To round out my Autumn vacation, I took an overnight road trip to Charleston, SC. I left Savannah late on Tuesday morning and went to the Donnelly WMA near Green Pond, SC where I did some wildlife watching and got in another Parks on the Air (POTA) activation before heading to Charleston to get some dinner and check into the hotel to do some radio listening. Wednesday morning, I rose early and did some more radio listening before heading to Drayton Hall for their 10:00 AM tour. Following a picnic lunch after the tour, I headed back to Savannah. On both days, I drove through some rain showers, but luckily the rain held off during my outdoor activities.
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| Alligator at the Donnelly WMA in Green Pond, SC |
Amateur Radio
While visiting the Donnelly WMA near Green Pond, SC on Tuesday afternoon I did a POTA activation. I found a nice spot by the WMA's Lodge and a flood gate and set up the portable HF station out of the car. On the drive up, I went through some rain and worried that an activation might get rained out, but that turned out not be an issue. That said, another issue would raise its head later... It was great activation, in about a half hour I worked 37 stations from Alaska, Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming on 20 Meters. After about a half hour, the mosquitoes were terrible, so I went QRT, broke the station down, and continued my tour of the WMA. I was really impressed with being able to work Alaska with the little portable station consisting of the Yaesu FT-891, 12 Amp Hour battery, and Chelegance MC-750 antenna!
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| I found a picturesque location for the Donnelly WMA POTA activation and set the portable HF station up out of KF4LMT mobile. |
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| A beautiful spot to enjoy Amateur Radio from. |
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| The FT-891 set up on top of my backpack in the passenger seat of KF4LMT mobile; also hanging from the backpack is a Whistler TRX-1 scanner. A Uniden SDS100 scanner is in the cupholder mount. |
Charleston area Amateur Radio repeaters weren't as active as I've heard them in the past, but things weren't necessarily dead, either. I heard a handful of analog repeaters and two of the Charleston area PRN DMR repeaters while traveling around Charleston and North Charleston. I also caught one of the Beaufort area analog repeaters in use. I had planned on trying out Mesh radio while in Charleston, but I forgot to pack my new little Mesh radio when I left on Tuesday, so that will have to wait until my next Charleston trip.
145.1300- (PL 88.5) - Beaufort
145.3500- (PL 162.2) - Cordesville
145.4100- (PL 123.0) - Seabrook Island (SCHearts)
145.4900- (PL 103.5) - Moncks Corner
146.7900- (PL 123.0) - USS Yorktown (SCHeart)
441.5750+ (PL 123.0) - Charleston (SCHeart)
442.3875+ (DMR C1) - Charleston South (PRN)
442.4625+ (DMR C1) - Charleston North (PRN)
444.7750+ (PL 123.0) - Charleston (SCHeart)
On this trip, I was using an SDS100 and TRX-1 in the car for scanning and monitoring. The SDS100 handled aviation, military communications, and trunking systems while the TRX-1 was concentrating more on conventional and encrypted traffic. In the hotel, I set up a portable monitoring station consisting of a Uniden SDS100 for trunking systems and public safety, a Uniden BCD436HP for aviation and military communications, a TRX-1 (note the old school Austin Condor antenna on the TRX-1!) for conventional land mobile communications, and an Airspy R2 for logging encrypted activity on various trunking systems using Unitrunker 2.
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| Portable monitoring station set up in the hotel room. From left to right: Uniden SDS100, Uniden BCD436HP, Whistler TRX-1, Airspy R2 |
Aviation/Military Communications
Weekday trips to Charleston usually provide good opportunities for aviation and military communications monitoring and this trip was a good example. On the drives up the Charleston and back to Savannah, I could hear fighters from MCAS Beaufort, JNGB McEntire, and Shaw AFB working in Townsend Range in coastal Georgia, Bulldog MOA in east central Georgia, and the Special Use Areas off the Georgia and South Carolina coasts. I stayed overnight in a hotel near Joint Base Lindsay Graham (formerly Joint Base Charleston) which is co-located with Charleston IAP, so I could hear various communications from both the military base and the airport, including from the Boeing facility at Charleston IAP.
