35.1600		United Telephone Co.
36.9000		Lifestar helicopter (Fort Riley helicopter boomer operations)
37.9000		Riley County Public Works
39.2200	KSG628	Morris County Sheriff
39.4000	KAA904	Riley County Police Dept. dispatch
39.4400		Osage County Sheriff
39.4600	KSG628	Morris County Sheriff
39.5000		Westmoreland Fire Dept.
39.5400		Pottawatomie County Sheriff (simulcast on 460.425)
39.5600		Wabaunsee County Sheriff
39.5800		Wamego Police dispatch (Kansas police mutual aid freq.)
39.7000	KSG628	Morris County Sheriff (mobile units)
39.7800		State Park Rangers (statewide/Tuttle/Milford)
43.1400		Bayer Construction
45.2800		Junction City Public Works
47.4200		Red Cross
47.4600		Red Cross
47.5400		Kansas Red Cross
47.6200	KAH959	Public Safety Services - Council Grove
52.5250		nationwide 6m FM simplex frequency
110.2000		Manhattan Airport VOR
118.5500	KLS3	Manhattan Airport tower / CTAF
121.5000		aviation emergency frequency nationwide (also ELTs)
121.8500	KLS3	Manhattan Airport ground control
122.6500		Wichita FSS (Manhattan area calling frequency)
122.8000		Junction City Airport / Lifestar helicopters / Civil Air Patrol
122.8500		Manhattan UNICOM (planes to Kansas Air Center)
122.9000	K63	Council Grove Municipal Airport
126.2000		Fort Riley Marshall Field tower / Lifestar helicopters
127.3500		Manhattan link to Kansas City Center (Pilots establish contact with controllers and move to another frequency).
145.4100	WØQQQ	KSUARC 2m amateur radio repeater, Manhattan
145.8000		International Space Station astronauts
146.5200		nationwide 2m FM amateur radio simplex frequency
146.6700	WAØVRS	Topeka 2m amateur radio repeater
146.8800	NØUZT	Junction City 2m amateur radio repeater
146.9550	KØHAM	Northeast Kansas ARC 2m amateur radio repeater, St. Mary's
147.2250		K-Link Repeater System, Manhattan Repeater (North Central KS storm spotters, Linked Repeaters)
147.2550	KSØMAN	MAARS 2m amateur radio repeater, Manhattan
147.5000		WARN spotters (simplex)
148.1250		Junction City Civil Air Patrol - ch. 2
148.1400		Civil Air Patrol - aircraft tactical
148.1500		Junction City Civil Air Patrol repeater / ch. 1
149.4000		Civil Air Patrol - air to base
149.5400		Civil Air Patrol - air to ground
151.8050		USD 383 Manhattan buses
151.9850	KJE534	Tri-County Telephone Association
152.2300		KSDB remote broadcasts
152.3900	KNAN816	Bell Taxi
153.1700	KBS311	KMAN / KMKF remote broadcasts
154.1600	KBG810	Manhattan Fire Department
154.4450	KAA904	Riley County Police Department
154.6000		McDonald's drive-through (not verified)
154.6800		Kansas Turnpike Police
154.7250	KAA904	Riley County Police Dept. Investigations
154.7400		Dickinson County Sheriff
154.8300		Kansas Turnpike Police
154.8750	KAA904	Riley County Police Dept. dispatch
154.9200		Kansas Highway Patrol vehicle extenders
154.9650	KFO985	Dickinson County Civil Defense
155.2200		Riley County Red Cross
155.2800		Rock Creek school buses
155.2950		Onaga School Buses
155.3100		Kansas Highway Patrol vehicle extenders
155.3400	KEC398	Morris County Hospital
155.3400		HEAR System (ambulance dispatch in some areas)
155.5650		Dickinson County Ambulance
155.6100		Abilene Police
155.7300		Crossband between Riley, Geary, Pott. Counties, KSU PD and KHP
155.8050	WPNR235	Riley County Emergency Medical Service
155.8200		Wamego Police
155.8800		Wamego Police
155.9250		Riley County Fire District #1
156.2250		Pottawatomie County Shops
158.3400	KJE534	Tri-County Telephone Association (mobile unit)
158.8050		Ogden Public Works
162.0750		National Weather Service - Kansas City Ch. 3
162.1500		National Weather Service - Kansas City Ch. 2
162.4250	KZZ67	National Weather Service - Blue Rapids
162.4750	WXK91	National Weather Service - Topeka (via the WIBW tower near Maple Hill)
