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SS/LBJ radio frequencies


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Can anybody answer these questions for me?

What radio frequencies did the SS use?

And what frequency were LBJ and Bowers operating on?

Thanks.

I really have no idea, but I would peruse the LBJ section at [maryferrell.org] as well as searching under radio, frequencies etc, to find out. the NARA Archives would probably be worth a try also.

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Can anybody answer these questions for me?

What radio frequencies did the SS use?

And what frequency were LBJ and Bowers operating on?

Thanks.

I really have no idea, but I would peruse the LBJ section at [maryferrell.org] as well as searching under radio, frequencies etc, to find out. the NARA Archives would probably be worth a try also.

LBJ and Bowers no - however I believe the SS, like many Government agencies, got their gear from Motorola. Land Mobile Radio is typically very low level frequencies - UHF and VHF. THere are always a number of 'classified' frequencies - and Public Safety records etc. should have what frequencies were assigned, per Geographical area, and for whom. These lists are largely available for review today on the internet - with Fast Food restaurants and Bank Drive-ups still making use of specific channels in the low frequency ranges - Getting the range used by the SS in 1963 may be more difficult.

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/8145/feds.htm

http://www.mods.dk/view.php?ArticleId=2203

As to LBJ - that is a great question, and I have asked it before.

BTW - you can read a bit about the radios used by the SS in the Warren Report and how they switch channels at some point during the shooting.

For consideration:

Frequency jamming technology and devices

Morrow's account on radios to be supplied to Ferrie

Ferrie's Signal Corps Field Telephones

Motorola Slimline

- lee

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Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. Well, the crowd had begun to diminish, looking ahead and to the right the crowd became spotty. I mean it wasn't continuous at all like it had been. As we were beginning to go down this incline, all of a sudden there was an explosive noise. I quickly observed unnatural movement of crowds, like ducking or scattering, and quick movements in the Presidential followup car. So I turned around and hit the Vice President on the shoulder and hollered, get down, and then looked around again and saw more of this movement, and so I proceeded to go to the back seat and get on top of him.

I then heard two more shots. But I would like to say this. I would not be positive that I was back on that back seat before the second shot. But the Vice President himself said I was. But--then in hearing these two more shots, I again had seen more movement, and I think someone else hit a siren--I heard the noise of a siren.

I told the driver to close it up, and stick close to that car in front. And right away we started a hasty evacuation speed, and left this immediate area, and we were following close behind. And I had a radio which was on a Baker frequency, where I could communicate back with the agents in my followup car. And they had a Charlie frequency, which was on the same network of the Presidential motorcade. And I called back and said I am switching to Baker frequency--I said, "I am switching to Charlie." And as I switched, I heard some transmission over the Charlie sets saying for me to keep my man covered, and I heard Kivett reply to Emory Roberts that he was covered, and I saw agents in the followup car, the Presidential followup car signaling us to stay close. I asked the driver what his opinion was as to--I don't know for exact sure just where we were going, but I knew our best protection was to stay with that Presidential followup crew. And I asked the driver if he had passed the Trade Mart. He said he passed it and we were going on to the hospital. And I heard indications over the radio that we were going to the hospital. We had a very fast ride there.

- lee

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Adam,

What is your interest in these radio frequencies?

Are you familiar with the Air Force One radio transmissions?

Wm. Manchester mentions in his book The Death of a President that the Secret Service set up a temporary radio transmitter in the upper floors of the Adolphis Hotel, and the pilot of AF1 (Swindel) reports in his book The Flying Whitehouse that he listened in on the SS transmissions while sitting in the cockpit on the plane.

Although the LBJ library claims it only has a partial transcript of less than 3 hours of transmissions, we know there were about 7 hours of conversations on three radios on AF1 in the time it left Dallas to arrival at Andrews.

I believe that the original, unedited tapes exist, and that there are multible copies of same.

Also, while the SS have destoryed records, even after the establishment of the ARRB in 1993, the White House Commuinicaitons Agency, Collins Radio (the makers of the AF1 radios - not Motorola) and the NSA all have unedited tapes of the AF1 and SS radio transmissions, but have not yet shared them with the public.

I'm quite sure the Canadian, Australian, British and Russian (they maintained a very powerful listening post on the north shore of Cuba that is still in operation today).

There's also a possiblity that some civilian ham radio enthusists, I've heard of a group of ex-military guys from Colorado, who know all of the freqeuncies and listen in and tape them on occassion, and there may be relevant tapes in private hands.

What is your interest again?

