Washington Auto Show

The Washington Auto Show continues today and tomorrow at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. (Their website says they are open despite the weather.) Here are frequencies found in 2006, the last year I attended:

461.7750 [ d411] Operations
462.5500 [131.8] Ticketing
463.5500 [203.5] Operations
463.5750 [ 88.5] CES Security
464.0000 [ d411] Operations
464.5500 [ d134] Food/Concessions
467.9250 [ d343] "rovers"; Security?

Here is what I have for the Convention Center itself:

453.1125 [156.7] Security and Operations (Channel 1)
453.1375 [ d606] Housekeeping (Channel 4)
453.8875 [ d023] Catering
453.9125 [156.7] Security and Operations (Channel 2)
453.9625 [ d364] Security Alternate (Channel 5)
461.5500 [ d116] Food/Concessions
461.5500 [ 88.5] CES Security (private security for some events) (Channel 1)
463.5750 [ 88.5] CES Security (private security for some events) (Channel 2)
464.5000 [ d703] Maintenance/Security Alternate? (Channel 3)
467.8500 [156.7]
467.9000 [156.7]
467.8750 [156.7] "cable"
467.9250 [ d343] Security Alternate
467.9250 [156.7] "line cord"
469.8875 [156.7] "engineering has control on lights"; (Channel 7)

January 2010 Capitol Hill Monitor Newsletter Posted

The January 2010 Capitol Hill Monitor newsletter (PDF) has just been posted. As usual, it has several excellent articles. There is information about the Prince George's and Loudoun TDMA trunked systems, a new radio system for the Capitol Police, and Northern Virginia STARS.

STARS Encryption

On the Thornburg site of STARS (Virginia's statewide digital radio system), I monitored the VA Department of Emergency Management Ops 1 talkgroup (2407) a few days ago. One person was advising a field unit to press a softkey marked "SEC" on his radio. After this, several of their transmissions were encrypted. They then went back to "open" mode. I believe this is the first time I've heard encryption on STARS, but it's not too surprising.

(The Thornburg and Fork Mountain sites may be in range of those in the Northern Virginia/DC area, particularly with a good antenna.)

MWAA Police Tac 3

While listening to the RadioReference audio feed of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority trunked system, I heard two Reagan National Police officers talk about switching to "Tac 3." I've never come across this talkgroup before. Does anyone know what talkgroup number it is?

Suitland High School FCC App

Suitland High School, located in Prince George's County, has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for a repeater on 152.8700.

Elizabeth Condominium FCC App

Elizabeth Condominium, a building in Chevy Chase, has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for a repeater on 452.3875.