[FedCom] USDA freqs

[n4ylt at bellsouth.net]

Keep in mind that agricultural inspectors from USDA were merged with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) when the Department of Homeland Security was created. That means they MAY be using any combination of the former Customs and / or Immigration frequencies (both had VHF systems).

Joe 
Miami Lakes, Fl
> 
> From: Chuck Kimball <n0nhj at amsat.org>
> Date: 2005/08/05 Fri AM 11:41:33 EDT
> To: radiodf at rcn.com, 
> 	Discussion of Federal Government Communications <fedcom at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [FedCom] USDA freqs
> 
> Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service.  Ever passed through an 
> international airport returning
> to the US - these are the folks looking for the fruits and meats from 
> other countries that might be
> carrying things like mad cow, or fruit flies, etc.  
> 
> In the west these are also the guys that used to do the coyote 
> hunting.   I ran across one of their
> repeaters once.  Originally they were using the 163.100 / 168.350 
> federal itinerant pair as a
> repeater.  I know they replaced that with a regular assignment for 
> western Colorado, southern
> Wyoming and eastern Utah, using some 164 & 168 frequencies, and had 
> several repeaters up
> with different tones.  I think that system has since died out, and 
> wasn't converted over to
> narrow band. 
> 
> I'd look on the itinerant freqs.  Otherwise if they have some sort of 
> permanent operation in the
> area they probably have a standard assignment.  I've seen other USDA 
> agencies on frequencies
> used by the Forest Service, that would be a good starting point to search.
> 
> Hope this helps.
> Chuck
> 
> 
> 
> Steven Donnell wrote:
> 
> >Hi, Anyone have some confirmed freqs for the USDA? Parked at a rest stop
> >along I95 northbound, in Kittery, Me today was a converted rv
> >trailer(approx '28) bearing the markings: USDA and APHIS, along w/ a web
> >address of: www.aphis.usda.gov
> >
> >The trailer also sported a '40 crank up tower that appeared to have a
> >large (VHF?)fiber glass colinear"stick" on top. There was also what MAY
> >have been a small(er) "stove pipe" antenna approx '2 tall, possibly for
> >Satcom use.
> >
> >I suspect the VHF antenna would/could be used for communicating w/ local
> >"rover" units to spot vehicles in need of inspection. I didnt see anyone
> >around, as I passsed thru the area late in the evening, although I will
> >try and check it out earlier tomorrow,.   Somebody I spoke w/ that did
> >see what was going on earlier, said  they had a couple of RV/motorhomes
> >stopped, that all had Canadian lic plates. So at the least they seem to
> >be checking vehicles going north, back to Canada, and perhaps had other
> >units checking southbond traffic too. But what were they checking for?
> >Ill try and get a couple of pictures of the trailer and ants.
> >
> >Steve
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> >  
> >
> 
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