Further Information on System 00A

A RadioReference forum post provides more information about the mystery VHF federal Project 25 system mentioned a few days ago.

BCD436HP First Impressions/Notes

I received the BCD436HP scanner on Tuesday, so I've had a few days to develop some thoughts on it. My overall first impressions are positive, although it is a big change from the BCD396XT which I used as my primary scanner before. Here are some notes:

• searches for CTCSS/DCS/NAC all at once (handy for Federal bands)
• need to press two buttons (Function + System) to go from searching to scanning
• “0” assigned as the first numeral for quick keys (was last on BCD396XT)
• no control channel info given when stopped in search
• no hold on control channel to see active talkgroups
• no unit IDs displayed on encrypted talkgroups
• no way of seeing encrypted transmissions on held talkgroup
• no frequency display for trunked systems (only talkgroup)
• larger characters for found subaudible tones than BCD396XT
• no reverse for the 380-400 and 406-420 MHz bands
• seems to have faster search speeds
• replay handy for seeing a missed CTCSS/DCS/NAC tone
• no scan button (must use scroll control)
• Stafford County, Virginia simulcast system reception much improved
• P16 simulcast systems still problematic
• default P25 waiting time (400 ms) cuts off transmissions (LTR and Capacity Plus data bursts)
• no discriminator output, but possibly data output with forthcoming Analyze feature
• larger case, but radio feels light
• large display means less scrolling in menus
• updating firmware in Sentinel much easier than updating BCD396XT firmware
• no warning before deleting profiles in Sentinel

Weekend Events

• The Washington Auto Show continues through the weekend at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
• The Wizards play Saturday at 7:00 PM at Verizon Center.
• The Capitals play Sunday at 12:30 PM at Verizon Center.

Capitol Police Radio System Update

Thanks to a post on Scan-DC, the remaining frequencies for the Project 25 Capitol Police system have been added to RadioReference. Unsurprisingly, the system will use much encryption. The analog frequencies are still in use for now.

NSWC Dahlgren Using JNCR System

The Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia, which was previously thought to only use an LTR system, has been confirmed on the Joint National Capital Region system. Talkgroup 22264 is police, and talkgroups 22268 and 22271 are also likely used by the base as well.

Avalon Arlington North FCC App

Avalon Arlington North, apartments at 2105 N. Glebe Rd., has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for simplex on 457.0875, 457.1375, 457.2875, and 456.2875.

Communication Specialists Capacity Plus System

Communication Specialists, a provider of two-way radio service based in Fredericksburg, has set up a Capacity Plus system at Independent Hill in Prince William County. The company also has Capacity Plus systems in Fredericksburg, King George, Madison, and Warsaw. It's unknown if the sites use the Linked Capacity Plus technology, which would allow subscribers to roam seamlessly among the sites.

LifeEvac 2 Disbanded

LifeEvac 2, which was based at Stafford Regional Airport, has been disbanded. The medical helicopter moved from an LTR system to a conventional frequency last year. AirCare 2, which is based at Shannon Airport in Fredericksburg, is the remaining helicopter for the area. AirCare 2 uses 460.1125 [ 71.9] (R).

New VHF Federal Trunked System

There is a VHF Project 25 federal trunked system that is barely received in Fredericksburg. The control channel is 170.4625, the WACN is 0000A, the system ID is 00A, and the tower is 101. I have seen little to no traffic on the system.

New Connect Plus Site in Charles?

FleetTalk Partners may have set up a MOTOTRBO Connect Plus site in Charles County. This site would probably be part of their DC-area Connect Plus system. I'm hearing what sounds like a Connect Plus control channel on 495.4125, and MOTOTRBO on 495.7125. Interestingly, 495.4125 is only licensed to Montgomery County, Maryland. 495.7125 is licensed to FleetTalk in Charles County, however.

I'm too far away from the signal to get system parameters from DMRDecode, so I'm unable to confirm whether the system is actually one of the FleetTalk sites.

1420 New York Avenue FCC App

1420 New York Avenue, an office building in DC, has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for a MOTOTRBO repeater on 464.3500.

Weekend Events

• The Wizards play Friday at 7 PM at Verizon Center.
• Georgetown plays Saturday at noon at Verizon Center.
• The Wizards play Saturday at 7 PM at Verizon Center.

Trinity Washington University FCC App

Trinity Washington University has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for a repeater on 463.5000.

Trinity has never held an FCC license, and no frequencies have ever been discovered for the university.

SpringHill Suites Dulles Airport FCC App

SpringHill Suites Dulles Airport has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for simplex on 457.7125, 462.2250, 461.1500, and 461.7000.

The hotel was previously licensed for some of the above frequencies.

1001 Pennsylvania Avenue FCC App

1001 Pennsylvania Avenue, an office building in DC, has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for a repeater on 461.3000, and simplex on 456.4375, 456.6375, 457.1375, 457.1875, and 457.8875. The frequencies are coded for analog and MOTOTRBO.

The building has previously used 461.3000 [ d654].

Northern Virginia Community College FCC App

Northern Virginia Community College has another application pending before the FCC. The app calls for a NXDN repeater on 452.0250 at the Annandale campus, and a NXDN repeater on 464.4500 at the Loudoun campus.

Jefferson Court FCC App

Jefferson Court, an office building in Georgetown, has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for a repeater on 452.4375 and simplex on 451.1875, 451.3875, 452.1625, 456.1875, and 457.1625. The frequencies are coded for analog and MOTOTRBO.

AMC Loews Rio Cinemas 18 FCC App

AMC Loews Rio Cinemas 18, located at the Washingtonian Center in Gaithersburg, has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for simplex on 451.3625 and 452.6625.