Hunter AAF/Wright AAF/Fort Stewart
124.975 - Hunter AAF Tower
279.575 - Hunter AAF Tower
345.000 - Coast Guard Air Station Savannah
US Army ACE LMR
TG 20500 - FS/HAAF FD/EMS Dispatch
TG 20513 - FS/HAAF EMS Dispatch
TG 20552 - FS/HAAF Army Common (Range Control)
TG 20566 - FS/HAAF Range Control Live Fire
COAST GUARD 65## (MH-65E, CGAS Savannah)
Savannah-Hilton Head IAP & Savannah CRTC/ADC
125.975 - Savannah-Hilton Head IAP Tower
257.800 - Savannah-Hilton Head IAP Tower
120.400 - Savannah TRACON
353.775 - Savannah TRACON
125.300 - Savannah TRACON
371.875 - Savannah TRACON
118.400 - Savannah TRACON
307.225 - Savannah TRACON
225.750 - 165th AW/158th AS CP "ANIMAL CONTROL"
173.5625 ($302) - 165th AW MOC
173.5625 ($303) - 165th AW 165th AW Flightline/POL?
SEGARRN
TG 415 - 165th AW FD 1
MCAS Beaufort
119.050 - MCAS Beaufort Tower
342.875 - MCAS Beaufort Tower
125.125 - MCAS Beaufort Tower
292.125 - MCAS Beaufort Tower
123.700 - MCAS Beaufort Tower
269.125 - Beaufort App/Dep
228.300 - VMFA-224 Air-to-Air
258.900 - VMFA-224 Air-to-Air
267.300 - VMFT-402 Air-to-Air
USMC TRS (MCAS Beaufort & MCRD Parris Island sites)
TG 7523 - MCRD Parris Island Range?; enc
BENGAL ## (F-35B, VMFA-224)
AMBUSH ## (F-35B, VMFA-224)
REAPER ## (F-5N, VMFT-402)
Joint Base Lindsey Graham/Charleston IAP
126.000 - Lindsey Graham/Charleston IAP Tower
120.700 - Charleston TRACON
121.275 - Charleston TRACON
306.925 - Charleston TRACON
122.800 - Charleston Executive Unicom
123.025 - Helicopter Common
134.100/349.400 - Joint Base Lindsay Graham "PALMETTO Ops"
USAF 57C TRS
TG 751 - JBLG FD Dispatch
TG 986 - JBLG FD Berkeley Co FD/EMS Dispatch (P800 TG 1040) Patch
TG 787 - JBLG Unknown
TG 830 - JBLG Unknown
TG 834 - 437th AMXS 834
TG 835 - 437th AMXS 835
TG 836 - 437th AMXS 836
TG 837 - 437th AMXS 837
TG 840 - 437th AMXS 840
TG 841 - 437th AMXS/LRS
TG 837 - 437th/315th AW MOC 2
TG 910 - 437th Aerial Port Squadron?
TG 964 - JBLG Unknown
TG 967 - 437th LRS
Boeing DMR TRS
TG 19 - Boeing FD Dispatch
TG 254 - Boeing FD Fireground/Tac?
TG 76 - Boeing Unknown
TG 77 - Boeing Unknown
TG 78 - Boeing Unknown
TG 81 - Boeing Charleston Unknown
TG 83 - Boeing Unknown (Production line?)
TG 86 - Boeing Unknown (Production line?)
TG 87 - Boeing Unknown (Production line?)
TG 88 - Boeing Unknown (Production line?)
TG 181 - Boeing Unknown
TG 200 - Boeing Unknown
TG 212 - Boeing Unknown
TG 223 - Boeing Unknown
TG 244 - Boeing Unknown (Aircraft system testing?)
