Fr om: ( Bob Par nass, AJ 9S) Or gani zat i on: Bel l Labor at or i es, Naper vi l l e, I L Message- I D: <8t r t sf $eg@ssbunews. i h. l ucent . com> Newsgr oups: r ec. r adi o. scanner , al t . r adi o. scanner , r ec. r adi o. i nf o NNTP- Post i ng- Host : nwsgpb. i h. l ucent . com
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Introduction to Scanning
by Bob Parnass, AJ9S
[ NOTES: Thi s ar t i cl e may not be r epr oduced i n whol e or i n par t on CDROMS, i n bul l et i n boar ds, net wor ks, or publ i cat i ons whi ch char ge f or ser vi ce wi t hout per mi ssi on of t he aut hor . I t i s post ed t wi ce mont hl y on t he USENET gr oups r ec. r adi o. scanner , al t . r adi o. scanner , and r ec. r adi o. i nf o. I t i s al so avai l abl e el ect r oni cal l y f r om t he r ec. r adi o. scanner f t p ar chi ve on t he of f i ci al USENET FAQ l i br ar y f t p: / / r t f m. mi t . edu/ pub/ usenet - by- gr oup/ r ec. r adi o. scanner . ]
The aut hor wr i t es a mont hl y " Scanner Equi pment " col umn f or Moni t or i ng Ti mes magazi ne, publ i shed by Gr ove Ent er pr i ses, but vi ews expr essed i n t hi s ar t i cl e ar e hi s own.
Thi s i nt r oduct i on i s i nt ended f or peopl e new t o t he scanni ng hobby and i s or i ent ed t o scanni ng i n t he USA. Hi gh l evel over vi ews of t he f ol l owi ng t opi cs ar e pr esent ed:
Why Scanni ng? I s Scanni ng Legal ? What Scanner Shoul d I Buy? What i s a CTCSS and DCS Tone Squel ch Feat ur e? How Do I Det er mi ne t he Pr oper CTCSS or DCS Code? Scanner Ant ennas Coaxi al Cabl e Feedl i nes Wher e Can I Buy A Scanner ? Modi f yi ng Your Scanner Scanner Repai r Shops Wher e Can I Obt ai n Fr equency I nf or mat i on? Do Your Own Fr equency Det ect i ve Wor k How Can I Use Equi pment t o Uncover New Fr equenci es? Scanner Cl ubs and Mai l i ng Li st s
Why Scanni ng?
Ever y day and ni ght , scanner hobbyi st s ar e ent er t ai ned by what t hey over hear on t hei r r adi os. Pol i ce car s, f i r e engi nes, ambul ances, ai r pl anes, ar mor ed car s, t r ai ns, t axi s, and buses ar e al l equi pped wi t h r adi os and you can l i st en t o t hem. You can moni t or t he l ocal sher i f f and f i r e depar t ment s t o hear about event s " as t hey happen, " bef or e t he news r epor t er s hear about t hem. Host age dr amas, bank r obber i es, car cr ashes, chemi cal spi l l s, nei ghbor and domest i c di sput es, t or nado si ght i ngs ar e al l f ai r game. I n a si ngl e af t er noon, you can hear a hi gh speed pol i ce chase, Dr ug Enf or cement agent s on a st i ng oper at i on, and under cover FBI agent s as t hey st akeout a suspect .
http://home.comcast.net/~kilowattradio/scanning1.html How about l i st eni ng t o a t eam of G- men pr ot ect t he pr esi dent whi l e t r ansmi t t i ng i n t he 167 MHz r ange?
Baby moni t or i nt er coms ar e act ual l y t r ansmi t t er s and you can hear t hem bet ween 49. 67 and 49. 99 MHz.
St ay ahead of r oad condi t i ons by l i st eni ng t o hi ghway r oad cr ews, snow pl ows, and t r af f i c hel i copt er pi l ot s. Many mi dwest er ner s moni t or t he st at e pol i ce and and count y sher i f f t o l ear n of appr oachi ng t or nados l ong bef or e war ni ngs ar e br oadcast on TV and commer ci al r adi o. Take your scanner t o spor t i ng event s and l i st en t o r ace car dr i ver s, f oot bal l coaches, et c. , i n t he 151, 154, and 468 MHz r anges.
Moni t or t he ever yday hust l e and bust l e of busi nesses, f r om cabl e TV r epai r cr ews t r acki ng down pi r at e descr ambl er boxes, t o secur i t y guar ds at your nucl ear power pl ant or mal l secur i t y guar ds chasi ng a shopl i f t er .
I s Scanni ng Legal ?
I n t he Uni t ed St at es, scanni ng f r om your home or at wor k i s per f ect l y l egal i n most si t uat i ons. The El ect r oni c Communi cat i ons Pr i vacy Act of 1986 made i t i l l egal t o l i st en t o mobi l e phones, common car r i er pagi ng, and a f ew ot her t ypes of communi cat i on. Publ i c l aw 103- 414, si gned Oct . 25, 1994, amended t he l aw ( Ti t l e 18 USC, Par t I , chapt er 119, sect i ons 25110 and 2511) and out l aws l i st eni ng t o cor dl ess phones, t oo, but many scanner s cover t hese f r equenci es.
I t i s i l l egal f or compani es t o sel l or i mpor t i nt o t he USA r ecent l y manuf act ur ed scanner s whi ch cover or can be easi l y modi f i ed t o cover t he cel l ul ar phone f r equenci es, but sal es by pr i vat e i ndi vi dual s wi l l st i l l be al l owed.