Many thanks,

Bill Kelly

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  • 6 months later...
Adam,

What is your interest in these radio frequencies?

Are you familiar with the Air Force One radio transmissions?

Wm. Manchester mentions in his book The Death of a President that the Secret Service set up a temporary radio transmitter in the upper floors of the Adolphis Hotel, and the pilot of AF1 (Swindel) reports in his book The Flying Whitehouse that he listened in on the SS transmissions while sitting in the cockpit on the plane.

Although the LBJ library claims it only has a partial transcript of less than 3 hours of transmissions, we know there were about 7 hours of conversations on three radios on AF1 in the time it left Dallas to arrival at Andrews.

I believe that the original, unedited tapes exist, and that there are multible copies of same.

Also, while the SS have destoryed records, even after the establishment of the ARRB in 1993, the White House Commuinicaitons Agency, Collins Radio (the makers of the AF1 radios - not Motorola) and the NSA all have unedited tapes of the AF1 and SS radio transmissions, but have not yet shared them with the public.

I'm quite sure the Canadian, Australian, British and Russian (they maintained a very powerful listening post on the north shore of Cuba that is still in operation today).

There's also a possiblity that some civilian ham radio enthusists, I've heard of a group of ex-military guys from Colorado, who know all of the freqeuncies and listen in and tape them on occassion, and there may be relevant tapes in private hands.

What is your interest again?

Many thanks,

Bill Kelly

I recently came across the following information that references radio communications between Air Force One, the White House Communications Center, and the plane carrying the cabinet on its way to Japan, over the Pacific. See Below

"communications between Air Force 1, on its way back to Andrews AFB, the White House Communications Center and the plane carrying various Cabinet members were coordinated through Collins Radio Headquarters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Add that to the fact that 86972, the jet carrying most of the Cabinet members on to Japan after the Honolulu conference, discovered after the assassination that it's flight code book was missing. Additionally, the Secret Service line to the White House Communication's Center was down for as long as 90 minutes after the assassination, forcing everyone to rely on the wire services for details, concerning what was taking place in Dallas."

Although I was aware of some of the above, I was not aware of the Collins Radio connection. Is this true?

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I recently came across the following information that references radio communications between Air Force One, the White House Communications Center, and the plane carrying the cabinet on its way to Japan, over the Pacific. See Below

"communications between Air Force 1, on its way back to Andrews AFB, the White House Communications Center and the plane carrying various Cabinet members were coordinated through Collins Radio Headquarters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Add that to the fact that 86972, the jet carrying most of the Cabinet members on to Japan after the Honolulu conference, discovered after the assassination that it's flight code book was missing. Additionally, the Secret Service line to the White House Communication's Center was down for as long as 90 minutes after the assassination, forcing everyone to rely on the wire services for details, concerning what was taking place in Dallas."

Although I was aware of some of the above, I was not aware of the Collins Radio connection. Is this true?

Hello Robert,

What exactly is your source for this quote.

It is indeed true, as Collins Radio's Cedar Rapids, Iowa HQ had a building where the radio transmissions for AF1, the VP plane, the cabinet plane and all SAC bombers in the air, were relayed through.

The Collins Company reports for 1963 and 1964 both mention this.

J.D. Tippit's good friend, Carl Mather, worked on the radios in the Vice President's plane, though after the assassination, one of LBJ's first presidential decisions was to commandeer AF1 and not take the plane he had arrived on, because AF1 had better communications equipment.

BK

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I recently came across the following information that references radio communications between Air Force One, the White House Communications Center, and the plane carrying the cabinet on its way to Japan, over the Pacific. See Below

"communications between Air Force 1, on its way back to Andrews AFB, the White House Communications Center and the plane carrying various Cabinet members were coordinated through Collins Radio Headquarters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Add that to the fact that 86972, the jet carrying most of the Cabinet members on to Japan after the Honolulu conference, discovered after the assassination that it's flight code book was missing. Additionally, the Secret Service line to the White House Communication's Center was down for as long as 90 minutes after the assassination, forcing everyone to rely on the wire services for details, concerning what was taking place in Dallas."

Although I was aware of some of the above, I was not aware of the Collins Radio connection. Is this true?

Hello Robert,

What exactly is your source for this quote.

It is indeed true, as Collins Radio's Cedar Rapids, Iowa HQ had a building where the radio transmissions for AF1, the VP plane, the cabinet plane and all SAC bombers in the air, were relayed through.

The Collins Company reports for 1963 and 1964 both mention this.

