Bay Area Newbie needs Help

[Wyldstyle]

Hello All,

I am new to scanning, so I will explain what my situation is. I live in Vallejo, but have a business in Newark,CA which NEEDS scanners for our business. I would like to be able to scan from the office and from the mobile office. So my question, what equipment do I need? keep in mind I need to be able to scan the following agenices in Digital (Police/Fire):

Berkeley
Oakland
Richmond
Bart Police
Fremont
Newark
Hayward
San Francisco
San Leandro
Castro Valley
Alameda
Daly City
Vallejo
Benica
and all CHP

Because I am new, I do not have a clue as to program a scanner. Does anyone know of anyone whom could do this that live in the Bay Area. Where are some good retail shops in the Bay Area. I need to have this system up a running by the beginning of next month. I could really use everyone's help.

Thank You all

 

[RolnCode3]

Well, I guess the first thing is you'll need digital scanners, as San Francisco is mixed mode analog/digital. If you need to go into Marin at all, they're also digital.

CHP is lowband in most areas, which makes following them in addition to all the 800 stuff difficult because the antennas aren't set up to do both. Luckily, though, in the Bay Area, apparently most of CHP is repeated across the base frequency, which should make it much easier to follow them.

Last, but not least, taking a wild guess here that you're starting up a security company.

 

[Wyldstyle]

no....not a security company. What maker of scanner so I look into? Will I need any whip ant. for the car?

Thanks agian!

 

[RolnCode3]

There are two main makers that you'll need to look at. Mostly because you're going to need trunking scanners. The two are:

1)Uniden: The BC250D, BC785D, BC296D, and BC796D. The BC250D and BC785D might not work depending on whether any of those are 9600baud or not (someone else will need to tell you). The BC250D and BC796D are handheld (portable) radios, and the BC296D and BC796D are base/mobiles.

2)Radioshack: Pro-96. That's your only digital radio from them as of today. This is a handheld (portable) radio.

The handhelds will not require an external antenna mounted on the car. The mobile/base ones will require an antenna mounted on the exterior of the car, unless you stick with something like what comes with the scanner (not a great idea).

The antenna setups aren't too expensive (20-50 bucks per car depending on equipment). The scanners themselves are going to be your big expense. The BC785D (if you can find it) will be about 450 including digital card(required to listen to digital systems), and the BC250D with the digital card installed will run you right around 300-330 if you find a package deal. The BC796D and BC296D are both 400-500 (or so), and the Pro-96 is right around 500 as well.

 

[ECPD279]

If you are not interested in San Mateo or Marin County agencies, you would be fine with a non digital scanner such as the BC-780XLT. San Francisco is a mixed mode system, meaning some digital and some analog, but the only digital talkgroups are used for medics and are encrypted. As such, you really don't need digital to listen to SF. A BC-780 or Pro-2067 will run you around $200-250, I personally prefer the 780 but everybody has their own opinions. I also live in the area and I could help you program a scanner for all the agencies you listed if you're interested.

 

[ECPD279]

Hmmm. Guess he's not interested.

 

[Wyldstyle]

Yes....I am still interested. Thank you again to everyone whom replied!!

 

[AZScanner]

Yes....I am still interested. Thank you again to everyone whom replied!!

One question that wasn't answered was the name of a scanner shop in the bay area. I knew a bay area news stringer that swore by this place:

http://www.scannersunlimited.com/

Go see Glenn - he'll hook you up. If I ever make it up that far north I intend to check this place out myself. I always prefer to buy locally when I can, even though it costs a bit more - I simply hate waiting for mail orders to arrive.

