Mobile Antenna Work and a Lesson Learned

6 Months ago when I bought the Kia and installed the mobile station in it I should have gone with my instincts.

Initially, I was going to put the HF antenna on the driver’s side of the rear hatch and the VHF/UHF antenna on the passenger side of the rear hatch.  The reasoning was to keep the shorter antenna on the shoulder side of the road to keep the taller HF antenna from striking tree limbs, etc.  Instead, when I realized the dual band mobile have to go on the driver’s side of the car I decided to put the VHF/UHF antenna on the driver’s side as well to reduce the feedline run.  Bad idea.  It seems that I’ve struck enough tree limbs and other things with the HVT-400B to put a bend in it and I think I’ve damaged it because the performance has gone down.

This morning, I took things partially apart and reversed the mounting with a new HVT-400B; things are now where I intended them to be in the first place.  Reducing the feedline run in the mobile installation shouldn’t have been a consideration because the additional piece I had to add this morning hasn’t made a difference.  It would, however have kept me from messing up an antenna.

USS Enterprise/CVW-1 CSG Update; 28 January 2012

I’m back in Savannah, so I probably won’t be hearing much USS Enterprise activity for the next few days (maybe she’ll still be operating when I head back to Brunswick next week).  Here is an update of callsigns and frequencies from what I was able to hear while listening from Jekyll Island through Thursday afternoon (26 January 2012).

Callsigns
AB 1## – F/A-18F, VFA-11
RIPPER – F/A-18F, VFA-11
AB 2## – F/A-18F, VFA-211
NIKEL – F/A-18F, VFA-211
AB 3## – F/A-18E, VFA-136
HAWK – F/A-18E, VFA-136
AB 4## – F/A-18C, VMFA-251
TBOLT – F/A-18C, VMFA-251
AB 5## – EA-6B, VAQ-137
ROOK – EA-6B, VAQ-137
TRON – EA-6B, VAQ-137
AB 60# – E-2C, VAW-123
SCREWTOP – E-2C, VAW-123
SWEEP – F/A-18, CVW-1
PREVAIL – JTAC(?)
SHARK – FAC-A
STRIKER – JTAC
ZAGS 8# – KC-135, 92nd ARW)
OMEGA – Contract Tanker
ECHO PAPA – Strike Commander
ECHO WHISKEY – Air Defense Commander
STEELJAW – E-2D, Pax River
BRONCO – A-10, 23rd FG
DEATH – B-2, 509th BW
ADVANCE – JTAC
KOMODO – E-8C, 461st ACW frontend
VULTURE – E-8C 461st ACW backend

AMBUSH – F/A-18, VFC-12, Opfor
SNAKE – F/A-18C, VFC-12, Opfor
VIPER – F/A-18C, VFC-12, Opfor
AERO – Opfor
COUGAR – Opfor
DIAMOND – Opfor
KNIGHT – Opfor
PANTHER – Opfor

Frequencies
227.175 – ECHO WHISKEY Net
328.425 – Marshal
342.075 – ECHO PAPA/ECHO WHISKEY Net
371.050 – Red Crown
298.475 – Button 10?
314.375 – Button 13
363.650 – Rep
233.325 – “Yellow”
338.750 – ISR, heavy encrypted use
5.723 USB – ECHO WHISKEY Net
8.974 USB – ECHO WHISKEY Net

236.075 – VMFA-251 Tac
246.800 – VFA-136 Tac
303.450 – VFA-11 Tac
343.325 – VFA-211 Tac
239.975 – VAW-123 Tac
371.125 – VMFA-251 Tac

120.950 – SEALORD North Primary
267.500 – SEALORD South Primary
284.500 – SEALORD North Primary
349.800 – W-157 Discrete; Air Intercepts
376.900 – W-157 Discrete; Aerial Refueling
318.600 – SEALORD Discrete; Aerial Refueling

225.350 – Pinecastle Range
261.250 – Rodman Target
289.200 – Pinecastle Range

235.325 – JSTARS Discrete
341.750 – JSTARS Discrete

229.975 – Opfor
381.400 – Opfor air-to-air
320.500 – BRISTOL Discrete; Opfor

SEGARRN Update; 28 January 2012

While working in Brunswick over a nine day period, I left the BCD996T and ARC996 Pro running at home logging talkgroups and recording audio on the SEGARRN system.  It yielded some new talkgroups and possibly developed a pattern for some the Liberty County Fire Department talkgroups.

