Capitol Hill Monitors Meeting Tomorrow

The Capitol Hill Monitors, a DC-area scanner club, has a get-together tomorrow at 2 PM at the Ledo Restaurant in College Park. This will be the first meeting in two years. In advance of the meeting, an issue of the CHM newsletter has been released.

Weekend Events

• The Washington Auto Show continues through Sunday at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
• The Wizards play Saturday at 7 PM at Verizon Center.
• The Caps play Sunday at 1 PM at Verizon Center.

Washington Hospital Center Adds Frequency, DMR Codes

Washington Hospital Center has an application pending to its license to add a frequency (463.5625, a repeater, coded for DMR) and to add DMR emissions codes to the existing frequencies.

The hospital also has an application to another license to add DMR emissions codes to the repeater on 461.7000.

The hospital uses an LTR trunked system for primary communications. There is nothing on the license for that system to indicate pending changes.

District Apartments FCC App

District Apartments, located at 1401 S St. NW in DC, has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for DMR simplex on 466.7500, 468.5250, 469.2875, 469.6875, and 469.8750.

Tysons Corner Center Update

During a Saturday visit to Tysons Corner Center, I was able to update frequencies for several stores. The current list is on the Fairfax County page, under the "Retail" section.

Another Springfield Town Center Update

Made another trip to Springfield Town Center on Saturday. Here's the latest list of frequencies:

451.9250 [         ] Security (DMR - Color Code 7, Slot 1, Group 1000)
451.9250 [         ] Housekeeping (DMR - Color Code 7, Slot 2, Group 1001)
464.9125 [         ] Security (DMR - Color Code 7, Slot 1, Group 1000)
464.9125 [         ] Housekeeping (DMR - Color Code 7, Slot 2, Group 1001)
464.9125 [         ] Engineering (DMR - Color Code 7, Slot 2, Group 1002)
461.9375 [ d732] JC Penney Security
464.1000 [203.5] Macy's Security
464.8250 [100.0] Regal Cinemas (S)
467.2250 [ d365] JC Penney Operations
467.7500 [ d115] Target (Channel 1)
467.7625 [  71.9] American Eagle
467.7750 [ d072] Target (Channel 2)
467.8500 [ d306] Target
467.8500 [  67.0] Topshop
467.8500 [  71.9] Maggiano's
467.8750 [  94.8] Dick's Sporting Goods
467.8750 [186.2] Foot Locker
467.8750 [241.8] Champs
467.9000 [ d265] LOFT
467.9000 [118.8] Express
467.9250 [ d155] Target (Channel 3)
467.9250 [ d412] Sephora
467.9250 [ d743] Victoria's Secret
467.9250 [  88.5] J. Crew
468.5125 [162.2] Charlotte Russe
469.0000 [103.5] H&M

Metrobus Talkgroup Update

The new Capitol Hill Monitor newsletter provided an overview of scanning Metrobus. The complete lineup of bus talkgroups was included, and these have been added to the Metro system RadioReference page.

New Capitol Hill Monitor Newsletter Online

A new Capitol Hill Monitor newsletter has been posted online. Topics covered include D.C.'s last media aircraft, Metrobus, DCFD encryption, and military aircraft.

Fredericksburg Sheriff New Repeater

The Fredericksburg Sheriff's Office recently modified its license to add a repeater on 154.1900. Previously, the Sheriff's Office was only licensed for simplex on 159.2100.

410.8000 [ $201] - Reagan Building

Security at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center has been confirmed using 410.8000 [ $201]. This frequency was previously thought to be a secondary Federal Protective Service frequency, but it appears to only be used at the Reagan Building.

DC P25 System Testing on Metro

Yesterday, the DC P25 system was being tested at various locations in the Metro system. Talkgroups 1617 and 1633 were used. It's unknown if these talkgroups will eventually be used for regular operations by Metro on the DC system, or if this testing relates to possible communications problems experienced during the January 12 incident outside the L'Enfant Plaza station.

March for Life Finds

Here's what I found yesterday at the March for Life in DC:

166.7250 [127.3] Park Police (Ch. 1)
461.3375 [ d346] Security/First Aid
461.3625 [ d351] Media
464.6000 [ d712] Audio/Visual

The Park Police frequency was active with the agency's helicopter, Eagle 1. 461.3375 and 461.3625 were used (with the same DCS tones) at the 2009 Legg Mason Tennis Classic.

Weekend Event

• The Washington Auto Show begins today and continues through Sunday, February 1 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Hampton Inn Dulles South FCC App

The Hampton Inn Dulles South has an application pending before the FCC. The app calls for simplex on 451.5125, 451.7625, 452.4875, 452.9875, and 457.6625.

