The Progress reports today that the local Emergency Communications Center will be switching to a $13M digital communications system that will permit Charlottesville and Albemarle fire, EMS, and police radio networks to all be tied together. Currently, they can’t communicate with one another. The downside? Joe Citizen can’t listen in with scanners, which is something done by a lot of folks in the area. According to the Progress, the FCC requires that the frequencies be available to the public, a standard that seems contrary to these plans.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
-
Archive for Sideblog »
Does anyone know *what* the FCC requires that the frequencies be available to the public for? Is it for availability to monitor, or is the public supposed to be allowed to transmit on those frequencies as well?
I know that these digital systems were first introduced for police use several years ago and since then it has become easier and easier to find the equipment to monitor digital police radio traffic (perfectly legal, in most cases). So Joe Citizen can listen in, but he’ll need a fancier scanner than your typical Radio Shack fare.
That could all be out the window in this case if they’re using some type of exceptional cryptography.
~J
Is there a website or publication somewhere which details what part of the spectrum is allocated for what? Would be nice to see where everything fits in.
Yup. The FCC sells one for $6 on the Department of Commerce’s website. Alternately, you can download a PDF, which is just as good. The military puts out a simpler one, too.
Waldo
Heres info the 800mhz spectrum that they’re using.
———
800 mhz frequency guide-compiled by john mccolman
800 – 1300 mhz listening guide * repeater out
frequency band service
806 – 810 business radio service
conventional systems mobile in
810 – 816 public safety radio service
slow growth systems mobile in
816 – 821 business radio service
smr trunked systems mobile in
821 – 825 land mobile satellite service
mobile in
825 – 835 cellular mobile telephones
nonwireline systems mobile in
835 – 845 cellular mobile telephones
wireline systems mobile in
845 – 850 cellular mobile telephones
expansion reserve mobile in
850 – 851 reserved
851 – 855 * business radio service
conventional systems base out
855 – 861 * public savety radio service
slow growth systems base out
861 – 866 * business radio service
trunked systems base out
866 – 870 * land mobile satellite service
output
870 – 890 * cellular mobile telephones
nonwireline systems base out
890 – 896 * cellular mobile telephones
wireline systems base out
896 – 902 private land mobile radio service
ps i t blocks mobile in
902 – 928 amateur radio service reserve
928.0125 – 928.3375 domestic public radio service
private multi-address systems
928.3625 – 928.8375 domestic public radio service
reserved
928.8625 – 928.9875 domestic public radio service
wide area paging
929.0125 – 929.7375 domestic public radio service
reserved
929.7625 – 929.9875 domestic public radio service
radiotelephone utility paging
930 – 931 domestic public radio service
advanced technology paging
931 – 932 domestic public radio service
common carrier paging
932 – 935 government private shared
operational fixed systems
935 – 941 * private land mobile radio service
ps i t blocks base out
941 – 944 government private shared
operational fixed systems
944 – 947 broadcast radio service
studio-transmitter link (intercity relay)
947 – 952 broadcast radio service
formerly stl ir
952.100 – 952.700 private microwave service
omnidirectional control
952.800 – 956.100 private microwave service
operational fixed systems
956.2625 – 956.4375 private fixed service
signalling and control
956.500 – 959.800 private microwave service
operational fixed systems
959.8625 – 959.9875 common carrier radio service
wide area paging
960 – 1215 aviation services
navaids dme
1215 – 1300 amateur radio service
some repeaters in service
25 khz channel spacing (65 miles north of mexican border)
—————————————————————–
.0125 .0375 .0625 .0875 .1125 .1375 .1625 .1875
.2125 .2375 .2625 .2875 .3125 .3375 .3625 .3875
.4125 .4375 .4625 .4875 .5125 .5375 .5625 .5875
.6125 .6375 .6625 .6875 .7125 .7375 .7625 .7875
.8125 .8375 .8625 .8875 .9125 .9375 .9625 .9875
12.5 khz channel spacing (as proposed for future use)
—————————————————————–
.0000 .0125 .0250 .0375 .0500 .0625 .0750 .0875
.1000 .1125 .1250 .1375 .1500 .1625 .1750 .1875
.2000 .2125 .2250 .2375 .2500 .2625 .2750 .2875
.3000 .3125 .3250 .3375 .3500 .3625 .3750 .3875
.4000 .4125 .4250 .4375 .4500 .4625 .4750 .4875
.5000 .5125 .5250 .5375 .5500 .5625 .5750 .5875
.6000 .6125 .6250 .6375 .6500 .6625 .6750 .6875
.7000 .7125 .7250 .7375 .7500 .7625 .7750 .7875
.8000 .8125 .8250 .8375 .8500 .8625 .8750 .8875
.9000 .9125 .9250 .9375 .9500 .9625 .9750 .9875
mexican border channel spacing (includes san clemente & tucson)
—————————————————————–
.0000 .0250 .0500 .0750
.1000 .1250 .1500 .1750
.2000 .2250 .2500 .2750
.3000 .3250 .3500 .3750
.4000 .4250 .4500 .4750
.5000 .5250 .5500 .5750
.6000 .6250 .6500 .6750
.7000 .7250 .7500 .7750
.8000 .8250 .8500 .8750
.9000 .9250 .9500 .9750
cellular mobile telephones – base output frequency
—————————————————————–
870 – 880 333 nonwireline channels (radiotelephone utilities)
880 – 890 333 wireline channles (telephone companies)
33 channels/mhz
nonwireline blocks wireline blocks
—————— —————
chn freq chn freq
1 870.030 334 880.020
34 871.020 367 881.010
67 872.010 401 882.030
101 873.030 434 883.020
134 874.020 467 884.010
167 875.010 501 885.030
201 876.030 534 886.020
234 877.020 567 887.010
267 878.010 601 888.030
301 879.030 634 889.020
30 khz channel spacing
—————————————————————–
870 873 876 879 882 885 888 mhz
.030 .060 .090 .120 .150 .180 .210 .240 .270 .300
.330 .360 .390 .420 .450 .480 .510 .540 .570 .600
.630 .660 .690 .720 .750 .780 .810 .840 .870 .900
.930 .960 .990
871 874 877 880 883 886 889 mhz
.020 .050 .080 .110 .140 .170 .200 .230 .260 .290
.320 .350 .380 .410 .440 .470 .500 .530 .560 .590
.620 .650 .680 .710 .740 .770 .800 .830 .860 .890
.920 .950 .980
872 875 878 881 884 887 mhz
.010 .040 .070 .100 .130 .160 .190 .220 .250 .280
.310 .340 .370 .400 .430 .460 .490 .520 .550 .580
.610 .640 .670 .700 .730 .760 .790 .820 .850 .880
.910 .940 .970