United States Forest Service (CA)
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Angeles National Forest (ANF - Forest #01)
Radio System
Channel Lineup
Most radios on the forest have the first 8 frequencies in common. The first four channels, ANF F1 through ANF F4, are the dispatch frequencies, the next three are NIFC tactical channels 1 through 3, and the 8th is USFS Region 5 Air-to-Ground. Each ranger district, and crews within each ranger district, have different channel lineups after the 8 common frequencies. The variations between ranger districts and crews on channels 9 through 16 involve frequencies belonging to other agencies such as Los Angeles County Fire, San Bernardino County Fire, the California Emergency Management Agency, and the Bureau of Land Management, as well as frequencies of adjacent National Forests.
ANF F1 and ANF F2 are called "Forest Net" and are used primarily for fire and emergency traffic. ANF F3 and ANF F4 are called "Admin" and are used for routine communications. The odd numbered channels, ANF F1 and ANF F3, are simplex frequencies and the even numbered channels, ANF F2 and ANF F4, are repeated.
When users transmit on ANF F1 or ANF F3 using tone 8 (103.5 Hz) their transmission can be received by dispatch on the forest's 9 remote bases. These remote bases are linked to dispatch and the Forest Supervisor's Office in Arcadia. Most of these remote bases are co-located with repeaters and some are not. When someone communicates to dispatch on F1 or F3 it is not picked up by a repeater and receiving them requires being close enough to receive simplex traffic. On the other hand, if users transmit on ANF F2 or ANF F4 the tone in use must match a repeater within range or their transmission will not be heard.
The 9 remote bases are located at: Fox Field (dispatch office), Arcadia (Forest Supervisor's Office), Frazier Peak, Warm Springs, Magic Mountain, Mt. Lukens, Blue Ridge, Johnstone Peak and Santiago Peak. Those remote bases that are not co-located with a repeater are: Fox Field, Arcadia, Warm Springs and Blue Ridge.
Intra-crew and tactical communications on the Angeles NF take place on the regional project net or on National Crew Net 163.7125. The 6 NIFC tactical frequencies may not be used for intra-crew communications or for the initial attack phase of a fire. All NIFC frequencies are reserved for use on "National Fires." These are fires where a National Type I or Type II incident management team is in command.
Channel | Tone(s) | Rx | Tx | Alpha Tag | Description |
1 | 8 | 172.3750 | 172.3750 | ANF F1 | Forest Net Direct |
2 | 1-14 | 172.3750 | 169.9500 | ANF F2 | Forest Net Repeat |
3 | 8 | 164.9375 | 164.9375 | ANF F3 | Admin Direct |
4 | 1-14 | 164.9375 | 170.0750 | ANF F4 | Admin Repeat |
5 | 169.1125 | 169.1125 | R5 AG4 | Angeles NF Air-Ground Primary | |
6 | 168.4875 | 168.4875 | R5 AG7 | Angeles NF Air-Ground Secondary | |
7 | 168.0500 | 168.0500 | TAC 1 | NIFC TAC 1 | |
8 | 168.2000 | 168.2000 | TAC 2 | NIFC TAC 2 | |
9 | 168.6000 | 168.6000 | TAC 3 | NIFC TAC 3 |
The remainder of the channel lineup is not known. The Angeles National Forest radios have 16 groups of 16 channels each. 13 of these groups are programmed with frequencies. Each of the 3 ranger districts have different frequencies in channels 10-16 of each group.
Regional project net is a tactical available for fire and non-fire uses. It is unknown what channel it has been programmed into on the primary 3 groups.
Regional project net is 168.6625 simplex (transmit and receive frequencies the same).
Repeaters
The Angeles National Forest (ANF) radio system is comprised of 14 repeater sites situated on various mountain peaks in and around the forest which are linked to the dispatch center at Fox Field near Palmdale. Each repeater site functions as both a repeater and as a receiving antenna for dispatch.
Each repeater operates on the same input/output frequency pairs but uses a different CTCSS tone on the input. By selecting different tones users may activate different repeaters, choosing the one best suited to their location and communication needs. When a user activates a repeater by keying up on the appropriate input frequency and tone, their transmission is repeated only by that repeater. Other repeaters in the forest do not repeat transmissions from other repeaters. The input or repeater selection tone is not transmitted on the repeater output frequency, rather all repeaters transmit Tone 8 (103.5) on the output.
The nature of Bendix King radios used by the Forest Service is such that users may select a CTCSS tone by selecting a number on the radio's keypad. As a result, most users refer to the CTCSS tone by its number (e.g., "tone 9" instead of Pine Mountain or 100.0 Hz).
