Nissan Sentra mobile shack

[scottyhetzel]

Video is still up and readily available

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Prjr2L4et1U&feature=youtu.be

The bottom line is ...you never want a law enforcement officer that has creative writing skills. I personally been on the side of the road when the officer called that station and next thing I know I had numerous units at my location and them saying I had better equipment than there patrol cars. LOL

 

[BigLebowski]

I think it might be helpful to not only the OP but also others who might see this thread if you expanded on this statement.

I will happily expand... but remember this is my opinion based on experience and I am not bashing any groups, so please don't take this as that.

I think the OP Jeremy has his heart in the right place, but I think that this is going a bit far. I can tell he is young, and we have all been there (or are there). Far be it from me to say anything about someone having a bunch of radios in the car, as I do myself. My Honda Crosstour install thread is in this forum a page or so back.

I think that what Jeremy needs to remember, both as a young person and as a potential first responder in a small town, is that his reputation that he forms now will precede him for a long time, if not the rest of his life. Having radios is one thing, it's a hobby that we all enjoy. When you start adding emergency lighting just because you want it (note that there is a difference between WANT and NEED) and justifying its use, that comes close to crossing the line. If you have to ask yourself if you are a whacker, the answer is probably yes.

There is no situation that I can think of where I would assign ARES to direct traffic, nor would I ever think about authorizing them to have emergency lights to respond to a station to talk on the radio. There is a good reason that ARES is often seen as getting in the way.... I have nothing against them, but it's the truth. With the technology that we have today such as mobile radio and cell towers on trailers, commercial satcom, commercial HF, wireless internet, etc the notion that ham radio is still the "last line of defense" is kind of a joke anyway.

If Jeremy makes a name for himself as a whacker, he can kiss his chances of a PS job goodbye. Further, all it takes is one person to mistake his good intentions for impersonation before he has his local agency's intelligence squad at his house to interview him, which will result in a "Possible Impersonator" bulletin going out across the state and sealing the deal. Many a ham or scanner enthusiast has been quickly labeled a nuisance after going on self-appointed safety patrols. We hear about these guys often, and some are or have been on this forum.

If he wants to contribute, I think that showing restraint and professionalism while at the same time expanding his knowledge of emergency services, communications, and emergency procedures would really benefit and open many doors for him. I think that his current path will slam doors shut. Again, most of us have been where he is now, including me.

My 2 cents.

 

[toastycookies]

TIL a whacker is not only something that compacts gravel.

 

[03msc]

I will happily expand... but remember this is my opinion based on experience and I am not bashing any groups, so please don't take this as that.

I think the OP Jeremy has his heart in the right place, but I think that this is going a bit far. I can tell he is young, and we have all been there (or are there). Far be it from me to say anything about someone having a bunch of radios in the car, as I do myself. My Honda Crosstour install thread is in this forum a page or so back.

I think that what Jeremy needs to remember, both as a young person and as a potential first responder in a small town, is that his reputation that he forms now will precede him for a long time, if not the rest of his life. Having radios is one thing, it's a hobby that we all enjoy. When you start adding emergency lighting just because you want it (note that there is a difference between WANT and NEED) and justifying its use, that comes close to crossing the line. If you have to ask yourself if you are a whacker, the answer is probably yes.

There is no situation that I can think of where I would assign ARES to direct traffic, nor would I ever think about authorizing them to have emergency lights to respond to a station to talk on the radio. There is a good reason that ARES is often seen as getting in the way.... I have nothing against them, but it's the truth. With the technology that we have today such as mobile radio and cell towers on trailers, commercial satcom, commercial HF, wireless internet, etc the notion that ham radio is still the "last line of defense" is kind of a joke anyway.

If Jeremy makes a name for himself as a whacker, he can kiss his chances of a PS job goodbye. Further, all it takes is one person to mistake his good intentions for impersonation before he has his local agency's intelligence squad at his house to interview him, which will result in a "Possible Impersonator" bulletin going out across the state and sealing the deal. Many a ham or scanner enthusiast has been quickly labeled a nuisance after going on self-appointed safety patrols. We hear about these guys often, and some are or have been on this forum.

If he wants to contribute, I think that showing restraint and professionalism while at the same time expanding his knowledge of emergency services, communications, and emergency procedures would really benefit and open many doors for him. I think that his current path will slam doors shut. Again, most of us have been where he is now, including me.

My 2 cents.

Well said; I appreciate you expanding. I asked you to because I felt you would have a well worded explanation and I was right. Hopefully he takes it the right way and doesn't get offended or anything; you were very cordial yet clear.

 

[mike_art03a]

Well... lighting issue aside, interesting setup. Never thought one could mount gear in an old Sentra like that.

 

[SmitHans]

Well... lighting issue aside, interesting setup. Never thought one could mount gear in an old Sentra like that.

Half the fun is trying to figure out where to install radios in cars that don't have room for them!

