This past weekend, I went on an overnight road trip to the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia, SC to see their Semi-quincentennial/American Revolution exhibit. As I mentioned in a previous post, I spent late June and early July on family leaving helping a relative after surgery, so it was a good opportunity to rest, relax, and enjoy myself. I left Savannah on Sunday morning, using US-321 for the trip up and returned on Monday morning, using I-26 and I-95. Sunday night, I stayed in Cayce, SC not far away from Columbia Municipal Airport (KCAE). Even though my travels were on a Sunday and early Monday, the trip still provided some good monitoring opportunities. As always, the Columbia area provided no shortage of public safety communications. There was steady traffic at Columbia Municipal Airport and although there was little military communications to be heard on Sunday I caught some F-5Ns out of MCAS Beaufort and some F-15Es from Savannah-Hilton Head IAP on Monday morning. There was usual VHF/UHF morning commute amateur radio traffic on Monday and I was surprised at the amount of VHF/UHF amateur radio traffic I heard around Orangeburg and Columbia on Sunday afternoon. There was some rain and thunderstorm activity on Sunday afternoon and evening and I think that played into less medevac helicopter activity than I usually hear in Columbia.
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| The South Carolina State Museum in Columbia, SC (the dome of their observatory is visible on the roof) |
For amateur radio on this trip, I used a Radioddity DB-25D Pro mobile and a Baofeng UV-32 for a portable. For the DB-25D mobile, I used a Comet SBB2 mobile antenna on a mag mount; on the UV-32 I just used the stock antennas (both long and short) that came with it. For scanning, I used a Uniden SDS100, Uniden BCD436HP, and a Whistler TRX-1. While mobile, I used a Laird ABSCANC antenna on a mag mount for the SDS100 and a Tram mag mount for the TRX-1; in the hotel room I used Diamond RH-77CAs for all three.
Amateur Radio
Most of the amateur radio traffic I heard on this trip was around Orangeburg and Columbia on Sunday afternoon and during the Monday morning commute time. Another hot spot was around Whitehall with the 146.715 and 146.910 repeaters. Much of the analog activity was on the SCHeart linked repeaters and DMR activity was on PRN repeaters. I was impressed with the Baofeng UV-32 APX look-a-like radio; since it's a $50 DMR radio, I wasn't expecting much out of it, but while having a picnic lunch in Govan, I could hear the 146.880 repeater from Orangeburg with it (see the map below to see where Govan - the blue dot - is relative to Orangeburg). I did not do any Parks on the Air activity on this trip because it was just too hot to set up and operate outdoors.
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| Picnic Lunch and listening to the Baofeng UV-32 and Uniden SDS100 at a small park alongside US-321 in Govan, SC |
145.1300- (PL 88.5) - Beaufort
146.7150- (PL 91.5) - Columbia (SCHeart)
146.7150- (PL 123.0) - Whitehall (SCHeart)
146.8800- (PL 123.0) - Orangeburg (SCHeart)
146.9100- (PL 156.7) - Whitehall
147.0000+ (PL 123.0) - Lexington
147.0600+ (PL 123.0) - Hardeeville
147.0900+ (PL 156.7) - Neeses
147.3300+ (PL 156.7) - Columbia
440.6125+ (DMR CC1) - Columbia Downtown/Capitol (PRN)
440.6875+ (DMR CC1) - Barnwell (PRN)
441.7250+ (PL 91.5) - Columbia, SC (SCHeart)
442.3875+ (DMR CC1) - Charleston South (PRN)
442.8750+ (DCS 315) - Columbia
443.0375+ (DMR CC1) - Charleston Downtown (PRN)
443.6500+ (DCS 315) - Blythewood
443.8750+ (DCS 315) - Little Mountain
444.8750+ (PL 91.5) - Columbia
Aviation/Military Communications
There was plenty of VHF airband communications to listen to along both US-321 on Sunday afternoon and I-26 and I-95 on Monday morning. Columbia and Charleston were both busy with commercial traffic and there was also a lot of general aviation activity. The only MilCom I heard on Sunday was some traffic from USAF aircraft talking to Palmetto Ops at Joint Base Charleston; no surprise there. Monday was more active; some F-5Ns departed MCAS Beaufort to operate in the offshore special use areas and the F-15Es that are temporarily at Savannah-Hilton Head IAP were up (although I never did catch their callsigns).
