Im a Scanner noob

[ScannerUK]

hi guys,
im here in the UK, i have a handheld scanner (no where near as good as your setups!). over here in the UK the police have changed from anologue to digital. just wandering if the scanners from the US pick up digital signals and what frequencies are digital! sorry if this is a real noob question!

 

[trainman111]

Yes, some scanners from the U.S. do pickup digital. In my metropolitain area (Richmond, Virginia) the police, fire and EMS are all digital. The most common three digital scanners that I've heard of are the Radio Shack PRO-2096, the Radio Shac PRO-96 and the Uniden BCD996T. I think there maybe one more from Uniden but I can't think of the name. As for digital frequencies, many many frequencies can be digital. You should use the database and change the country from the United States to the UK and look for frequencies there. It should say whether the frequency is digital or analog. What city do you live near? We were all noobs at one time or another. Asking questions is how you learn. I've found that out first hand. Asking questions and searching...

Nick

 

[drew6553]

isnt all of the UK on TETRA and therfore unscannable? i may be wrong so lets hope i am

 

[trainman111]

idk. The London police along with much of everything else is MPT-1237. I'm guessing that is TETRA. I could be wrong but if not, there is VERY little to listen to in the UK...

 

[morfis]

idk. The London police along with much of everything else is MPT-1237. I'm guessing that is TETRA. I could be wrong but if not, there is VERY little to listen to in the UK...

Slight case of mis-information above.

Most of the London Met plod are still using their Motorola Smartzone system. They have never used MPT1327. However, each area is currently converting to Airwave TETRA.
The rest of the English plod are pretty much all on Airwave TETRA already with Wales/Scotland changing atm.

There are NO scanners that will help you listen to Airwave TETRA.

No shortage of things to listen to in the UK...what makes you say there is very little?

 

[morfis]

hi guys,
im here in the UK, i have a handheld scanner (no where near as good as your setups!). over here in the UK the police have changed from anologue to digital. just wandering if the scanners from the US pick up digital signals and what frequencies are digital! sorry if this is a real noob question!

There are some digital capable scanners but they are not designed for use with Airwave TETRA. Not all police forces here have migrated to the Airwave TETRA system yet but the process is well under way.

 

[morfis]

isnt all of the UK on TETRA and therfore unscannable? i may be wrong so lets hope i am

TETRA is not "unscanable", it's a nice open protocol.......the encryption used by the Airwave TETRA in use here cannot currently be broken.

 

[ScannerUK]

so tetra cannot be scanned by any scanners? i live in bognor regis which is on the south coast of england (nearest major city is portsmouth)

 

[trainman111]

Slight case of mis-information above.

Most of the London Met plod are still using their Motorola Smartzone system. They have never used MPT1327. However, each area is currently converting to Airwave TETRA.
The rest of the English plod are pretty much all on Airwave TETRA already with Wales/Scotland changing atm.

There are NO scanners that will help you listen to Airwave TETRA.

No shortage of things to listen to in the UK...what makes you say there is very little?

My mistake, London Metropolitain PD are not MPT-1327, but doing a QUICK look, I noticed that there are quite a few licensees that are MPT-1327. I live in the United States so I'm not sure what kind of difference there is between here and there in regards to radio communications (if there is any). All I know is that I'm glad TETRA hasn't made too much of an appearance in the US yet!!

Edit: I don't know what the laws over there are but over here it's against the law to try and modify your scanner to recieve encrypted radio comms in the clear. If it's the same case over there, how would you legally break the encryption?? (not asking for specifics, i really dont wanna know how to do it, but is it possible with just a scanner?)

 

[trainman111]

I think I'm getting myself confused here. What is the difference between MPT-1327 and TETRA? Is there one?

 

[bassmkenk2508]

I think I'm getting myself confused here. What is the difference between MPT-1327 and TETRA? Is there one?

well one thing is that TDMA is utilized for TETRA. The same way that cellular phones handle their transmissions.
NO scanner can decode that "stuff", much less TETRA's digital voice 'scheme'.

( Reference the wiki: http://www.radioreference.com/wiki )

 

[hotdjdave]

Best bet is to buy a radio that does the same technology of the agency you want to monitor, find a good radio tech to program in the receive frequencies, and have at it.

By the way, ANALOG. :wink:

 

[morfis]

Edit: I don't know what the laws over there are but over here it's against the law to try and modify your scanner to recieve encrypted radio comms in the clear. If it's the same case over there, how would you legally break the encryption?? (not asking for specifics, i really dont wanna know how to do it, but is it possible with just a scanner?)

In short: Unless you hold a relevat licence it is illegal here to monitor any transmission except those meant for 'general reception':
a) licensed broadcasting stations
b) amateur and citizens' band radio transmissions
c) weather and navigation transmissions

It is NOT illegal to buy, sell or own (or modify) a receive only radio regardless of the freq range it has.

There are additions to this basic law that extend protection (and subsequent fines) for certain types of communications.

Long version here: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/ifi/enforcement/ofw156x#content

 

[ScannerUK]

so in conclusion after all this long windedness, no scanner can pick up tetra comms?

 

[morfis]

so in conclusion after all this long windedness, no scanner can pick up tetra comms?

If you didn't want an answer you need not have asked the question Your reply will not encourage people to try and help.

There is no scanner that you can buy that will resolve Airwave TETRA and allow you to listen to the conversations of police (or other authorised users).

 

[morfis]

hi guys,
im here in the UK, i have a handheld scanner (no where near as good as your setups!). over here in the UK the police have changed from anologue to digital. just wandering if the scanners from the US pick up digital signals and what frequencies are digital! sorry if this is a real noob question!

Perhaps a better answer to your questions would be:

1) SOME scanners sold in the USA can resolve SOME digital transmissions.

2) ANY frequency can carry digital signals.

 

[ScannerUK]

ok mate thanks alot. you guys have helped me alot! this forum is the holy grail for scanner users! love it!

 

[bassmkenk2508]

Best bet is to buy a radio that does the same technology of the agency you want to monitor, find a good radio tech to program in the receive frequencies, and have at it.

By the way, ANALOG. :wink:

if it is ANALOG, then i guess the info in the Wiki regarding TETRA is incorrect

Wiki page on Tetra:

There is not a scanner available today that can monitor Tetra Digital Voice.

Is the digital mode a secondary option then?

 

[hotdjdave]

if it is ANALOG, then i guess the info in the Wiki regarding TETRA is incorrect

Wiki page on Tetra:


Is the digital mode a secondary option then?

When I wrote ANALOG, it was in reference to how it it spelled, not that TETRA is analog.

 

[morfis]

When I wrote ANALOG, it was in reference to how it it spelled, not that TETRA is analog.

In the English speaking world outside The USA, ANALOGUE would be the correct spelling ;-)

This is hardly a forum for grammar or spelling though.