6710 Oxon Hill Road FCC App

6710 Oxon Hill Road, an office building in Prince George's County, has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for simplex on 451.5625, 452.0875, 452.1625, 452.4125, and 452.8625.

Embassy Suites Springfield Hotel FCC App

The Embassy Suites Springfield Hotel has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for a repeater on 461.4750. The hotel was previously using unlicensed simplex on 464.6500 [ d631].

City Market at O FCC App

City Market at O, apartments located at 880 P St. NW in DC, has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for a MOTOTRBO repeater on 464.4125.

Northern Virginia Community College Woodbridge FCC App

Northern Virginia Community College Woodbridge has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for a repeater on 461.3750. This frequency may supplement or replace the two existing frequencies for the campus:

857.4875 [151.4] Maintenance
860.4875 [151.4] Police

The Garfield House FCC App

The Garfield House, an apartment building located at 2844 Wisconsin Ave. NW in DC, has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for simplex on 461.1750, 461.7250, 462.3500, 463.8000, and 464.0000. The frequencies are coded for analog and MOTOTRBO.

The company that manages The Garfield House manages other apartment buildings in the area; the frequencies may be used by these buildings as well.

Washington Square FCC App

Washington Square, an office building located at 1050 Connecticut Ave. NW in DC, has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for a repeater on 463.4000, and simplex on 466.1000 and 466.2000. The frequencies are coded for analog and MOTOTRBO.

The building has used 463.4000 previously, with DCS of 263.

Weekend Events

• The Capitals play Friday at 7 PM at Verizon Center.
• The Wizards play Saturday at 7 PM at Verizon Center.
• The Capitals play Sunday at 3 PM at Verizon Center.

The Courts at Huntington Station FCC App

The Courts at Huntington Station, an apartment complex in Alexandria, has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for an analog/MOTOTRBO repeater on 461.4000.

Federal Gateway I FCC App

Federal Gateway I, an office building located at 1100 New Jersey Ave. SE in DC, has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for a MOTOTRBO repeater on 452.3875. The building was last monitored using an unlicensed repeater on 452.2750 [ d116].

Stafford Marketplace Update

The Celebrate Stafford 350 event was at Stafford Marketplace this afternoon, so I was able to update information for this retail center. Here's the latest line-up:

461.2375 [ d152] Chili's
464.5500 [  67.0] Bed Bath & Beyond?
467.7500 [ d115] Target (Ch. 1)
467.7750 [ d072] Target (Ch. 2)
467.9250 [ d155] Target (Ch. 3)
467.9000 [ d205] Target (Ch. 4)
467.8500 [ d023] Kohl's
467.8500 [ d532] Michaels
467.8750 [100.0] T.J. Maxx
467.9250 [ d506] Best Buy
467.9250 [  67.0] Buffalo Wild Wings

467.8750 [ 67.0] was also seen; the user could not be determined.

Celebrate Stafford 350

Here's what I found at today's Celebrate Stafford 350:

462.5625 [ CSQ] Lions Club Organizers

Stafford County trunked system talkgroups:
4707 Emergency Management 1 (Sheriff)
4708 Emergency Management 2
4709 Emergency Management 3 (Fire/Medical)

At least one Parks & Recreation employee was carrying a VHF portable; the frequency was not found.

Weekend Events

• The Wizards play Friday at 7 PM at Verizon Center.
• Georgetown plays Saturday at 1 PM at Verizon Center.
• The Wizards play Sunday at 6 PM at Verizon Center.

Congressional Schools of Virginia FCC App

The Congressional Schools of Virginia, located at 3229 Sleepy Hollow Rd. in Falls Church, has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for simplex on 452.9875, 456.6125, 457.1125, and 457.9875.

My Digital "Toolbox"

Here's an overview of the programs I use to monitor and decode various signals:

• SDR# - This program controls my software-defined radio (SDR) USB stick. A popular alternative (that I've never tried) is HDSDR.
• VB-Cable - This program routes the audio from SDR# to decoding programs, such as DSD+, DMRDecode, LTR-Analyzer, etc. A popular alternative (which I could never get to work as well) is Virtual Audio Cable (VAC).
• DSD+ - This just-released program decodes several digital audio formats, such as Project 25 Phase I, X2-TDMA, ProVoice, DMR/MOTOTRBO, NXDN (trunked and conventional). DSD 1.6 is an alternative; some like the sound of the audio in this program more than DSD+.
• DMRDecode - This Java program provides information on DMR/MOTOTRBO conventional, Capacity Plus, and Connect Plus systems, such as color codes, slots, groups, and logical channels numbers.
• LTR-Analyzer - This program provides information about LTR and LTR-Net systems, such as home channels.

Landmark Mall FCC App

Landmark Mall, whose developer has plans to turn the struggling mall into an outdoor center, has an application pending to its license. The app calls for repeaters on 461.7750 and 464.3625. The mall already uses the licensed repeater on 452.2000.

Falls Church Schools FCC App

Falls Church Schools has an application pending to its license to add simplex frequencies on 151.9250, 159.8100, 159.6000, and 160.1250. These frequencies will probably be used for internal school communications. The frequency already on the license (152.2700) is a MOTOTRBO repeater used for school buses.

More Information about DSD+

As was noted a few days ago, DSD+ appeared on Christmas, and most on RadioReference seem to agree that it's generally superior to DSD. Here is a blog post about DSD+ on RTL-SDR.com. And here is the RadioReference Wiki page about DSD+.

Charles County Schools Activates Capacity Plus System

Charles County Schools have activated a MOTOTRBO Capacity Plus system on their recently-licensed VHF frequencies. Data bursts are occurring every two seconds on 152.4425. I am not able to obtain a color code or other information, as the signal is too weak at Fredericksburg.

Previously, conventional MOTOTRBO was monitored on 152.9825, but this is the first indication of a trunked system.