own once again in the Eugene area??Now, on a more serious note! Local hams have been reportingrecently in the Willamette Valley, that there has been a rash ofStolen Radio equipment from repeater sites in the valley area.Most recently from the Florence area's Herman repeater site.The following is a list of items stolen recently from the Florence,OR area Herman Peak site;Kenwood TM 241A S/N 20801649Kenwood TM 331A S/N 30500110Questions regarding this theft should be directed to Hal Lock(N7HL) N7HL@arrl.net The above information was posted toseveral local mailing lists, including the W7PXL mailing for ValleyRadio Club of Oregon. If anyone has information about the abovestolen equipment, please contact Hal at the email address above.SCANNER DIGEST NEWSLETTER – ISSUE 23 PAGE 11

I'll look into the idea of putting a special section on my scannerpage at www.efn.org/~newton with a listing of stolen radioequipment from area radio club repeater sites.Until next issue, that's a wrap!CENTRAL NEW JERSEYLou G Shirleyc/o Scanner DigestPOB 207Jamison PA 18929-0207cj_column@att.netMonmouth County is located on the New Jersey shore, south ofNew York City and east of Philadelphia. It is surrounded byRaritan Bay to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, OceanCounty to the south, and Mercer and Middlesex Counties to thewest. It is bisected by the Garden State Parkway and StateHighway Route 35, which follow the geological split between theeastern shore area and the western agricultural/ wild land/suburban sprawl area. There are 53 municipalities with apopulation of more than 533,124 in 471.57 square miles.Of the 53 towns, 47 maintain their own Police Depts. The NewJersey State Police cover Farmingdale, Millstone, Roosevelt,Shrewsbury Twp., and Upper Freehold. Allenhurst PD coversLoch Harbor. There are 139 Fire Companies, 60 First AidSquads, and 8 Paramedic units operated by the MONOC HospitalGroup.The Monmouth County Sheriff's Dept. Communications Division(formerly Monmouth County Police Radio) coordinates the countyradio system within the county. In addition, most towns operatetheir own local radio systems. There is a county numberingsystem that encompasses all three emergency services. Allmunicipalities are assigned a District number. Fire departmentsare assigned a station number and First Aid Squads are assignedSquad numbers. All three emergency services use the below unitnumber sequences.Monmouth County District Numbers11 Eatontown 55 Monmouth College12 Englishtown 56 Brookdale College13 Fair Haven 57 Private Racetracks14 Farmingdale 58 Private EMS Units15 Freehold Boro 59 MONOC Medics16 Freehold Twp. 61 Deal17 Highlands 62 Interlake18 Holmdel 63 Aberdeen19 Howell 64 Red Bank21 Keansburg 65 Union Beach22 Keyport 66 Sheriff’s Office23 Little Silver 67 Youth Detention24 Loch Harbor 68 Corrections25 Long Branch 69 County26 Manalapan 71 Middletown Con’t27 Manasquan 72 Treasury Dept/ ATF28 Marlboro 73 Red Cross29 Matawan 74 Gateway Sandy Hook31 Middletown 75 Fort Monmouth32 Millstone 7633 Monmouth Beach 7734 Neptune 7835 Neptune City 79 FBI36 Tinton Falls 81 Allenhurst37 Ocean 82 Allentown38 Oceanport 83 Asbury Park39 Hazlet 84 Colts Neck41 Roosevelt 85 Atlantic Highlands42 Rumson 86 Avon-by-the-Sea43 Sea Bright 87 Belmar44 Sea Girt 88 Bradley Beach45 Shrewsbury Boro 89 Prosecutors46 Shrewsbury Twp. 9147 South Belmar 92 NJ Forest Fire48 Spring Lake 93 County Fir Marshals49 Spring Lake Heights 94 NWS Earle51 Upper Freehold 9552 Wall 96 Old Bridge53 West Long Branch 97 NJSP Marine54 Ocean Grove (34) 98 Marlboro Hospital99 BrielleMonmouth County Fire Battalions/Foam Task ForcesBattalion 1: BayshoreDistricts: 18, 21, 22, 28, 29, 39, 63, 65Foam Task Force 1: Stations:29-2 (225 gals on trailer),39-2, 65-3Total Quantity: 620 gallonsBattalion 2: Mid-MonmouthDistricts: 11, 13, 17, 23, 25, 31, 33, 36, 37, 38, 42, 43, 45,53, 61, 64, 74, 75, 81, 83, 85Foam Task Force 2: Stations: 75-1-72 (300 gals.) &37-1-85 (250 gals.)Total Quantity: 550 gallonsBattalion 3: South MonmouthDistricts: 27, 34, 35, 44, 47, 48, 49, 52, 54,86, 87, 88, 99Foam Task Force 4: Station 52-3 (150 gals on trailer)Battalion 4: Western MonmouthDistricts: 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 26, 32, 41, 82, 84Foam Task Force 3: Stations: 16-1 ( 140 gals on trailer