MSHP Vehicle Antennas

[flborror]

Passed a MSHP Unit setting in the Crossover on I 55 this evening. I noticed it had 4 or 5 VHF antennas and was wondering why so many if they use MOSWIN

Thank You

 

[mmckenna]

If they were 4 arranged in a square, that's the LoJack tracking system.

 

[flborror]

Ok Thank you I believe they were arranged in a square

 

[Stephen]

Every MSHP vehicle has atleast 4-5 separate radios. VHF Low band, VHF Hi, MOSWIN (VHF/800), Scanner. Some not all will have a CB, and some troops may have a separate radio for agencies if needed.

 

[scanman1958]

That's a set up that many of us would die for.

 

[Stephen]

Agree…. Troopers have be able to communicate anywhere in the state and the ability to respond to other states and have some form of communication.

 

[tvengr]

If they were 4 arranged in a square, that's the LoJack tracking system.

You can monitor LoJack on 173.075 MHz. You will hear data bursts at irregular times. If you hear a data burst at constant one second intervals, that is a vehicle that has been reported stolen and the transmitter has been activated. You would need to be fairly close to the vehicle to hear it. You could notify the police of your location and have then send cars with tracking equipment. Police copters are often equipped for LoJack tracking.

 

[Stephen]

Lojack while still supporting previous purchased services has stopped making the classic units. Not very many vehicles on the road still have this service and a lot of agencies no longer use the receivers. The antennas the original post were referring to are not LoJack. While they may appear in a similar format they are for the previous mentioned radios.

 

[tvengr]

I saw where new LoJack installations have been discontinued last year, but existing installations are still being supported. I am sure that there are still a lot of LoJack equipped vehicles on the road. GPS tracking makes LoJack obsolete.

 

[Stephen]

They still have a service, but it is now cell phone based.

 

[flborror]

Thank you for all the replies. Would anyone have any pictures of the radios in the cars? Or know where i can find some pics

Thank you

 

[mancow]

If they were 4 arranged in a square, that's the LoJack tracking system.

I'm surprised that's still a thing. I figured it would have all been celluar tracking by now.

 

[Arkmood]

I figured it would have all been celluar tracking by now.

Cellular tracking not only cars but individuals also (most often missing/lost people). And have monitored MSHP interacting with local law enforcement agencies many times...

 

[mburge]

Passed a MSHP Unit setting in the Crossover on I 55 this evening. I noticed it had 4 or 5 VHF antennas and was wondering why so many if they use MOSWIN

Thank You

Like to see inside ...and see a radio set up sometime..

 

[Stephen]

This is what most of the fleet looks like, as stated some may have a CB also installed. Newer vehicles going into service have upgraded VHF Hi-Band model radio.

 

[flborror]

Thank You

 

[KA0KDW]

In my area of troop D they have low band, a kenwood NX5700 for county radios MoSWIN and old analog only non trunking scanners. Only Greene county cars have trunking scanners. There’s talk go then getting new kenwood radios for low and as well. Ajd putting the NX5700 statewide for county radios if the agency isn’t on MoSWIN.

 

[Stephen]

The upgraded Kenwood VHF models are already being done statewide as vehicle “mile out”. Upgraded VHF and MOSWIN radios are starting to roll out statewide. Just takes a while given the fleet size. The picture I posted earlier is from a vehicle that is near end of life for the patrol so still has older models installed.