Area 51, NTTR and Nellis AFB Trunking Systems


Two trunked radio systems provide ground communications within the vast area of the NTTR (Nevada Test and Training Range) as well as Area 51, and Nellis/Creech AFB. Trunked radio systems provide more efficient use of a given number of frequencies than conventional repeater systems. The systems are using frequencies in the UHF band, 380-399 MHz and 406.1-420 MHz. Both systems use the APCO (Association of Public Safety Communications Officials) Project 25 (or P25) standard. They can be monitored with modern Trunking Scanners capable of decoding APCO P25 systems. However, the audio of some talkgroups of the NNSS system and of all groups of the NTTR system is encrypted and can not be decoded with commercial scanners. Each system has several repeater sites across the NTTR. All frequencies are in MHz, unless otherwise noted.

History: Around 2006 two trunking systems were set up mostly within the NTTR to improve communication within the vast area. Both operated in the government exclusive 406.1-420MHz band reserved for mobile communications. One system covered the NNSS as well as Nellis and Creech AFB. It used a Motorola standard. Most transmissions on this system could be monitored with modern trunking scanners. The other system covered the NTTR including Area 51 and Basecamp. It used the GE EDACS standard with encryption. Transmissions on this system could not be decoded with commercial scanners.

Around 2012-2013 the EDACS system covering the NTTR was replaced by an APCO P25 system operating in the 380-399MHz band. This new system used the same locations for repeater sites and all talkgroups are encrypted.

Around 2017-2018 the NNSS Motorola system was replaced by another APCO P25 system operating in the 406.1-420MHz band. Most transmissions in this system can still be decoded with modern trunking scanners. Again the new system used the same sites for the new repeaters as the old system with a few additional sites.


Nellis/Creech/NNSS Trunking System (P25)

System: APCO P25 Phase 1
Manufacturer: Harris
Band: UHF (406-420 MHz)
WACN: 58544h / System ID: 00Fh
Modulation: C4FM
System Voice: APCO P25, some talkgroups encrypted
Band Plan:
Base: 403.0000 MHz, Step: 12.5 kHz, Lo: 00-0000, Hi: 00-4095, Slot 1
Base: 403.0000 MHz, Step: 12.5 kHz, Lo: 08-0000, Hi: 08-4095, Slot 2
TX Offset: +9.0 MHz

Site#   LocationNACFrequenciesPeers
01Nellis AFB South001h406.5000 406.7875 407.1875 407.3000 407.5000 407.8625     
408.1500 408.3875 408.9625 409.1125 409.3125 409.5625
409.7125 410.1750 410.6500
07 10 14 27
02Creech AFB002h406.3625 407.0750 407.3875 407.5875 408.1750 408.3875
408.7000 409.1125 409.7500 410.1250
10 21 23
07Nellis AFB North007h406.1375 409.3250 409.9250 410.3125 410.875001 10 27
10Angel Peak00Ah407.4250 407.8125 409.3000 409.6000 409.9125 410.550001 02 07 14 21 22 23 27
14Nellis AFB, Area 200Eh407.3500 407.7875 408.1875 409.1250 409.550001 10
21Mercury015h406.5000 406.7875 407.1875 407.5000 407.8625 408.1500
409.1125 409.5625
02 10 22 23
22Checkpoint Pass016h406.9875 407.3500 408.3625 409.3125 409.5250 409.7875
410.1625
10 21 23 25 26 28
23Skull Mountain017h406.1500 406.9750 407.5500 407.9625 408.1000 408.7625
409.1250 409.3500
02 10 21 22 24 26 28
24Rainier Mesa018h407.3000 407.8625 408.3875 410.650023 25 26
25Yucca Pass, CP-1019h407.1875 407.5000 408.1500 409.1125 409.3250 409.562522 24 26 28
26Shoshone Mtn.01Ah406.1375 406.4000 407.3625 408.1875 408.4250 408.9625
409.3750
22 23 24 25 28
27LV DOE Facility01Bh406.9875 407.3625 407.9625 408.3625 408.762501 07 10
28Frenchman Flat01Ch407.7875 409.5500 409.9250 410.175022 23 25 26