TG 287 is Port Wentworth Fire Department.  It is the same thing as TG 4592 on the Chatham-Effingham TRS.  There were test transmissions made by what was probably radio service over several days along with calls from a SSFD EMS unit and a PWPD unit to PWFD units which went unanswered.  It seems that PWFD might not be using the SEGARRN yet but someone who is is scanning their talkgroup.

TG 297 is Thunderbolt Fire Department, the same as TG 4752 on the Chatham-Effingham TRS.  All that was noted during the time period were some test transmissions and some very garbled transmissions.

TG 313 is Garden City FD 1, the same as TG 5008 on the Chatham-Effingham TRS. Likewise TG 315 is Garden City FD 2, the same as TG 5040 on the Chatham-Effingham TRS.  On TG 313, test transmissions from what was probably radio service were recorded over several days.  On TG 315, there were test transmissions along with some traffic from GCFD units and personnel. The number of hits don’t indicate that GCFD is using the SEGARRN yet but someone who is likely is scanning their talkgroups.

TG 5061 may possibly be a Bryan County Fire Department first responders talkgroup.  I only had a handful of hits, but they formed a conversation regarding one unit on a call standing by for EMS arrival and a second unit telling the first to cancel the fire department if they aren’t needed.

TG 5114 may possibly be a Bryan County Fire or EMS talkgroup.  I had only a few hits including traffic between Central (Bryan Dispatch) and EMS 6 along with some test tones.

TG 12831 is Liberty County Fire Departemt, probably the Station 1600 talkgroup.  There was traffic regarding “16 Substation 1″ and unit to unit traffic between 16## units.  It seems to fit the same pattern as TG 12827, which is probably the Station 1200 talkgroup and TG 12828, which is probably the Station 1300 talkgroup.  This could possibly indicate the following layout for some of the Liberty County FD talkgroups:

12827 – LCFD Station 1200
12828 – LCFD Station 1300
12829 – LCFD Station 1400
12830 – LCFD Station 1500
12831 – LCFD Station 1600

Savannah Area Railroad Frequencies

Over the last month or so, I’ve become interested in Railroad Monitoring, something I’ve never listened to that much.  I don’t know much about railroads or railroad communications and I was disappointed to not find very much information on the internet regarding railroad monitoring in the Savannah area.  Using the BCD996T and ARC996 Pro, I decided to try to find what frequencies might be active by logging and recording railroad frequencies.  I took what the computer logged and recorded and searched the FCC database with the frequencies to come up with the 8 active frequencies below.

Due to my home location in relation to the CSX and Norfolk Southern yards, I recieve CSX much better and was able to make better sense out of what was recorded, hence  I have more possible indentifying information on their frequencies.

CSX
160.590 – Ch. 32, Road Channel
160.320 – Ch. 14
160.485 – Ch. 25, Southover Yard?
161.100 – Ch. 66, CSX JA Dispatch?

Norfolk Southern
160.950 – Ch. 56, Road Channel
160.275 – Ch. 11
161.010 – Ch. 60
161.490 – Ch. 92

Information found on the internet helped ID the CSX and Norfolk Southern Road Channels and they are both VERY active.  Additionally, I’ve found the frequencies that seem to be the CSX Southover Yard and CSX JA Dispatch are very active.  If I understood what I was hearing better I might be able to identify them better but I imagine that will come with time.  For the most part, the Norfolk Southern frequencies don’t come in as strong so it’s hard to determine what they might be.

USS Enterprise/CVW-1 Update; 24 January 2012

Location:  Brunswick, GA

The USS Enterprise (CVN-65) and Carrier Air Wing 1 (CVW-1) carrier strike group continue to train off of the Florida coast using the offshore warning areas and Pinecastle Range complex.  Since I’ve been in Brunswick this week, I’ve been going to Jekyll Island to listen to the air activity but yesterday I decided to drive down to St. Marys, GA to get a bit closer.  I’m glad I did.

Once I got to St. Marys, the first order of business was to get some lunch because it was almost 1400 local.  I stopped by the Riverside Cafe across from the ferry for the Cumberland Island National Park. I began listening with the HT while having an excellent gyro and greek salad (if you go, try the Riverside Gyro – you won’t be disappointed).  Immediately it was obvious that business was picking up.