Manassas Update

Here are updates on various entities in Manassas:

• Manassas/Manassas Park P25 - Only the Manassas Police and Manassas Park Police talkgroups were monitored.
• Manassas/Manassas Park P16 - System still on-air, but no traffic monitored yesterday.
• Manassas Utilities - Only one group with brief traffic monitored.
• Osbourne High - The school is using what sounds like a repeater on 457.0000. No input frequency found.
• Lockheed Martin - The company has a 900 MHz Motorola system on-air, but no traffic monitored.
• Micron Technology - Several talkgroups monitored on the company's 900 MHz Motorola system. 
• Prince William Medical Center - Nothing heard on licensed analog/NXDN frequencies. 461.4250 had periodic DMR data on it; unknown if originating from hospital.
• Manassas Mall - Nothing monitored on previously-heard security frequency (461.0125 [100.0]).

Manassas Schools License Modification

Manassas Schools has modified its license to add a DMR repeater on 461.9750. This frequency will probably be used by Parkside Middle.

Weekend Events

• The Wizards play Friday at 7 PM at Verizon Center.
• Georgetown plays Saturday at 5 PM at Verizon Center.

National Cathedral Requests DMR

The National Cathedral has an application pending to its license to change the emission designators for their frequencies to DMR.

Fredericksburg Public Works New VHF Frequencies

Fredericksburg has modified its public works license. 45.3600 has been deleted. A repeater on 154.3400 and a base/mobile configuration on 159.3150 have been added.

Charles Adds Frequencies to Trunked System

Charles County recently modified its license to add two frequencies (858.0125 and 858.1625) to its Project 16 trunked system.

Loudoun Schools Adopt DMR

Loudoun County Schools have adopted DMR for transportation, administration, and operations at many individual schools. The Loudoun RadioReference page has details. It's unknown if the LTR-Net trunked system, which was previously used for transportation, is still active.

Weekend Events

• The Wizards play Friday at 8 PM at Verizon Center.
• The Capitals play Saturday at 7 PM at Verizon Center.

NHL Winter Classic Finds

Here's what I found at the NHL Winter Classic on January 1:

451.9000 [141.3] in press box; tickets never went on sale because of way allotted to teams; no date on them; podium setup; escorting Mr. Daley for postgame ceremonies
451.9750 [203.5] NBC operator; props; cameras; tv timeout
452.0000 [210.7] runner; meet at Caps player exit
452.0250 [110.9] arrows in; get sealed; scrape after warmup; hard whistle at ten minutes
452.0500 [  82.5]
452.0750 [  77.0] Diamond Club still need logos?; still on field with ladder?; could use stanchions
452.1250 [  88.5] in position waiting for curtain; 32 GB P2 card
452.1750 [156.7] single line; teams coming out; field by stage; food; color guard; where allowed to stand
452.2000 [167.9] keep mouse still; put in chutes; bootleg; selling lanyards; people near wiener mobile
452.2250 [203.5] fan center from here; show me Blackhawks; help with cable; power down winches

451.3625 [ d413] coach talking to Gary Bettman; players complaining; NBC; available TA in holding
456.5125 [ d315] buses; Blackhawks family bus
456.8000 [ d612] transmitter; camera; mic
461.1375 [ d152] CSC Event Staff
461.2375 [  67.0] pickpocket
461.6000 [ d364] time on face off; penalty; shoot action, shoot coach
463.6625 [ d431] Guest Services Carts?
463.8125 [ d125]
464.5000 [ d074] machine's down; credit card
464.5000 [  94.8] don't see Jim Cantore; mic
464.5000 [100.0] box; TV
464.5500 [114.8] family bus; sandbags at NHL auction area (R)
464.5500 [167.9] scoreboard gets done; roof
464.6250 [146.2] program it; code; video replay; feed went away; rosters (R)
464.6500 [186.2] Ch. 14 (R)
464.7250 [206.5] compound; break crew; zambonies coming; power down (R)
464.7500 [233.6] CSC Event Staff (R)
467.7625 [ d263] Fairgrounds Security
469.5000 [ d274] back in tent; bench mic is up
469.5000 [107.2] shady jumper
469.5500 [ d612] signal
469.5500 [ d732] stage

The first group of frequencies was licensed by the NHL for the event. The Nationals Park DMR frequencies were also heavily used.

STARS Site 130 Update

STARS site 130 is located in Gordonsville, VA and shows the Mineral, Thornburg, Fork Mountain, Hogback Mountain, Independent Hill, Bear Den Mountain, and Hightop Mountain sites as neighbors. Two of the frequencies are covered under a VSP license.

New WMATA Talkgroups

Several new talkgroups were active yesterday on the WMATA trunked system. The conversations were often garbled, but it sounded like the communications may have been related to rail ops.

Weekend Events

• Georgetown plays Saturday at 4:30 PM at Verizon Center.
• The Capitals play Sunday at 3:00 PM at Verizon Center.