The r ul es def i ne " r eadi l y al t er ed by t he user " as " cl i ppi ng t he l eads of , or i nst al l i ng, a si mpl e component such as a di ode, r esi st or and/ or j umper wi r e; r epl aci ng a pl ug- i n semi conduct or chi p; or pr ogr ammi ng a semi conduct or chi p usi ng speci al access codes or an ext er nal devi ce, such as a per sonal comput er . "
Speaki ng of pr i vacy, f eder al l aw al so r equi r es you t o keep what you hear t o your sel f and not use t he i nf or mat i on you hear on your scanner f or per sonal gai n.
Be awar e t hat sever al st at es have l aws per t ai ni ng t o scanni ng whi l e i n your car . I ndi ana r est r i ct s some por t abl e scanner s. A f ew st at es have enact ed t hei r own l aws agai nst l i st eni ng t o cor dl ess phones. You can f i nd out about t hese r est r i ct i ons i n a paper back book, Li st ener s Lawbook, compi l ed by Fr ank Ter r anel l a, Esq. avai l abl e f or $9. 95 + shi ppi ng f r om Gr ove Ent er pr i ses, 7540 Hi ghway 64 West , Br asst own, NC 28902.
What Scanner Shoul d I Buy?
Radi o Shack and Uni den ( maker of Bear cat , Regency, and Cobr a br ands) of f er a wi de choi ce of scanner s. Radi o Shack scanner s ar e act ual l y manuf act ur ed by bot h GRE ( Gener al Resear ch El ect r oni cs) and by Uni den. Per sonal l y, I don' t r ecommend Tr i dent nor many of t he AOR br and scanner s, al t hough t he AR8000 and AR3000 have good r eput at i ons and t he AR5000 wor ks wel l .
Pr ogr ammabl e ( synt hesi zed) uni t s have r epl aced cr yst al cont r ol l ed model s as t hey don' t r equi r e cr yst al s and usual l y have a keypad t hat per mi t s you t o st or e f r equenci es i nt o channel s. Pr ogr ammabl es ar e now so cheap i t doesn' t make sense t o buy a cr yst al uni t as your mai n scanner unl ess you get i t f or under $45 or so.
You can get a bat t er y oper at ed hand hel d scanner , a bi gger " base" scanner whi ch i s power ed f r om an AC out l et , or a mobi l e scanner whi ch connect s t o your aut o' s el ect r i cal syst em. Ther e ar e t r adeof f s - - base and mobi l e scanner s have l ar ger di spl ays and al most al ways pr ovi de mor e audi o t han por t abl es, and some por t abl es ar e mor e pr one t o i nt er f er ence when connect ed t o out door ant ennas t han base model s. But when sever e weat her knocks out t he power i n your home, t her e' s not hi ng l i ke havi ng a bat t er y oper at ed scanner t o moni t or t he power ut i l i t y and pol i ce f r equenci es!
Make sur e your f i r st scanner has a " sear ch" f eat ur e, whi ch al l ows i t t o sear ch al l t he f r equenci es bet ween t wo f r equency l i mi t s of your choosi ng. Bewar e of l ow cost pr ogr ammabl es whi ch can' t sear ch. Some model s, l i ke t he ear l y Uni den Spor t Cat s and Radi o Shack PRO- 2046, al l ow sear chi ng bet ween l i mi t s, but t he l i mi t s ar e f act or y pr ogr ammed and cannot be al t er ed.
Get a model whi ch cover s t he 800 MHz band. Usage of t he 800 - 950 MHz band i s gr owi ng f ast and you wi l l mi ss out on t he act i on unl ess your scanner cover s t hi s band.
I f you' r e not sur e whet her you' l l l i ke scanni ng, don' t want t o spend much money, a 50 channel scanner wi l l do. I n gener al , t he mor e channel s and banks, t he bet t er .
Most of t he act i on t akes pl ace on f r equenci es bet ween 30 and 1000 MHz, so don' t be mi sl ed by scanner model s boast i ng cover age f r om 3 t o 2000 MHz. Ther e' s cur r ent l y not much t o moni t or i n t he 1000 - 2000 MHz r ange.
I f you ar e i nt er est ed i n r ecei vi ng shor t wave, t hat i s, si gnal s i n t he 3 - 30 MHz r ange, i t ' s best t o get a shor t wave r adi o speci f i cal l y desi gned f or t hat pur pose. Al t hough some scanner s r ecei ve t he shor t wave band, t hei r per f or mance i n t hat r ange i s of t en second r at e. The $1500 I com R8500 and $2000 AOR AR5000 model s ar e except i ons.
Del uxe scanner s can be cont r ol l ed and/ or downl oaded by a per sonal comput er , a f eat ur e whi ch appeal s t o a smal l but gr owi ng number of scanner owner s.
Al most al l l ow and mi d- pr i ced scanner s ar e pr one t o r ecei vi ng i mages - - r ecei vi ng t he same si gnal er r oneousl y on t wo or mor e f r equenci es. Wi t h a f ew except i ons, i mages ar e unwel come due t o t he i nt er f er ence t hey cause, e. g. , hear i ng ai r cr af t t r ansmi ssi ons whi l e t he scanner i s t uned t o t he l ocal pol i ce f r equency. Pr emi umqual i t y scanner s use " up conver si on" ci r cui t r y, a scheme whi ch gr eat l y r educes, but does not el i mi nat e, i mage r ecept i on.
Cur r ent l y, t he mor e popul ar scanner s i ncl ude t he di scont i nued Radi o Shack PRO- 2042 and PRO- 2006 base/ mobi l es, t he Uni den/ Bear cat BC895XLT, BC245XLT, SC200, and Radi o Shack PRO- 91 and PRO- 94 por t abl es. A number of owner s r epor t pr obl ems wi t h t he I com R1 por t abl e and t he ol der Uni den/ Bear cat 8500XLT base and 2500XLT por t abl e. The Uni den BC9000XLT base and BC3000XLT por t abl e wor k ver y wel l and ar e my cur r ent f avor i t es. The I COM I C- R2 and Yaesu VR- 500 ar e t he t wo smal l est " pocket " scanner s whi ch per f or m. Bot h ar e t i ny enough t o f i t comf or t abl y i n a shi r t pocket so you can moni t or wi t hout at t r act i ng undue at t ent i on.
