DOE Convoy Comms & Re: [FedCom] Transporter Picture

[Ken]

Mark:

Very interesting observation on the radio equipment antennas & potential 
radio equipment installed.  I'm wondering if perhaps the security team also 
has some UHF portables OR are all voice operations on VHF high band?

I took a quick look at Grove Enterprise's "Federal Frequency Directory" 2nd 
edition, and the Department of Energy has about 190 VHF high band 
frequencies authorized.  Approximately 28 were listed as "nationwide". 
That's still a lot of frequencies to program & monitor.

I guess that the normal DOE convoy routes are pretty standard throughout the 
country, so perhaps there's some fixed radio bases installed along the way 
tied in back to there transportation control center in NM.     BUT again my 
theory is that there actual is very little voice communications by design. 
The satellite sensor package would most likely be giving real time position 
of the convoy as it progressed.  UNLESS the escorts (which I'd assume is at 
a minimum two other vehicles) see a potential problem and have to 
communicate to the driver/driver security team riding in the tractor there's 
isn't going to be any radio communications.  Of course human nature as it 
is,  there's always the remote possibility that some informal chit chat 
could be taking place among vehicles, so picking up a signal (albeit most 
likely encrypted/scrambled) on a DOE frequency might indicate convoy 
presence.   Additionally while travelling the interstate using Uniden's 
"Close Capture" or Radio Shack's "Signal Stallker" scanner capabilities 
would provide the best chance of snagging a signal & perhaps seeing the 
transport vehicle.

What I find interesting as missing as there's no cellular telephone antennas 
on the tractor (with exception of some old AMPS systems, cellphone/pcs 
planning is for portable handheld usage anyways).

Could prove to be an interesting challenge to those fedcom hobbyists along 
potential routes!!

Ken

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Cobbeldick [KB4CVN]" <kb4cvn at yahoo.com>
To: "Discussion of Federal Government Communications" 
<fedcom at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 9:22 AM
Subject: Re: [FedCom] Transporter Picture


> If you look at the photograph of the tractor, and enlarge it, in
> addition to the sat antenna on the top of the truck (behind the wind
> cowling), you will see three antennas on the roof of the truck.
>
> Left to right they look like:
> ---------------------------------------
>
> - MaxRad (MHB5800 Series) vhf-highband 5/8-wave whip
> - AM/FM broadcast radio whip
> - MaxRad (MLB Series) vhf-lowband whip
snip..snip..