Police scanner question

[GRA]

Not sure if this is the right forum to ask this or not but..We have a scanner in the house that has picked up our local cops and the sheriffs dept. till they switched to, someone told me a higher frequency. Does anyone know if a scanner is available for the higher frequency and how do I know what numbers to look for when I buy one? Like having a scanner during times of bad weather as the cops usually call in if they see something bad out there.

[PurpleFloyd]

You are probably talking about the switch to the 800 Mhz system that was mandated.

The long and the short of it is your old scanner is now a paperweight and the technology that the new system runs on is so different that those low cost scanners are going to be a thing of the past.

[boatfixer]

800 MHz scanners are available. You can check with radio shops in your area. You can also do a search for apps that will pick up 800 MHz.

[Whoaru99]

Yeah, the scanner tech has gone up. Trunking and various forms of it to complicate things. On top of that many have gone to digital encryption so all you get is static, if even that.

Around here they still make some basic open channel contacts but anything juicy is typically through calls to each other on the cell phone.

I probably wouldn't even waste my time...trying to get into these days.

For a relatively small department like Dawson and the surrounding county they could still be in the VHF band, but just a different frequency.

Do you know what frequencies you're scanning now for police & sheriff?

[candiru]

There is a HSOforum called radioreference that has a bunch of info. You can also listen to some police/emergency channels on there (quite a few in MN). The new breed of scanners run about $400.

[Macgyver55]

I use radio reference to listen and it works quite well for my area. I often run it in the background while on the laptop. It does go offline sometimes but not too often.

[Tom7227]

FYI:

609.856 USE OF POLICE RADIOS DURING COMMISSION OF CRIME; PENALTIES.

Subdivision 1.Acts constituting.

Whoever has in possession or uses a radio or device capable of receiving or transmitting a police radio signal, message, or transmission of information used for law enforcement purposes, while in the commission of a felony or violation of section 609.487 or the attempt to commit a felony or violation of section 609.487, is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than three years or to payment of a fine of not more than $5,000, or both. Notwithstanding section 609.04, a prosecution for or conviction under this section is not a bar to conviction of or punishment for any other crime committed by the defendant as part of the same conduct.

Subd. 2.Forfeiture.

A radio or device defined in subdivision 1 that is used in the commission of a felony or violation of section 609.487 or attempt to commit a felony or violation of section 609.487 is contraband property and subject to the forfeiture provisions of section 609.531.

[LMITOUT]

I don't believe anyone was planning on using a scanner to commit a crime...

[Whoaru99]

Exactly. Generally, no crime to listen, afaik, unless you're attempting to break or have broken (pretty unlikely) an encryption scheme or are intercepting phone calls or are using it to avoid law enforcement/commit crime or eavesdrop on business for competitive advantage.

Not my ideal way of providing a list but...

BTW, this is public information, straight from FCC database records that are freely available to anyone.

[Finns]

Our area, (city/county) went to 800 mega hertz (?). Now I listen on my Iphnone.

[GRA]

Thanks for the information guys. I picked up the scanner we have now off of hsolist so might check them out and see whats available in the 800 Mhz models. Need to keep abreast of any major crime waves in Lac qui Parle county.

[Whoaru99]

Based on the above it doesn't look like they're using the 800MHz band, unless they've gone to one of the shared(?)systems like RACOM.

[GRA]

I'm not sure what they're on. Used to pick everything up on 155.??? Now don't get any police calls there.

[LightningBG]

Tom, thats funny.

Its illegal to use a scanner while doing illegal activities. I'll keep that in mind.

It's like using a stolen car to commit a murder. I'm pretty sure the stolen car is the least of their problems.

[Eric Wettschreck]

If the dept you're trying to listen to is using the ARMER system, good luck finding a scanner that will work.

When we started the system in my county we had a hard enough time getting the fire trucks to communicate with the deputy cars.

I'm sure the tech will come around, but you're going to pay dearly for it.

[Whoaru99]

I don't know how fresh the scanner list is...

Quote:

What is ARMER?

A: ARMER is an acronym for Minnesota's statewide radio system. It stands for: Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response. It is a radio system that operates in the 800 MHz range, it is a trunking radio system, and it is all digital.

Q: What scanners can monitor this radio system?

A: The only scanners that can monitor this system are:

Uniden BCD396T (BCD396XT) (handheld)

Uniden BCD996T (base/mobile)

Uniden BC296D (handheld--no longer manufactured)

Uniden BC796D (base/mobile--no longer manufactured)

Radio Shack PRO-96 (handheld)

Radio Shack PRO-106 (handheld)

Radio Shack PRO-197 (base/mobile)

Radio Shack PRO-2096

GRE PSR500 (handheld)

GRE PSR600 (base/mobile)

[Finns]

I probably should have clarified that I'm down here in Missouri. The app is 5-0 radio free police scanner (or something like that).

[amateurfishing]

i have that app...rarely listen but i do get a local ,sherrif office. it is clear but do not get my town.....i highly doubt u would get anything major on it either

[GRA]

If one of these is what a guy needs, looks like it gets kinda spendy. Will have to find somebody here locally that would know what the county has switched to before I do anything .

[Jeremy airjer W]

+1 radioreference

[Dave]

Never knew there was such a thing as radioreference...thanks guys!

[Macgyver55]

Never knew there was such a thing as radioreference...thanks guys!

Shoulda asked, Dave!

[LMITOUT]

Unless he's planning on committing a crime.

[boatfixer]

We've been operating on the 800 system for about 3 yrs now. No problems communicating to other agencies at all.

[Whoaru99]

Have you cross-checked the frequencies you're currently scanning to what's on that list I posted?

I'd do that first then program what, if anything, you're missing. If you're still getting nothing then they may have moved into one of the 800MHz trunking systems.

I'm guessing they're close to going to one of the trunking systems here too because there has been new radio training going on.

[hunter76]

Scanners are for people that have nothing to do but sit around and listen to everbody elses business.