New radio...scanning, et al...

[Thunderbolt5]

Hi all,

Firstly, I'm new here, and to all this radio stuff.... I'm learning as fast as I can!

Thanks to everyone here posting on these forums, there's so much info posted by ya'll and really helps new guys like me reading and trying to understand everything. THANKS!

On to my questions...

I was given a POS 400-480mHz radio by an old HAM to help get me started, (He was the one that called a POS>>>not me, lol.) and I have been playing around with it. I have been scanning with it and have come across many different things that I don't understand. Many are data or RC signals, I'm sure.

Well, I have since moved away, and I no longer really have access to my friend to help me....This is where ya'll come in.

Where can I find out what these signals are, and how to listen to them/decode them? (If it is even possible or legal, I don't know). I'm sure there's software out there, but I don't know what it is, or even what I'm looking for, lol.

I should also add that I'm in the middle of my studying for my amateur license, so I don'r even have that yet, but will shortly.

Additionally, I have been paying a lot of attention to antennas, towers, dishes and all sorts of other communication equipment in my area. But I have no idea what I'm looking at! How would I go about figuring out what the equipment is? Most communications buildings I've seen are small, nondescript with large antennas next to them. But I have no ideas beyond that. How would I find out what it is or who operates it?

Lastly, I hear many transmissions on the radio that I have no idea what they are, but I have the freq, obviously. Is there some way of looking up who or what is on a specific freq in a certain area? You know, if I hear a data transmission on 462.275mHz, in Phoenix, AZ, how could I find out who that is?

I have seen a lot of info here on RR in the database section, but there are many, many more transmissions on freqs that are not listed.

Thanks all again for the info.

I hope to lean a lot here!

Thunderbolt

[mciupa]

Welcome to RadioReference Thunderbolt5

Those data channels may be control channels of trunked radio systems. Are they constant or sporadic?

As for freq. search, you gotta use this: Site / Frequency Query

[N8IAA]

Hello ThunderBolt5 Just out of curiousity, what kind of radio do you have? With that question, let's move on. There is a really good database here on RR. It can be your best friend when searching for frequencies in your immediate area. Not to be left out, is the state forums further down the page on this page. Tons of knowledge from people in your area. That said, welcome again)
Larry

[N8IAA]

Ok, your POS ain't going to work in the Phoenix area. Most every one in the county is on a trunked system. Second, and not least, is that most are Project 25 Digital and on 800Mhz. Even the non-trunked is conventional P-25 (in the 700Mhz range). Save up the money and get a good digital, trunktracking scanner. Get software to program the scanner, because you will go bald trying to figure it out Just thought I'd let you know what you need to monitor your area.
Larry

[Astrak]

You can still monitor DPS, AIRS and some other public safety comms in the UHF conventional area. If you want to hear a lot more you'll need a digital capable scanner to receive the majority of traffic around here.

[Thunderbolt5]

Thanks for the responses, all.

I should clarify...I'm in central Washington State now, and no longer in PHX...couldn't handle the weather, lol.

The stuff I hear is all varied...Some of it sounds like someone has an open mic, full quieting, but nothing else. Some of it sounds like a fax machine or modem in the begining, then goes to "white noise", still some yet sounds like a machine-gun staccato fast rhythm. I dunno. Just curious, I guess.

There's so much stuff going on over the "air waves" that I knew about, but never really had much interest. But now I find it fascinating. I've also been paying more attention to much of the communications towers and such around...but have no way of IDing them, that I know of.

mciupa, thanks for the link! That's exactly what I was looking for.

I think the radio is a Kenwood 2-way, I can't remember the model number. It's pretty old and beat up, but I can program it on the panel. It scans horribly slow, but it's fun to play with. I'll probably get a scanner later on.

Here where I am, there's very few trunked systems, and the one's that are, are not any of the police or fire systems anyway.

Thanks again all!

Thunderbolt5

[Exsmokey]

Keep the radio for use when you get your Amateur Technician license. You will be able to work the 70cm or also known as the 440 ham band. There are all sorts of tricks to finding out what a frequency is being used for. One is here, using the Radio Reference Database. Another is to use the Scannerstuff Oregon/Washington Directory. This is their website:

http://www.scannerstuff.com/index.htm

The owner of Scannerstuff is Dan Rollman, who is a RR member. His directories are very good and contain information that is not in the RR Database, such as call signs, channel labeling, narrative material about agencies, etc.

The third method is to start using the FCC license search website. Here is the link:

http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsS...rchLicense.jsp

Go to the "advanced license search" and take a look at the options. You can enter frequencies, you can enter license call signs if you hear one. Back on the main page on the right click onto "Geographic" and you can search by lat/long, county, city, and using other parameters. It takes a bit of time playing with the different options and how to use them to make this tool useful to you.

Another option is to go into stores that sell scanners or ham radio stores. Sometimes these stores have local directories or frequency lists that are quite useful as they might contain information gathered by people who have monitored local radio systems a lot. Beware of this option as sometimes these lists can contain lots of erroneous information by people who don't understand radio very well. They will sometimes list repeater input frequencies and not the repeater output frequency. If you aren't in range of a mobile unit or base stations that transmit on the repeater input frequency you may not hear anything and wonder why. This is just one example of the types of errors these lists can have. So if they cost more than a couple of dollars you might not want to purchase them.

It is very rare when a large electronic store that happen to sell scanners has any frequency information. Most often the sales staff can barely find radio scanners, let alone tell you how they work and the frequencies to program into them.

This should get you started. I hope I have helped. Welcome to the hobby. Radio Reference is the best place to learn about this hobby and in 40+ years of my experience in the hobby is the best source of information for it ever developed. It's even getting better all the time. Lindsay is doing an absolutely fantastic job running this site.

[Thunderbolt5]

Thanks for the info, Exsmokey, I appreciate it.

I'll certainly keep the little HT around, I have too much fun with it!

I'm still trying to find resources for figuring out what the different signals I hear are, as there's not much info I can find or in this small town.

I have noticed a distinct lack of transmissions here in central WA Vs. Phoenix, AZ. I suppose the population and such are to blame!

Thunderbolt5