Looki ng f or val ue? At $170 di scount pr i ce, t he 100 channel Uni den/ Bear cat BC278CLT base i s a good val ue and avai l abl e at most Sear s and Best Buy st or es. The Uni den Spor t cat SC200 por t abl e per f or ms ver y wel l i s an excel l ent val ue at i t s $220 st r eet pr i ce.
CTCSS and DCS Tone Squel ch Feat ur e
Upscal e scanner s can be opt i oned wi t h a subaudi bl e t one decodi ng squel ch ci r cui t . Ther e ar e t wo t ypes: CTCSS ( Cont i nuous Tone Coded Squel ch Syst em) and DCS ( Di gi t al Coded Squel ch) . I n si mpl e t er ms, t hi s f eat ur e l et s your scanner i gnor e si gnal s you don' t want t o hear .
Most l and mobi l e t wo way r adi os, except t r unked syst ems, t r ansmi t ei t her CTCSS or DCS si gnal s subaudi bl y al ong wi t h t he voi ce i nf or mat i on. U. S. mi l i t ar y f i el d r adi os empl oy wi der devi at i on and a 150 Hz CTCSS t one, not suppor t ed by most scanner s or CTCSS decoder s.
Ther e ar e over 40 di f f er ent CTCSS codes and you can pr ogr am a speci f i c CTCSS or DCS code i nt o each memor y channel . Usi ng a CTCSS or DCS decoder per mi t s your scanner t o open t he squel ch onl y i f t he t r ansmi ssi on has a code whi ch mat ches t he code you pr ogr am.
CTCSS and DCS decodi ng of f er s sever al advant ages:
1. I gnor e unwant ed si gnal s on shar ed f r equenci es: I t i s common f or sever al user s t o shar e t he same f r equency, e. g. , my count y sher i f f uses t he same f r equency as Chi cago Pol i ce, l ocat ed about 60 mi l es away. I want t o hear my sher i f f ' s t r ansmi ssi ons but don' t want t he scanner t o st op on or l i st en t o Chi cago Pol i ce t r ansmi ssi ons. Thi s i s especi al l y a pr obl emwhen r adi o pr opagat i on i s good, e. g. , dur i ng a " band openi ng, " when r ecept i on r ange i s t empor ar i l y i ncr eased.
2. Combat i nt er modul at i on i nt er f er ence: Hel ps keep out i nt er mod and i mage i nt er f er ence f r om st r ong pager s and ot her si gnal s whi ch ar e not t r ansmi t t ed wi t h a mat chi ng code.
3. I gnor e scr ambl ed t r ansmi ssi ons: Many f eder al l aw enf or cement agenci es ( FBI , Secr et Ser vi ce, et c) and some l ocal pol i ce agenci es empl oy di gi t al voi ce scr ambl i ng, whi ch sounds l i ke whi t e noi se and i s annoyi ng t o hear . The CTCSS or DCS code i s sent onl y when t he st at i on i s t r ansmi t t i ng unscr ambl ed, or " i n t he cl ear . " You can pr ogr amf eder al f r equenci es al ong wi t h t he pr oper code i nt o your decoder - equi pped scanner so you won' t have t o l i st en t o t he scr ambl ed mess and onl y hear t hei r t r ansmi ssi ons when t hey ar e unscr ambl ed.
CTCSS al so goes by var i ous t r adenames: Mot or ol a' s PL ( Pr i vat e Li ne) , GE' s Channel Guar d, and RCA' s Qui et Channel . Mot or ol a uses t he t r adename DPL ( Di gi t al Pr i vat e Li ne) f or i t s di gi t al coded squel ch.
How Do I Det er mi ne t he Pr oper CTCSS or DCS Code?
Ther e ar e a f ew ways t o det er mi ne t he CTCSS or DCS code t r ansmi t t ed by a st at i on:
1. Use an out boar d CTCSS/ DCS r eader whi ch must be at t ached t o t he di scr i mi nat or out put ci r cui t r y i nsi de t he scanner . The r eader has an LCD or LED di spl ay whi ch i ndi cat es t he code when a st at i on t r ansmi t s. I use a CSI model CD- 1 Communi cat i ons Decoder Uni t , an an excel l ent r eader whi ch sel l s new f or about $200. ( Connect Syst ems I nc. , Vent ur a, CA, 800- 545- 1349, ht t p: / / www. connect syst ems. com) . 2. Many of t he Scanner Mast er gui des, as wel l as scanner cl ub newsl et t er s, pr i nt t he CTCSS codes used by t r ansmi t t i ng st at i ons. 3. On some scanner s equi pped wi t h t he CTCSS squel ch, you can pr ogr ami nt o memor y t he f r equency of i nt er est . Then you " t une" sl owl y t hr ough al l t he di f f er ent CTCSS and/ or DCS codes unt i l t he squel ch opens and you hear t he di spat cher t al ki ng. Thi s i s a sl ow pr ocess and t he st at i on has t o keep t r ansmi t t i ng dur i ng i t . 4. A sl ow, br ut e f or ce met hod i s t o pr ogr amt he same f r equency but a di f f er ent CTCSS code i nt o sever al channel s and see wher e your scanner st ops. 5. I n some cases, I ' ve act ual l y exami ned t he wal ki e- t al ki es I want t o moni t or and f ound t he CTCSS code pr i nt ed on a l abel on or i nsi de t he r adi o.
Scanner Ant ennas
Al l scanner s come wi t h a bui l t i n ant enna, per mi t t i ng r ecept i on up t o about 20 mi l es or so.
