Westover P25 Digital Verification

Spent Monday at home on vacation so got a chance to again spend time search for new frequencies. Unfortunately, still haven't found the Commander's Net, or Disaster Contingency net. 15 out of 21 frequencies (repeater & inputs) were verified. Interestingly, I think that some of the CE net radios were programmed incorrectly, since some appear to only be working in simplex/talkaround rather than through the repeater. Additionally, Fire Ground this time around was all repeaterized rather than some units using simplex. Again I think that all the radios have repeater talk around capabilities.

Westover Transit/Visiting Aircraft

The base normally provides transit support to C5's, C130's, A10's, & on occassion KC10's, KC135's, C17's, E6A's, various training aircraft (e.g. T38', T45's, etc). On rare occassions F15's, F16's, F18's. A few years ago, U2 aircraft also utilized the base.

RODD Callsign Usage

Over the course of the last 6 months or so here's all the RODD callsigns that have been in use:
RODD 01
RODD 02
RODD 03
RODD 04
RODD 07
RODD 09
RODD 10
RODD 11
RODD 12
RODD 14
RODD 19
RODD 20
RODD 21
RODD 22
RODD 23
RODD 24
RODD 25
RODD 27
RODD 28
RODD 29
RODD 30
RODD 34
RODD 35
RODD 36
RODD 37
RODD 38
RODD 51
RODD 56
RODD 57
RODD 99 (Used for air refueling training missions)

Callsigns Monitored 1/1/06 through 6/30/06

Callsign (Type Aircraft) Unit (if known)
ARTIC (A10’s) 104 FW
AUTO (KC135)
BACKY (KC135’s)
BASCO (C17’s)
BASS (A10’s) 103 FW
BLUE (KC10’s, KC135’s)
BOBCAT (T45)
CAPE (F15’s) 102 FW
CATFISH (A10’s) 104 FW
CHILI (A10’s)
CHISEL (A10’s)
COAST GUARD
COMET (A10’s) 104 FW
CORVET (A10’s) 103 FW
CUDA (A10’s) 103 FW
CRAB (C130)
CRETE (A10’s) 104 FW
CAPFLIGHT 19XX (Cessna 172) MA Wg Civil Air Patrol
EGG (A10’s) 104 FW
ETHYL (KC10’s)
FIG (A10’s) 104 FW
FORCE (KC10’s)
FREIGHT (A10’s) 104FW
FURY (UH60’s) CT ARNG
GOAT (A10’s) 104 FW
GOLD (KC10’s, KC135’s)
GUARD COPTER (UH1’s, UH60’s, CH47’s) CT & MA ARNG
HATMAN (A10’s) 104 FW
HAWK (A10’s) 104 FW
HEAT (A10’s) 103 FW
HORSE (C130)
HOWDY (A10’s 104 FW
JAKE (A10’s)
JAVA (A10’s) 104 FW
JEDI (KC10’s)
JOSA
JUDGE (A10’s) 104 FW
KILLER (A10’s) 103 FW
KING 77 (HC130)
LADON (UH1’s, UH60’s) RI ARNG
LUMPY (A10’s) 104 FW
MAGOO (A10’s) 104 FW
MAINE (KC135)
MAKO (A10’s) 103 FW
MAPLE (F16’s)
MARLIN (A10’s)
MAYOR (A10’s) 104FW
MAZDA (A10’s) (transit)
MCGRUFF (A10’s) 104 FW
MOTLEY (A10’s) 104FW
NAVY LY XXX (P3’s)
NOMAD (CH47’s) CT ARNG
OPEC (KC10’s)
OPIC (C130)
PACK (KC135’s) 157 ARW
PAT XXX (C12’s, C23, others)
POLO (C5)
RHODY (C130’s) 143 AW
RITALIN (A10’s) 104 FW
ROCK (C130’s)
RODD (C5) 439 AW
ROOSTER (A10’s) 104 FW
SABER (A10’s) 104 FW
SANDY (A10’s) 104 FW
SENTER (A10’s)
SHADOW (MC130?)
SHARK (A10’s) 103 FW
SKIER (LC130’s) 109 AW
SODA (KC135)
SOONER (A10’s) 104 FW
TEAM (KC10’s)
TIGER (P3)
TOMCAT (A10’s) 104 FW
TOMCHUCK (A10’s) 104 FW
TORCH (A10’s)
VADOR (C130’s)
YANKEE (A10’s) 103 FW

Late Hello

Finally, decided to start this blog relating to military communications
monitoring in the Western Massachusetts (Springfield) area. Check back often to see additional information related to the milcom activity in this area.

Other Military Aero Freqs Monitorable in Area:

41.90 (NFM) CT ARNG Aviation Support Activity "Fury Ops"
134.10 Pease ANGB 157 ARW Command Post "Pack Control
138.55 103 FW air/air tactical
138.75 103 FW air/air tactical
138.825 103 FW air/air tactical
139.875 McGuire AFB KC10's Air/Air Random Refueling
140.20 103 FW air/air tactical
141.90 103 FW air/air tactical & Command Post "Shark Ops"
242.4 CT ARNG Aviation Support Activity "Fury Ops"
262.0 102 FW Cmd Post "Cape Ops"
274.25 109 AW Cmd Post "Skier Ops"
295.8 Air Refueling Tactical air/air
303.0 Air National Guard Common Tactical
311.0 Maine ANG KC135's "Maniac Ops"
319.4 McGuire AFB Comd Post
321.0 Pease ANGB Command Post "Pack Control" & KC135's
324.6 Air Refueling Tactical air/air
349.7 103 FW Command Post "Shark Ops"
379.4 McGuire AFB Comd Post
383.3 143 AW Command Post "Rhody Ops"
Note: I'm still working on this going through my logs.