RED - control channel; GREEN - voice channel only

06/12: System first seen, sites 01, 02, 10; transmissions mostly un-encrypted
11/13: Site 14 first seen
01/17: Sites 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 first seen; no activity, no peers; sites are still being set up
07/17: Sites 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 active, no peers
12/17: Some frequencies overlap with the same site in Motorola system; not currently used in this system. (Eventually to transition to this system when Motorola System is phased out?)
02/19: All sites verified and active; some minor corrections and additions; system has completely replaced the old Motorola system that is now completely offline. Some of the frequencies have been moved over
02/19: New site 28 detected and active
03/19: Located new site 28 in Frenchman Flat
01/20: All sites verified; first saw new site 07 (Nellis AFB North); some frequencies added to sites 01 (Nellis AFB South) and 02 (Creech AFB)
08/20: All sites verified, minor changes in peers; site 24 appears to be down
01/23: All sites verified, no major changes; site 24 is up but has very little traffic
01/24: All sites verified; no changes

Talk Groups

4Red Flag MOC General Announcements
7MOC General Announcements
8Fire/Rescue Dispatch Creech AFB
10Fire Prevention Inspectors
12Fire Department Training Net (Ops)
13Fire Department Training (Nellis AFB)
49(encrypted)
50Rescue Dispatch
51Rescue Vehicles
52(encrypted)
55Fire Dispatch Creech AFB
58(encrypted)
59Security (encrypted)
60Security (encrypted)
61Security (encrypted)
62(encrypted)
63(encrypted)
64(encrypted)
70Nellis Security
80Nellis Security Dispatch (traffic, building security)
84Building Maintenance
111Warehouse Net
114Call Boxes in parking areas etc.
207Ground troops, field exercise
212Aircraft Fuelers
214Personnel Shuttle
217Transportation (Cargo handling)
222Nellis Police/surveillance operations (encrypted)
238Radio Maintenance
298Aircraft Maintenance Unit "Vulture"
299Aircraft Maintenance Unit "Lightning" (F-35, 57th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron)
301Nellis Tower
303Maintenance Operations Center "MOC" Common
304Aircraft Maintenance Unit "Viper" (F-16, 57th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron)
305Aircraft Maintenance Unit "Tomahawk" (F-16C/D, 57th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron)
306Aircraft Maintenance Unit "Eagle" (F-15C/D, 757th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron)
307Aircraft Maintenance Unit "Thunder" (A-10, 757th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron)
308Aircraft Maintenance Unit "Strike" (F-15E, 757th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron)
309Ramp Ops Common
310Flight Line Supervisor
311Ramp Ops Misc.
312Rescue Ops
313Ammo Transport ("Stinger", "Gator", "Wizard")
314Ammo Depot (Inventory checks)
315Aircraft Maintenance Unit "Raptor" (F-22, 57th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron)
317Red Flag, guest unit "Moonshine"
318Red Flag Ramp Ops
319Red Flag Ops / Maintenance / Exercises
320Red Flag Ops
321Red Flag MOC
322Red Flag Ramp Ops Common
323Red Flag MOC Ramp Ops
324Red Flag Ramp Ops "Rocket"
325Red Flag Flight Line Super
326Red Flag Ramp Ops Misc
327Red Flag, Belgian units ground crews
328Red Flag, foreign units ground crews "Sahid"
329Red Flag, foreign units ground crews
330Red Flag EOR
335Airfield Control
339Aircraft Maintenance "Falcon"
340Aircraft pod techs
347Red Flag Ramp Ops Misc 2
416Creech AFB MOC
423Creech Tower
30000Main net for JSCP candidate training
30008Clean-up Net
30033Road safety/maintenance trucks (handle road hazards, cones, barricades etc.)
30037Electrical Maintenance
30042Building Maintenance
30064Weather Net
30078Area 5 cargo transportation
30085JSCP candidate field training, Channel "300-1"
30086JSCP candidate field training, Channel "300-2"
30087JSCP candidate field training
31211Security Central (mostly encrypted)
31218LV DOE Facility, Building Security (mostly encrypted)
32212MUNS Control general announcements (ammunitions)
32218Fire Dispatch?
32222Red Flag MOC Control (High wind advisory broadcast)
32225Nellis MOC Control (High wind advisory broadcast)
32226Nellis MOC Control (Announcement to "all RIOs on this net" about delay of two F-16s)
32228Nellis Area 2 MUNS Control
32230Dispatch
32237Control?
32290U1h complex
32291U1h complex
33002Radio Techs (Servicing and testing radios, equipment and remote repeaters)
35000OCC Net, Bird Dog ("Operations and Command Center", General Announcements)
35002Fire & Rescue Net (Handles both Station 1 and 2)
35003Controller Net, Chief Controller to other controllers, coordinating exercise
35006SOC Net (Security contractor)
36101Fire & Rescue Station 2, Dispatch (Area 6, mostly encrypted)
36104Fire & Rescue Station 2, Command 1 (Area 6, mostly encrypted)
36105Fire & Rescue Station 2, Command 2 (Area 6, mostly encrypted)
36126Fire & Rescue Station 2, vehicles