atSmithburg),32-1 (80 gals), 15 (200 gals.),16-2-79 (30a/100b gals.) Total: 520Note: Battalions are used by the Fire Marshal's Office to dividethe county into mutual aid groups. There are no battalion officersassigned. All incidents are commanded by the local "host" dept.NORTHERN NEW JERSEYJustin Mattes KC2GIK10 Carnot AvenueWoodcliff Lake NJ 07677Jaymatt1978@excite.comwww.bergenscanner.comWell I hope everyone dug out of the snow ok. We had somereports of 20" called into the local SkyWarn nets. Before we get toour regular column I want to mention some information regardingweather monitoring in the NJ/NYC area. There are basically fourdifferent frequencies you should have your ear on: 146.7000PL141.3 is the 10-70 Repeater located in the Ramapo Mountainsit covers Bergen and Passaic Counties 147.0600 PL 114.8is the WECA Repeater that covers Westchester and RocklandCounties in NY 462.6250 Gives road conditions through NorthernNJ, it’s very active during major storms I figured this month wewould go down south to Essex County, NJ for a closer look atsome of the frequencies down there:SCANNER DIGEST NEWSLETTER – ISSUE 23 PAGE 12

West Caldwell/Caldwell/Essex Fells Fire:155.100 (141.3) - WPKT809W. Caldwell/Caldwell/E. Fells PD:159.150 (141.3) - KEB994Photos courtesy of Loren FieldsShown below is a rear view my Chevrolet Caprice. Check out theantenna array on the trunk lid deck.West Caldwell TAC "88" - 158.895 (141.3)Caldwell PD TAC-2 - 159.030 (131.8)Essex Fells Ch. 3 - 158.730 (131.8)West Essex First Aid Squad - also 159.150, but theiron scene channel is - 159.090North Caldwell FD: - 476.800 (141.3) - WPMX989Cedar Grove FD: - 472.400Fairfield Fire:- 460.600 (82.5) - WNUA871Fairfield PD: - 868.3625 (192.8)Roseland Fire:- 158.940 (Also WCVFD/CVFDDispatch, however multicast onto 155.100)Essex County Fire Mutual Aid 470.5125 (82.5)Nutley 153.9800 (179.9)Fire 154.7850 (179.9)Police CH.# 1 PL 154.6500Police CH # 4 CAR TO CAR 155.2800Emergency Rescue Squad 455.2800 (141.3)Emergency Rescue Squad 453.3250Belleville 154.2200Bellville, Township of Mobile TechFire & Ambulance 866.1500Bellville, Township of POLICE CH# 1 867.4375Bellville, Township of POLICE CH# 2 868.7875Bellville, Township of POLICE CH# 3NEWARK POLICE1 460.125 123.0 NORTH2 460.175 123.0 WEST3 460.150 123.0 EAST/SOUTH4 460.200 123.0 CW INQY5 460.400 123.0 CW S/O & INQY (STAFFING PERMITS)6 460.475 123.0 CW SPECIAL OPS ESU/NARCS/ETC7 460.225 UNK CW METROFIRE154.1300 FIRE DISPATCH154.3400 FIREGROUNDLastly I have some news from the Family Radio Service world!There is a nationwide move by some radio manufacturers tomake FRS 1(462.5625) an emergency/calling channel, like CBChannel 9 is for traveler assistance. I think this is a great idea,but let’s take it one step further folks. I would like to see securitydepartments in malls, amusement parks and zoos monitor FRS 1in case the person can’t reach help any other way. The secondpart of this is parents must teach their children to avoid usingFRS 1 for non-emergency traffic, kind of like when to use 911.They have thirteen other channels to play on! Think about it andget back to me.Until next time, JustinPhotos courtesy of Loren FieldsFrom bottom to top: analog cell bag phone in middle of seat;Kenwood V7A guts underneath rack (blue head is mounted onthe dash) Next up ICOM IC-7000H 2-meter, above that AzdenPCS-7500 6-meter rig; Cobra 146GTL Chicken Band 11-meter.Scanner on right side is a Pro-92; mini transceiver is an AlincoDJ-C5 (or whatever handheld du jour I choose). On lower lefthandside is a plug-in cradle for my Nokia 5165 digital cell. Did Iforget anything?SCANNER DIGEST NEWSLETTER – ISSUE 23 PAGE 13