On the drive down I-95, I had begun to hear some JSTARS activity and by the time I got closer to St. Marys I could tell that it was Enterprise related.  VULTURE (the JSTARS) was working a TBOLT flight (F/A-18C, VMFA-251) for tasking.  While eating lunch, things really got interesting; I began hearing VULTURE tasking DEATH 01 (B-2, 509 BW) on another frequency. We don’t get to hear B-2s around coastal Georgia very often!  I understand from a friend in Florida that prior to the B-2, JSTARS was also working with some F-15Es from Seymour Johnson.  Multiple flights of CVW-1 aircraft continued to work VULTURE as well.  Multiple E-2Cs were up coordinating with JSTARS and the carrier group.  It made for a great afternoon of monitoring.

After yesterday’s monitoring, here is what I’ve been able to hear:

Callsigns
AB 1## – F/A-18F, VFA-11
RIPPER – F/A-18F, VFA-11
AB 2## – F/A-18F, VFA-211
NIKEL – F/A-18F, VFA-211
AB 3## – F/A-18E, VFA-136
HAWK – F/A-18E, VFA-136
AB 4## – F/A-18C, VMFA-251
TBOLT – F/A-18C, VMFA-251
AB 5## – EA-6B, VAQ-137
TRON – EA-6B, VAQ-137
AB 60# – E-2C, VAW-123
SCREWTOP – E-2C, VAW-123
SWEEP – F/A-18, CVW-1
PREVAIL – JTAC(?)
SHARK – FAC-A
STRIKER – JTAC
ZAGS 8# – KC-135, 92nd ARW)
OMEGA – Contract Tanker
ECHO PAPA – Strike Commander
ECHO WHISKEY – Air Defense Commander
DEATH – B-2, 509th BW
KOMODO – E-8C, 461st ACW frontend
VULTURE – E-8C 461st ACW backend

AERO – Opfor
AMBUSH – F/A-18, VFC-12, Opfor
SNAKE – F/A-18C, VFC-12, Opfor
VIPER – F/A-18C, VFC-12, Opfor

Frequencies
328.425 – USS Enterprise Marshal
342.075 – ECHO PAPA/ECHO WHISKEY Net
371.050 – Red Crown
298.475 – Button 10?

236.075 – VMFA-251 Tac
246.800 – VFA-136 Tac
303.450 – VFA-11 Tac
343.325 – VFA-211 Tac
239.975 – VAW-123 Tac

120.950 – SEALORD North Primary
267.500 – SEALORD South Primary
284.500 – SEALORD North Primary

225.350 – Pinecastle Range
261.250 – Rodman Target
289.200 – Pinecastle Range

233.325 – Check In prior to working with JSTARS
235.325 – JSTARS Discrete
341.750 – JSTARS Discrete

277.800 – Fleet Common
338.750 – ISR
349.800 – Air Intercepts
376.900 – Aerial Refueling

229.975 – Opfor

I also saw something interesting at the National Park Service Cumberland Island Ferry Dock: a landing craft type vessel that belongs to the National Park Service.  It’s the first time I’ve seen it docked there so I’m not sure if it’s assigned to Cumberland Island or whether it’s there to support the wildfire on Cumberland Island.  I did some searching while I was in St. Marys and I didn’t come across anything that seemed to be related to the firefighting efforts on the island.

National Park Service Landing Craft Type vessel moored at the NPS Cumberland Island Ferry Dock in St. Marys

 

RSGB Announces Special Prefixes to Celebrate Diamond Jubilee, Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games

It looks like there will be some good special callsigns and special event stations to hunt down this summer! One of the aspects of HF I enjoy is working unusual callsigns and special events. Article from ARRL News.

The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) and Ofcom — the British equivalent to the FCC — have authorized radio amateurs to use special prefixes during 2012 in celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games.

To celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, all UK radio amateur and club stations can apply to use a special prefix for a five week period, from May 5-June 10. This will add or substitute the letter “Q” in the place of the regional identifier in the call sign. During the Summer Olympics and the Paralympic Games, radio amateurs and club stations can apply to use the letter “O” in the same fashion for a seven week period, from July 21-September 9.

