When I first planned this road trip, I didn't realize that it was going to start on Easter Sunday... I left Savannah on Sunday morning and drove down to Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park for an Amateur Radio Parks on the Air (POTA) activation. Instead of taking I-95 down to I-10, I jumped off I-95 in Brunswick and took the scenic route via US-301/GA-23 through Folkston down to Macclenny, then over to the park in Sanderson. It took a bit longer than the interstates would have, but there was a lot less holiday traffic to deal with. I stayed overnight near Jacksonville IAP and visited Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens on Monday morning to see the new entrance and manatee habitat before heading back to Savannah. Sunday being Easter, there wasn't much MilCom (military communications) to to listen to due to the holiday, but public safety and railroad communications (CSX rail lines paralleled much of my route of travel from Folkston south and along US-90 and I-10) made up for it. Monday wasn't very active MilCom-wise either, probably a result of the overcast conditions that turned to rain later in the day.
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| Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens' male Lion greeting visitors with a roar |
Sunday was a warm day that felt more like Summer than Spring. Traveling around south Georgia and north Florida, you could see the effects of drought on the rivers, creeks, lakes, and ponds. It was no surprise then, that there was a fair amount of activity on forestry frequencies. I heard a good bit of activity regarding the Sargent Fire in Baker and Columbia Counties in Florida and Clinch County in Georgia. Some rain passed through northeast Florida on Sunday afternoon/evening, but it wasn't nearly enough to put a dent in the drought. Monday morning was overcast in Jacksonville and as I made my way north back to Savannah, it began to rain. The rain isn't enough to put out fires and reverse the drought, however. Even while it rained I could hear Florida Forestry Service (FFS) fire related radio traffic on their repeaters.
Amateur Radio POTA Activation
It was a warm Spring day in northeast Florida (it was 85F when I wrapped up operating) and band conditions weren't the best, but I activated Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park, US-3462 and Osceola National Forest, US-4472. The Battle of Olustee in February 1864, a Confederate victory, was the largest Civil War battle that occurred in Florida. Approximately 5,000 troops were engaged on both sides, but the Union Army suffered almost twice as many casualties and their defeat stopped their push into Florida's interior and forced their retreat to Jacksonville. Named after Seminole warrior Osceola, who died while a Prisoner of War at Fort Moultrie in Charleston, SC, Osceola National Forest is over 190,000 acres of pine forest and cypress and hardwood swamps west of Jacksonville. The spot I picked for my POTA activation was near one of the National Forest's radio tower sites.
Olustee Battlefield was a historic site I visited last Summer and when I got back into HF using a portable station, it was one I wanted to put on the air. Despite the conditions, it turned out to be a good day on the radio; with stations logged from CT, DE, FL, IA, IL, IN, LA, MA, MN, NY, OK, RI, SC, TX, WI, and VT. I started out on 20 Meters; the band seemed to be fading in and out and I had an S5 noise floor but I put 26 stations in the log. Afterward, I tried 40 Meters, but the noise floor was even higher and I could barely hear anything reliably. I also tried 15 Meters; the noise floor was about the same as on 20 Meters, but I didn't hear any activity on it.
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| The portable HF station set up at Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park |
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| My operating spot near a US Forestry Service Osceola National Forest radio tower site |
Aviation/MilCom
Due to the Easter holiday and rainy weather, there wasn't a lot of military aviation activity to listen to on this trip. Sunday was almost completely quiet but Monday brought some activity on the NS Mayport and NAS Jacksonville US DOD TRS sites and there was some activity heard on Camp Blanding frequencies.
