C-27J Spartan Production Planned for Jacksonville

According to multiple news reports on Friday, a consortium of L-3 Communications Holdings, Boeing, and Alenia North America are planning on constructing the C-27J Spartan cargo aircraft that they recently won the contract for at Cecil Field in Jacksonville, FL. That could mean test communications for area radio monitors to listen to in about a year or so.

Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net

Savannah NWR Complex Radio System Update

On Thursday I found another frequency for the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Savannah NWR Complex Radio System. While 172.450, 169.825, 171.650, and 172.650 were active, 171.750 was also active. Due to the very weak signal strength, I have to think that is probably one of the more southern transmitters, probably in the area of Blackbeard Island or Wolf Island (near the Darien area).

Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net

More on SCMPD "Plain Talk", Move to Digital in Chatham County, Talk of Encryption

I haven't seen the article in the online Savannah Morning News, but there is a front page article in the newspaper this morning about the move away from Signals and 10-Codes by the Savannah Chatham Municipal PD (SCMPD) and the agencies they dispatch for. The article states that change occurred on 4 June, 2007 and was made for interoperability reasons. The article very well illustrates the confusion that can occur due to different agencies using different codes and signals.

The article also mentions that SCMPD's radio system will switch to digital in mid-July. It also states that "the majority of the channels will be encrypted." It is important to note that I have heard some encrypted talkgroups being tested in the last few months, so the encryption is a definite possibility. I would hope that Chatham County has not jumped on the encryption bandwagon, but if they have I'll have more comment on that when it happens.

I will take exception to one line from this article: " That means no more casual listening for all those scanner junkies who like to tune into police chases and traffic stops." Whether the term "scanner junkie" is a quote from the SCMPD officer interviewed for the article or whether it was used by the author of the article, I do not like being referred to as a "junkie." That word carries so many negative connotations that it can easily be taken as an insult. I don't listen to law enforcement communications on a regular basis, but I do listen every now and then because I like to get an unfiltered version of what is happening, not the sanitized version of events that can come from public information personnel and news reporters. I am a radio hobbyist. Try using that term, or perhaps others that have been suggested such as "scannerist" or "radio monitor." My hobby is no less respectable than fishing, knitting, motorcycle riding, or stamp collecting and I would like to be treated with the respect that is offered to those that have many other hobbies.

Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net

Skywarn Spotter Activation Possible This Afternoon

The National Weather Service in Charleston has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for the Savannah area. Severe thunderstorms, 60mph winds, and penny-sized hail are possible. The full text of the Outlook can be found here.

If there is severe weather in the area, a Skywarn Net may come up on the 146.745 or 146.970 repeaters.

Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net

Savannah-Chatham Metro Dispatch Using "Plain Talk"

Savannah-Chatham Metro Dispatch, "Metro" for short, dispatches almost all of the public safety agencies in Chatham County except for Tybee Island and Savannah Fire and Emergency Services. I've noticed over the last week that they seem to be moving away from using signals and codes and are starting to use "Plain Talk" dispatch. For example, instead of dispatching an auto accident with injuries as a "Signal 5, Signal 30" they now dispatch it as an "accident with injuries."

Savannah Fire has been using "Plain Talk" for several years now, so listeners familiar with how they dispatch calls can look for similar usage on Metro's dispatch channels.

Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net

Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex Digital Repeater System

Back on April 27, 2007 I posted about a VHF digital repeater system that I heard the US Fish and Wildlife service using in the coastal Georgia area. After doing some research and listening to the system more, I'm convinced that it is used by the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex. This complex of NWRs is spread out over a large area and the linked repeater system enables them to have better communications both within and between the individual NWRs within the complex. It is comprised of seven National Wildlife Refuges that stretch from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina to Darien, GA including Pinckney Island NWR, Savannah NWR, Tybee NWR, Wassaw NWR, Harris Neck NWR, Blackbeard Island NWR, and Wolf Island NWR. Headquarters for the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex are located in Savannah, GA.

So far I've heard four sites for the system, although there could very well be more. At this point, I've only been able to identify one of the sites, the one at Skidaway which is closest to Savannah.

169.825

171.650

172.450 - Skidaway Site

172.650

Mac McCormick, KF4LMT

kf4lmt@comcast.net

125th Fighter Wing Returns To Jacksonville

The 125th Fighter Wing, FL Air National Guard returned recently to Jacksonville International Airport in Jacksonville, FL from temporary duty in Europe. They began flying their F-15s again last week, training offshore of Georgia and Florida over the Atlantic Ocean.

Unit frequencies and designators seem to be unchanged from those used prior to their trip to Europe:

251.250 - Operations/Maintenance
273.900 - SOF
234.800 - Aux 6
253.700 - Aux 7
314.200 - Aux 8
343.000 - Aux 9


Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net