Por t abl e scanner s ar e suppl i ed wi t h a hel i cal ( spr i ng shaped) ant enna, cover ed by r ubber . The r ubber i zed ant ennas f ur ni shed wi t h cur r ent model s ar e t oo st i f f and pl ace st r ess on t he ant enna j ack. Ol der scanner s t o be suppl i ed wi t h mor e f l exi bl e ant ennas. I pr ef er t hese al t er nat i ve ant ennas f or use wi t h por t abl e scanner s:
1. The I com FA- 1433B dual band f l ex ant enna, a t hi n and ver y f l exi bl e r ubber ant enna, i s sl i ght l y l onger t han a st ock hel i f l ex but pr ovi des bet t er per f or mance. The Pr emi er ( Pr i me) RD- 9 and RD- 9SMA ar e about t he same l engt h but even t hi nner . 2. The Aust i n Condor i s a 12" l ong r ubber i zed ant enna avai l abl e f or about $30. Whi l e consi der abl y l onger t han t he st ock ant enna and t he FA- 1443B, t he Condor i s ver y f l exi bl e and pr ovi des VHF- hi gh band r ecept i on super i or t o bot h. I t i s not desi gned t o cover t he VHF- l ow band, but wi l l al l ow r ecept i on t her e at l east as good as shor t er ant ennas. The Aust i n Condor i s avai l abl e f r om Gr ove Ent er pr i ses. 3. The " Thi n- St i ck" i s an 18 i nch t el escopi ng ant enna f or ext ended r ange. I t i s made i n USA by Smi l ey Ant enna Co. , I nc. and i s desi gned t o cover bot h t he 2 met er and 220 MHz bands, but i t s var i abl e l engt h means i t can be adj ust ed f or opt i mumper f or mance on ot her bands. What makes t he Thi n- St i ck di f f er ent f r om an or di nar y t el escopi ng ant enna i s t he spr i ng bet ween t he ant enna and t he connect or por t i ons. The spr i ng absor bs most of t he i mpact i f t he ant enna col l i des wi t h an obj ect . The st r eet pr i ce i s about $17 and i t i s avai l abl e f r om Amat eur El ect r oni c Suppl y, Mi l waukee and ot her r et ai l er s.
Out door ant ennas, l i ke t he Channel Mast er 5094A ( avai l abl e f r om Amat eur El ect r oni c Suppl y) or Ant enna Speci al i st s AV- 801 ( r ecent l y di scont i nued) , can ext end r el i abl e r ecept i on t o 50 mi l es or mor e, dependi ng on t er r ai n. I f you do use an out door ant enna, be sur e t o di sconnect and gr ound i t dur i ng st or ms and when not i n use t o avoi d a l i ght ni ng hazar d. Di scone and gr ound pl ane t ype ant ennas can be mor e pr one t o cause scanner damage due t o st at i c char ge bui l dup because t hey ar e not at " DC gr ound. "
Coaxi al Cabl e Feedl i nes
I f your ant enna i nst al l at i on r equi r es mor e t han 50 f eet of f eedl i ne, use RG213/ U or hi gh qual i t y RG8/ U coaxi al cabl e. RG213/ U, e. g. , Bel den t ype 8267, has a non- cont ami nat i ng j acket and wi l l l ast l onger . Each has an out er di amet er of about 13/ 32" . Si mi l ar l y si zed Bel den 9913 cabl e and cl ones have l ower at t enuat i on but ar e di f f i cul t t o bend, r equi r e speci al connect or s, and can accumul at e moi st ur e i nsi de because t hey ar e hol l ow.
I f you must use a smal l di amet er cabl e f or l ong r uns, use RG6/ U. Avoi d RG58/ U ( 7/ 32" OD) due t o i t s l osses at hi gh f r equenci es. RG8/ X ( 1/ 4" OD) i s sui t abl e f or shor t pat ch cor ds.
Wher e Can I Buy A Scanner ?
Al most ever y communi t y has at l east one Radi o Shack st or e, and you can f i nd scanner s t her e. Be sur e i t i s on sal e, as Radi o Shack l i st pr i ces ar e hi gh and t hei r scanner s ar e of f er ed at r educed pr i ces by mai l or der di scount er s.
Di scount chai n st or es l i ke Wal - Mar t , Best Buy, K- Mar t , Ser vi ce Mer chandi se, and Ci r cui t Ci t y sel l scanner s, but car r y j ust a f ew model s. Depar t ment st or es, l i ke Sear s Roebuck and Mont gomer y War ds, somet i mes of f er l ow end scanner s, al t hough at hi gh pr i ces.
The best buys on new scanner s ar e f r om r eput abl e mai l or der r adi o deal er s, f or exampl e:
- Gr ove Ent er pr i ses, 7540 Hi ghway 64 West , Br asst own, NC 28902. For a f r ee cat al og, cal l ( 828) 837- 9200. Tel ephone ( or der s onl y) : ( 800) 438- 8155. Web page i s ht t p: / / www. gr ove- ent . com
- Nat i onal El ect r oni cs ( f or mer l y Nat i onal Tower Company) , PO Box 15417, Shawnee Mi ssi on, KS 66215. Tel ephone ( 800) 762- 5049, ( 913) 888- 8864. Web page i s ht t p: / / www. sound. net / ~ne/
- The HamSt at i on, 220 N. Ful t on Ave. , Evansvi l l e, I N 47719- 0522. Tel ephone ( 800) 729- 4373, ( 812) 422- 0231.
- Scanner Wor l d ( Al bany, NY) . Tel ephone ( 518) 436- 9606.
- Amat eur El ect r oni cs Suppl y ( Mi l waukee, WI ) . Tel ephone ( 800) 558- 0411. Web page i s ht t p: / / www. aesham. com
Bewar e of i nf l at ed " shi ppi ng and handl i ng" char ges and be sur e t o i ncl ude t hese when compar i son shoppi ng.