Barnes Air National Guard Base Support Nets

Guard Mobiles To Ground Control: 121.7
Security #1: 148.45
Security #2: 150.325
Fire/Crash: 148.20
Note: These are confirmed use frequencies, and there may be a total of 16 to 20 frequencies overall being utilized at the base, this will be a work in process so to speak.

Barnes Air National Guard Base Aero Frequencies

Air Traffic Control:
Ground Control: 121.7/289.4
Tower: 118.9/251.1
Bradley Approach/Departure Control: 125.35/325.8
ATIS: 127.1

Other Support:
*Five Star Jet Center: 130.625 (licensed to Aeronautical Radio Inc)(this is the building to the left of the new terminal building)
*General Dynamics: 131.725 (corporate type jets) (licensed to AeronauticalRadio Inc).(this is on the other side of the field & caters to business jets)
*Air Flyte: 122.95(this is next to the control tower/admin building)

Military Related:
Aero Support:
104 Fighter Wing Command Post: 303.0/143.825 "HAWK OPS"
Acft Maint Notification/Parking Assistance: 138.25
Army National Guard Aviation Support Activity (Helos) "MINUTEMAN OPS" :46.75 (NFM). 123.05, 356.3 (also used air/air tactical)

104 Tactical Air/Air Frequencies:
FM#
#1 139.9 (AM Mode)
#2 141.675 (AM Mode)
#3 41.45 (NFM)
#4 36.35 (NFM)
#5 36.825 (NFM)
#6 41.95 (NFM) "FOL"
#7 34.55 (NFM) "OPS"
#8 38.65 (NFM)
AM VHF:
#1 143.825 Ops
#2 138.25
#3 (blank)
#4 127.1
#5 121.7
#6 118.9
#7 134.35 "FOL"
#8 114.0 KCEF ATIS
#9 118.35 KCEF Gnd Control
#10 134.85 KCEF Tower
#11 141.90 103 FW Shark Ops
#12 118.15 KBDL ATIS
#13 121.9 KBDL Ground Control
#14 120.3 KBDL Tower
#15 132.05 KPSM ATIS
#16 120.95 KPSM Ground Control
#17 128.4 KPSM Tower
UHF:
#1 303.0 Hawk Ops
#2 289.4 Gnd
#3 251.1 Tower
#4 325.8 Approach
#5 379.1 Boston Center
#6 257.85 Boston Center
#7 307.2 Albany Approach
#8 255.4 Flight Service Station (Common)
#9 257.6 Sac Approach (Ft Drum)
#10 267.8 Range #35
#11 290.25 Sac Tower (Ft Drum)
#12 338.2 Boston Center
#13 381.4 Boston Center
#14 282.2 Boston Center
#15 343.8 Boston Center
#16 317.7 Boston Center
#17 282.3 NY Center
#18 381.6 NY Center
#19 286.2 Warren Grove (Practice Range)
399.8 TOD
Source: Comm Card 2004 airshow
225.5 (thanks to Bill Jassett for his log posing, & confirmed)

439 Airlift Wing Callsigns Utilized

The Wing uses only two distinct callsigns:
** RODD (for many years I though it was ROD, but Al in FL heard the callsign spelled out on a MARS phone patch & I did get official confirmation from the base PAO office)

** REACH (there's a variety of how the callsign is used, sometimes it could be the aircraft's last digits of the tail # and at other times it could be a mission related number. It has been 3 digits, 4 digits, 6 digits, and has also had various prefixes & suffixes assigned.

Additional Ground Base callsigns include:
"Casino Royale" 439 Airlift Wing Command Post
"Westover Base Ops" Base Operations
"Westover Metro" Base Weather/Metro

Westover JARB Aero Related Frequencies

Ground Control: 118.35/275.8
Tower: 134.85/348.75
Bradley Approach/Departure Control: 125.35/325.8
ATIS: 114.0/138.10
Base Operations: 372.2
Base Weather Metro: 274.75
Bean Bag Drop Zone Safety: 301.4
Command Post: 252.10 "Casino Royale"
Metro Airport: 123.0 (Rarely Used)
Army National Guard Helos Training "Dog Patch": 41.90, 46.75, 123.05, 242.4, 356.3

Westover JARB Base Support Nets (Revised)

P25 Digital Nets: R= Repeater, S= Simplex
Airfield Ramp/Tower 149.0375S
Fire Crash 138.9625R
Fire Crash (Fireground#2) 140.8875R/S
Security 138.0750R
Civil Engineering 139.2375R
Aircraft Maint #1 138.3250R
Aircraft Maint #2 139.9875R
Aircraft Maint #3 140.7875R
Aircraft Maint #4 143.6500S
Communications Repair 142.4500R/S
Aerial Port/Fleet/Pax Service 142.17500R
Mobility/Logistics 139.8875S
Mobiles/Portables/Control Stations to Repeaters: 148.4625, 148.8625, 149.2875, 150.2125, 150.2875, 150.3375, 150.4875, 150.5125, 150.6000, & 150.7875
Note: It is possible that all radios have the capability to operate simplex on the repeater ouput as well as input frequencies within the service grouping assigned utilizing different NAC's.

NFM Analog Nets:
Aerial Port/Fleet Pax Service 413.40S (Training/Exercises)
CE Training 413.20
CE Training 413.30
NOTE: All other previous nets in the 163-174 mhz range are no longer operational.

All information was gathered via use of radio scanners using the "search option" & than monitoring the found frequencies. It's unlikely that these VHF nets will be changed when narrow band/rebanding occurs on or before 1/1/2008, since these replaced the old nets in the 162-174 mhz band.