NASCAR Scanning question

[Spacemaker]

During the some recent races people in attendance have been unable to scan the 24 team during practices or races without using a Fanview scanner. I heard during a broadcast that they had begun using some sort of digital channel during practices to prevent other teams from monitoring their communications. Now it seems that they may be using the same thing for raceday. What is confusing is that the people with the Fanview devices. the NASCAR.com Trackpass users, DirecTV Hotpass users as well as the TV networks are able to access the communication.

What, if anything, can race fans with common handheld scanners (SC230, BC72,92,95 etc) do to access this race day communication?

Thanks.

 

[chip89]

raceday

try using the digital police scanner radios, i know when i went to pocono raceway, i was able to pick them up, it was different interfance but i was still able to pick the racer up, especailly the 24 team.

 

[b7spectra]

If I'm not mistaken, all transmissions are in analog as NASCAR must have the capability to monitor all of their conversations as well. Many years ago, Bill Elliot's team moved up to either 800 or 900 MHz, but NASCAR told them to move back.

 

[Jay911]

If I'm not mistaken, all transmissions are in analog as NASCAR must have the capability to monitor all of their conversations as well. Many years ago, Bill Elliot's team moved up to either 800 or 900 MHz, but NASCAR told them to move back.

I was going to make a comment about how NASCAR should be able to handle digital audio and/or freqs above 512, but then again, I recalled that this is an entity whose Car of Tomorrow still has a pushrod motor and no windshield wipers.

 

[JESSERABBIT]

Well, I don't know what is going on, but just visited the Nascar.com SuperStore and they still seem to be selling receivers capable of picking up racetrack commumicatons.

 

[NWI_Scanner_Guy]

The February issue of Popular Communications (well, at least I think it was February) had a pretty good article on NASCAR scanning.

If I remember correctly, they made mention that there are usually quite a few vendors on site that rent radios, so if yours doesn't pick up what you want to hear, that may be an alternate route to go to hear all of the action.

I know when NASCAR comes to the Chicagoland Speedway this July, I'll be nearby trying to hear what's going on.

SSSG

 

[wogggieee]

I'd chalk it up to operator error. Wrong frequency or something like that.

 

[Spacemaker]

I'd chalk it up to operator error. Wrong frequency or something like that.

All the other drivers came in just fine. Also, it's unlikely that everyone I have communitcated with made the same error. These people have been taking scanners to the tracks for years and know what they are doing.

 

[Spacemaker]

try using the digital police scanner radios, i know when i went to pocono raceway, i was able to pick them up, it was different interfance but i was still able to pick the racer up, especailly the 24 team.

I am beginning to think the 24 team has gone digital. As I mentioned before, I heard a report last year on Speed where they talked about how the 24 team was using a new digital signal that was set up so that other teams couldn't scan them.

 

[mjthomas59]

I guess i don't understand the logic behind this "digital signal" and "so other teams can't monitor them." If you, or I, or anyone else can go out and buy a digital scanner then i don't see how that would stop other teams from doing it and still monitor what they are saying. Also, as mentioned, Nascar has to have the capability to monitor it as well, and i don't see them going out and buying some high-dollar receiver to monitor one team.

Further, the fanview scanner is available on ebay and i'm sure plenty of other places. I would say you have the wrong frequencies for the 24 team. These i found from May 07 467.0625, 465.8625,and 468.2125 . The 467.0625 has also been confirmed through racingelectronics.com which allegedly has the most uptodate list on the internet(i have no clue if that is true). They also show up at races and could most likely provide you with firsthand information that way as well.

I would suggest doing a band search the next time you are at the track and see if you can find the frequencies that way. I would think a quick google search might reveal the frequencies/radio system that each team uses.

 

[wogggieee]

All the other drivers came in just fine. Also, it's unlikely that everyone I have communitcated with made the same error. These people have been taking scanners to the tracks for years and know what they are doing.

That doesn't mean that they couldn't have the wrong information. I've been scanning at tracks and in general for quite a while but i know i get things wrong sometimes. Your scanner is only as good as the information that you have to program into it. Teams change frequencies, its possible their information is outdated. Like the others said, they have to be monitorable by NASCAR, and i don't think NASCAR would want to buy a certain scanner for one team.

 

[Jay911]

I guess i don't understand the logic behind this "digital signal" and "so other teams can't monitor them." If you, or I, or anyone else can go out and buy a digital scanner then i don't see how that would stop other teams from doing it and still monitor what they are saying. Also, as mentioned, Nascar has to have the capability to monitor it as well, and i don't see them going out and buying some high-dollar receiver to monitor one team.

