Do people still listen to scanners?

[DaveTN]

I saw a post about someone hearing something on a scanner awhile back and it made me wonder. Isn’t most of the information sent digitally to a computer in the car anymore?

Aren’t Police voice frequencies blocked or scrambled?

Could I get a scanner that would allow me to listen to Murfreesboro PD and RCSO?

[mikegideon]

At some point years ago, we had to buy digital radios from a civil authority so we could monitor that kind of stuff for news. It was stupid money. The scanner geeks were working to get past that, even back then. Good question.

EDIT: More... They're still using radio, even if the user interface has changed. I've been deeply involved in the design of some of the gear on the dispatch end in the last couple of years. If it's on the air, you can pick it up.

Edited June 5, 2011 by mikegideon

[Guest G-Pa Glynn]

Still have a scanner and still listen to local emergency channles. Still alot of freqs that are used by LEO and other emergency agencies.

[Guest brandon_pitt]

I saw a post about someone hearing something on a scanner awhile back and it made me wonder. Isn’t most of the information sent digitally to a computer in the car anymore?

Aren’t Police voice frequencies blocked or scrambled?

Could I get a scanner that would allow me to listen to Murfreesboro PD and RCSO?

You definitely can. I have an app on my phone that allows me to pick up precincts all over the us, including Murfreesboro. Pretty neat

[mikegideon]

I think this will pick up anything that's not encrypted...

Uniden | A World Without Wires - BC898T

[Guest Lester Weevils]

If you just want to listen at home or from any web-enabled device, I think you can do it free without anything except a suitably-modern web browser. Assuming your area is being monitored. I think this web site is the basis of the "for pay" app streams, but could be mistaken--

Live Police, Fire, EMS, Aircraft, and Rail Scanners on RadioReference.com

[bajabuc]

lots of leo stuff is done on cell now.

[mikegideon]

... and it's illegal to monitor cell phones.

[G27]

I have this app that I use to listen to SCS and MPD every once in a while. Pretty interesting.

[vontar]

I listen to a scanner and hear some good stuff. However they do use in car computer for sensitive stuff. Example, I hear them call, give some details, and say I put the details on your screen. Car to Car is better. Or an event that is happing to fast for dispatchers to put it on screen and it just needs to be said.

However I understand they are switching to digital radios in some areas, and radio shack already sells digital scanners. I don't have one of those yet. I am waiting until my area goes digital before I buy one.

Also I do know some areas that that are analog can encrypt on the fly if they have the right device. I have some go secure and I can not understand what they are saying.

It is illegal to decrypt encrypted transmissions. However, those that are broadcast in the clear it is OK to pick up such as buying as scanner from radio shack or other vendor and using as intended.

If you really want to learn about this topic, radioreference.com is very good.

I know FEMA gave allot of cities grants to switch to LOW BAND digital so allot of departments are in the process of switching over.

I don't want to buy one of the digitals if they are totally scrambled after the switch. So I am waiting to find out until after they switch and I find out from other people. In short I won't be the first to buy in my area.

[mikegideon]

I'm sure they have encrypted channels for higher level stuff, especially tactical. I'm betting most of the day-to-day chatter is still wide open.

[mikegideon]

Nashville has been digital for a good while, at least big chunks of it.

[TN-popo]

Nashville has been digital for a good while, at least big chunks of it.

They have been for about 9-10 years...they switched right after I left in 2000.

I work in Rutherford Co now and we're also on digital (800 band I think...I'm not a radio guy, but I know where the transmit button is ).

Edited June 5, 2011 by TN-popo

[TN Outlaw]

i had an app on my blackberry that let me listen to every major city police and there emergency and it also let me listen to australia and other countries it was pretty cool

[Guest TackleberryTom]

There are quite a few PD's that still use old analog VHF and UHF freq's. Clarksville is one of the only ones that I know of that uses an M/A-Com system that is totally encrypted. All the other digital and analog trunked systems can be listened to.

[vontar]

BTW, a good app for droids is Scanner Radio, However don't use it in KY.

Man Charged With Possession Of Illegal App - The RadioReference.com Forums

I really should look for the update on this story.

In some area's it is illegal to monitor police radio in your car/truck. KY is one of those area. Some Cities in TN have City ordinance on it as well I believe.

[Guest fourspdRAT]

I use Scanner Radio down here. We use it for automotive purposes..

[mikegideon]

There are quite a few PD's that still use old analog VHF and UHF freq's. Clarksville is one of the only ones that I know of that uses an M/A-Com system that is totally encrypted. All the other digital and analog trunked systems can be listened to.

M/A-com was the client on that box I helped design. Interesting project.

[vontar]

I have listened to some and they will be talking normal and they will say switch, and it will encrypted for a bit, and later it will be in the clear.

[Guest mustangdave]

Mostly I listen to WEATHER ALERTS....on my hand held

[Guest UberDuper]

Take a look at radioreference.com

They've got tons of pd and ems frequencies you can stream. I've been listening to Murfreesboro pd ever since we signed the lease on a house there.

Seems like nothing ever happens in Murfreesboro.

[vontar]

one thing you have to remember about streaming sources, you are depending on someone with a home scanner board casting correctly. You are solely depending on how they are programmed and how their scanning it set.

Example. Oak Ridge. They guy that streams Oak Ridge is set pretty good, I have a few more things in my actually scanner that I want that he does not have in the board cast stream. Because I consider them important to me. Plus I have my banks setup so that I can turn off certain things if I don't want to hear them.

I can turn on a Bank to bring in EMS if I believe something is going on with EMS i want to hear, another bank if I want to hear County and Life Star. However I don't always want to hear them so I can turn them back off easy.

Setting up a scanner comes down to the way you want it for yourself. The way I want mine might drive another person crazy.

[Guest brandon_pitt]

Take a look at radioreference.com

They've got tons of pd and ems frequencies you can stream. I've been listening to Murfreesboro pd ever since we signed the lease on a house there.

Seems like nothing ever happens in Murfreesboro.

Its progressively getting worse. The area around MTSU has crime on the rise; its to be expected with nearly 30,000 students. It is not as bad as other areas, a far cry from most, but it is worse than it was.

[bajabuc]

... and it's illegal to monitor cell phones.

unless there's been a change...the USSC determined that the wavebroadcast signals are not covered by wiretap laws

[mikegideon]

unless there's been a change...the USSC determined that the wavebroadcast signals are not covered by wiretap laws

I meant the average Joe with a scanner.