PRIME ## (C-17A, 317th AS)
REACH #### (Various, AMC Airlift)
SHARK ## (C-130J, 19th AW SOUTHCOM Mission)
MEDEVAC N270GR (EC45, Med-Trans/Meducare 1?)
MEDEVAC N603MT (EC35, MedTrans/Cape Fear Valley Health LifeLINK)
Columbia Metropolitan/McEntire JNGB/Shaw AFB
124.150 - Columbia TRACON
133.400 - Columbia TRACON
141.825 - 169th FW/157th FS V14
141.675 - 20th FW/55th FS Air-to-Air
228.800 - 20th FW/55th FS Air-to-Air
236.125 - 20th FW/55th FS Air-to-Air
259.850 - 20th FW/55th FS Air-to-Air
MACE ## (F-16CM, 169th FW/157th FS)
Ranges/Operating Areas
228.400 - Townsend Range Control/Coastal MOA
343.750 - Bulldog MOA Discrete
284.500 - SEALORD North Primary
376.900 - W-137 Discrete
127.725 - DOUBLESHOT Primary
228.750 - DOUBLESHOT Primary
258.400 - DOUBLESHOT Discrete
279.725 - DOUBLESHOT Discrete
Miscellaneous MilCom
148.1250 ($585) - SC CAP Repeater R21 Charleston
BISON 40 (CMV-22B, 169457, VRM-40)
COAST GUARD 2013 (HC-130J, 2013, CGAS Elizabeth City)
GUARD 21105 (UH-60M, 21-21185, 1-147 AVN WI ARNG?)
GUARD 21185 (UH-60M, 20-21105, 3-142 AVN NY ARNG)
Jacksonville ARTCC
124.075 - Summerville High
124.700 - Columbia Low
126.125 - Statesboro High
126.750 - Brunswick Low
127.575 - Waycross Low
127.875 - 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
135.975 - Alma High
Atlanta ARTCC
123.950 - Sinca Low
126.425 - Dublin High
128.100 - Augusta Low
Federal Communications
Charleston is home to Coast Guard Sector Charleston, so there's frequent USCG activity on Marine VHF and Coast Guard frequencies. Some of the activity on the Coast Guard frequencies is encrypted, but not always. The National Park Service uses talkgroups on the Palmetto 800 statewide trunking system and on this trip I heard Fort Sumter's talkgroup in use.
156.8000 - Marine VHF Ch 16
157.1000 - Marine VHF Ch 1022/22A
171.2375 ($293) - CG 127, Sector Charleston; enc/unenc
413.0000 ($293) - CG 410, Sector Charleston Air Ops; enc/unenc
Palmetto 800
TG 1822 - Ft Sumter NHP
Public Safety
Most Public Safety communications in Charleston, Beaufort, and the Lowcountry are on the Palmetto 800 statewide 700/800 MHz trunking system. In the last year or so, most Charleston County and Dorchester County Fire/EMS agencies have gone encrypted, but most Fire/EMS communications in other area counties are still in the clear. I have not listed encrypted Charleston and Dorchester County Fire/EMS talkgroups, but I have listed ones that I heard some unencrypted activity on. South Carolina Forestry is using VHF analog repeaters. This Charleston trip coincided with the Charleston County Fair and it was generating a lot of communications on eight of Charleston County's special event talkgroups.
Like Lowcountry South Carolina, Public Safety communications in the Savannah area as you cross the GA/SC line are all on the same trunking system - the SEGARRN 700/800 MHz system.
