Retail Scanning

Too late for Black Friday, but here is a list of shopping center security frequencies. Note that for simplicity and brevity, this list only contains the security frequency of each mall - housekeeping and other frequencies are excluded. (These frequencies, as well as individual store frequencies, are on my website.)

Tanger Outlets National Harbor, which opened November 22, has an application pending for a repeater on 464.4125, and simplex on 456.4375 and 457.1375. The frequencies are coded for analog and MOTOTRBO.

DC
452.9250 [141.3] DC USA
468.5625 [ d606] Mazza Gallerie
464.5250 [ d311] Shops at Union Station

Virginia
461.8875 [203.5] Ballston Common Mall
464.4375 [ d074] Fashion Centre at Pentagon City
464.9250 [ d612] Pentagon Center
452.2000 [ d226] Landmark Mall
464.1250 [ ] Fair Oaks Mall (MOTOTRBO - Color Code 1, Slot 1, Group 1)
464.7375 [ ] Reston Town Center (MOTOTRBO - Color Code 1, Slot 1, Group 1)
464.3250 [ 77.0] Springfield Mall
461.9875 [ d054] Tysons Corner Center
462.2500 [ 94.8] Tysons Galleria
451.5250 [ d411] Dulles Town Center
462.4000 [110.9] Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets
461.0125 [100.0] Manassas Mall
461.3000 [ d043] Potomac Mills (may be switching to MOTOTRBO soon)

Maryland
464.2750 [ d606] Chevy Chase Pavilion (may have switched to MOTOTRBO)
464.7750 [ d411] Downtown Silver Spring
464.7000 [ d423] Lake Forest Mall (may switch to MOTOTRBO in the future)
453.0125 [203.5] Westfield Montgomery Mall
461.7250 [ d031] Westfield Wheaton Mall
464.8250 [151.4] White Flint Mall
461.9750 [ CSQ] Boulevard at Capital Centre
152.9225 [ d074] Bowie Town Center
463.4375 [ d032] Mall at Prince George's
451.3625 [ ] Arundel Mills Mall (MOTOTRBO - Color Code 2, Slot 1, Group 100)
464.8750 [ d315] Marley Station Mall (may have switched to MOTOTRBO)
464.0125 [ d664] Westfield Annapolis Mall
461.1125 [162.2] The Mall in Columbia

Weekend Events

• The Wizards play Saturday at 7:00 PM at Verizon Center.
• The Redskins play Sunday at 8:30 PM at FedEx Field.

DCFD Using New Talkgroup for Dispatch

The DC Fire Department is now using talkgroup 40000 on the Project 16 trunked system for dispatch. Most dispatches are done using an automated voice.

Embassy Suites Springfield Frequency Found

The Embassy Suites Springfield, which opened in August, is using 464.6500 [ d631] simplex. The frequency is unlicensed. The same frequency/tone was used by the American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting in 2006.

Weekend Events

• The Capitals play Friday at 7:00 PM at Verizon Center.
• Maryland plays Saturday at 3:30 PM at Byrd Stadium.
• The Wizards play Saturday at 7:00 PM at Verizon Center.

DCFD Encrypting in Early 2014?

DC Fire may encrypt their communications in early 2014, according to a post on Scan-DC. The switch to encryption may coincide with DC Fire's adoption of APX radios when they transition from the Project 16 system to the Project 25 system.

Metropolitan Police are already on the Project 25 system, and most of their communications are encrypted, with the notable exception of the Citywide 1 talkgroup.

Costco FCC License

Costco, located at 4725 West Ox Rd. in Fairfax, was recently licensed for a repeater on 152.3300.

Verizon Center FCC App

The Verizon Center has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for a MOTOTRBO trunked system (probably Capacity Plus) on 461.1500, 461.2750, and 461.4250.

These frequencies were among eight previously licensed to the Verizon Center. Because the arena will now use a trunked system, fewer frequencies may have been required.

Fort Belvoir Fire Using Fairfax System

According to a post on Scan-DC, Fort Belvoir Fire radio is out of service until Friday. For the next few days, they'll be using Fairfax County channels 41H and 41I.

Uniden Announces New Scanners

Uniden announced two new scanner models today. The handheld model is called the BCD436HP, and the base/mobile model is called the BCD536HP. Both will be able to monitor Project 25 Phase II communications, like the PSR-800. The models borrow much of the technology and features of the HomePatrol, including a 4 GB SD card for RadioReference database storage and audio recording, Discovery and Analysis modes, and USB connectivity.

Information on the new models, including a user manual and programming software, is available at Uniden. (The site is often slow and unresponsive; one may have better luck looking for info on RadioReference.)

