SCANNING THE CHIP'S HERE'S THE LATEST UPDATE ON THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL SYSTEM By: Rick Maslau, KNY2GL Source: Popular Communications, Sept. 1990 Reprinted By: Lori Jordan For: The Hotline BBS, John Johnson, KWV8BP The California Highway Patrol is not only one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the nation, it is also the most well known. Of all of the mail that comes in to the Popular Communications offices requesting information about law enforcement frequencies, this agency has always been at or near the top of the popularity list. So, when reader Jan Lowry, of Hollywood, CA, sent us an updated listing of California Highway Patrol stations, we thought it would be something to share with our readers. Jan points out that the listing includes seven channel pairs that were put into service not long ago. The CHP operates on channel pairs that are known by the names of colors. These are creatively organized from thirty two frequencies lying between 42.08 and 42.92 MHz, although some frequencies do double duty. For instance, 42.16 MHz is the mobile half of the Purple channel, but the base half of the Violet channel. THe base side of Purple, which is 42.40 MHz, doubles as the mobile side of the Bronze channel. Frequency 42.60 MHz is the base half of two channels that are matched up with different mobile frequencies. Frequency 42.36 MHz is allocated, but Jan tells us is held in reserve for future use. Channel Ivory, an old simplex frequency on 45.02 MHz, may possibly be obsolete at this point. Jan goes on to note that each CHP base operates on a primary channel pair, as indicated in the chart here. Actually, the base is capable of receiving both frequencies in the pair, but it transmits on the base frequency. Cars can transmit on either channel in the pair assigned to the station with which they are affiliated, usually using the mobile channel to mountaintop receivers, and the base frequency for car-to-car and to local stations. Cars can also receive on either channel in their primary pair. The Blue channel is the common statewide secondary channel for all cars and stations. All units can operate on this channel. Besides the generally high profile of the California Highway Patrol, scanner owners from coast to coast often know the agency's communications because they are so often picked up by skip reception because of the frequencies used. Here's an agency you can try to hear, no matter where you are. If the skip is rolling in, you might pick up CHP communications no matter where you are! CHP officers have been heard from coast to coast, thanks to the benefits of skip propagation on their 42 MHz frequencies. To a motorist having a problem on a remote mountain road, a CHP officer is a welcome sight. CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL CHANNEL USAGE Division #1 "Northern" Alturas/60 Red Garberville/105 Green Crescent City/95 Green Humboldt/16 Green Lakeport/7 White Mt. Shasta/52 Purple Quincy/20 Blue Red Bluff/36 Red Redding/37 Red Susanville/38 Blue Trinity/90 Red Ukiah/18 White Williams/39 Brown Willows/93 Brown Yreka/41 Purple Division #2 "Valley" Auburn/45 Green Chico/104 Brown Gold Run/70 Gray Grass Valley/42 Green Jackson/94 White Lake Valley/13 Grey Modesto/48 Yellow Oroville/35 Brown Placerville/44 Green Sacramento N./46 Gold Sacramento S./112 Black San Andreas/49 White Sonora/61 Yellow Stockton/62 White Tracy/103 Yellow Truckee/80 Grey Woodland/47 Black Yuba-Sutter/43 Brown Division #3 "Golden Gate" Contra Costa/19 Maroon Fairfield/22 Turqoise Hayward/25 Aqua Livermore/118 Blue Marin-GG Br/34 Violet Napa/21 Orange Oakland/96 Bronze Redwood Cy/91 Amber San Francisco/32 Pink San Jose/24 Ruby Santa Rosa/17 Orange Division #4 "Central" Balersfield/69 Brown Buttonwillow/117 Brown Coalinga/88 Pink Fresno/65 Silver Hanford/68 Pink Los Banos/30 Orange Madera/66 Orange Mariposa/63 Orange Merced/64 Orange Porterville/40 Pink Visalia/67 Pink Division #5 "Southern" Antelope Vly/89 Tan Baldwin Park/81 Orange Central LA/15 Black East LA/82 Yellow Glendale/98 Brown Newhall/78 Tan Ontario/84 Orange Santa Fe Spgs/83 Gold South LA/77 White Tejon/102 Tan West LA/79 Pink Malibu/109 Pink W. Valley/56 Brown Division #6 "Borders" Banning/97 Red Blythe/6 Red Capistrano/113 Grey El Cajon/108 Gold El Centro/85 Blue Indio/76 Red Oceanside/92 Gold Rancho CA/116 Gold San Diego/87 Orange Santa Ana/86 Purple Westminster/55 Grey Winterhaven/116 Green Division #7 "Coastal" Buellton/3 White Goleta/29 Green King City/8 Green Salinas/27 Black Sn Juan Bautista/23 Green Sn Luis Obispo/28 White Santa Cruz/26 Green Santa Maria/14 White Templeton/9 White Ventura/31 Purple Division #8 "Inland" Arrowhead/101 Copper Barstow White Bishop/72 Blue Bridgeport/71 Green Mojave/59 White Morongo Basin/106 White Needles/114 White Rancho CA/115 Gold Riverside/74 Green Sn Bernardino/75 Copper Victorville/12 White CHP Academy Sacramento Brown CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL CHANNEL PAIRS Color Base Mobile Color Base Mobile ----- ---- ------ ----- ---- ------ Amber 42.08 42.82 Orange 42.88 42.66 Aqua 42.62 42.84 Pink 42.44 42.76 Black 42.46 42.70 Purple 42.40 42.16 Blue 42.34 42.18 Red 42.44 42.28 Bronze 42.12 42.40 Ruby 42.50 42.28 Brown 42.50 42.82 Silver 42.08 42.28 Copper 42.60 42.74 Tan 42.42 42.84 Gold 42.12 42.20 Turqoise 42.60 42.14 Green 42.54 42.24 Violet 42.16 42.64 Grey 42.58 42.68 White 42.56 42.72 Ivory 45.02 45.02 Yellow 42.52 42.30 Maroon 42.92 42.74 This file was brought to you by, The Hotline BBS, give us a call, we have a large selection of Scanner and Radio related files.. THE HOTLINE BBS -- 1-304-736-9169 2 lines, 24 hrs, HST 14.4 modems