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The World Above 30 MHz
Dan Veeneman
danveeneman@monitoringtimes.
Scanning in 2005
As we start a new year it’s worth taking
some time to reflect on our hobby and
consider the effect of changes that
are occurring in radio monitoring. Technology,
regulation and security are all having an effect
on what we can hear, but as the French say, plus
ca change, plus c’est la meme chose (the more
things change the more they stay the same).
❖ A Future for Scanning?
Dan,
About two years ago, I got interested in
scanning after a bit of an absence from the hobby.
With shortwave radio stations disappearing
at an alarming rate, I looked for another aspect
of the radio hobby to entertain and inform.
Unfortunately, it now looks like scanning could
become a thing of the past. With more and more
law-enforcement agencies encrypting their communications,
is there hope for life on the action
bands? I know there is ham traffic – I got my
general-class license last year – air traffic, railroads,
etc., but the police bands are fascinating
and draw many into this exciting hobby.
Let me know what you think. It’s just sad
to see so many forms of radio seemingly fading
away. Thanks.
– Chris in California
Although this isn’t a shortwave column,
I would encourage you to take another look at
shortwave listening. As with many other hobbies,
digital has come to longwave reception.
Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) is a new broadcasting
standard for signals below 30 MHz and
holds out some hope for shortwave listening in
the years to come.
Back to scanning – I don’t think it will
become a thing of the past. Let’s take a quick
look at some of the previous challenges faced
by our hobby:
In the early 1980s we were afraid of being
locked out as public safety agencies began
to operate in the 800 MHz band. Electronic
experimenters responded by designing and
building down-converters that allowed our VHF
scanners to hear 800 MHz signals. Eventually
manufacturers began to market scanners capable
of tuning 800 MHz directly.
In the mid 1990s we started to become
concerned about this new thing called trunking
that would make it impossible for a scanner
listener to follow an entire conversation. Computer
programmers responded by writing custom
software that could decode trunking signals and
automatically tune a receiver, allowing a listener
to follow these new systems. It took a little
more work and some additional equipment, but
it became possible for nearly everyone to trunk
track. Eventually manufacturers began to market
scanners capable of automatically monitor
trunked systems.
Just a few years ago there was real concern
that the new APCO Project 25 digital standards
would mean the end of scanning. Today we have
a choice of several consumer receivers capable
of decoding APCO 25 audio and tracking these
fully digital systems.
In each of these cases a solution was found
and the hobby continued. Now we are faced with
public safety agencies moving to encryption.
Because the restriction now is as much legal as
technical, the hobby may have to pursue a nontechnical
solution. We may have to press the
case in the court of public opinion that agencies
should be open and accountable to their citizens,
and that encryption goes against those goals.
Whichever way that effort may go, certainly
most agencies will never encrypt their traffic,
whether for cost or other reasons. I think there
will be quite a bit to hear for quite some time to
come.
❖ Bristol, Tennessee
In 2000, Sullivan County in northeastern
Tennessee partnered with the cities of Bristol,
Kingsport and Bluff City to install an $11 million
Motorola trunk radio system across the county.
The system was operated “mixed-mode” with
both analog and digital voice traffic.
In November of 2004 the Bristol police
department finally switched over to all-digital
operation after a delay of several months.
Unfortunately for scanner listeners, according
to reports all of their transmissions are now
encrypted. The police department had gone to
the city finance board
to press for additional
funding for encrypted
radios, citing security
concerns.
The Bristol Police
Department handles
about 50,000 calls
each year, serving a
population of just over
25,000 residents. You may be familiar with the
city as the home of the Bristol Motor Speedway,
a busy tourist attraction hosting numerous races
on their half-mile oval.
The Bristol Fire Department and Emergency
Medical Services are still operating
unencrypted and in analog, although they may
move to digital in the future.
The county-wide system is a Motorola Type
II network transmitting on the following frequencies:
855.9875, 856.2625, 856.7375, 857.2625,
857.7375, 858.2625, 858.7375, 859.2625,
859.7375, 860.2625 and 860.7375 MHz. Three
repeater sites provide coverage, with one on top
of Holston Mountain in Blountville, another on
top of Bays Mountain in Kingsport and a third
at the Sullivan Justice Center in Blountville.
Decimal Hex Description
16400 401 Bristol Police Dispatch
16432 403 Bristol Police Supervisors
16464 405 Bristol Police Patrol
16496 407 Bristol Police Tactical 1
16528 409 Bristol Police Tactical 2
16560 40B Bristol Police Tactical 3
16592 40D Bristol Police Detectives
16656 411 Bristol Animal Control
16752 417 Bristol Fire Dispatch
16784 419 Bristol Fire 2
16816 41B Bristol Fire 3
16848 41D Bristol Fire Mutual Aid
16880 41F Bristol Fire Rescue
16912 421 Bristol Fire Inspectors
16944 423 Bristol Fire Training
16976 425 Bristol Fire Command
32432 7EB Kingsport Police Patrol 1
32464 7ED Kingsport Police Patrol 2
32496 7EF Kingsport Police Traffic
32528 7F1 Kingsport Police Detective 1
32560 7F3 Kingsport Police Detective 2
32592 7F5 Kingsport Police Records
32624 7F7 Kingsport Police Special Operations
32784 801 Kingsport Fire East 1
32816 803 Kingsport Fire East 2
32848 805 Kingsport Fire West 1
32880 807 Kingsport Fire West 2
32912 809 Kingsport Fire Central 1
32944 80B Kingsport Fire Central 2
32976 80D Kingsport Fire Training
33008 80F Kingsport Fire Hazardous Materials
1
33040 811 Kingsport Fire Hazardous Materials
2
33072 813 Kingsport Fire Special Operations
48560 BDB County Rescue (Tactical 1)
48592 BDD County Rescue (Tactical 2)
48624 BDF County Rescue (Tactical 3)
48656 BE1 County Rescue Hospital 1
48688 BE3 County Rescue Hospital 2
24 MONITORING TIMES January 2005