Used scanner s may be f ound at hamf est s, f l ea mar ket s, gar age sal es, or l i st ed i n t he cl assi f i ed adver t i sement sect i on of your newspaper .
Modi f yi ng Your Scanner
The t er m " mod" i s of t en used as shor t hand f or " modi f i cat i on. " I f you ar e handy wi t h a sol der i ng i r on, you may be i nt er est ed i n modi f yi ng ( " moddi ng" ) your scanner t o add f eat ur es or enhance i t s per f or mance. Be war ned t hi s usual l y voi ds your war r ant y and cur r ent model s ar e di f f i cul t t o ser vi ce due t o t he smal l , del i cat e sur f ace mount component s. Modi f yi ng any scanner t o r ecei ve cel l ul ar phone si gnal s i s now consi der ed i l l egal . By f eder al r egul at i on, new scanner model s must be desi gned t o t hey cannot be easi l y modi f i ed t o t une t he cel l ul ar phone bands.
The t er m " mod" has been nar r owl y used by some peopl e t o mean a change whi ch per mi t s a scanner t o r ecei ve cel l ul ar phone f r equenci es. Thi s def i ni t i on i s f ar t oo r est r i ct i ve as t her e ar e sever al ways one coul d modi f y a scanner , e. g. , changes t o i mpr ove audi o qual i t y, addi ng an S- met er , expandi ng t he number of channel s, changi ng t he ear phone j ack t o accept st er eo headphones, et c.
Modi f i cat i on ar t i cl e f i l es can be copi ed f r om sever al f t p si t es i ncl udi ng t he / pub/ hamr adi o/ mods di r ect or y at :
gar f i el d. cat t . ncsu. edu oak. oakl and. edu ( I P addr ess 141. 210. 10. 117)
Modi f i cat i on ar t i cl es post ed on Usenet seem t o have a l i f e of t hei r own. Fr equent l y, t hey ar e pl agi ar i zed f r om t he I nt er net and compi l ed by book, CDROM, and magazi ne publ i sher s, somet i mes r ewor ded, t hen sol d. Hobbyi st s t hen copy t he modi f i cat i ons f r om t he books, CDROMs, and magazi nes back ont o t he I nt er net or BBSs ( bul l et i n boar d syst ems) !
Gr ove Ent er pr i ses and ot her compani es adver t i se a war r ant ed, modi f i cat i on f or f ee ser vi ce.
Scanner Repai r Shops
I s your scanner br oken? Asi de f r om sendi ng t he scanner back t o t he manuf act ur er f or r epai r , her e i s one company whi ch r epai r s scanner s:
- G & G Communi cat i ons ( t el ephone 716- 768- 8151) - ( ht t p: / / www. i i nc. com/ ggcommor emai l ggcomm@i i nc. com or ggcomm@aol . com) Thi s f ami l y owned company r epai r s scanner s and pager s and st ocks par t s f or sever al ol der model s. G & G cannot usual l y r epai r AOR scanner s due t o l ack of manuf act ur er suppor t . G & G sel l s and somet i mes buys ol d scanner s and par t s, t oo. They ar e l ocat ed at 7825 Bl ack St r eet Rd. , LeRoy, NY 14482.
Repai r t i ps f or Bear cat and Radi o Shack scanner s ar e di scussed i n t wo ot her FAQ ar t i cl es.
Wher e Can I Obt ai n Fr equency I nf or mat i on?
To avoi d chaos, t he FCC l i censes t wo- way r adi o user s and assi gns t hem speci f i c f r equenci es. Gr oups of f r equenci es ar e al l ocat ed t o speci f i c t ypes of user s, so you won' t usual l y f i nd f i r e depar t ment s usi ng t he same f r equenci es as t axi dr i ver s, f or exampl e.
Scanner ent husi ast s can obt ai n f r equency i nf or mat i on f r om sever al sour ces, i ncl udi ng books, gover nment mi cr of i che r ecor ds, or ot her l i st ener s.
Books: The most conveni ent sour ce of f i r e, pol i ce, and l ocal gover nment f r equenci es i s Gene Hughes' Pol i ce Cal l Pl us, publ i shed each year i n 9 r egi onal vol umes by Hol l i ns Radi o Dat a, and sol d at Radi o Shack and l ar ger book st or es. The newest edi t i ons cont ai n abbr evi at ed busi ness l i st i ngs, t oo, al t hough cal l si gns and ot her det ai l s ar e l i st ed onl y f or l ocal gover nment and publ i c saf et y l i censees.
I al so r ecommend t he book, Moni t or Amer i ca, publ i shed by SMB Publ i shi ng ( now known as Scanner Mast er Publ i shi ng) , and avai l abl e f r om Gr ove Ent er pr i ses f or about $30. A 1100 page 3r d edi t i on i s now avai l abl e. Moni t or Amer i ca cont ai ns sever al pages of pol i ce, f i r e, l ocal gover nment , news medi a, spor t s, f eder al gover nment , and commer ci al br oadcast f r equenci es f or al l 50 st at es. I t cont ai ns det ai l ed communi cat i ons syst empr of i l es and pr eci nct maps f or maj or met r opol i t an ar eas. Pol i ce and f i r e r adi o codes and uni t i dent i f i er s uni que t o l ocal agenci es ar e l i st ed f or sever al ci t i es. Thi s di f f er s f r om Pol i ce Cal l , whi ch gi ves a mor e st er i l e, but uni f or mt r eat ment of l i censees, l i st i ng even t he smal l est of t owns.