J.D. Tippit's good friend, Carl Mather, worked on the radios in the Vice President's plane, though after the assassination, one of LBJ's first presidential decisions was to commandeer AF1 and not take the plane he had arrived on, because AF1 had better communications equipment.

BK

I saw this information posted on a Forum from a couple of years ago. In addition, I discovered that in 1933 Rear Admiral Richard Byrd on his second expedition to Antartica used Collins Communication Equipment, in the 1940's Collims began investigating faint radio signals generated by the sun and by other radio waves sources in space. In the 1950's, Collins, working with the U.S. Navy, bounced signals off the moon between Cedar Rapids, Iowa & Washington D.C. In 1960 the company transmitted voice, data and a photo facsimile between facilities in Iowa and Texas, by bouncing signals off the orbiting Echo balloon.

Source: Texas Giant's the New Breed, 1971 publ. The Texas Industrial Commission

Q: That name, Byrd, Byrd; Hey, the Admiral wasn't related to D.H. Byrd of the TSBD was he?

A: Why yes, he was, his cousin if I am not mistaken; as a matter of fact, Admiral Richard E. Byrd had another noteworthy connection

Q: Who was that?

A: That would be Richard's brother, Senator Harry F. Byrd, "the leader of conservative opinion in the United States." In 1940 D.H. Byrd made a successful bid for the location of Hensley Field, U.S. Naval Air Base in Grand Prairie, Texas, near Dallas.

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I recently came across the following information that references radio communications between Air Force One, the White House Communications Center, and the plane carrying the cabinet on its way to Japan, over the Pacific. See Below

"communications between Air Force 1, on its way back to Andrews AFB, the White House Communications Center and the plane carrying various Cabinet members were coordinated through Collins Radio Headquarters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Add that to the fact that 86972, the jet carrying most of the Cabinet members on to Japan after the Honolulu conference, discovered after the assassination that it's flight code book was missing. Additionally, the Secret Service line to the White House Communication's Center was down for as long as 90 minutes after the assassination, forcing everyone to rely on the wire services for details, concerning what was taking place in Dallas."

Although I was aware of some of the above, I was not aware of the Collins Radio connection. Is this true?

Hello Robert,

What exactly is your source for this quote.

It is indeed true, as Collins Radio's Cedar Rapids, Iowa HQ had a building where the radio transmissions for AF1, the VP plane, the cabinet plane and all SAC bombers in the air, were relayed through.

The Collins Company reports for 1963 and 1964 both mention this.

J.D. Tippit's good friend, Carl Mather, worked on the radios in the Vice President's plane, though after the assassination, one of LBJ's first presidential decisions was to commandeer AF1 and not take the plane he had arrived on, because AF1 had better communications equipment.

BK

I saw this information posted on a Forum from a couple of years ago. In addition, I discovered that in 1933 Rear Admiral Richard Byrd on his second expedition to Antartica used Collins Communication Equipment, in the 1940's Collims began investigating faint radio signals generated by the sun and by other radio waves sources in space. In the 1950's, Collins, working with the U.S. Navy, bounced signals off the moon between Cedar Rapids, Iowa & Washington D.C. In 1960 the company transmitted voice, data and a photo facsimile between facilities in Iowa and Texas, by bouncing signals off the orbiting Echo balloon.

Source: Texas Giant's the New Breed, 1971 publ. The Texas Industrial Commission

Q: That name, Byrd, Byrd; Hey, the Admiral wasn't related to D.H. Byrd of the TSBD was he?

A: Why yes, he was, his cousin if I am not mistaken; as a matter of fact, Admiral Richard E. Byrd had another noteworthy connection

Q: Who was that?

A: That would be Richard's brother, Senator Harry F. Byrd, "the leader of conservative opinion in the United States." In 1940 D.H. Byrd made a successful bid for the location of Hensley Field, U.S. Naval Air Base in Grand Prairie, Texas, near Dallas.

ROBERT, ARTHUR COLLINS BUILT HIS OWN HAM RADIO RECEIVER IN HIS IOWA HOME AND WAS THE ONLY ONE CAPABLE OF PICKING UP RADIO BROADCASTS FROM ADML. RICHARD BYRD'S EARLY ARTIC EXPEDITIONS, AND PASSED ON HIS REPORTS TO THE US MILITARY. AFTER STARTING HIS OWN COMPANY, COLLINS RADIO, IT GREW TO BECOME A MAJOR DEFENSE CONTRACTOR DURING WWII.

HAVE YOU READ MY COPA REPORT OF A DECADE AGO ON THE COLLINS RADIO CONNECTIONS?

BK

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