Hiding Transmissions from Scanner

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dj0321

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Is it possible for a 2 way radio company to come in filter out radio transmissions from being heard on a scanner. I used to be able to hear an organization, but now I can't. They stated that they are still operating on the same frequency. Do you think something was done to encrypt radio transmissions. When I am monitoring the channel it's dead silent. But the channel is being used on a daily basis. Any ideas on how to hear transmissions again ?


Here is the frequency...

860.11250 WNIJ922 RM 203.5 PL Regency Cab Regency Cab FM Transportation
 

zz0468

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If they encrypted, you would hear something, it just wouldn't be intelligible. If PL is enabled on your scanner, they could have changed the tone. Beyond that, there's a thousand reasons why you could be failing to hear their transmissions. But they can't selectively "filter" it out of scanners. The could move their transmitter to a place where you no longer hear it. They could be operating on a different frequency, maybe they went to a trunked service. Etc.
 

dj0321

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If they moved to a trunked system, would the online FCC Database show it ?
 

W8RMH

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They could be using a community system where the license would be under the system owner's name.

Or they could be encrypted. This is common to prevent other companies from stealing their fares.

They also hold this license - WNKL656 which I believe may be an iDEN system which can not be received on a scanner.
 
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ocguard

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You could just tell us what you're trying to hear and maybe someone might be able to help...
 

zz0468

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If they moved to a trunked system, would the online FCC Database show it ?

Not necessarily.

From your first post, you indicate that you used to be able to hear them, but no longer can. Have YOU changed anything?
 

dj0321

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Nope, I haven't changed anything. One day I switched on my scanner and i stopped being ale to hear them. Their frequency is dead quiet. No tones or anything.
 

Septa3371CSX1

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Nope, I haven't changed anything. One day I switched on my scanner and i stopped being ale to hear them. Their frequency is dead quiet. No tones or anything.

They could have also stopped using two way radios and switched to MDT's for dispatching and communications with cell phones filling in the gaps. I know a couple of the Philly area cab companies have gone that route.
 

riveter

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Yeah the only real reason you'd suddenly get a total dropoff and not hear a single transmission when you used to hear tons is loss of use. The only transmission mode that a scanner won't even notice is FHSS, and that's military except for the Moto DTR style 900mhz portables. Everything else has some sort of noticeable waveform.
 

krokus

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The question I have not seen: Can you still hear other radio traffic on the same frequency band?
 

zz0468

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No, I do not hear anything.

Nothing at all, nothing on that band, nothing on that frequency, or nothing from the taxi company?

You really need to be a bit more verbose as to what's going on. Answering ALL of the questions above would be useful.
 

dj0321

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I do not heat anything on that frequency, And I don't hear anything from the Taxi company.
 

n5ims

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If they moved to a trunked system, would the online FCC Database show it ?

Not necessarily. For example, I may hold a valid license ABC-1234 and used it quite heavily, but found it didn't quite give me the coverage I needed. I contracted with "Trunked-Radios-R-US" to supply us with new radios and service that provided me the coverage I needed. When I move to their system, I still have my own license and could use it if I desired, but since I now pay for service, I no longer use it or the assigned frequencies. Do I now need a new license for the trunked system I'm now using? No since I'm now operating under the license owned by "Trunked-Radios-R-US" so there's no need for me to get one of my own and the associated hassle like "Do I need to modify my license when I add 20 new cabs to my fleet to cover their radios?", "Do I need to renew my license this year or is it next year?", "If I add a new mini-dispatch-center at the airport do I need to modify my license to cover it?", ...

Should I cancel my license since I'm no longer using it? Perhaps, but I'll probably hold onto it until I confirm that my new trunked radio service works out as I expect it to. I may keep it anyway to handle that new limo service I'm thinking of starting.
 

dj0321

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So I take it, there's no real way of finding where they moved to. right ?
 

wtp

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well you could

use a frequency counter (old school)
radio with close call/signal stalker
look for new antennas (old ones may not be in use)
spectrum analyzer (too expensive)
if you ask someone they could just say no change to get rid of you
my vote goes to cell phones
 

dj0321

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So since they went to computer aided dispatch system, what if the driver needed to radio something in fast ... How would he do that ?.. Call in ?
 

redburgundy

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So since they went to computer aided dispatch system, what if the driver needed to radio something in fast ... How would he do that ?.. Call in ?

That's one possibility. It could be a push-to-talk service operated by a cell phone company, like Nextel used to offer (or maybe still does).
Or it could be a voice-over-IP technology operating on Regency's frequency. Digital scanners would not be able to decode it. An analog scanner might detect noise.
Or Regency may have moved to IT Curves' radio system (if they have radio licenses).
 
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