Uni den has publ i shed sever al r egi onal di r ect or i es usi ng t he " Bet t y Bear cat " name, al t hough t her e ar e much bet t er di r ect or i es avai l abl e f r om Scanner Mast er ( Newt on Hi ghl ands, MA, t el . ( 508) 655- 6300) f or some r egi ons.
The most r eadi l y avai l abl e sour ce of sensi t i ve US gover nment f r equenci es i s st i l l TomKnei t el ' s Top Secr et Regi st r y of US Gover nment Radi o Fr equenci es. Publ i shed by CRB Resear ch, t he 8t h edi t i on i s avai l abl e f r om Gr ove Ent er pr i ses f or about $22. Knei t el ' s book cont ai ns f r equency l i st i ngs f or NASA, mi l i t ar y, FBI , Secr et Ser vi ce, DEA, I RS, Bor der Pat r ol , ar senal s, ammuni t i on pl ant s, mi ssi l e si t es, and ot her s i n t he 25 t o 470 MHz r ange.
Tab Books Mast er Fr equency Fi l e, f i r st edi t i on, wr i t t en by J ames Tunnel l and Rober t Kel t y, l i st s f eder al agenci es and f r equenci es and deser ves a r ead. However , t her e ar e no mi l i t ar y l i st i ngs and many pages ar e devot ed t o appendi ces and r ef er ences whi ch cont ai n no f r equency l i st i ngs. The space woul d be much bet t er used by a combi ned f eder al f r equency l i st sor t ed by f r equency.
Commer ci al Magazi nes: Al t hough nat i onal i n ci r cul at i on, l ocal f r equency i nf or mat i on i s somet i mes avai l abl e i n Gr ove' s Moni t or i ng Ti mes ( t el . 828- 837- 9200, ht t p: / / www. gr ove- ent . com) and t he sensat i onal i st i c Popul ar Communi cat i ons, ( t el . 516- 681- 2922) . Nat i onal Scanni ng ( Nat Scan) i s a nat i onal scanner magazi ne publ i shed bi mont hl y and i s af f i l i at ed wi t h Uni den' s Bear cat Radi o Cl ub. The best scanner f r equency l i st s ar e of t en f ound i n cl ub publ i cat i ons, not commer ci al magazi nes, and ar e di scussed l at er .
Gover nment Recor ds: Ever y year , t he US Gover nment sel l s FCC l i cense i nf or mat i on, i n t he f or m of mi cr of i che, f l oppy di sk, and magnet i c t ape, t o t he publ i c t hr ough t he US Depar t ment of Commer ce Nat i onal Techni cal I nf or mat i on Ser vi ce ( NTI S) . The hi gh cost of buyi ng gover nment r ecor ds l i mi t s t hei r appeal t o har dcor e ent husi ast s. You can wr i t e f or a cat al og of FCC Mast er Fr equency Dat abase i t ems t o t he NTI S, 5285 Por t Royal Road, Spr i ngf i el d, VA 22161.
The FCC has an agr eement wi t h Per Con ( t el . 716- 386- 6015) , a pr i vat e company, t o sel l FCC l i cense i nf or mat i on t o t he publ i c on CDROMs. You can buy t he f ul l l i cense i nf or mat i on f or a mul t i st at e r egi on or a l ess det ai l ed l i cense dat abase cover i ng t he t he ent i r e USA on CDROM. The Per Con Spect r umCDROM sel l s f or under $29 and cont ai ns a handf ul of f i el ds f or ever y FCC l i cense i n t he US. The Spr i ng 1995 edi t i on wor ks i n DOS, Wi ndows, and Mac envi r onment s.
Gr ove ent er pr i ses sel l s FCC l i cense i nf or mat i on on CDROM, t oo.
As I have al r eady done f or hundr eds of r adi o ent husi ast s, compani es, gover nment agenci es, and or gani zat i ons acr oss t he count r y si nce 1994, I wi l l l ocat e FCC l i censed and sel ect ed FAA and CAP t r ansmi t t er si t es i n an ar ea of your choi ce, i n any st at e, and pr oduce a cust omRadi oMap( TM) r epor t , i ncl udi ng a beaut i f ul 11" by 17" scal ed col or map, pr ot ect ed by pl ast i c. The map i s mar ked wi t h t r ansmi t t er si t es, ci t i es, hi ghways, ai r por t s, mi l i t ar y i nst al l at i ons, nat i onal par ks, et c. See ht t p: / / www. megsi net . com/ ~par nass f or a sampl e.
Radi oMap has been adver t i sed mont hl y i n Moni t or i ng Ti mes magazi ne si nce 1995. The gr aphi cal nat ur e of Radi oMap al l ows you t o i dent i f y ant enna si t es and vi sual i ze t he t r ansmi t t er l ocat i ons i n your nei ghbor hood, near your of f i ce, and ot her pl aces of i nt er est - - f r om VLF t hr ough mi cr owave. The r epor t l i st s f r equenci es, cal l si gns, and l i censee names. Radi oMap cover s pol i ce, f i r e, l ocal gover nment , TV, busi ness, i ndust r y, common car r i er , r ai l r oad, t r ucki ng, and many mor e t ypes of t r ansmi t t er si t es, excl udi ng hamr adi o st at i ons. Wi r el i ne and nonwi r el i ne cel l ul ar phone and AM/ FM br oadcast t r ansmi t t er si t es ar e cl ear l y mar ked usi ng uni que col or i cons.
I ndust r i al cust omer s use Radi oMap r epor t s t o sur vey t he " r adi o envi r onment " pr i or t o i nst al l at i on of r adi os and wi r el ess mi cr ophones at cust omer si t es. Radi oMap i s used by t he mar i t i me and br oadcast i ndust r i es, as wel l as ham r adi o oper at or s t o sol ve i nt er mod i nt er f er ence pr obl ems, and has been ver y f avor abl y r evi ewed i n RCMA Scanner J our nal , Amer i can Scanner gr am, and USSN.