Hunter AAF/Wright AAF/Fort Stewart
124.975 - Hunter AAF Tower
126.250 - Wright AAF/Midcoast Regional Tower
US Army ACE LMR
TG 20500 - FS/HAAF FD/EMS Dispatch
TG 20507 - Hunter AAF FD Dispatch
TG 20513 - FS/HAAF EMS Dispatch
TG 20709 - FS/HAAF Range Control 20709
Savannah-Hilton Head IAP
125.975 - Savannah-Hilton Head IAP Tower
120.400/125.300/118.400 - Savannah TRACON
353.775/371.875/307.225 - Savannah TRACON
123.025 - Savannah Helicopter Advisory
Gulfstream TRS
TG 101 - Gulfstream Unknown; enc
SEGARRN GA ANG/Aviation TGs
TG 415 - 165th AW FD 1
Brunswick/St Simons Island/Jekyll Island
123.000 - Brunswick/Golden Isles Airport CTAF/Unicom
123.050 - Malcolm McKinnon and Jekyll Island Airport CTAF/Unicom
Jacksonville
118.300/317.700 - Jacksonville IAP Tower
125.125 - NAS Jacksonville Tower
126.100 - Cecil Field Tower
119.000/121.300/124.900/127.000/127.775/132.775 - Jacksonville TRACON
269.900/284.600/292.150/308.400 - Jacksonville TRACON
143.4250 (PL 110.9) - 125th FW Maintenance
150.2125 (PL 146.2) - 125th FW Civil Engineers; unenc
US DOD TRS (NS Mayport/NAS Jacksonville sites)
TG 28173 - VP-30
TG 28211 - FRCSE Jacksonville
TG 28222 - NAS Jacksonville POL
TG 28241 - VP-62
TG 28275 - Navy Region SE Fire Dispatch 3
TG 28306 - NS Mayport Unknown
TG 28346 - NS Mayport Ship POL
TG 28372 - NS Mayport Facilities/Barracks Maintenance;
Camp Blanding
134.100 - Camp Blanding Range Control
140.0875 ($0DA) - Camp Blanding Operations
141.5125 ($0DA) - Camp Blanding Range Control
ARTCC
124.675/282.200 - Jacksonville ARTCC Jekyll Low
126.125/285.650 - Jacksonville ARTCC Statesboro High
126.350 - Jacksonville ARTCC St. Augustine High
126.750/277.400 - Jacksonville ARTCC Brunswick Low
127.475 - Jacksonville ARTCC Green Cove High
127.575 - Jacksonville ARTCC Waycross Low
127.875 - Jacksonville ARTCC Aiken High
128.625 - Jacksonville ARTCC Micanopy Ultra High
132.425 - Jacksonville ARTCC Hunter Ultra High
133.300 - Jacksonville ARTCC Moultrie Ultra High
133.700/323.300 - Jacksonville ARTCC Baxley Low
133.875 - Jacksonville ARTCC Lake City High
134.375 - Jacksonville ARTCC Charleston Low
134.850/327.100 - Jacksonville ARTCC Torry Low/High
135.450 - Jacksonville ARTCC Keystone Ultra High
135.975 - Jacksonville ARTCC Alma High
126.425 - Atlanta ARTCC Dublin High
FedCom
Most of the FedCom (Federal Communications) heard on this trip was from the US Coast Guard, particularly Sector Jacksonville. The Osceola National Forest Fire repeater was active on Sunday with US Forestry assets and personnel working the Sargent Fire along the Florida/Georgia state line in Baker, Columbia, and Clinch counties.
156.8000 - Marine VHF Ch 16
157.1000 - Marine VHF Ch 1022/22A
413.0000 ($293) - CG 410, Sector Charleston Air Ops
162.3250 ($293) - CG 111, Sector Jacksonville
412.9750 ($293) - CG 409, Sector Jacksonville Air Ops
171.5000 ($68F) - Osceola National Forest Fire
157.0750 - Marine VHF Ch 1081/81A; Savannah River Dredge Operations
Public Safety
The Savannah and Jacksonville areas are always busy public safety wise, and Sunday and Monday were no exceptions. The SEGARRN system in use around Savannah was busy on the way down and up and the First Coast Radio system in Duval County was busy both days. FFS (Florida Forest Service) frequencies were very active, especially the Jacksonville and Suwannee district repeaters. On Sunday when I was closer to the Sargent Fire mentioned above, the FFS Mobile-to-Mobile and Tac 4 frequencies were active with Sargent Fire related activity.
