California Surveyors Forums

Hi all - I just received a call from John Black with the City of Long Beach. There is somebody in the vicinity of the old Forum location that is blasting out an RTK radio correction on the city's emergency frequency (465.1250). If this is you or somebody that you know, please check and change your frequencies - and if you would like to contact John, his info is below. Finally, if you need any assistance in reprogramming your radio, please feel free to reach out to CSDS or Allen Instruments and either of us can help you:

John Black: (562) 570-4801
john.black@longbeach.gov

As a warning, operating over a public/municipal emergency spectrum can have severe consequences with the FCC - so again, if anybody knows who might be working in this area with a Spectra Precision Epoch 50 base station and a Pacific Crest radio, please let them know that they are taking a risk with the FCC.

Thanks,

Tom

How do you know it's an Epoch 50 user using a Pacific Crest radio? Did you set up a receiver, decode their transmissions and get the location of the base (which the base is transmitting). If so, what's the location of the base.

in the vicinity of the old Forum location

I inferred that it was just a site setup, so wherever it was, it probably isn't anymore.

astrodanco wrote:How do you know it's an Epoch 50 user using a Pacific Crest radio? Did you set up a receiver, decode their transmissions and get the location of the base (which the base is transmitting). If so, what's the location of the base.

Precisely.

That aaaaaaand the city's wireless/comms technicians eyeballs and notepads. Very perceptive/sophisticated sensors. :P

They detected the signals from the base station, were able to physically locate them and jotted down the model numbers of the blue equipment that was on a tripod.

Yup, it's pretty stupid to use an unlicensed frequency with unknown primary users when by design you're transmitting your GNSS antenna's location every 15 seconds (or similarly often). Someone might just decide to perform a discreet forfeiture / seizure.

thomasacto wrote:
Precisely.

That aaaaaaand the city's wireless/comms technicians eyeballs and notepads. Very perceptive/sophisticated sensors. :P

They detected the signals from the base station, were able to physically locate them and jotted down the model numbers of the blue equipment that was on a tripod.

Should have just disconnected it from the battery and waited for them to come check it.