I'm not saying this is the case, but it would not be too difficult for the team to have a radio with non-P25 digital, and be required to give NASCAR officials one (or more) of their radios, thus meeting the requirements.

 

[Spacemaker]

I guess i don't understand the logic behind this "digital signal" and "so other teams can't monitor them." If you, or I, or anyone else can go out and buy a digital scanner then i don't see how that would stop other teams from doing it and still monitor what they are saying. Also, as mentioned, Nascar has to have the capability to monitor it as well, and i don't see them going out and buying some high-dollar receiver to monitor one team.

Further, the fanview scanner is available on ebay and i'm sure plenty of other places. I would say you have the wrong frequencies for the 24 team. These i found from May 07 467.0625, 465.8625,and 468.2125 . The 467.0625 has also been confirmed through racingelectronics.com which allegedly has the most uptodate list on the internet(i have no clue if that is true). They also show up at races and could most likely provide you with firsthand information that way as well.

I would suggest doing a band search the next time you are at the track and see if you can find the frequencies that way. I would think a quick google search might reveal the frequencies/radio system that each team uses.

The report I saw said they use some new encrypted digital signal to keep their practice conversations private.

As far as having the wrong frequencies please give us some credit. After scanning races for 20 years we know what we were doing. We know all the channels to check. We know where to get the info. The bottom line is that all of the other drivers came in but the 24 communication was nowhere to be found. I went so far as to call Hendrick Motorsports seeking info. The lady who I talked to had no information but she did mention that they've gotten dozens of calls over the past several days from people asking why they could hear everyone on their scanners except the 24.

 

[Spacemaker]

Also, thanks for the responses. Your help here is appreciated.

 

[k8tmk]

What does NASCAR stand for?

National Association of Schizos, Crazies, And Retards? Just kidding.

Randy

 

[scanfan03]

If Gordon has his radio encrypted then Jr. would have to have his encrypted too along with Jimmy Johnson considering that they can talk to each other and they are all on the same team.

 

[n2mdk]

If Gordon has his radio encrypted then Jr. would have to have his encrypted too along with Jimmy Johnson considering that they can talk to each other and they are all on the same team.

Not necessarily they could simply talk on an unencrypted common channel. It would seem to make sense that if one of the members of the team was using encryption the others would as well.

 

[Jay911]

If Gordon has his radio encrypted then Jr. would have to have his encrypted too along with Jimmy Johnson considering that they can talk to each other and they are all on the same team.

That's not necessarily true; radios could have the ability of using digital (or encryption, which is not the same), or analog/clear, or both. It's not uncommon to hear two parties on a talkgroup - one in the clear and one encrypted - and neither knows the other is in the opposite state, because a) the encrypted radio receives clear audio comms just fine, even if it's in encrypted mode and b) the clear radio receives encrypted comms just fine, even if it's in the clear mode. The radios are designed to operate that way.

 

[scanfan03]

That's not necessarily true; radios could have the ability of using digital (or encryption, which is not the same), or analog/clear, or both. It's not uncommon to hear two parties on a talkgroup - one in the clear and one encrypted - and neither knows the other is in the opposite state, because a) the encrypted radio receives clear audio comms just fine, even if it's in encrypted mode and b) the clear radio receives encrypted comms just fine, even if it's in the clear mode. The radios are designed to operate that way.

Okay, but when you hear them talking to each other, you would hear static or digital noise while Jeff is talking and then the other person loud and clear. Next race someone needs to program in the common channel and see what they hear.

 

[dparana]

In the past I've checked the FCC License data for the teams to get freqs. I have been going to races for many years and the 24 has always used the 467.025, if no activity was on that, something must be going on. License data for Hendrick Motorsports and which cars have used the freqs are below, maybe the 24 switched to one of those (just throwing it out there):

Callsign WPUA731, IG - Industrial/Business Pool, Conventional, Expires 01/24/2012
461.7875
462.0625 Junior (From Jayski Site)
463.2125

Callsign WPUK648, IG - Industrial/Business Pool, Conventional, Expires 03/22/2012
451.9875 Johnson
452.2375 Johnson (From Jayski Site)
456.9875

Callsign WPCI338, IG - Industrial/Business Pool, Conventional, Expires 05/29/2003, Cancelled 09/07/2003

461.0625
461.3375
462.0625 No. 25 Secondary
465.8625 Gordon Secondary
466.3375
466.7875 No. 25 Primary
467.0375 No. 5 Secondary
467.0625 Gordon Primary
468.2125 Mears Primary (From Jayski Site)
469.4875

Maybe I'll call Richard Childress racing and have them file a complaint if one of the Hendrick's teams are broadcasting on any of the freqs associated with the cancelled callsign .