159.2475 (DCS 115) - SCFC Okatie
159.2400 ($046) - FFS Jacksonville
159.3300 ($03C) - FFS Suwannee
159.3150 (PL 156.7) - FFS Mobile to Mobile
151.2950 (CSQ/123.0) - FFS Tac 4
153.0650 (DCS 114) - AirEvac Jacksonville
462.9500 (PL 173.8) - LifeFlight (Jacksonville)
154.1600 (PL 162.2) - Brantley County EMS Dispatch
154.4300 (PL 118.8) - Charlton County Fire Dispatch
154.1900 (PL 118.8) - Charlton County North Fire Dispatch
154.2050 (PL 123.0) - Waycross FD Dispatch (Ware County)
154.4000 (PL 173.8) - Baker County FD Dispatch
154.1300 (PL 156.7) - Macclenny F/R Dispatch (Baker County)
SEGARRN
TG 5093 - Bryan County Fire/EMS Dispatch South
TG 5090 - Bryan County Fire/EMS Dispatch North
TG 12309 - Bulloch County FD North Dispatch
TG 2305 - Chatham County Fire Dispatch
TG 2311 - Chatham County Fireground 1
TG 2313 - Chatham County Fireground 2
TG 2315 - Chatham County Fireground 3
TG 2359 - Chatham County Fireground 4
TG 2309 - Chatham County Fireground 5
TG 223 - Chatham County Fire Admin
TG 533 - Chatham County FD Station 309
TG 539 - Chatham County FD Simulcast Page
TG 2503 - Savannah FD Simulcast Page (Chatham County)
TG 2307 - Savannah FD Admin (Chatham County)
TG 325 - Tybee Island FD (Chatham County)
TG 257 - Chatham Emergency Services Medic 1
TG 259 - Chatham Emergency Services Medic 2
TG 1541 - Effingham County Fire Dispatch
TG 1075 - Effingham County Fire Admin 2
TG 1543 - Effingham County EMS Dispatch
TG 1663 - Effingham County Incident 4
TG 12804 - Liberty County EMS Dispatch
TG 12806 - Liberty County Fire Dispatch
TG 14012 - McIntosh County SO Dispatch
TG 17920 - LifeStar
Camden County TRS
TG 2001 - Camden County Fire/EMS Dispatch
Palmetto 800
TG 6541 - Jasper County FD Dispatch
First Coast TRS
TG 1085 - Jacksonville F/R A1 EMS East
TG 1087 - Jacksonville F/R A2 Dispatch
TG 1089 - Jacksonville F/R A3 EMS West
TG 149 - Jacksonville F/R A4 Suppression
TG 1099 - Jacksonville F/R A8 Support
TG 1113 - Jacksonville F/R Fireground B1
TG 1121 - Jacksonville F/R Fireground B5
TG 1523 - Jacksonville IAP Events/Crash
TG 1563 - Jacksonville IAP Operations
TG 2535 - Cecil Field Events/Crash
TG 1509 - Trauma One North Dispatch
TG 1797 - NIMS North
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| Jacksonville Fire/Rescue Station 2; opened in 1909, it's the oldest continuously operating fire station in Jacksonville |
Clay County TRS
TG 300 - Clay County F/R Dispatch
TG 201 - Clay County Special Events 2
151.0100 (PL 103.5) - Little Talbot State Park
Marine/Port/Railroad
Most of the railroad activity I heard was from CSX. During the trip south on Sunday, the second half of the drive paralleled CSX railroad tracks and Monday morning was spent not far from some of CSX's yards in Jacksonville. Also on Monday, I could hear a good bit of Florida East Coast Railroad traffic on my drive into Jacksonville on Main St. to eat lunch.
