Looking for scanner freq.

DAVESTER870 · #1 (**permalink**) 11-10-2012, 7:08 PM

Hi, I am trying to get the scanner frequencies for the AAA or CSAA Tow dispatch in the Contra Costa County area of California, as well as the business radio frequency for "Cupertino Tow" in Antioch, CA.

For AAA I was able to find:
452.5625
452.5500
150.9500
150.9350
however all 4 freq. are silent....any help or direction would be appreciated. I have gone round & round, with not luck.

W8RMH · #2 (**permalink**) 11-10-2012, 11:55 PM

Click here : where do you look for AAA and tow truck frequencies

~~kb2vxa~~ · #3 (**permalink**) 11-11-2012, 10:06 AM

They're probably using cell phones, like taxis tow truck drivers are vultures. Dispatch a truck and there's a good possibility a driver from another company is closer and there goes the tow and the money with it.

WayneH · #4 (**permalink**) 11-11-2012, 7:39 PM

Per the General Scanning Sticky thread regional related topics should be posted to their respective state forum. Moved to the CA SF Bay Area forum

kma371 · #5 (**permalink**) 11-11-2012, 9:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DAVESTER870

Hi, I am trying to get the scanner frequencies for the AAA or CSAA Tow dispatch in the Contra Costa County area of California, as well as the business radio frequency for "Cupertino Tow" in Antioch, CA.

For AAA I was able to find:
452.5625
452.5500
150.9500
150.9350
however all 4 freq. are silent....any help or direction would be appreciated. I have gone round & round, with not luck.

Try 150.920. I think that's used in that county. Most others use LTR systems in this area though.

Or this one
http://www.radioreference.com/apps/d...allsign=WIJ242

inigo88 · #6 (**permalink**) 11-11-2012, 10:28 PM

It used to be that each region had a CSAA dispatch channel, where the drivers could contact the AAA call-taker (located in some centralized call center, like in Arizona or something). This call center would initially dispatch the call via the driver's MDT (the data for which is usually up in the 900 MHz band somewhere).

Then each contract towing company has their own "shop channel," for use between the drivers and the secretary/front desk person back at their individual company, and these are usually leased from local radio shops (often on LTR systems).

I hadn't noticed much activity on the official CSAA 150 MHz and 450 MHz channels up in the bay area over the last couple years, so I suspect they went 100% MDT.

Here in socal, "AAA Southern CA" (a separate club) is 100% MDT, but they have a backup radio in the trucks (which was turned off last time I had to get towed). For their "shop channel" they used push-to-talk NEXTEL phones.

oldschoolamb · #7 (**permalink**) 11-12-2012, 12:09 PM

I can't provide a frequency but hopefully this will help.

Unfortunately I have had car trouble twice in the last year, both times in the south bay.Rental with no jack, another with two damaged tires.

I called AAA both times. First time I was in Mountain View and got Fortes. The young man was dispatched from Phoenix AAA on a 900 mhz MDT. I do not believe he even had a company radio in the brand new truck. He did state that a former CSAA dispatch manager was setting up a company in Sunnyvale to do the dispatch/call taking for a number of private tow services, but she was not yet on the air. Apparently CSAA has been rebidding service zones, much bigger than their old zones and running a number of firms out of business or severly downsizing. Fortes had been award everything from Santa Clara to Redwood City/Woodside with one of two "back-up" firms in Mountain View remaining. This pushed "Cupertino Tow" (based in Sunnyvale, also Sunnyvale Tow) out of its old CSAA service area. Sounds like all dispatch/communications was on the AAA MDT.

A few months later I made another call in Santa Clara. The CSAA dispatch system was down and they request you call a local service and submit the bill. I call Cupertino tow which was saved on my mobile. He did have a company radio, I think with a VHF antenna. He said they had the East Contra Costa CSAA contract. I believe they were doing dispatch using Nextel mostly as they did not dispatch set up in CoCo. He again said the AAA/CSAA dispatch was on MDT's out of Arizona, there is no CSAA dispatch in California. That driver indicated that the local firms had retained CHP and local city work, along with Freeway Service Patrol. Also that lots of CSAA customers had switched to insurance based services or manufactures services (Mercedes Benz, Lexus, GEICO, etc). I have thought of switching, I have two insurances that have tow programs cheaper than CSAA, one offers 30 days of rental coverage and tow for less than CSAA.

I have been told a number of tow services in the South Bay use one of two answering services and are dispatched using Nextel or shared 800 mhz systems.

inigo88 · #8 (**permalink**) 11-12-2012, 1:47 PM

Very good post, thanks. I'm surprised I got the Arizona call center location correct, it's been a while since I monitored them (before the MDT switch a couple years ago).

Radiobern · #9 (**permalink**) 11-12-2012, 2:25 PM

Here's my experience with CSAA tow and listening to them. A friend visited me in San Leandro, dropped his keys inside his car and locks himself out. He calls for an unlock and I monitor 452.55 CTCSS 141.3. I don't hear them dispatch this specific call but I do hear some activity for other calls. It is base and mobiles, no repeater. I hear two two truck drivers discuss who would take certain calls as they're both in my area. When the driver arrived, I had my scanner with me and there was some chatter going on. The driver hears it and wonders why I can hear them. I mention what I heard earlier and he says that was him. He did tell me most dispatches are over the computer now and that they do use the radio for driver chatter or call updates. I also noticed the ID they used on the radio is the same number on the truck ie "138". I forget what tow truck company he worked for. This was back in September of this year.

DAVESTER870 · #10 (**permalink**) 11-13-2012, 11:56 PM

Very informative & correct, however my friend now works for Cupertino tow & they dispatch from shop radios to motorola units in each truck. So my question now is where would I be able to located the business frequency? I tried looking on FCC site only to get lost. I did verify that the DBA is Cupertino Tow based in Antioch CA

DAVESTER870 · #11 (**permalink**) 11-14-2012, 12:01 AM

Old School is correct, However now Cupertino Tow uses shop radios to dispatch to motorola radios in the trucks. So my question now is how/where can I find the business frequency? I checked fcc site only to get lost. The company is a DBA (doing business as) CUPERTINO TOW based in Antioch,CA

Oakland_Tower · #12 (**permalink**) 11-24-2012, 5:07 PM

There are a number of tows on this LTR system in the south Bay: Crystal Communications (Monument/Mission Peak) Trunking System, Fremont, California - Scanner Frequencies

There are some errors to the channels in that system that I will send in to the DB admin soon. This probably won't help you out in the CoCo County area, but you should explore LTR systems in that area for shop channels.

UvGotIssuesToo · #13 (**permalink**) 12-01-2012, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DAVESTER870

Very informative & correct, however my friend now works for Cupertino tow & they dispatch from shop radios to motorola units in each truck. So my question now is where would I be able to located the business frequency? I tried looking on FCC site only to get lost. I did verify that the DBA is Cupertino Tow based in Antioch CA

Early 2000 a friend of mine worked for Cupertino Tow and said the FCC license was under the owners name. No clue what it is/was though.