162.5250	WXL71	National Weather Service - Abilene
162.5500	KID77	National Weather Service - Independence, Mo.
162.5500	WXK94	National Weather Service - Concordia
163.2750		National Weather Service - Kansas City Ch. 1
163.4350		U. S. Army Corps of Engineers / Riley County Police can use this frequency.
165.5875		National Weather Service - Kansas City
166.0250		National Weather Service - Kansas City (assigned)
166.2500		KJCK remote broadcasts
172.1000		National Weather Service - Kansas City (assigned)
173.3963	WPDH708	Morris County Rural Water District
203.7500	KTWU	KTWU - 11 audio carrier
215.7500	WIBW	WIBW - 13 audio carrier
410.7625		Fort Riley field exercises
442.7500		K-Link Repeater System, Clay Center Repeater (North Central KS storm spotters)
444.1750	WØQQQ	KSUARC 440 MHz amateur radio repeater
444.8500		K-Link Repeater System, Minneapolis Repeater (North Central KS storm spotters)
451.3000		AT&T
451.4500	KLB260	Southwestern Bell Telephone Co.
451.5000		Sprint Telephone Co.
453.1750		Geary County Rural Fire
453.2000		Pottawatomie County Ambulance dispatch
453.3000		Pottawatomie County Fire Comm
453.5000		Pottawatomie County Sheriff (ch. 2 - 7) (Each repeater has a different CTCSS tone - - same input and output freqs).
453.6000	KUZ802	Manhattan Public Works
453.7250		Manhattan Sunset Zoo / Milford State Lake Park Rangers
453.7750		Wamego City Hospital / Pottawatomie County Ambulance
453.9500		Clay County Emergency Services
457.1525		McDonald's drive-through - Junction City
458.5000		Pottawatomie County Sheriff
458.9000	WNUA287	Fire District #9 mobile units (Council Grove)
460.0250		Salina Police Dept.
460.1000		Junction City Police
460.1250		Grandview Plaza Police
460.2250		Milford Fire Department
460.4250		Pottawatomie County Sheriff (ch. 1)
460.5000		Geary County Sheriff
460.5500		Saline County Fire Districts
460.5750		Salina Fire Department
460.6250		Junction City Fire Dept.
461.4250		Wamego school buses
462.9750	WXJ378	Riley County Ambulance Service   MED-10
462.9750		Irwin Army Hospital base   MED-10   Lifestar helicopter   Junction City Ambulance
463.0000		Dickinson County Ambulance to Abilene Hospital
463.1500	WXJ380	inter-city ambulance service   MED-7
463.9000	WNUA287	Fire District #9 (Council Grove)
464.4250		Manhattan Wrecker Service
467.9750		Irwin Army Hospital Mobile
822.9375		Kansas Highway Patrol - car to tower
		One of the next seven KSU frequencies carries data, and will lock up your scanner unless you have a trunk tracker. Work around this by locking out the data channel. If you do have a trunk tracking scanner, you can use the codes in the chart below to make your scanner follow the talk groups you're interested in.
854.9625	WPFQ566	KSU Police, Facilities, Housing, etc. (trunked)
855.7125	WPFQ566	KSU Police, Facilities, Housing, etc. (trunked)
856.7125	WPFQ566	KSU Police, Facilities, Housing, etc. (trunked)
857.7125	WPFQ566	KSU Police, Facilities, Housing, etc. (trunked)
858.7125	WPFQ566	KSU Police, Facilities, Housing, etc. (trunked)
859.7125	WPFQ566	KSU Police, Facilities, Housing, etc. (trunked)
860.7125	WPFQ566	KSU Police, Facilities, Housing, etc. (trunked)
866.3750		Riley County Ambulance Service (trunked)
866.4000		Riley County Ambulance Service (trunked)
866.7875		Riley County Ambulance Service (trunked)
867.2000		Kansas Department of Transportation - Wamego
867.2875		Riley County Ambulance Service (trunked)
867.9375		Kansas Highway Patrol - Topeka (trunked) - Pott. County tower in St. George
868.0500		Riley County Ambulance Service (trunked)
868.2750		Riley County Ambulance Service (trunked)
868.3000		Riley County Ambulance Service (trunked)
937.4250		Westar
937.4500		Westar
937.4625		Westar