Tones
Tone | Location | CTCSS Tone |
---|---|---|
1 | Waterman Mountain | 110.9 |
2 | Santiago Peak | 123.0 |
3 | Mount Hawkins | 131.8 |
4 | Frost Peak | 136.5 |
5 | Not Assigned | 146.2 |
6 | Oat Mountain | 156.7 |
7 | Josephine Peak | 167.9 |
8 | Frasier Peak | 103.5 |
9 | Pine Mountain | 100.0 |
10 | Burnt Peak | 107.2 |
11 | Magic Mountain | 114.8 |
12 | Mount Lukens | 127.3 |
13 | Johnstone Peak | 141.3 |
14 | Grass Mountain | 151.4 |
Cleveland National Forest (CNF - Forest #02)
Channel | Tone(s) | Rx | Tx | Alpha Tag | Description |
1 | 8 | 168.7500 | 171.4250 | CNF F1 | Forest Repeater Net |
2 | 1-12 | 168.1500 | 169.7250 | CNF F2 | Admin Repeater Net |
3 | 2,5,10 | 164.1250 | 164.8250 | CNF F3 | Service Repeater Net |
4 | 168.6625 | 168.6625 | CNF F4 | R5 Project | |
5 | 168.2000 | 168.2000 | CNF F5 | NIFC Tac 2 | |
6 | 166.5500 | 166.5500 | CNF F6 | R5 Tac 4 Palomar Ranger District Initial Attack | |
7 | 167.1125 | 167.1125 | CNF F7 | R5 Tac 5 Trabuco Ranger District Initial Attack | |
8 | 168.2375 | 168.2375 | CNF F8 | R5 Tac 6 Descanso Ranger District Initial Attack | |
9 | 151.1900 | 151.1900 | CNF F9 | Cal Fire MVU Local Direct Tone 3 Rx Side | |
10 | 151.3550 | 159.3000 | CNF F10 | Cal Fire Command 1 | |
11 | 151.2650 | 159.3300 | CNF F11 | Cal Fire Command 2 | |
12 | 151.3400 | 159.3450 | CNF F12 | Cal Fire Command 3 Tone 8 Rx Side | |
13 | 151.2500 | 151.2500 | CNF F13 | Cal Fire Tac 5 Tone 16 Rx Side | |
14 | 151.4600 | 151.4600 | CNF F14 | Cal Fire Tac 12 Tone 16 Rx Side | |
15 | 151.4750 | 151.4750 | CNF F15 | Cal Fire Tac 13 Tone 16 Rx Side | |
16 | 169.1125 | CNF F16 | R5 AG 4 CNF (P) | USFS Region 5 Air-Ground 4 Primary |
Sequoia National Forest (SQF - Forest #13)
Radio System
Channels
Channel | Tone(s) | Rx | Tx | Alpha Tag | Description |
1 | 8 | 168.6750 | 168.6750 | SQF F1 | Emergency Net Direct |
2 | 1-14} | 167.67500 | 170.5750 | SQF F2 | Emergency Repeater Net |
3 | 8 | 168.7750 | 168.7750 | SQF F3 | Fire Net Direct |
4 | 1-14 | 168.7750 | 170.6000 | SQF F4 | Fire Repeater Net |
5 | 8 | 168.1750 | 168.1750 | SQF F5 | Admin Net Direct |
6 | 169.7250 | 169.7250 | SQF F6 | BLM Central CA DIstrict Admin Net Direct | |
7 | 4,5,8 | 169.7250 | 165.450 | SQF F7 | BLM Central CA District Admin Repeater |
8 | 169.7750 | 169.7750 | SQF F8 | BLM Central CA District Fire Net Direct | |
9 | 2-8 | 169.7750 | 163.0250 | SQF F9 | BLM Central CA District Fire Repeater Net |
Tones
Tone | Location | CTCSS Tone |
---|---|---|
1 | Delilah Lookout | 110.9 |
2 | Buckrock Lookout | 123.0 |
3 | Mule Peak Lookout | 131.8 |
4 | Baker Point | 136.5 |
5 | Oakflat | 146.2 |
6 | Piute BM | 156.7 |
7 | Chimney Peak | 167.9 |
8 | Jordan Peak Lookout | 103.5 |
9 | Sherman Peak | 100.0 |
10 | Tobias Peak | 107.2 |
11 | Breckenridge | 114.8 |
12 | Parkridge | 127.3 |
13 | Converse | 141.3 |
14 | Olancha | 151.4 |
Wiki Links
- US Forest Service - Lake Tahoe Basin Mgmt Unit (CA/NV)
- US Forest Service - Lassen National Forest (CA)
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