Amateurs in the United Kingdom who choose to apply for these special call signs will be using GQ, MQ and 2Q prefixes to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee, and GO, MO and 2O prefixes to celebrate the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In addition, calls in the series GB2012aaa will be available for Special Event Stations relating to the Olympics. Licenses will also be issued for four “flagship” stations using the prefix 2O12a (that’s the letter “O,” not a zero, and “a” is a single letter relating to the location of the station).

Savannah NWS Transmitter Off the Air

Note:  As of 27 January 2012, the National Weather Service transmitter on 162.400 covering Savannah is back on the air.

From NWS Charleston:

NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS TRANSMITTER KEC-85 OPERATING ON A FREQUENCY OF 162.400 MHZ WILL REMAIN OFF THE AIR DUE TO COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. YOU CAN TUNE TO STATION WXJ-23 AT GREEN POND ON A FREQUENCY OF 162.450 MHZ OR STATION WWH-25 AT METTER ON A FREQUENCY OF 162.425 MHZ TO GET YOUR LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION. WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THE OUTAGE MAY CAUSE.

Those in the southern part of the Savannah transmitter’s area could also try WXJ28, 162.450 out of Jesup.

USS Enterprise (CVN-65) Operating Off of the Florida Coast

Location:  Brunswick, GA

The USS Enterprise (CVN-65) and Carrier Air Wing 1 (CVW-1) carrier strike group are currently training off of the Florida coast using the offshore warning areas and Pinecastle Range complex.  I’ve been in Brunswick, so I’ve gone out to Jekyll Island on several afternoons and listened from the coast, here’s what I’ve been able to hear:

Callsigns
———
AB 1## – F/A-18F, VFA-11
RIPPER – F/A-18F, VFA-11
AB 2## – F/A-18F, VFA-211
NIKEL – F/A-18F, VFA-211
AB 3## – F/A-18E, VFA-136
HAWK – F/A-18E, VFA-136
AB 4## – F/A-18C, VMFA-251
TBOLT – F/A-18C, VMFA-251
SWEEP – F/A-18, CVW-1
PREVAIL – JTAC(?)
SHARK – FAC-A
STRIKER – JTAC
ZAGS 8# – KC-135, 92nd ARW)
ECHO PAPA – Strike Commander
ECHO WHISKEY – Air Defense Commander

AERO – Opfor
AMBUSH – F/A-18, VFC-12, Opfor
SNAKE – F/A-18C, VFC-12, Opfor
VIPER – F/A-18C, VFC-12, Opfor

Frequencies
———–
328.425 – USS Enterprise Marshal
342.075 – ECHO PAPA/ECHO WHISKEY Net

236.075 – VMFA-251 Tac
246.800 – VFA-136 Tac
303.450 – VFA-11 Tac
343.325 – VFA-211 Tac

267.500 – SEALORD South Primary
284.500 – SEALORD North Primary

225.350 – Pinecastle Range
261.250 – Rodman Target
289.200 – Pinecastle Range

277.800 – Fleet Common
338.750 – ISR
349.800 – Air Intercepts
376.900 – Aerial Refueling

229.975 – Opfor

Radio Hobbyists further south are hearing more, but I imagine the above isn’t bad for just a mobile station.  If you’re near the Florida or South Georgia coast, this is a good opportunity to catch activity from the Enterprise; she’s working up for her last deployment so there won’t be many more opportunities to catch her in action.  I’ll go out to Jekyll a couple more times in the next week before going back to Savannah so I’ll try to post an update somewhere around mid-week.

Hamlin and Busch at Gibbs Racing: Sprint Cup Champion Material?

I’ve been thinking about an article I read in the January 2012 issue of Racer Magazine about Denny Hamlin by Tom Jensen entitled “Whatever Happened to Denny Hamlin.”  Jensen writes about the dichotomy between Hamlin’s 2010 and 2011 seasons and seeks to explain why 2011 was so bad for Hamlin.  He looks at multiple issues but the one that really stood out to me was the psychological issue.  That prompted me to think about Hamlin’s teammate at Gibbs Racing, Kyle Busch and wonder if either one of them are really Sprint Cup Champion material.

Two things really popped out at me in Jensen’s article.  The first being Hamlin’s reaction to having to make an extra fuel stop at Phoenix and his mental state at Homestead the next race during the 2010 title fight.  After Hamlin had to make that extra fuel stop at Phoenix, Jensen writes that:

…Hamlin was visibly stricken and refused even to enter the media center while Johnson was doing his post race interview. Hamlin looked like he saw a ghost.

