Florida Roll Call

tmcmath

tmcmath

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 8, 2005
Messages
53
Location
nh and fl
Hello Florida

I've been here in Florida for about a year now. I live in Pasco County. I'm interested in listening Public safety coms as well as the DMR coms in the Tampa area. I own several scanners (pro96, bcd396t, and the new addition is the bcd436hp ). I've been experimenting with tuned antennas for the 800 mhz trunks systems in the area. No matter what I do I can't pick up Pinellas County. Everything else comes in fine. Unfortunately I rent a house in a HOA so mounting an aerial antenna is out of the realm of possibility. It amazes me how shorthanded the county sherriffs are around my area. I'm also amazed at the lack of retail radio shops there are in the Tampa area. Seems like everything you need for the hobby must to be ordered online.
 
N

ngel

Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2010
Messages
323
Location
SW Pasco County
tmcmath said:
I. No matter what I do I can't pick up Pinellas County. Everything else comes in fine. Unfortunately I rent a house in a HOA so mounting an aerial antenna is out of the realm of possibility. It amazes me how shorthanded the county sherriffs are around my area. I'm also amazed at the lack of retail radio shops there are in the Tampa area. Seems like everything you need for the hobby must to be ordered online.
Click to expand...

I am not sure where you are located but i am pretty close to the Pinellas, Pasco line and have difficulty picking up the Pinellas P25 system. First start off with making sure you are only trying to monitor Site 5. , also try using attenuation. The new P25 system does not come in well in Pasco.
 
A

all4gaines

Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2007
Messages
33
Location
Coral Springs, Fl
BCD436HP Listener

In Broward County have a BCD436HP with RadioShack 800mhz antenna. Currently listen to local law enforcement. Have realized recently that Federal Frequencies have no activity on them what so ever. I have been reading posted on RR on what frequencies are busy or have pops, but I have listen to almost every channel from 163-174, 400-415 all of which have no activity. I have used open search, used PL tones, DCS codes, NAC codes, and Color Codes...all I have found out give me the same thing, no results.

Anyone else having the same issue?
 
J

johnk9deputy

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 3, 2015
Messages
52
Location
lake wales
I live in Polk County in between Tampa and Lakeland, I get Hillsbourgh and Orlando as well as Polk CO. I listen to sheriff office fire ems and too life flight units out of Tampa.
I have a bcd 436hp 536 hp and a whistler trx2 base
 
wa8iqo

wa8iqo

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2011
Messages
5
Location
Central Florida
Hello!

I currently live in Polk County as well. Moved here from Michigan last year to work for Disney. Have been a licensed amateur radio technician for a few years now. I am a member of Disney Emergency Amature Radio Services. Haven't done much in the way of hobbies or radio stuff as the mouse has taking up most of my time. Things are slowly getting less demanding as were are finely getting into a routine after the move. Starting to slowly get back into radio stuff as time allows.

Brad - WA8IQO
 
K

KD6IHY

Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2017
Messages
5
Location
Largo, FL
Largo, FL

Largo, Fl, Pinellas County, in Tampa Bay. Listen to Ham radio, all of Pinellas County Public Services (including Public Works, they are funny sometimes). Sometimes Hillsborough County Public Services. I like finding and listening to odd radio conversations like businesses. Go to a mall and use SpectrumSweeper/CloseCall, It can get funny.

tmcmath said:
I've been experimenting with tuned antennas for the 800 mhz trunks systems in the area. No matter what I do I can't pick up Pinellas County. Everything else comes in fine
Click to expand...

I also find this funny, I live on the far side of US 19 in Largo and i can pick up Hillsborough West on a rubber ducky
 
K

Klentathu

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Aug 16, 2008
Messages
61
Location
Murphy, NC
Pinellas P-25

tmcmath said:
I've been here in Florida for about a year now. I live in Pasco County. I'm interested in listening Public safety coms as well as the DMR coms in the Tampa area. I own several scanners (pro96, bcd396t, and the new addition is the bcd436hp ). I've been experimenting with tuned antennas for the 800 mhz trunks systems in the area. No matter what I do I can't pick up Pinellas County. Everything else comes in fine. Unfortunately I rent a house in a HOA so mounting an aerial antenna is out of the realm of possibility. It amazes me how shorthanded the county sherriffs are around my area. I'm also amazed at the lack of retail radio shops there are in the Tampa area. Seems like everything you need for the hobby must to be ordered online.
Click to expand...

As a retired sgt from Pinellas SO, I recommend you only monitor Site 5 frequencies. Many of the groups are encrypted and your scanner will ignore them. Also, please remember that all PSCO cruisers are dispatched by in-car computer and fire units are paged by digital pager. Even traffic stops can be entered by the patrol deputy in the computer without calling on the air. Every deputy is also issued a Verizon cell phone. Therefore, all you will likely hear is in progress emergency calls if they have not encrypted the patrol channels. Detectives rarely use the radio, and when they do, they use the encrypted channels for surveillance. SWAT, Narcotics, TAC, and Special OPS are definitely all encrypted. Special OPS includes all Lands Management, Marine, Air Support, STEP, and Traffic Units.

And, yes, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office is notoriously underfunded and understaffed.

I no longer live in Florida, so some information may be outdated.
 
w6sev

w6sev

Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2002
Messages
9
Location
Dunnellon, FL.
mkh said:
Other state forums have done this so I thought it would be a great idea for Florida. Please list where you live and what you monitor.

I live in the northwest part of St. Johns county just about a mile from the Duval county (i.e. Jacksonville) line.

I monitor the St. Johns count Police and Fire along with the St. Augustine Police. I also sometimes monitor the Jacksonville Fire Rescue feed that UFEMTFF provides.

I'm also a licensed ham and I'm getting involved with both ARES and SkyWarn. I'm studying for my General and hope to do more HF work soon.
Click to expand...
I live on the NW side of Ocala and mainly monitor public safety and civil aviation. However I have recently downloaded the FL MILAIR list into my BCD396XT and am listening, so I'll see what I hear.
 
I

I_am_Alpha1

Member
Joined
May 21, 2014
Messages
264
Hooterville said:
How do we monitor the Levy County Sheriff's Office?
Click to expand...

The database shows they left SLERS and have their own Icom IDAS system. Icom lists it as NXDN. If it's true NXDN, any of the latest scanners will work--after you pay for the NXDN upgrade. You may want to research commercial radios on E-Bay to include programming software and cables...it may be cheaper and more reliable or it may not. There is a feed on broadcastify.com for one of their frequencies.
 
H

Hooterville

Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2007
Messages
44
I_am_Alpha1 said:
The database shows they left SLERS and have their own Icom IDAS system. Icom lists it as NXDN. If it's true NXDN, any of the latest scanners will work--after you pay for the NXDN upgrade. You may want to research commercial radios on E-Bay to include programming software and cables...it may be cheaper and more reliable or it may not. There is a feed on broadcastify.com for one of their frequencies.
Click to expand...

Thanks, what scanner would you recommend?
 
K

K9MC

Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
8
Location
Plant City, FL
NE Hillsborough County. Monitor local law enforcement, EMS, Fire. I'm also a licensed Ham since the early 90's.

__________________

Michael | KD4WYN
Plant City, FL
Kenwood TM-D710; TM-V71A; TH-K20A
Uniden BCD996XT; HomePatrol 2; SDS100; Sportcat 180
 
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