The Radi oMap pr ocesses and sof t war e ar e uni que and pr opr i et ar y. Unl i ke " mor e t ame" maps, Radi oMap shows t he l ocat i ons of mi l i t ar y bases, ammuni t i on pl ant s, ar senal s, weapons f act or i es, and ot her mi l i t ar y i nst al l at i ons.
For a f l at f ee, you choose t he cent er l ocat i on, and I choose t he r ange, dependi ng on t r ansmi t t er si t e densi t y:
subur bs: 5 mi l e r ange ( 100 sq. mi . ar ea) r ur al ar eas: 10 or mor e mi l es ( 400 sq. mi . ar ea) dense ur ban ar ea: 1 - 2 mi l e r ange
Longer r anges f or addi t i onal char ge - cal l f or pr i ci ng.
A cust omRadi oMap r epor t cost s $24. 95 pl us $5. 00 shi ppi ng and handl i ng. For an addi t i onal $10. 00, t he del uxe r epor t i ncl udes an ext r a i ndex sor t ed by f r equency and a cust om f r equency al l ocat i on hi st ogr am, a 0 - 1, 000 MHz " spect r um anal yzer - l i ke" di spl ay showi ng spect r umusage by t he t r ansmi t t er s i n t he map cover age ar ea. Send check or money or der payabl e t o Bob Par nass f or $29. 95 f or st andar d or $39. 95 f or del uxe Radi oMap r epor t wi t h hi st ogr am and addi t i onal i ndex by f r equency. I ncl ude your name, addr ess, and t el ephone number , al ong wi t h cent er l ocat i on ( near est i nt er sect i on of 2 st r eet s, or l at i t ude & l ongi t ude) and mai l t o: Bob Par nass, 2350 Dougl as Road, Oswego, I L 60543. t el . ( 630) 554- 3839 6- 10 PM cent r al t i me. For a br ochur e, send SASE.
Do Your Own Fr equency Det ect i ve Wor k
When you t r y l i st eni ng t o a f r equency f or t he f i r st t i me, you' l l want t o know who you' r e hear i ng.
Al t hough FCC r ul es r equi r e r adi o syst ems t o i dent i f y t hei r oper at i ons wi t h t hei r assi gned cal l l et t er s ei t her aut omat i cal l y or ver bal l y, most i gnor e t he r egul at i on. Thi s of t en makes i t di f f i cul t t o know who i s t r ansmi t t i ng. Mor eover , many r adi os ar e now bei ng pl aced i n ser vi ce i l l egal l y, wi t hout f i r st obt ai ni ng t he r equi r ed FCC l i cense.
Ther e i s a chal l enge i n der i vi ng new spect r umusage i nf or mat i on on your own. Somet i mes i t r equi r es sever al days of l i st eni ng, t api ng, and compi l i ng f r agment s of i nf or mat i on. Ot her t i mes, t he f r equency i nf or mat i on i s t her e f or t he t aki ng - wi t hout hassl e.
You can appr oach f r om t wo di r ect i ons:
1. Li st en f i r st : Moni t or a f r equency or f r equenci es, and t r y t o det er mi ne who' s t r ansmi t t i ng and what pur pose t he channel ser ves. Once you i dent i f y t he user , l og t he i nf or mat i on.
2. Compi l e f i r st : Take advant age of oppor t uni t i es, such as exami ni ng t he f r equency l abel on a guar d' s r adi o, or r eadi ng t he FCC l i cense hangi ng on t he " r adi o r oom" wal l , t o compi l e f r equency l i st s, t hen moni t or t he l i st ed f r equenci es t o conf i r mt hat t hey ar e r eal l y i n use. Reader s ar e ur ged t o abi de by t he r ul es of good t ast e and l ocal l aws i n t he quest f or f r equency i nf or mat i on. Don' t t r espass, wai t f or an i nvi t at i on.
Most l i st ener s use a combi nat i on of bot h appr oaches.
You can exami ne t he FCC l i cense on pr emi se. I have f ound t he act ual FCC r adi o l i cense, compl et e wi t h f r equency assi gnment s, hangi ng on t he wal l s of pl aces l i ke t he mal l secur i t y of f i ce or company guar d shack. You can exami ne t he l abel s on r adi o equi pment . Fr equency i nf or mat i on i s engr aved on l abel s on t he back of many wal ki e- t al ki es, or i nsi de t he bat t er y compar t ment , l i ke i n t he Mot or ol a HT220 model . Most pager s have l abel s on t he bot t omor i nsi de. Li ke passwor ds t aped ont o t er mi nal s, i t ' s not uncommon t o f i nd l abel s embossed wi t h f r equenci es or cal l l et t er s gl ued t o t he f r ont of base st at i ons.
You can make your own oppor t uni t i es f or eyei ng t he equi pment or t ake advant age of " open house" event s. I f i nf or mat i on i s di spl ayed publ i cl y, t hen a r easonabl e per son coul d assume i t ' s not gover nment secr et . Hobbyi st s ar e ur ged t o exer ci se a modi cumof r est r ai nt and good j udgement , however .
How Can I Use Equi pment t o Uncover New Fr equenci es?
I f you don' t know t he exact f r equency, but have a gener al i dea of t he r ange ( e. g. 150 - 152 MHz) , use your scanner ' s " sear ch" mode. Most pr ogr ammabl e scanner s af f or d t he abi l i t y t o sear ch bet ween t wo f r equency l i mi t s set by t he user . A f ew model s, l i ke t he I COM R7000/ R7100, and R1, and ol der Bear cat 250 and Regency K500, have t he abi l i t y t o aut omat i cal l y st or e act i ve f r equenci es f ound dur i ng an unat t ended sear ch oper at i on.