SEGARRN
TG 2305 - Chatham County Fire Dispatch
TG 223 - Chatham County Fire Admin
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 257 - Chatham Emergency Services Medic 1
TG 259 - Chatham Emergency Services Medic 2
TG 261 - Chatham Emergency Services Medic 3
TG 1541 - Effingham County Fire Dispatch
TG 1543 - Effingham County EMS Dispatch
TG 1663 - Effingham County Incident 4
TG 1665 - Effingham County Incident 5
TG 12804 - Liberty County EMS Dispatch
Palmetto 800
TG 704 - Beaufort County Fire Dispatch 1
TG 706 - Beaufort County Fire Dispatch 2
TG 550 - Hilton Head F/R Dispatch (Beaufort Co)
TG 552 - Hilton Head F/R Tac 1 (Beaufort Co)
TG 502 - Ladys Island/St Helena FD Ops 1 (Beaufort Co)
TG 582 - Beaufort County EMS Dispatch
TG 1040 - Berkeley County FD/EMS Dispatch
TG 1078 - Berkeley County FD/EMS Ops
TG 1045 - Berkeley County FD/EMS Incident 4
TG 1048 - Berkeley County FD/EMS Incident 7
TG 1398 - Goose Creek FD Dispatch (Berkeley Co)
TG 1399 - Goose Creek FD Fireground 1 (Berkeley Co)
TG 1414 - Hanahan FD Ops (Berkeley Co)
TG 1566 - Awnedaw FD Talk (Charleston Co)
TG 2066 - Charleston County FDs Ops A; enc/unenc
TG 2050 - Charleston County EMS Ops; enc/unenc
TG 1553 - Charleston County EMS Common; enc/unenc
TG 1557 - Charleston County EMS Meet; enc/unenc
TG 1763 - Charleston County Airport Authority Admin
TG 2088 - Charleston County Special Event 5; Charleston County Fair
TG 2089 - Charleston County Special Event 6; Charleston County Fair
TG 2090 - Charleston County Special Event 7; Charleston County Fair
TG 2091 - Charleston County Special Event 8; Charleston County Fair
TG 2092 - Charleston County Special Event 9; Charleston County Fair
TG 2093 - Charleston County Special Event 10; Charleston County Fair
TG 2094 - Charleston County Special Event 11; Charleston County Fair
TG 2095 - Charleston County Special Event 12; Charleston County Fair
TG 32065 - Hampton County FD
TG 6541 - Jasper County FD Dispatch
TG 6542 - Jasper County FD Tac 1
TG 27505 - SC DHEC Hospital Net Main
TG 10008 - SC DHEC Hospital Region 4 Lowcountry
TG 51704 - Med-Trans SC
TG 51781 - MeduCare Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital (Charleston)
TG 20007 - SC Mutual Aid 12
TG 20021 - SC State Air-to-Ground
159.2325 (DCS 131) - SCFC Huger (Berkeley Co)
159.2475 (DCS 115) - SCFC Okatie (Jasper Co)
159.4050 (DCS 155) - SCFC Cottageville (east Colleton Co)
159.4500 (DCS 114) - SCFC Beaufort (Beaufort Co)
159.3150 (DCS 025) - SCFC Coastal Ops
Marine/Port/Railroad
Both Savannah and Charleston are major east coast ports, so Navigation Safety and Pilots channels are quite active. Charleston Pilots also utilize a VHF DMR repeater that seems to stay busy most of the day (there are times I've temporarily locked it out on Charleston trips because it monopolizes the scanner!). A busy port results in busy railroads, so CSX and Norfolk Southern are busy in both Savannah and Charleston. The hotel I stayed at in North Charleston just so happened to be near CSX and Norfolk Southern Yards, so even with a handheld inside, I could hear a good bit of traffic.