GREY talkgroups are possibly obsolete


NTTR Trunking System (P25, UHF Air)

System: APCO P25 Phase 1
Band: UHF Mil. Air (380-390 MHz)
WACN: 33744h / System ID: 001h
Modulation: C4FM
System Voice: APCO P25, all talkgroups encrypted
Band Plan: Base: 380.0625 MHz, Step: 12.5 kHz, Lo: 00-0000, Hi: 00-4095
TX Offset: +10.0 MHz

Site   LocationNACFrequenciesPeers
01Tonopah, Radar Peak00Bh385.9125 386.3375 386.6500 387.2500 387.550002 03 04 08 10
02Antelope Peak (TTR)00Ch385.8125 386.2500 386.5500 386.8500 387.3500 387.7250 388.700001 03 04 10
03Cedar Peak00Dh385.7750 386.1875 386.4875 386.9125 387.2750 387.6625 388.1125  01 02 05 06 08 10
04Halligan Mesa (Basecamp)00Eh385.6250 386.3750 386.7000 387.2125 387.5125   01 02 05
05Bald Mountain00Fh385.7250 386.1250 386.5250 386.9375 387.325003 04 06
06Papoose Mountain010h385.6750 385.9625 386.2750 386.5750 386.887503 05
07Angel Peak011h385.6250 386.3750 386.7000 387.2125 387.512509 10
08TTR012h385.8625 386.3000 386.6000 386.9750 387.437501 03 10
09Creech AFB013h385.9125 386.3375 386.6500 387.2500 387.550007 10
10Black Mountain014h385.0875 385.7000 386.0125 388.0000 388.500001 02 03 07 08 09

03/22/12: System first detected. No activity on system as of 12/28/2012.
Except for Systems 08 and 10 the location of the sites is the same as the old EDACS sites with the same Site ID.
05/29/13: System is active, replaced the old EDACS ProVoice system. Transmissions are encrypted.
12/17: All sites verified
02/19: All sites verified, no changes
01/20: All sites verified, only change is frequency 5 for Halligan Mesa is no longer in use
08/20: All sites verified, some changes in peers
05/22: All sites verified; no changes
01/23: All sites verified; no changes
01/24: All sites verified; no changes


System Map

This map shows the locations of the trunking repeater sites of both systems. Green marks are used for the NTTR system, blue marks for the NNSS, Nellis & Creech system. Click to enlarge.


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