To f i nd t he f r equency of a hot el communi cat i ons syst em, one f el l ow i nst al l ed hi s Bear cat 250 i n hi s car and par ked i n t he hot el l ot , l eavi ng t he scanner i n t he " sear ch and st or e" mode. He l ef t t he ant enna di sconnect ed so t he scanner woul d onl y r espond t o a t r ansmi t t er i n t he i mmedi at e vi ci ni t y.
Asi de f r om a scanner and ant enna, t he most usef ul pi ece of equi pment f or sl eut hi ng i s a voi ce act uat ed ( VOX) casset t e t ape r ecor der . You don' t need a hi gh f i del i t y model or anyt hi ng f ancy, a Radi o Shack CTR- 82 wi l l do. I t ' s best t o use a shi el ded, at t enuat i ng cabl e t o f eed t he scanner audi o i nt o t he r ecor der r at her t han r el yi ng on t he r ecor der ' s i nt er nal mi cr ophone.
VOX r ecor der s al l ow one t o compr ess a whol e day' s wor t h of moni t or i ng ont o a si ngl e t ape. I of t en l eave a r ecor der " ar med" and connect ed t o a scanner at home whi l e I amat t he of f i ce or doi ng somet hi ng el se. When cal l l et t er s ar e mumbl ed, I can pl ay and r epl ay t he t ape unt i l I hear and under st and t hem.
Test equi pment can ai d i n t he quest f or new f r equency i nf or mat i on. I ' ve used a spect r umanal yzer connect ed t o an out si de ant enna, and a f r equency count er f or cl ose- i n wor k.
Ar e Ther e Any Scanner Cl ubs or Mai l i ng Li st ?
One of t he best par t s of t he hobby i s shar i ng i t wi t h ot her r adi o buf f s. Tr adi ng i nf or mat i on wi t h ot her hobbyi st s about f r equenci es, communi cat i on syst ems, and r ecei vi ng equi pment i s mor e val uabl e t han any pi l e of magazi nes.
Cl ay I r vi ng admi ni st er s a scanner el ect r oni c mai l i ng l i st , cal l ed " scanni ng. " To subscr i be, send an Emai l message t o: maj or domo@l i st s. pani x. com
I n t he body of t he Emai l message, put : subscr i be scanni ng
Ot her scanner mai l i ng l i st s i ncl ude: scanner @onel i st . com, scan- l @onel i st . com, scanner @qt h. net , and sonof r cma@onel i st . com.
Al l Ohi o Scanner Cl ub
A smal l er cl ub i s t he Al l Ohi o Scanner Cl ub. I t s bi mont hl y publ i cat i on, The Amer i can Scanner gr am, i s about 60 pages l ong. Al t hough concent r at i ng on Ohi o and t he Nor t heast er n st at es, t her e i s f r equency i nf or mat i on f r om ot her st at es, and pl ent y of good pr oduct r evi ews and scanni ng t i ps.
Annual dues ar e $18. 50 and mor e i nf or mat i on i s avai l abl e f r om:
Dave Marshall, Managing Editor All Ohio Scanner Club, 50 Villa Road, Springfield, OH 45503.
Chi cago Ar ea Radi o Moni t or i ng Associ at i on
The Chi cago Ar ea Radi o Moni t or i ng Associ at i on ( CARMA) i s t he f or emost cl ub f or scanner r adi o hobbyi st s i n t he nor t her n I l l i noi s ar ea. CARMA was f or med f r om t he Chi cago chapt er of t he Radi o Communi cat i ons Moni t or i ng Associ at i on ( RCMA) , and we have been meet i ng si nce t he ear l y 1980s.
Many CARMA member s ar e act i ve i n hamr adi o and GMRS, but t he cl ub i s devot ed t o scanni ng and scanner s.
Meet i ngs ar e hel d on Sat ur days, many at ar ea r est aur ant s, about 6 t i mes a year . Al t hough l unch st ar t s at noon, t he meet i ngs begi n of f i ci al l y at 1 PM and of t en r un unt i l about 4 PM. You must pur chase a l unch si nce we get t he r oom f or
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f r ee. Meet i ngs consi st of a qui ck r evi ew of cl ub busi ness, somet i mes a speci al pr esent at i on, and a " r ound t abl e" di scussi on/ quest i on & answer sessi on. Lar ge quant i t i es of i nf or mat i on and f r equency l i st s ar e of t en di st r i but ed i n t he f or m of f r ee handout s. Member s of t en sel l r adi o equi pment at t he meet i ngs, t oo.
I n addi t i on t o r egul ar meet i ngs, t her e ar e t wo CARMA pi cni c/ f i el d days dur i ng whi ch member s meet at a par k, er ect ant ennas, eat , and oper at e scanner s f r om bat t er y power . CARMA member s t ake or gani zed t our s of var i ous communi cat i ons f aci l i t i es i n t he ar ea.
Cl ub meet i ng dat es and t i mes ar e publ i shed on t he CARMA emai l l i st , car ma@qt h. net . You can obt ai n a f r ee el ect r oni c subscr i pt i on t o t he CARMA emai l l i st . For mor e i nf o, see:
ht t p: / / www. qt h. net
The cl ub' s mai l i ng addr ess i s:
CARMA P.O. Box 2681 Glenview, IL 60025
Most meet i ngs ar e be hel d on Sat ur days at Phi l l i es Pi zza, 6300S. Ki nger y Hi ghway, l ocat ed i n t he shoppi ng cent er at t he cor ner Rt . 83 and 53r d St . i n Wi l l owbr ook, I L.
- - Copyr i ght 2000, Bob Par nass, AJ 9S par nass@bel l - l abs. com Locat e & i dent i f y t r ansmi t t er s i n your ar ea wi t h a col or Radi oMap( t m) ht t p: / / www. megsi net . com/ ~par nass
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