Scruit

All the local cops around here use the 800Mhz trunking system. I just ordered a BCT12 scanner from Uniden and it claims to have 800Mhz capability, but I heard someone else ask; "Does it have Trunk-Tracking?"

Is "800Mhz Coverage" the same as "Trunk Tracking"? What is the difference?

Tnx

Stereodude

If it doesn't say trunk tracking probably not. Trunking is the way that most police systems are currently going. As I understand it they are constantly changing channels always taking the lowest empty channel. If you don't have trunk tracking you can't follow a conversation once it hops channels.

Stereodude

mozy

yeah, 800mhz is just a frequency, it means nothing else.

Trunking is (like the guy above explained) the process by witch radio transmissions hop frequencies in order to free them up.

If your scanner is not TrunkTracking (as in BearCat 245XLT, and I think 780XL) then you wont be able to HOP with the COP.

So basically, youll hear what they are saying if you catch onto the frequency that is busy at the moment, but once they are done and the sound clicks, boom, its quiet. it IS possible to follow trunking systems WITHOUT a trunktracker scanner, but its more work than its worth..you have to find out every trunking frequency they use, program them into memory and have your scanner search every frequency very very quickly...some scanners cant do that.

whew. anyways, give back that scanner and get a trunking one

PS: you can buy scanners on EBay for pretty damn cheap, AND they are almost always in great shape ( radio people dont *uck with their stuff).

95emeraldgxe

yes i agree, people that sell their scanners for one of two reasons.....either they saw sumthing kooler, or the scanner is broken........but its usually cause they want sumthing kooler(scanner people take care of their ****)

Scruit

I'm torn... I'm not interested in WHAT the cops are saying - I was 'lured' by the BCT12's Mobile Extender tracking.

This was explained to me as: The cops have radios they wear so they can communicate while outsie their vehicles. The vehicle has a 'Mobile Extender' tp relay the signal from dispatch to the radio the cops wear. Whenever a dispatch keys the mic all the mobile extenders go hot and transmit up to 3miles from the cop car - the BCT12 picks up THAT signal, so if you get a Mobile Extender signal, you know a cop is within 3 miles - and it DOESN'T have to be THEM talking - any time Distpatch keys the mic anywhere where the copcar with 3mi of you is listening in.

So, I couldn't give a monkey's WHAt they are saying, the fact that can hear a Mobile Extender means a cop is ear - and THAT is the info I need. Kinda like a cop detector instead of a radar detector...

Thing is I need three things to be true:

1) Scanner must pick up ME signals
2) Ohio must be using MEs
3) unlike Illinois, the ME must always active/ IL MEs only activate when the cop is actually outside the car.

At RadarTest.com (under "Other Countermeasures") the reveiewer is nearly tugging himself after testing the BCT12 - Something like the had advance notice of 12 of 13 cops he passed, only an IL cop got near him.

mozy

I know nothing about ME's, heh, im more into the "hearing" part of radios. and ive never heard of ME's being used here in Cali...
sorry, im of no use here.

Stereodude

I believe that is what the "Beartracker" uses. I think Uniden makes it. Or it uses something similar to monitor radio traffic from cops.

Stereodude

ngthing

do scanners allow you to transmit? or only listen in?

Stereodude

Listen only.

Stereodude

Gotrice4

aren't most bigger cities and towns moving toward digital trunking radio systems? so basically in some areas scanners are useless cuz the police are moving toward better technology...