Question for Indiana Section

[W9NES]

I have been given a lot of radio equipment that was used for MECA sys 1 analong including 2 Stx 821's 2 MTS 2000's and 2 Motorola Sprectre mobiles.Everything works great and was wanting to use them for RECEIVE ONLY NOT TRANSMIT. This radio equipment was given to me before they went to the trash. *Scanner freak please do not delite this post* as I am asking a question and would like to hear from other members on what this equipment could be programed for for*Moniotoring ONLY* These are 800 Mhz trunking analong units. I am wanting to use these radios for monitoring on 800Mhz in the Indianapolis/Marion County area and I do not want to Monitor Law Enforcement,Fire or EMS becasue now they have gone digital and these radio will not receive that mode.Can any of our Indiana Members please input your ideas to this fourm on what to monitor on these would be great.There is no reason for this to be deleated and I am asking a SIMPLE QUESTION. If anyone could give me a couple of ideas that would be great!!This is what this public fourm is all about,Asking QUESTIONS.*Thank You!!!!!* Your Input is requested* or you can contact me at my Primary e-mail address which is W9nes@Comcast.net

[W9RXR]

I am not an expert when it comes to programming Motorola radios for trunked systems, but my understanding is that in order to get the radio to follow the trunking, you have to have the system key. That information is generally not publicly available for obvious reasons.

The radios could be programmed fairly easily for conventional channels, non-trunked channels.

Your best source of information on programming Motorola radios is www.batlabs.com.

[Grog]

You could program then for any conventional channels such as the old/new ITAC frequencies. You could "tap" one and use it with etrunker or a similar program.


You could program then for a trunked system and let us know how long it takes to have them bricked

[W9NES]

Thank you Scannerfreak for not deleating or closeing my post.W9RXR and Grog, Thank You for your input.I have been aware of the Key issue for a very long time and that is not new news to me.I just wanted to know what if any use I could use these radios for.Again thanks to both of you for your valued input to this fourm.

[KC9JUM]

It must be possible..... WISH TV did a report with the news girl standing in front of fancy new Motorola radios sans the microphones. They were obviously on the MECA digital.

[Grog]

Originally Posted by KC9JUM

It must be possible..... WISH TV did a report with the news girl standing in front of fancy new Motorola radios sans the microphones. They were obviously on the MECA digital.

There have been instances of the media getting radios authorized to be on a system for RX purposes, likely what happened in that case if those radios were actually used by the media (I didn't see the reporter, so I have no idea where the shot was located).

[KC9JUM]

It was in the Wish TV news room. They had two base units and a portable. She was doing a report on the MECA system so they had the radios cranked up and running and in full view.

Shame those are 800s and not 900s.... you could put them in the 902 ham bands.....

You could get some good money on ebay for them most likely.

[W9NES]

'AS MECA TURNS" stay tuned for next weeks eposide,"More money".''More Problems"

[w8fcc]

Originally Posted by Grog

There have been instances of the media getting radios authorized to be on a system for RX purposes, likely what happened in that case if those radios were actually used by the media (I didn't see the reporter, so I have no idea where the shot was located).

Most of the News Media WRTV WTHR WXIN WISH use both scanners and XTS 5000 and mobles NEW system or old 821 on the old systems even some MTS2000 they where programed by MECA. MECA will sell or Rent the radios to the news media and set them up for RX ONLY for a fee however MECA choses what goes in there so they use the scanners to pick up what MECA does not put in them.

[alphabravo1]

Originally Posted by w8fcc

Most of the News Media WRTV WTHR WXIN WISH use both scanners and XTS 5000 NEW system or old 821 on the old systems even some MTS2000 they where programed by MECA. MECA will sell or Rent the radios to the news media and set them up for RX ONLY for a fee however MECA choses what goes in there so they use the scanners to pick up what MECA does not put in them.

Has anyone, John Q Citizen asked if they will sell or rent them a radio?
Some communities do this as well for people who ask and can pay. Though most are getting away from the practice. Even for the news media.

[w8fcc]

Originally Posted by newsalan

Has anyone, John Q Citizen asked if they will sell or rent them a radio?
Some communities do this as well for people who ask and can pay. Though most are getting away from the practice. Even for the news media.