Acronyms:

• CTAF = Common Traffic Advisory Freq., used by pilots to advise others of intentions (when tower is closed)
• ELT = Emergency Locator Transmitter (onboard aircraft, activated by impact, downward sweeping audio tone)
• FSS = Flight Service Station, a government weather and flight plan filing service for general aviation
• HIWAS = Hazardous Inflight Weather Advisory Service (recordings of forecasts over selected VORs)
• MAARS = Manhattan Area Amateur Radio Society
• MARTI = brand name of a common low-power broadcast industry remote transmitter
• MAST = Military Assistance to Safety and Traffic
• PAWS = Pottawatomie (County) Amateur Weather Spotters
• UNICOM = a local freq. for advisories on fuel availability, weather, or calling other aircraft (small airports)
• VFR = Visual Flight Rules, which means the generally clear skies required for pilots not instrument rated (IFR)
• VOR = VHF Omni Range, a localized aviation navigation system with CW id and sometimes weather info (HIWAS)
• WARN = Weather Amateur Radio Network

Notes:

• The KSU 800 MHz frequencies are for a Motorola trunked system. Four freqs. must be scanned for full coverage.
• 800 MHz frequencies assigned to the Riley County Ambulance Service are for GE trunked mobile units that have phone patch capability. These radios are used infrequently.
• Please email additions or corrections.

Cool Scanner Links

• Association of Public Safety Communications Officials
• Bearcat Radio Club
• Kansas Repeaters via Ham-Shack.com 
• K-Link Repeater System, KSØLNK site 
• Laws, Rules and Regulations
• National Weather Service
• NOAA Weather Radio  nationwide info
• NOAA Weather Radio Station List  nationwide info
• Percon Corp.  a commercial source of scanner freq. CDs, etc.
• Police Call Directories  commercial publisher
• Randy Harrison's Scanner Page  Pott / Riley Co. freqs.
• Radio Reference.com 
• Scanner World, USA
• Trunking Information (NTIA)
• Trunk Tracker Fleet Codes (Kansas)
• Uniden Corporation  home of the Bearcat scanner
• VHF/UHF Scanning
• Wichita Area Scanning Site
• all links checked and working, 7/04/08

Radio Reference.com Links for the Manhattan, Kansas Area

• Radio Reference.com Main Site 
• Manhattan and Riley County
• Fort Riley 1
• Fort Riley 2
• Kansas State University
• Kansas Statewide Interoperable Communication System (KSICS)
• Manhattan Businesses
• US Army Corps of Engineers
• Westar Energy - Kansas and Missouri
• all links checked and working, 12/20/09

These people contributed to this page:

• John Skare, NØPVT, Professional Scanner Operator   (major contributor)
• Myron Calhoun, WØPBV   (major contributor)
• Jay Holmes, KCØNER   (major contributor)
• David Yoder, KAØJPM
• Bob Bartholic, KBØZWK
• Paul Schliffke, NØUZN
• Tracy Tipping, NØOEY
• John Best, NØTOK
• George Moore, KD7KXH
• Thomas Lussen, WA4ILH
• Scott Kamla
• Dave Geist
• Eric Ward
• Randy Harrison
• Derek Nester
• Michael Kraft

The installation of trunked systems has brought a great deal of change to radio listening in the last few years. We recommend that you first hear from the experts, Uniden®, in their page Deciphering Trunked Systems. They're the current owners of the line of scanners known through the years as Electra Bearcat®.