156.6500 - Marine VHF Ch 13; Savannah River Navigation Safety
156.7000 - Marine VHF Ch 14; Savannah Pilots
156.9000 - Marine VHF Ch 1018/18A; Moran Towing Tugboats Savannah
156.9750 - Marine VHF Ch 1079/79A; Tugboats in Savannah
157.0250 - Marine VHF Ch 1080/80A; Dredge Ops on Savannah River near Old Fort Jackson
156.6500 - Marine VHF Ch 13; Charleston Navigation Safety
156.7000 - Marine VHF Ch 14; Charleston Pilots
159.8550 (DMR SL1, CC1, TG 200) - Charleston Pilots
CSX
160.3200 - AAR 14, CSX Dispatch; Savannah & Nahunta Subdivisions (Some PL 250.3)
160.4100 - AAR 20, CSX Dispatch; Columbia Subdivision (Some PL 250.3)
161.3700 - AAR 84, CSX Dispatch; Charleston Subdivision (Some PL 250.3)
160.5900 - AAR 32, CSX Road; Savannah, Jesup, & Charleston Subdivisions (Some PL 250.3)
161.1000 - AAR 66, CSX Road; Columbia Subdivision (Some PL 250.3)
160.4850 - AAR 25, CSX Southover Yard (Some PL 250.3)
160.2900 - AAR 12, CSX Southover Yard
160.2300 - AAR 08, CSX Dispatch; Andrews Subdivision (Some PL 250.3), Charleston
161.3700 - AAR 84, CSX Dispatch; Charleston, Cross, & Lane Subdivisions (Some PL 250.3)
160.5900 - AAR 32, CSX Road; Charleston Subdivisions (Some PL 250.3), Charleston
160.2900 - AAR 12, CSX Intermodal Yard, Charleston
161.1000 - AAR 66, CSX Bennett Yard?, Charleston
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
160.6500 - AAR 36, Norfolk Southern Dispatch/Road, Charleston
161.2500 - AAR 76, Norfolk Southern Seven Mile Yard, Charleston
Donnelly WMA
On the drive to Charleston on Tuesday, I visited the Donnelly WMA off US-17 near Green Pond, SC. This WMA offers a diverse variety of habitats; agricultural fields, lowland habitats including tidal marsh, forest swamps, and rice fields and upland habitats including hardwoods and pines. On the 11-mile driving tour through the WMA you have the opportunity to see a wide variety of wildlife including fox squirrels, deer, a wide variety of birds, and reptiles like alligators and turtles. There is plenty of habitat for migratory waterfowl, but they haven't quite started arriving yet (at least I didn't see any on Tuesday afternoon). During hunting season, it's a good idea to check the WMA's website for dates when it will be closed for hunts; you don't want to drive all the way there just to find out it's closed for a hunt.
Drayton Hall
Earlier this year in April, I visited Drayton Hall and took a tour that focused on the preservation work being done on the Great Hall's plaster ceiling. The main purpose of this road trip was to take a house tour and see what has been done since that trip. A lot of work has been done since April; the plaster ceiling has been completely taken down with the ornate plaster work safely stored so that it can be put back up when the new plaster ceiling is in place. Extra support has temporarily been placed in the basement and first floor to support the structure until new beams are added between the first floor ceiling and second floor floor. In April, I got the chance to hold one of the plaster stars from the ceiling; on this tour I was able to hold a chunk of the plaster ceiling that was removed. That chunk (photo below) consists of the plaster and lathe that was it applied to and is heaver than it looks. It truly gave me a better idea of how much the ceiling that was removed weighed. I think I'll visit again in the Spring for another look at the project's progress.
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| The ceiling in Drayton Hall's Great Hall in April 2026, prior to the removal of the plaster and ornate plaster work |
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| The ceiling in Drayton Hall's Great Hall in November 2026 with the plaster removed, revealing the framework above. |
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| Plaster and pieces of woodwork and steel removed from the ceiling. That large chunk of plaster and lathe is heavier than it looks. |
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| Wooden supports have been built on the first floor to support the second floor above until beams are added to keep the second floor from flexing. |
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| These metal supports have been placed in the basement to help support the house above until beams are added to keep the second floor from flexing. |
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| Drayton Hall |
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| This model shows what Drayton Hall would have originally looked like when its two flankers and colonnades still stood. |
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| Archaeological work is ongoing at Drayton Hall; they're currently working on the site of what is believed to have been a stable or barn. |
This was probably my last road trip of 2026. I'm planning my annual Space Coast road trip for January, but if I do anything the rest of November or during December it will likely just be something short and not overnight.
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