-AZ

 

[gplncl]

Fremont Fire Frequency

I live in Fremont, and have an analog Radio Shack pro-93 trunk scanner. for several years. For the last few months, I have no longer been able to receive Fremont Fire. I have alameda county trunk frequencies and group numbers for Police and Fire, but Fire has stopped working. I've search for any info on the net about them going to a different system or digital, but no comments. Any ideas?

gplncl

 

[Mrbmw99]

Re: Fremont Fire Frequency

I live in Fremont, and have an analog Radio Shack pro-93 trunk scanner. for several years. For the last few months, I have no longer been able to receive Fremont Fire. I have alameda county trunk frequencies and group numbers for Police and Fire, but Fire has stopped working. I've search for any info on the net about them going to a different system or digital, but no comments. Any ideas?

gplncl

Hi. I am in Union Ctiy. Several of the local Fire Departments have moved over to the new dispatch system located at the Livermore Labs. They are still on the 3938 system, but on a different talkgroup. I do not have the list anymore, but I believe I submitted the talkgroups to the RR database. -Brett W

 

[gplncl]

Re: Fremont Fire Frequency

I have a Radioshack P-93 trunked, so if I have the control frequencies, I don't neet the individual frequencies. However, I have all the frequencies in the 800 band I can find.

866.1500 866.4250 866.8000 866.9375* 867.1500 867.2500 867.4000* 867.6750 867.7750 867.9250 868.0375 868.0875* 868.2000 868.2250 868.2750 868.3625 868.4375 868.6500 868.7125 868.7625* 868.9250

I also have these talk groups. I can't find any others, even thought fire has moved to Livermore.

Talk groups
35216 FIRE CH 1 (DISPATCH)
35248 FIRE CH 2
35280 FIRE CH 3
35312 FIRE CH 4
35344 FIRE CH 5 (FIREGROUND)
35376 FIRE ADMIN
35408 FIRE TRAINING
35440 FIRE EOC/FOC
35472 FIRE PREVENTION
35504 FIRE TAC 12
35536 FIRE TAC 13
35568 FIRE TAC 14
35600 FIRE TAC 15
46896 Fire Dispatch
46928 Fire TAC1
46960 Fire TAC2

I check these against the RR database. and I have all listed there, and none locked out. Do you (or anyone) actually hear the Fremont Ca fire department?

 

[Ben96cal]

alco tg's

18480 CTRL 1
43728 CTRL 2
43760 CTRL 3
43792 CTRL 4
17648 TAC 5
17680 TAC 6
17712 TAC 7
17744 TAC 8
17776 TAC 9
17808 TAC 10
17840 TAC 11
18000 FIRE PREVENTION 1
18032 ADMIN 1
18064 ADMIN 2
18096 FIRE PREVENTION 2
18128 TRAINING 1
18160 TRAINING 2
18192 WARNING SIRENS
48816 TAC 12
48848 TAC 13
48880 TAC 14
48912 TAC 15
48944 TAC 16
46896 NEWARK DISP
48016 MUTUAL AID
48048 MUTUAL AID
48080 MUTUAL AID
48112 MUTUAL AID
64016 MUTUAL AID
64048 MUTUAL AID
64080 MUTUAL AID
64112 MUTUAL AID
64144 MUTUAL AID
64176 MUTUAL AID
064208 MUTUAL AID
064240 MUTUAL AID
064272 MUTUAL AID
064304 MUTUAL AID

 

[RolnCode3]

I don't know how the Pro-93 works, but can you "open" the bank and listen to all the TGs active, or do a TG search like the Unidens have? (that's if the TGs posted above don't fix your problem). It's the hard way, but it'd eventually get you there.

 

[gplncl]

Thank you Ben96cal. I have added those tg's to try. However, they seem to be alameda county and alameda city, which are different than Fremont, but who knows where Fremont Fire may be lurking since they moved there dispachers.

Bill. Thank you for your comment. Yes, I can open the bank, and will try the hard way. I just have to remember to close the bank off before my wife listens to the scanner. I've sucked her into listing to the scanner, but she is only into the listening, not the technical stuff of programming.

 

[Ben96cal]

re: alco trunk

No, this is the complete list for the fd on alco trunk system. put the tg's in and sit back and relax.. thats it.. =)

Ben
www.mattlogic.com