Morse Code...

[Tophtoh]

Today I was listening to Sylvania PD I heard morse code and they were using thier PL. 127.3 Do people just take advantage of the repeater? Or what is this morse code for? Can the officers/and dispatcher hear it?

[N_Jay]

Originally Posted by Tophtoh

Today I was listening to Sylvania PD I heard morse code and they were using thier PL. 127.3 Do people just take advantage of the repeater? Or what is this morse code for? Can the officers/and dispatcher hear it?

If it was a short burst it was probabaly the station identifier.

[n4voxgill]

FCC regulations require that each base station give it's call sign periodically, at least every 30 minutes. It is acceptable to send it by morse code at up to 20 wpm. This keeps the dispatchers from having to remember. The department can be fined for failing to ID as required. Onl trunked system, it must be sent on the control channel.

gill

[pacrat551]

Originally Posted by n4voxgill

FCC regulations require that each base station give it's call sign periodically, at least every 30 minutes. It is acceptable to send it by morse code at up to 20 wpm. This keeps the dispatchers from having to remember. The department can be fined for failing to ID as required. Onl trunked system, it must be sent on the control channel.

gill

Actually, according to FCC, the station identifier for Trunked systems must be sent on the lowest frequency.....ie.... Lockhart radio system sends out the ID on 866.100

Directly from Part 90 section 90.647:

(c) of this section, shall be identified through the use of an automatic
device which transmits the call sign of the base station facility at 30
minute intervals. Such station identification shall be made on the
lowest frequency in the base station trunk group assigned the licensee.
Should this frequency be in use at the time station identification is
required, such identification may be made at the termination of the
communication in progress on this frequency. Identification may be made
by voice or International Morse Code. When the call sign is transmitted
in International Morse Code, it must be at a rate of between 15 to 20
words per minute and by means of tone modulation of the transmitter, the
tone frequency being between 800 and 1000 hertz.
(c) Stations operating in either the 806-824/851-869 MHz or 896-901/
935-940 MHz bands that are licensed on an exclusive basis, and normally
employ digital signals for the transmission of data, text, control
codes, or digitized voice may also be identified by digital transmission
of the call sign. A licensee that identifies its station in this manner
must provide the Commission, upon its request, information sufficient to
decode the digital transmission and ascertain the call sign transmitted.

[Tophtoh]

My Sheriff's Dept. only states thier call sign after they open the air from closing. *beep* "Lucas all units, the air is now open, 13:11, KXF618" they most certainly DO NOT state it, nor do I ever heard morse code. So that would be illegal, right?

[N_Jay]

Originally Posted by Tophtoh

My Sheriff's Dept. only states thier call sign after they open the air from closing. *beep* "Lucas all units, the air is now open, 13:11, KXF618" they most certainly DO NOT state it, nor do I ever heard morse code. So that would be illegal, right?

How often do they "open the air"?

[Tophtoh]

Well, when they dispatch a unit to a dangerous call, when they arrive, or when an officer asks for the air.

[loumaag]

Originally Posted by Tophtoh

Well, when they dispatch a unit to a dangerous call, when they arrive, or when an officer asks for the air.

That doesn't answer the question. Also, the ID is not required if no one is using the channel. Also, if your SO uses CTCSS or DCS and you have your radio set for the tone/code you might no hear a morse code ID as typically they are sent with no encoding so that none of the units have to hear it.

[Cobra_Commander]

My Police department has never idenfied their id through morse code not even once.

[boy_ryan22]

Does this rule apply to emergency services? ie. FD EHS PD? I know the Transit freq's ID with morse code but thats the only one I've ever heard.

[Cobra_Commander]

Yeah it does apply for fd's and pd's.

[n4voxgill]

FCC regulation 90-435 requires station identification every 15 mintues, or in the case of public safety every 30 minutes. If the station is in continuous use then it must give the call sign, voice or CW as stated, or if not then the station identification must be given during each exchange.

For example: A fire department that may go for hours during the night without a radio transmission would not have to do the 30 minute ID, but if they don't then they must give the ID every time they have contact with a unit, or one unit talks to another.

[Tophtoh]

They do not close the air everyday here, so not too often. There is a PL but I am listening on a PRO-2052.

[Waldo325mvfd]

I've heard it on several frequencies, being around dc and all, but any way it dosent just apply to fd and pd. stuff like taxis busses ect.

[n4voxgill]

like I said for non-public safety, business radiio service they must ID every 15 minutes.

[Voyager]

Originally Posted by Cobra_Commander

My Police department has never idenfied their id through morse code not even once.

Do they give their callsign in VOICE? That's legal, too.

Joe M.

[jwheatley]

I know where I live the call sign is given by dispatch at certain times of the day. I cannot recall ever hearing Morse code to ID.

The times that I know of when I hear dispatch give the call sign is when:

The FD does their morning and evening radio tests. At the end of the test will say something to the effect of: "...this concludes your [0800 or 1900] radio test for [date]. KSJ269 [time].

The PD and SD give their call signs after they give "Be-On-The-Look-Out" type of calls. Dispatch normal gives the info and says: "Authority of [badge number] or dispatch. [callsign]. Time out [time]."

These seem to be the only times that I hear call signs given. My guess would be that there is a PL that does give the call sign via Morse code, I just never hear them.

[nd5y]

Most public safety and local government users and 99.9% of all business
and private users that I have ever listened to don't ID at all and routinely
ignore other FCC regulations too.

Ignorance is no exuse for you (or your business) when you violate federal
regulations. Why should it be for them?

Tom

[nashscan]

I moniter a certain city in Tennessee (not nashville) every day, and I have never heard station identification voice or morse.

[ScannerDude244]

the only one I hear in my county is on one of the AMR channels it only comes on everyone 30mins but only when they key up on their radios.