Not that I know of but some crime watch people have in the past good question I would think it would be no to any one but news media or leo or fire or other users of the system like SYS 2 dot indy go and so but sys1 I bet not

[w8fcc]

They need $300,000 for the new speaker stuff maybe they might sell a xts 5000 rx only and then a fee on top of that who knows

[W9NES]

Channel 13 WTHR uses Uniden Bc 396T's for there phototog's.I taked with a very good friend of mine over at Channel 13 WTHR this week and that is what he told me.Meca was wanting way to much for there radios so they bought Uniden 396T's AND Uniden 996T's.Fox 59 news does not have any radios from MECA.All they have on the asignment desk is a Radio Shack Pro- 2096.Channel 6 WRTV has bought the new Xts 5000's in receive mode only (missing investigations 1,2,3) from a copy of a templete that was given to me.I have no idea on WISHTV Channel 8. WIBC 93.1 uses (2) Uniden BC 996T's AND (2) Uniden 396T's( That I programed up for them) Indianapolis Star last time I heard was using Uniden BC 796D's.that's the run down on Asignment Desk for TV stations in the Indianapolis Market.Can we hear from other parts of the state like Ft.Wayne,South Bend,Terre Haute for Ch 2 and 10) and down south in Evansville,( for Ch 7,14,25) would be intrestred in what other stations are using on there asignment desk from other parts of the state.Thank You.

[w8fcc]

I know WISH 8 uses the MECA radios mostly the Mobles and the HT's but MECA choses what they get kind of sucks if you buy one you should get it all for the money

[rdale]

Since they receive better, it's probably worth the money. Photog's don't need to hear INVEST 1 or CID 3, they need to know how large of an area the fire is expanding to, and where the last spot the shooter was seen.

[Viper43]

Originally Posted by rdale

Photog's don't need to hear INVEST 1 or CID 3, they need to know how large of an area the fire is expanding to, and where the last spot the shooter was seen.

Really? Are you a photographer and know what they need to hear and don't? In the case of some media outlets the photographer may be the only one at a scene, 99% of the time in my case the reporter just calls the PD after the fact while I do all the on scene stuff. More times than not secondary channels used for investigation, ops or whatever is where I get my cue to head to a certain part of a scene or even a secondary or third location. So don't assume you know what photgraphers need or don't need, thats up to the photographer to decide.

[rdale]

I've worked with enough MORE than enough photographers and reporters to know what they are listening for on the scanner... And to make the point even more -- at my current station, a total of zero (0) photogs have scanners with them or in their car.

Most don't know a fire talkgroup from a police tac channel. If they are the type that do want more information, they know how to get it. If they know more about a scanner than just turning it on, then they have resources other than MECA-provided radios.

I guess I don't understand your point - if you know that the stuff you want is on investigate channels, and you don't get it on your MECA radio, why don't you carry an additional scanner?

[Viper43]

For some reason I don't believe a thing you say rdale, one day your this the next your that, the more you say the more you sound like a wannabe. As for me I have enough scanners I don't need a MECA radio. Being freelance I get to go where I want and don't have bosses telling me where to go.
Oh well, enough of your know it rediculousness, I have to get ready to go shoot the Brickyard 400 and so forth starting at 7:00am...... some of us actually DO work.

[W9NES]

Yes Rdale, you sound like a wantabe and have no clue what is going on here.You seem tto have a answer for everything.Yes the Newsmedia has monitored Invistagesions I, 2 and 3.For your Infomartion we do not have a CID talkgroup on the MECA Radios.Phototogs do know what is going on and they do know a lot more than you are giving them credit for.I have never believed you or anything you have said in the past and if you were indeed working for the Newmedia you would never put down Phototogs becuase your photogs are the stations best people and those are the people that I work with when it comes down to covering a story.I think Rdale is not real!!!

[rdale]

"one day your this the next your that"

I haven't changed my career in 10 years. So -- a "wannabee" what? Photog? No. News media employee? No. Already am one. Knowledgeable about scanners? No. Already am.

I'm not putting photog's and reports down... I'm saying that most don't need Investigative 1 to get their job done. Most don't know details on scanner operation. Once you get into smaller markets, they don't even have scanners.

CID was a general reference W9NES. Sorry if that confused you. My point is the same.