V-Tac, U-Tac & I-Tac Frequencies

[trauma74 111]

I was surfing around and I found this list of Nationwide Inter-Ops Frequencies. I contacted a friend of mine who is a US Customs ICE Agent in NJ who provided me with the description of what these frequencies are used for and who monitors them.

Here are the freqs:

All frequencies use PL 156.7

UHF Interoperability Channels

U-CALL 453.2125

U-TAC 1 453.4625

U-TAC 2 453.7125

U-TAC 3 453.8625

VHF Interoperability Channels

V-CALL 155.725

V-TAC 1 151.1375

V-TAC 2 154.4525

V-TAC 3 158.7375

V-TAC 4 159.4725

800Mhz Interoperability Channels

I-CALL 866.0125

I-TAC 1 866.5125

I-TAC 2 867.0125

I-TAC 3 867.5125

I-TAC 4 868.0125

Yes you can use them. They are covered under Part 90. All the VHF channels

are simplex and many agencies here in NJ have them programmed in their

radios although they are rarely monitored. They are basically nationwide

interops channels so if you go to help out in Florida for a hurricane

disaster, they can link your radio to a network via the TAC channels. I

have them in my GOV mobile and portable. I believe VCALL is CSQ, all others

are PL 156.7 and NAC $293 in P25 digital.

In NJ, the UHF channels are monitored and used, especially by those counties

falling under the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI). Those counties

include Bergen, Hudson, Passaic, Sussex, Morris, Essex, Union, and NYC.

Additionally, the state added NJUTAC4, 5 and 6 for the UASI region. The

simpex channels can be used for occassional chit-chat, but don't dare use

the repeater unless you get cleared from the UASI on the CALLing channel.

They will then switch you to the appropriate TAC repeater. I know the UTAC6

repeater here in Morris County in simulcasted all over the frigin place.

I know Suffolk County NY and the Port Authority activately monitor the

I-Call channel as well as NJSP, who all operate on 800 mhz. Most of the I

channels are on repeaters and NJ has added an additional repeater called

NJITAC5 specifically for the UASI region.

Look at http://www.eastcoastscanning.com/viewtopic.php?t=120 for further.

Edited November 9, 2006 by trauma74

[jfmuller 23]

Check out this article for others available:

Interoperability: The Real Story

Of course most of these channels don't have the infrastructure so they don't do any good, in NY that is. (Repeaters, people monitoring, etc..) Would be nice if there was, so that FD and PD could talk direct, especially for things like traffic control, evacuation, etc..

Dutchess has a 911 police channel but FD has to talk to 911 and have them relay. Perfect example is the typical Domestic Incident with injuries, FD/EMS and PD are dispatched, FD/EMS has to wait around the corner till the police radio 911 that it is all clear, then 911 relays to FD/EMS scene is secure go on in. (Grapevine)

To make things even worse we do mutual aid calls to Putnam County and they are Low-band and our radios are UHF so we can't even talk to them unless we use a separate portable they provided us. Would be really nice if they cross banded 5 freq's between low-band,vhf,uhf,800mhz so that everyone could talk together when needed.

jfmuller

[tbendick 27]

As far as the 800mhz I-Call and I-Tac I know that FDNY EMS has it in the 800mhz radios.

The have it setup with

I-Call

I-TAC 1

I-TAC 2

I-TAC 3

I-TAC 4

All on reapeaters.

and also Simplex

I-Call TA

I-TAC 1 TA

I-TAC 2 TA

I-TAC 3 TA

I-TAC 4 TA

[SteveOFD 176]

The link for info on these interoperable frequencies can be found at FCC Interoperabilty Frequencies. Scroll down to Section C, Articles 82-90 for the info.

Section 90 states you "...must have a license to operate a base or control station on these interoperable channels. Mobile operation, however, is permitted on these channels without an individual license (i.e., a blanket licensing approach)."

The xCALL channel will not have a PL tone and their purpose is for hailing or calling other units. Once communications have been established on the xCALL channel communications will be moved to the xTAC channels which will have a PL of 156.7.

Edited November 10, 2006 by SteveOFD

[Remember585 815]

Don't forget too...

"Thumb-TAC" channels. They're the ones that don't exactly get paid any attention to and end up sitting on a shelf somewhere....