Highway 401 traffic info?

[Nap]

Hi All,

Apart from truckers CB radio, are there any other frequencies to listen for news such as collisions, closed roads or any other severe traffic disturbances? (I mean faster then waiting for a traffic report on FM radio)

Thanks,
Nap

 

[mrweather]

680 News? Traffic every ten minutes on the ones.

Monitoring OPP on Fleetnet you'll hear dispatch call for a "first tow" whenever there's an incident involving a vehicle. I've rarely heard anything on the official OPP media frequencies.

 

[EJB]

680 News? Traffic every ten minutes on the ones.

Monitoring OPP on Fleetnet you'll hear dispatch call for a "first tow" whenever there's an incident involving a vehicle. I've rarely heard anything on the official OPP media frequencies.

I am surprised that little here was said about the horrific turnof events today in Mississauga. Again, I wont post misery so people can listen to it but I figure that todays events would have had the hotshot part of this forum hopping.

 

[Nap]

Well I was thinking outside Toronto, like on the whole Windsor-Toronto stretch

I've tried the GPS FM traffic stuff, but there's no reception west of Puslinch. And then the alerts are just for GTA, I've never seen any alert for the epic jams in Milton.....

570 AM (around Kitchener) and 680 (closer to Toronto) work but 10 minutes are the difference between being able to take an exit and a detour vs. lining up in the gridlock for the rest of the day.... :-(

Nap.

 

[EJB]

680 and the various other stations do a decent job at letting us know in the GTA what is going on. As another member pointed out THE OPP and MTO are responsible for the traffic flow and the calls go out on their talkgroups. The MTO's website does a decent job of showing the traffic flow in the GTA and surrounding area.

Do you have a scanner that is equiped to listen to the OPP?

 

[Nap]

I have a GRE PSR 310 and an Icom R-20. Any good?

nap.

 

[EJB]

I dont know about the Icom but the 310 is an analogue only scanner. You cannot monitor the P25 Digital comms of the OPP however if you look in the DB here the OPP have repeaters in their cars that operate in analogue. 410.8625 is common and as long as you are close to an actual car you can hear what is going on.

 

[mrweather]

For the stretch from London to Windsor you're can choose either CB or (given your radios) OPP vehicular repeater frequencies. That's pretty much it.

 

[Nap]

Thanks guys, I spent some pleasant time with the GRE and the frequency database here (the Icom is too nice to take in the car lol I keep it at home to listen to shortwave and the local hams when they have a net).

I was digging into Fleetnet area 1 and some local systems such as Waterloo's EDACS.

I do understand that I cannot listen to the digital channels and that's where most of OPP is (except the vehicular repeaters you mentioned).

How about fire dept and paramedics? In my experience I see police and tow trucks at the scene for the common fender benders (which result in 1 lane closed at most), however for major events (such as rolled-over tractor trailer) there can be a couple of fire trucks too, with paramedics zooming around. I guess the best chance is the fire trucks as they stay at the scene. Do they also have some "vehicular repeater" frequencies?

Thanks,
Nap

 

[EJB]

Wirelessly posted (LG-GR500FD/V10a Teleca/Q7.1 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1)

Thanks guys, I spent some pleasant time with the GRE and the frequency database here (the Icom is too nice to take in the car lol I keep it at home to listen to shortwave and the local hams when they have a net).

I was digging into Fleetnet area 1 and some local systems such as Waterloo's EDACS.

I do understand that I cannot listen to the digital channels and that's where most of OPP is (except the vehicular repeaters you mentioned).

How about fire dept and paramedics? In my experience I see police and tow trucks at the scene for the common fender benders (which result in 1 lane closed at most), however for major events (such as rolled-over tractor trailer) there can be a couple of fire trucks too, with paramedics zooming around. I guess the best chance is the fire trucks as they stay at the scene. Do they also have some "vehicular repeater" frequencies?

Thanks,
Nap

The OPP, MTO. Mnr and most MOH EMS are on fleetnet. There are no digital per se, fleetnet is a mixed analog and digital systems with some agencies being encrypted. You can program in to listen to the Waterloo EDACS system as well as the EMS on fleetnet. The MTO crews are also analog. There is a list of the repeater frequencies for both the OPP and the MOH in the DB here.

 

[ATCTech]

Although it won't help Nap with his analog equipment, some of the best traffic info comes from the GO Transit / Metrolinx coach drivers on their system, east from Kitchener/Waterloo only of course.

Bob

 

[Nap]

If anyone else is doing this too, I just wanted to report that the standard GRE antenna is pretty much useless for CB radio (unless you want to limit yourself to hearing just the truck that you're passing by). Since I'm not willing to sport a full sized CB antenna on my trunk (I drive a small car), I've tried some stuff and finally settled on the Comet BNC-24 17" flex antenna. Way better. As a side effect I now get strong reception of the VE3SED 53.370 MHz repeater when at home with the GRE too (the Icom with the longer antenna had no problem with it).

nap.