Hunter AAF/Wright AAF/Fort Stewart
124.975/279.575 - Hunter AAF Tower
126.250/269.275 - Wright AAF Tower; General Aviation
US Army ACE LMR
TG 20500 - FS/HAAF FD/EMS Dispatch
TG 20501 - FS/HAAF FD Ops 1
TG 20506 - Ft Stewart FD Dispatch
TG 20507 - Hunter AAF FD Dispatch
TG 20513 - FS/HAAF EMS Dispatch
TG 20566 - FS/HAAF Range Control Live Fire
TG 20705 - FS/HAAF Range Control 20705
TG 20709 - FS/HAAF Range Control 20709
Savannah-Hilton Head IAP & Savannah CRTC/ADC
125.975/257.800 - Savannah-Hilton Head IAP Tower
-4th FW/333rd FS F-15Es (never caught their callsignss)
-Commercial/General Aviation
120.400/353.775 - Savannah TRACON; Commercial/General Aviation
125.300/371.875 - Savannah TRACON; Commercial/General Aviation
118.400/307.225 - Savannah TRACON; Commercial/General Aviation
Gulfstream TRS
TG 101 - Gulfstream Unknown; enc
253.200 - CRTC/ADC Ops; 4th FW/333rd FS Ops
233.200 - CRTC/ADC; 4th FW/333rd FS Air-to-Air
242.100 - CRTC/ADC; 4th FW/333rd FS Air-to-Air
SEGARRN GA ANG/Aviation TGs
TG 415 - 165th AW FD 1
MCAS Beaufort
125.125/292.125 - Beaufort App/Dep
-REAPER ## (F-5N, VMFT-402)
-Commercial/General Aviation
267.300 - VMFT-402 Air-to-Air
Joint Base Charleston
120.700 - Charleston TRACON; Commercial/General Aviation
349.400 - JB Charleston "PALMETTO Ops"
Columbia Metropolitan/Fort Jackson
119.500/257.800 - Columbia Metropolitan Tower; Commercial/General Aviation
124.150 - Columbia TRACON; Commercial/General Aviation
133.400 - Columbia TRACON; Commercial/General Aviation
285.600 - Columbia TRACON; Ground side simulcast with VHF
338.200 - Columbia TRACON; Ground side simulcast with VHF
US Army TRS (Fort Jackson sites)
TG 737 - Fort Jackson Range Control
TG 780 - Fort Jackson Buses/Transportation
SEALORD (W-137/138)
284.500 - SEALORD North Primary
376.900 - W-137 Discrete
Jacksonville ARTCC
124.075 - Summerville High
124.675/282.200 - Jekyll Low
124.700 - Columbia Low
126.125/285.650 - Statesboro High
127.575 - Waycross Low
127.875/319.200 - Aiken High
132.425 - Hunter Ultra High
132.925/363.200 - Allendale/Savannah Low
133.300 - Moultrie Ultra High
133.450 - Florence Low
133.625 - Georgetown High
134.375 - Charleston Low
134.975 - Ridgeway Ultra High
135.975 - Alma High
Atlanta ARTCC
123.950 - Sinca Low
126.425 - Dublin High
128.100 - Augusta Low
Federal Communications
Most of the FedCom I heard was from the US Coast Guard while leaving the Savannah area on Sunday and coming back south on I-95 on Monday. The Fort Pulaski National Monument repeater was active on Sunday afternoon, too.
156.8000 - Marine VHF Ch 16
157.0500 - Marine VHF Ch 1021/21A
157.1000 - Marine VHF Ch 1022/22A
171.2375 ($293) - CG 127, Sector Charleston
413.0000 ($293) - CG 410, Sector Charleston Air Ops
Public Safety
As always, Fire/EMS communications around Columbia were plentiful. The vast majority of it, as well as for most of the areas I drove through, is on the statewide Palmetto 800 system. On this trip I decided to pay attention to which Palmetto 800 sites I was hearing: Jasper Co, Bluffton, Robertville, Yemassee, Beaufort County, Hampton, Canadys, Walterboro, Orangeburg County, Salley, Holly Hill, Lexington County, Sandy Run, Harbison, and Richland County.