An 800 MHz trunk system has multiple frequency pairs (input/output; the input side always exactly 45 MHz below the output) (minimum three pairs / maximum 29 pairs) used to service several units/stations. There may be as many as 1000 users broken into several groups which use the five frequency pairs. The central controller keeps up with all the users and the status of the five frequencies. When a user keys up a radio, the radio sends out a digital burst which identifies which radio it is and what group it is in. The controller then sends out a "wake up" signal to all the other radios in that group and the transmission is heard by all the radios in that group. It's basically a digital tone-encoded squelch system with a central computer which keeps up with which frequencies are in use, and automatically changes groups to open frequencies when a transmission is made.

On Motorola systems, one of the frequencies will be used for the control channel. Voice traffic may be assigned to the "closest" frequency first, and then to increasingly distant frequencies if the closer ones are busy, etc.

Currently, KSU has multiple groups (including KSUPD, Parking Services, Bramlage Coliseum, Facilities, Housing, and Rec Complex) in its system.

Those who would like to monitor aviation communications will need a scanner which receives AM signals in the 118 - 136 MHz range. Around Manhattan, a fair amount of activity can be heard with an indoor antenna.

The Manhattan airport has a cute little tower which is in service from about 8 A.M. to 6 P.M. Its frequency is 118.55 MHz (AM). Pilots of all approaching planes must call in from 10 nautical miles out to announce their presence in our class D airspace. The tower will advise the runway in use, altimeter reading and winds info. Pilots must again contact the tower when entering the runway traffic pattern (downwind leg), and will be given any further instructions. When the tower is open, Manhattan is in controlled airspace.

When the tower is closed, pilots still use the tower frequency (CTAF), announcing their intentions and progression through the runway traffic pattern, even controlling the runway lights intensity with their PTT buttons on the CTAF.

The ground control frequency of 121.85 is of much less interest, and much more difficult to receive, because planes only use it while taxiing. Clearance to take off is requested on the tower frequency.

General aviation pilots around Manhattan, for the most part, keep their radio tuned to the CTAF of the closest airport (if there's a tower), or the UNICOM frequency for that airport if there is no tower. UNICOM at the Manhattan airport is used primarily for a pilot who wishes to contact the Kansas Air Center, a commercial fixed base operator (FBO), for weather info, fuel info, or other needs. The Kansas Air Center is open longer hours than the tower, but does not do air traffic control.

Pilots who are destined for the class B airspace of Kansas City International (Kansas City Center on the radio) call through a remote link which in the Manhattan area is on 127.35 MHz. To keep this frequency clear, the controller who answers will immediately assign each pilot a different frequency for further communications.

Filing flight plans is required for commercial pilots and general aviation pilots flying by instrument (IFR). Most details of the flight plan are often filed by telephone in advance, then "opened" or "activated" by radio promptly after take-off. (The flight plan tells the FAA what route will be taken as well as estimated time enroute, so "opening" it basically starts the FAA "clock" ticking). In this area, flight plans are filed or updated with a federal Flight Service Station (FSS) in Wichita (Wichita Radio) on 122.65, which is easily contacted by a plane aloft. The FSS also gives and receives weather info for the region.

Many airports have a VOR, which is basically a homing signal that onboard instruments can use to see if they are on course. VOR signals are unmanned and not very interesting, and identify in Morse Code (Manhattan's is "MHK"). The local VOR is on 110.2 MHz.

There are many lists and charts of radio services, and frequency ranges they may use.

• Wikipedia: table

• American Radio Relay League: various

• American Radio Relay League: amateur bands (PDF)

• Wikipedia: HI-RES PDF

ksuarc@ksu.edu

modified 7/04/08