Philadelphia Area Communications GuideThe Philadelphia Area Communications Guide is adynamic electronic book in Abobe Acrobat format.With this e-book you can view all chapters online,download them to your computer, or print them out.Chapters will be continually updated to reflect the fastchangingworld of public safety radio communicationsin the Delaware Valley.The guide is perfect for communications professionals,emergency management coordinators, volunteerorganizations, news gathering companies, and anyoneelse who strives for the best. Click on the link below toview sample pages.http://www.scannermaster.com/products/books/dynamic/sample_pages.html“The # 1 source for accurate scanner frequencylistings for the Philadelphia Metro area.”Lou Campagna, Publisher Scanner Digest NewsletterWESTERN MARYLAND NEWSJason Grabill10524 Stull RoadFrederick MD 21702zebra305@earthlink.netEditor’s Note: Jason Grabill has provided an extensive listing of 2-meter (144MHz) and 70-centimeter (440MHz) repeater frequencies fromthe Richmond VA area. However due to space limitations, it will appearin the next Scanner Digest issue. (Issue 24)LONG ISLAND AMATEUR RADIO CLUB (LIMARC)Event Date/Time: Sunday, June 8, 2003(9AM -1PM)Event City:Bethpage, New YorkEvent Sponsor(s):Long Island MobileAmateur Radio ClubEvent Facility Type:Briarcliffe CollegeEvent Facility Address: 1055 Stewart Avenue,Bethpage, NY 11714Special Features of Event: over 500 spaces, greatoutdoor locationExams being given:NO ExamsTalk-In Freq:146.850 136.5 PLAdvance admission fee: $6At-door admission fee: $6Table fee:$15 (Tailgate only, Rain orShine)Event Web URL:http://www.limarc.orgPublic contact name: Brian GelberPublic contact call sign: WB2YMCPublic contact phone: 516-822-0673Public contact email: hamfest@limarc.orgScannerDigest NewsletterWelcome to the Scanner Digest Newsletter! We’re currently publishinga bi-monthly e-magazine containing information for the scannerhobbyist. If it can be monitored on a scanner, we’ll attempt to cover itfrom 30 to 1300 MHz and beyond!Our purpose is to produce a newsletter to facilitate the exchange ofinformation pertaining to the various services covered by a typicalscanner radio. Dedicated regional column editors make up the heart ofthis publication.The Scanner Digest Newsletter is not responsible for the accuracy orconsequences incurred regarding the use of information listed in thispublication. Since the purpose of this newsletter is to provide a platformfor the submission and exchange of radio communication information, itthus becomes impossible to deem all contents as accurate. The verynature of radio licensing and usage makes it difficult to verify theaccuracy of the information contained within. Generally informationlisted within the pages of the newsletter are derived from multiplysources including current FCC files, hobbyists and those directlyinvolved with various public safety agencies.Scanner Digest’s policy has been not to limit or edit the individualcolumns submitted, unless we deem the information sensitive in naturewhich may jeopardize the safety of the parties involved. Only in thiscase will we edit out this type of input. (Example: We will not publishthe frequencies used by a law enforcement surveillance team.)Naturally the comments of the various column editors are notnecessarily the views and opinions of the Scanner Digest Newsletter. Allmaterials, maps, information, photographs submitted to a regionalcolumn editor or to Scanner Digest directly, become sole property of theScanner Digest Newsletter. We encourage and will make every effort togive proper credit to all submissions. All contents within arecopyrighted. ©2003Subscription InformationSubscriptions are acknowledged via email or standard USPS mailCurrently Scanner Digest Newsletter produces six (6) issues per year butplan to be a monthly publication in the very near future. Newsletters willbe emailed to subscribers to via an attachment. The attached documentwill be in the popular Adobe Acrobat PDF file. A free version of theAcrobat Reader is available from, www.adobe.com. By accepting theseterms you are made aware of the consequences of opening suchattachments. We will scan each outgoing email with an anti-virus tool tominimize any possibility of transmitting an infectious message.Email inquiries send to:ScannerDigest@usa.comFor those who are not email or computer accessible we offer analternative option in which we will print out a copy of the current issueof the newsletter and have it mailed via USPS (first-class). We willprovide this service for a limited time only. We have the right toterminate this option at any time. For each issue requested pleaseincluded $1.90 for laser printing and 60¢ for postage and send a $2.50check or money order to the address listed below.Make funds payable to: “Lou Campagna”Mail to: ScannerDigest NewsletterPOB 207Jamison PA 18929-0207SCANNER DIGEST NEWSLETTER – ISSUE 23 PAGE 14