159.2250 (PL 100.0) - GFC R5 Rptr (radio checks from various units)
159.2475 (DCS 115) - SCFC Okatie (Jasper Co)
159.4050 (DCS 155) - SCFC Cottageville (east Colleton Co)
155.2350 (PL 94.8) - Bamberg County EMS Dispatch
453.9000 (PL 118.8) - Aiken County FD E Repeater
SEGARRN
TG 2305 - Chatham County Fire Dispatch
TG 2313 - Chatham County Fireground 2
TG 2315 - Chatham County Fireground 3
TG 857 - Isle of Hope FD Paging (Chatham County)
TG 2307 - Savannah FD Admin (Chatham County)
TG 1541 - Effingham County Fire Dispatch
TG 1657 - Effingham Co Fire/Rescue Incident 1
TG 1663 - Effingham Co Fire/Rescue Incident 4
Palmetto 800
TG 20565 - Aiken County EMS Ch 1 Dispatch
TG 704 - Beaufort County Fire Dispatch 1
TG 706 - Beaufort County Fire Dispatch 2
TG 544 - Bluffton FD Ops 1 (Beaufort Co)
TG 552 - Hilton Head F/R Tac 1 (Beaufort Co)
TG 22528 - Calhoun County FD Dispatch
TG 22530 - Calhoun County FD Ops 1
TG 22565 - Calhoun County EMS Dispatch
TG 32065 - Hampton County FD
TG 23541 - Kershaw County FD Dispatch
TG 24542 - Lexington County FS Dispatch
TG 24531 - Lexington County FS Ops 1
TG 24532 - Lexington County FS Ops 2
TG 24536 - Lexington County FS Ops 6
TG 24566 - Lexington County EMS Dispatch
TG 24567 - Lexington County EMS Admin
TG 24569 - Lexington County EMS/Palmetto Health
TG 24570 - Lexington County EMS/Lexington Medical Center
TG 25053 - Orangeburg County FD Dispatch
TG 25068 - Orangeburg County EMS Dispatch
TG 25552 - Columbia FD Dispatch (Richland Co)
TG 25553 - Columbia FD Ops 1 (Richland Co)
TG 25556 - Columbia FD Ops 4 (Richland Co)
TG 25557 - Columbia FD Ops 5 (Richland Co)
TG 24665 - Columbia Airport FD (Richland Co)
TG 25570 - Richland County ESD 6 Tac
TG 25565 - Richland County EMS 1 Dispatch
TG 25566 - Richland County EMS 2 Med
TG 25567 - Richland County EMS 3 Talk
TG 26101 - Sumter County FD 1
TG 26151 - Sumter County EMS Dispatch; enc
TG 28609 - SC LifeNet
TG 51704 - Med-Trans SC
TG 5 - SC Air 1
TG 22066 - Medshore EMS Barnwell
FleetTalk Carolinas
TG 451 - Fairfield County FD
TG 453 - Fairfield County EMS Dispatch
Port and Railroad
There was plenty of port traffic on Marine VHF heading out of Savannah on Sunday and back in on Monday; otherwise the rest of the trip was out of range for port monitoring. Railroad, of course, was another story. Besides the heavy railroad traffic around Savannah and Columbia, the CSX Columbia Subdivision parallels US-321 for most of its distance from Robertville to Columbia and the CSX Charleston Subdivision runs adjacent to I-95 part of the way from I-26 to Savannah. AAR 66 is active as the Columbia Subdivision road channel and AAR 32 is active as the road channel for the Charleston Subdivision.
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| KF4LMT Mobile at a roadside park along US-321 in Govan, SC. CSX's Columbia Subdivision track is visible on the other side of US-321. AAR 66, 161.1000, is the Columbia Subdivision's road channel. Unfortunately, no trains passed by while I was having a picnic lunch at the park. |
Port of Savannah
156.6500 - Marine VHF Ch 13; Savannah River Navigation Safety
156.7000 - Marine VHF Ch 14; Savannah Pilots
CSX Savannah
160.3200 - AAR 14, CSX Dispatch (Some PL 250.3)
160.5900 - AAR 32, CSX Road (Some PL 250.3)
161.1000 - AAR 66, CSX Road (Some PL 250.3)
160.4850 - AAR 25, CSX Southover Yard (Some PL 250.3)
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
Genesee & Wyoming
160.6200 - AAR 34, Savannah Port Terminal Railway (Mason Mega Rail Yard?)
Savannah & Old Fort RR
161.1450 - AAR 69, Savannah & Old Fort RR
161.3100 - AAR 80, Savannah & Old Fort RR
CSX Along US-321 in SC
161.1000 - AAR 66, CSX Columbia Subdivision Road (Some PL 250.3)
CSX Along I-95 in SC
160.5900 - AAR 32, CSX Charleston Subdivision Road (Some PL 250.3)
CSX Columbia
160.4100 - AAR 20, CSX Dispatch (Some PL 250.3)
161.3700 - AAR 84, CSX/CN&L Dispatch (Some PL 250.3)
160.5900 - AAR 32, CSX Road (Some PL 250.3)
161.1000 - AAR 66, CSX Road (Some PL 250.3)
Norfolk Southern Columbia
161.4600 - AAR 90, Norfolk Southern Dispatch
160.6050 - AAR-33, Norfolk Southern Road
Miscellaneous
Although I didn't visit the Riverbanks Zoo on this trip, I did listen to it via their NXDN radio system. Unsurprisingly on a Sunday afternoon, it was pretty busy. I also noticed that the South Carolina State Museum employees were carrying radios; on my next trip I need to see if I can find what they're using.
Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens NXDN TRS
TG 35152 - Zoo Keepers
TG 35153 - Maintenance
TG 35155 - Saluda Skyride
TG 35156 - Admin?
TG 35157 - Attractions?
TG 35159 - Housekeeping/Groundskeeping
TG 35161 - Food Service
TG 35164 - Veterinarians
South Carolina State Museum
On Sunday afternoon, I visited the South Carolina State Museum in downtown Columbia next to the Congaree River. I've visited the museum before, but I wanted to see their Semi-quincentennial/American Revolution exhibit "American Battleground: South Carolina's Revolution" because South Carolina played a key role in the Revolution.
Front and center of the exhibit is the 2nd South Carolina Regiment, Continental Army's battle flag. Not a reproduction, this flag was received by the 2nd South Carolina after the Battle of Sullivan's Island in 1776 and used until it was captured during the Siege of Savannah in 1779. Sergeant William Jasper and Lieutenant John Bush were both killed while defending the flag during the siege. After it was captured, it was taken to England by Colonel Augustine Prévost, where it remined until 1989 when it was purchased by the museum and the Smithsonian and returned to the United States. Another closely related item in the exhibit is a gorget that belonged to Lieutenant Alexander Hume, also killed during the Siege of Savannah. Another set of interesting items in the exhibit is a pair of muskets used during the Battle of Cowpens in 1781; in the photo below, the top one was used by South Carolina militiaman John Verner and the bottom one was used by a soldier of the British 71st Regiment of Foot.
I thoroughly enjoyed the American Battleground exhibit. In addition to terrific artifacts and items on display, it also tells the story of the Revolutionary War battles fought in South Carolina. Fundamentally, it also goes beyond the battles to explore Liberty and what Liberty meant to those of the time, whether they were Patriots, Loyalists, Slaves, Freedmen, or Native Americans; crucially, the exhibit looks at what the Revolution meant for Slaves and Native Americans. It's thought provoking and important that it's included in the exhibit because the outcome for both wasn't necessarily beneficial.
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| The 2nd South Carolina Regiment's battle flag |
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| Gorget used by Lieutenant Alexander Hume, killed during the Siege of Savannah in 1779 (note his initials at the top left) |
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| Muskets used at the Battle of Cowpens in 1781; the top one was used by a South Carolina militiaman, the bottom one was used by a British soldier |
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| Revolutionary War era cartridge box |
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| Not a part of the American Battlefield exhibit, but also at the South Carolina State Museum is this replica of a section of Fort Sullivan from the first British attempt to capture Charleston in June 1776 |
The South Carolina State Museum is housed in a building that was once the Columbia Mills Building. The first completely electric textile mill in the world and operated from 1894 to 1980 when it closed. In 1981, it was turned over to the state of South Carolina to use for the museum in 1981. The building, while housing the museum and its many exhibits is just as much a historic item as anything it holds. Some of the wooden floors are even the mill's original floors.
Two other exhibits at the museum caught my eye as well, both showing traditional skills of Lowcountry South Carolinians. The first is the world's largest (Guinness Record holding) sweetgrass basket, a decorative 80lb basket made by Gullah Geechee basket weaver Corey Alston from Mt Pleasant, SC. The second is the "Palmetto Gate," made by the "Dean of Charleston Blacksmiths," Phillip Simmons, who made many of the iron fences and gates seen in downtown and historic Charleston.
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| Gullah Geechee Basket Weaver Corey Alston's "Big Percy" |
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| The "Palmetto Gate," an iron gate made by the "Dean of Charleston Blacksmiths," Phillip Simmons |
Food
During my Columbia road trips, I almost always stay in Cayce, just to the east of the city off I-26 and this time I did as well. Since I haven't eaten there in a number of years and it was close to the hotel, I had dinner at Maurice's Piggie Park, an excellent BBQ chain based out of West Columbia. On this visit, I had a pulled pork and brisket combo with green beans and fried okra. As always, the food and the service was wonderful. Their original mustard based sauce is a bit sweet for my taste (and for my diabetes) but I love their hot vinegar pepper sauce (not that hot...); I even brought two bottles of it home since they had them on sale two for ten dollars.
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| Pulled pork and brisket with green beans and fried okra from Maurice's Piggie Park in West Columbia |
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| Maurice's Piggie Park in Columbia |
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| The smokehouse at Maurice's Piggie Park in West Columbia |
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| You can't miss Maurice's Piggie Park's sign on Charleston Highway in West Columbia |
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