He goes on to write of how Jimmie Johnson played mind games with Hamlin at the pre-race press conference at Homestead and how Hamlin handled it.  He relates Kevin Harvick’s observation:

I knew sitting on the stage last year that the No. 11 [Hamlin] wasn’t going to win the championship because he could hardly sit still and was so nervous that going into that race he could hardly stand it… Jimmie was gouging at it.  I just sat back and watched.

Hamlin went on to perform poorly in qualifying and wrecked early in the race. In Jensen’s words: “It wasn’t exactly a choke, but it was close.”  Furthermore, according to Jensen, it continued to effect Hamlin’s confidence through the offseason into the 2011 season.  The article ends by explaining that Hamlin recognizes that part of his problem in 2011 was his attitude and lack of self-confidence and is now working with a sports psychologist to remedy the problem.

There is no doubt that Hamlin is a good driver but is he a good racer? Is he champion material?  Compared to Jimmie Johnson, one of his 2010 rivals, it looks like the current answer is no.  At this point he just doesn’t have the mental strength to overcome problems and setbacks during the heat of closely contested championship.  Sure, he could win a championship when there aren’t any close competitors – when his equipment is far better than the rest but that isn’t the mark of a racer or a great champion.  NASCAR’s points system is designed to create tight championship battles, if Hamlin’s efforts with a sports psychologist don’t strengthen him mentally then he may not have a chance at winning a NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.

The article also made my think about Kyle Busch and question whether he is Sprint Cup Champion material.  There is no doubting Kyle Busch’s incredible driving skills, but driving skills aren’t the only part of being a racer.  Just as Hamlin has self-confidence issues that hold him back from being a champion racer, Busch has self-control issues that hold him back.  With Hamlin, it seems that problems spook him; with Busch it seems that problems ignite his temper which he then can’t control. Until Busch can learn to control his temper and work through adversity and work through problems rather than exploding, he probably won’t attain a Sprint Cup Championship.

In the upcoming 2012 season, it will be interesting to see if these two drivers have worked through their issues.  There is more to being a racer than just having great driving skills.  Mental and psychological toughness are just as important; the great racers are the ones who possess both.  Has Hamlin increased his self-confidence by working with a sports psychologist?  Has Busch learned from what his inability to control his temper did to him in 2011?

Fort Pulaski National Monument – 15 January 2012

I took advantage of the no-fee weekend at the Fort Pulaski National Monument to go out and see the the Cockspur Island Lighthouse (USA-181).  It is a bit of a trek back to haul equipment, but it wouldn’t be difficult to set up a small portable station to activate the lighthouse, especially if it was a QRP station.  I’ve toured the fort many times and there was a quite a crowd today so I didn’t go inside, but I did take some photos from outside, some from an angle I haven’t taken photos of it from before.

Cockspur Island Lighthouse

Cockspur Island Lighthouse

The Cockspur Island Lighthouse was built in 1865 to help guide ships into the Savannah River’s south channel.  It operated until 1909 when it’s light was extinguished and then served as a day marker.  Amazingly, it stood between Fort Pulaski and the Union batteries on Tybee Island during the battle for Fort Pulaski and was never hit!  Considering that over 5,000 rounds were fired, the Cockspur Island Lighthouse was lucky indeed.

Fort Pulaski as seen from the direction of Cockspur Island Light and Tybee Island

The photo above was taken from the area of the lighthouse.  It must be similar to the view that the Union batteries would have had from Tybee Island as they looked through their binoculars at their target.  Damage from the rifled cannon shells are easily seen on the walls and in closer photos below.

Damage to the South and Southeast Faces of Fort Pulaski

Damage to the South and Southeast Faces of Fort Pulaski

Unexploded shell still in Fort Pulaski's wall

Commercial traffic on the Savannah River wasn’t taking a weekend break.  While I was there 2 ships were outbound and 1 ship was inbound.  The trail from Fort Pulaski to the Cockspur Island Lighthouse made a good spot to watch ships in the mouth of the Savannah River.

Ocean Tug Capt. Magen and Ocean Tank Barge Key West outbound passing Cockspur Island

Container Ship UASC Al Noof entering the mouth of the Savannah River

Container Ship Westertal exiting the Savannah River into the Atlantic Ocean