156.8000 - Marine VHF Ch 16
156.6500 - Marine VHF Ch 13; Savannah River Navigation Safety
156.7000 - Marine VHF Ch 14; Savannah Pilots
156.9750 - Marine VHF Ch 1079/79A; Tugboats (Savannah)
157.0250 - Marine VHF Ch 1080/80A; Tugboats (Savannah)
156.6000 - Marine VHF Ch 12; Brunswick Pilots
156.6500 - Marine VHF Ch 13; Jacksonville Port Navigation Safety
CSX
160.3200 - AAR 14, CSX Dispatch (Some PL 250.3), Savannah
161.3700 - AAR 84, CSX Dispatch (Some PL 250.3), Savannah
160.5900 - AAR 32, CSX Road (Some PL 250.3), Savannah
161.1000 - AAR 66, CSX Road (Some PL 250.3), Savannah
160.4850 - AAR 25, CSX Southover Yard (Some PL 250.3), Savannah
160.3200 - AAR 14, CSX Dispatch (Some PL 250.3), Waycross/Folkston
160.3200 - AAR 14, CSX Dispatch (Some PL 250.3), Jacksonville
160.9200 - AAR 54, CSX Dispatch (Some PL 250.3), Jacksonville
161.5200 - AAR 94, CSX Dispatch (Some PL 250.3), Jacksonville
160.5900 - AAR 32, CSX Road (Some PL 250.3), Jacksonville
161.3700 - AAR 84, CSX Road (Some PL 250.3), Jacksonville
160.8600 - AAR 50, CSX Export Yard (Some PL 250.3), Jacksonville
160.2900 - AAR 12, CSX Moncrief B Yard, Jacksonville
160.4850 - AAR 25, CSX Moncrief B Yard, Jacksonville
161.3400 - AAR 82, CSX Moncrief Yard H-Yard, Jacksonville
161.0550 - AAR 63, CSX Moncrief Yard Locomotive Servicing, Jacksonville
161.1000 - AAR 66, CSX/FEC Taft Yard, Jacksonville
Norfolk Southern
160.9350 - AAR 55, Norfolk Southern Road/Dispatch
161.0100 - AAR 60, Norfolk Southern Transportation
161.4900 - AAR 92, Norfolk Southern Dillard Yard
161.5050 - AAR 93, Norfolk Southern Dispatch/Road, Brunswick
160.6950 - AAR 39, Norfolk Southern Road, Jacksonville
Genesee & Wyoming
160.6800 - AAR 38, Georgia Central RR Road
Savannah & Old Fort RR
161.1450 - AAR 69, Savannah & Old Fort RR
Florida East Coast RR
160.6800 (PL 103.5) - AAR 38, FEC Yard 1
160.6500 (DCS 116) - AAR 36, FEC Mechanical
161.0100 (DCS 226) - AAR 60, FEC Engineering
Amateur Radio/GRMS
Not unexpected for a holiday weekend, repeaters along my route of travel weren't all that active on Sunday, although I did hear a few conversations and actually took part in one.
146.6700- (PL 127.300) - Orange Park
146.7900- (PL 127.3) - Folkston
147.1950+ (PL 118.8) - Woodbine
443.0625+ (PL 127.3) - Kingsland
444.4000+ (PL 127.3) - Jacksonville
442.4250+ (DMR CC1) - Jax Beach DMR
442.7000+ (PL 123.0) - Savannah
444.4250+ (DMR CC7) - Jacksonville Metro DMR
444.6250+ (DMR CC3) - Kingsland
462.6750+ (PL 141.3) - Jacksonville GMRS
462.7000+ (DCS 411) - Kingsland GMRS
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
On Monday morning, I visited Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens to see their new entrance and Manatee exhibit, Manatee River. The new entrance is spacious and modern with a large overhead to provide more shade for those waiting to get in. It leads directly to the aquarium-like Manatee River exhibit where there's plenty of space for multiple manatees to be on exhibit at any given time. From Manatee River you can go left and go around to Land of the Tiger or right to Wild Florida to wander around the rest of the zoo. The Wood Storks in the photos below aren't a zoo exhibit, but they do nest there every year, many of them around the Wild Africa exhibit.
For radio enthusiasts who may want to listen to the zoo while visiting it, they use DMR radios and I heard these active during my visit. The Park/Security Ops channels were pretty much admin type stuff, so you may want to lock them out and just listen to the two Zoo Keepers channels, which to me were more interesting.
463.2500 (CC8 SL1 TG1 ) - Zoo Keepers 1
463.2500 (CC8 SL2 TG 2) - Zoo Keepers 2
464.1875 (CC12 SL1 TG 3) - Park/Security Ops 1
464.1875 (CC12 SL2 TG 4) - Park/Security Ops 2
Food
I had planned to eat lunch at the zoo before heading back to Savannah, but they really didn't have anything that was diabetic friendly, so I ended up searching Google Maps for a BBQ restaurant. Fred Cottten's Legendary BBQ sounded like a good choice, so I drove into Jacksonville on Main St and gave them a try. Located next door to Jacksonville's historic Fire Station 2, you can't miss their bright yellow and red storefront. I decided to try their pulled pork lunch special with green beans and BBQ beans as the sides. The pulled pork was a little bit dry, but it was tasty and I enjoyed their zesty yellow mustard-based original sauce. The friendly service deserves mention, too - just what you'd expect from a local/neighborhood BBQ joint. It was well worth the drive into a part of Jacksonville I'd never been to before!
As always, great logs and photos. I couldn't locate the Gulfstream system on RR so I had to go find it in the FCC DB... too bad it's encrypted.
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