The scanners should be available for purchase in January. The BCD436HP is expected to retail for about $500, and the BCD536HP for about $600.

Union Station FCC App

Union Station has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for repeaters on 464.5250, 464.5750, and 464.7750, and simplex on 464.8250 and 464.8750.

Union Station was previously licensed for similar frequencies.

Weekend Events

• The Wizards play Saturday at 7 PM at Verizon Center.
• The Capitals play Sunday at 6 PM at Verizon Center.

Capitol Police Trunked System Active

The Capitol Police Project 25 trunked system is active. The system is in the testing stages, with encrypted voice traffic on a single talkgroup, according to this RadioReference forum post.

DC Streetcar Testing

Thanks to the new DC trunked system software-defined radio, I've identified another city services talkgroup. 35632 is being used for streetcar testing. The first phase of the streetcar system is expected to go in service by March 2014 along H St. NE in the District.

DC Services Talkgroups Identified

Thanks to a new software-defined radio that monitors the entire 850 MHz DC trunked system, I have been able to identify/clarify several talkgroups on the system:

33840 Reeves Center Security
34192 Medical Holding Unit
34368 St. Elizabeth's Hospital Maintenance
36880 Department of Health Emergency Healthcare Radio Network

Marine Corps Marathon Finds

Almost two weeks later, here's what I found at this year's Marine Corps Marathon:

Marine Corps Trunked System Talkgroups (Site 403):
63033 Route
63037 Medical Primary
63039 "Special Olympics made it to Iwo Jima"
63040 "bring back Commandant" "dropping off boxes of medals at finish line"
63041 "is VIP area clear?"
63045 Buses; "handing out medals"
63046 Information Technology
63047 Security
64775 "at main PX on Ft. Myer" "who's in charge of VIP tent?"

Arlington Trunked System Talkgroups:
3 Police - Traffic Control
4 Police - Traffic Control
7 Police - Rosslyn?
8 Police - "Checkpoint Bravo"
9 Police - Division 4
10 Police - Rosslyn?
11 Police - Escorting UPS trucks from DC
21 Police - "Command to K9"
41 Fire - Logistics?
43 Fire - Crystal City Division
44 Fire - Iwo Jima Division
45 Fire - Rosslyn Division
46 Fire - Unknown
47 Fire - Transports?
48 Fire - Transports
57 Police - "unattended bag"
58 Police - "SWAT 1" (channel referred to as "Arlington 2")
135 Coordination 1
213 Encrypted

DC Trunked System Talkgroup:
2096 Fire - Special Events 1

STARS Trunked System Talkgroups:
80 VSP Tac Team 7
6149 Interop LE 7 (Traffic Control)

Metro Trunked System Talkgroup:
58032 Emergency Management?

146.6250 [107.2] Amateur Radio (R)
162.2500 [173.8] Capitol Police Ch. 4 (R)
166.7250 [127.3] Park Police Ch. 1 (R)
169.7750 [ $4C5] George Washington Parkway (R)
172.4750 [ $4C5] Park Service - Mall (Ch. 1?) (R)
173.5250 [167.9] Capitol Police Ch. 11 (R)
451.7750 [ d205] Crystal City Security (R)
462.4000 [ d226] Red Cross (R)
462.5750 [  97.4] "Go Team" (R)
462.7000 [  97.4] (R)

Weekend Events

• The Wizards play Friday at 7:00 PM at Verizon Center.
• Maryland plays Saturday at 3:30 PM at Byrd Stadium.

Washington Marriott Marquis FCC App

The Washington Marriott Marquis Hotel, opening in May 2014, has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for repeaters on 451.9750, 452.1750, 452.4000, 461.8375, 461.9625, 463.6125, 463.9250, and 464.2625, and simplex on 467.4250, 469.2250, 469.3625, 469.6250, and 469.7875. The frequencies are coded for analog and MOTOTRBO.

Prince George's Upgrades System to Phase II

According to a RadioReference forum post, Prince George's County upgraded its trunked system to Project 25 Phase II (from Motorola X2-TDMA) last Thursday. The PSR-800 is currently the only scanner that can monitor Project 25 Phase II.

DC Talkgroup 34192

Talkgroup 34192 on the DC Project 16 trunked system has always been a mystery. It's some kind of security agency, but it's difficult to figure out which one due to limited traffic. The talkgroup was active last Sunday, and the people communicating were talking about Washington Hospital Center.

Weekend Events

• The Wizards play Friday at 7 PM at Verizon Center.
• The Capitals play Saturday at 7 PM at Verizon Center.
• The Redskins play Sunday at 1 PM at FedEx Field.