 

[MotoTRK]

Thanks for the explanation and I have had may LEO's ask me what I use my lights and all my antennas for and I explain what I do and where I use them and Id say 99% of them are impressed I'm so young and technical (nothing beats gettin home at 2am then getting questioned by the police about what I'm doing up so late parked in front of my house while being ran through NCIC), the officer was really interested and was happy to see me getting home safe from work. I do know that most of this is my car is a want such as the lighting that I use like I said in closed course situations, really all I need is the VHF/UHF radio and low band in the car but I like having the more radios because as I learned as a Boy Scout "be prepared". As far as the traffic thing goes I was working a race in Norfolk at a very busy intersection and the officer in charge of that intersection asked if I had experience (which I do because of VBPD Explorer post training and experience). I was asking the question off a comment I read off YouTube, I dont think I'm a wacker but I do think I am at my stopping point from going any further except that rear deck light which will be my final item except maybe changing the scanner antenna for better performance.

 

[MTS2000des]

What Jake says is good fatherly advice. Sit back and read it a few times.

This isn't just for the O/P but many folks could use the sound advice that has been given.

As far as the whacker comments, I will refrain from name calling because that is as bad IMO as the whacking itself.

I will say that a whacker is not what one is, but one wants others to think they are.

Think long and hard about this, especially if one ever wants to work in public service as a profession. Any person who has gives off the air of being that guy will be far far away from ever reaching their goal.

Not to pick, but to the O/P, your chosen screen name is one of those things that one may scream that guy in combination with the other stuff (light bars, radios, etc). It's the complete picture I'm talking about.

Please don't take it personally. I am just trying to be helpful. I want you to be successful in life, and to be successful in public safety, you have to be taken seriously.

 

[rapidcharger]

I don't see what the problem is.
Some people are into spending thousands putting ear-drum-blasting, fastener-loosening, peace-disturbing sound systems in their car and even competing in actual noisemaking competitions with them and some people spend a fortune to outfit their cars with the same tools used by law enforcement. Having lights in/on your car doesn't automatically make you a poser anymore than having a gun does. There's practical uses for having the same tools. I for one like to play around with handcuffs in the bedroom. Does that make me a poser? Of course not! And let's differentiate between "whacker" and "poser". A whacker is someone who's already in that line of work. But regardless, it doesn't matter what someone's reasons for having this stuff in their car. It's apparently legal in that state and it's nobody's business including the cops who want to harass you over it at 2 in the morning. If you don't need to be someone to have the lights and lenses that you have, "Officer, Am I free to go?" is how I would respond to that.

As for the setup, It's impressive and you've got a lot packed into a Sentra. So many people who really want to pose go out and buy the government model Tahoe in order to fill it with radios but you managed to do more with less. You could teach the real cops a thing or two about doing more with less.

 

[MotoTRK]

I don't see what the problem is.
Some people are into spending thousands putting ear-drum-blasting, fastener-loosening, peace-disturbing sound systems in their car and even competing in actual noisemaking competitions with them and some people spend a fortune to outfit their cars with the same tools used by law enforcement. Having lights in/on your car doesn't automatically make you a poser anymore than having a gun does. There's practical uses for having the same tools. I for one like to play around with handcuffs in the bedroom. Does that make me a poser? Of course not! And let's differentiate between "whacker" and "poser". A whacker is someone who's already in that line of work. But regardless, it doesn't matter what someone's reasons for having this stuff in their car. It's apparently legal in that state and it's nobody's business including the cops who want to harass you over it at 2 in the morning. If you don't need to be someone to have the lights and lenses that you have, "Officer, Am I free to go?" is how I would respond to that.

As for the setup, It's impressive and you've got a lot packed into a Sentra. So many people who really want to pose go out and buy the government model Tahoe in order to fill it with radios but you managed to do more with less. You could teach the real cops a thing or two about doing more with less.

They wanted to make sure I was where I belonged and not causing trouble. They asked about all the antennas and lights after he called in my info to the dispatcher to do the NCIC check. They were really impressed and after I came back "29's negative" (I knew i would) they actually peeked there head in and I did a little demo of the car. At this time I only had the GTX, Dual bander, and 6110 in and was trying to get to bed so I could leave in a few hours to the scout camp to teach radio.

I appreciated them making sure I was where I was suppose to be and not a criminal of any sort or causng trouble

 

[rapidcharger]

They wanted to make sure I was where I belonged and not causing trouble. They asked about all the antennas and lights after he called in my info to the dispatcher to do the NCIC check. They were really impressed and after I came back "29's negative" (I knew i would) they actually peeked there head in and I did a little demo of the car. At this time I only had the GTX, Dual bander, and 6110 in and was trying to get to bed so I could leave in a few hours to the scout camp to teach radio. )))

Make sure you were where you belonged?!
Not causing trouble???
If having the radios and lights isn't illegal then what reasonable, articulable suspicion do they have to stop you for a chit chat? Virginia isn't a stop & identify state, is it?

But I guess that sort of underscores the point that was made by a couple of other people in this thread. It makes you a target of bored cops who want to pull you over and run your license even though you haven't done anything illegal.

I appreciated them making sure I was where I was suppose to be and not a criminal of any sort or causng trouble

Lets see if you feel the same way in a couple years. :wink:
I lived in florida where the cops like to stop for a chit chat often. At first it's cute.... After a while it gets annoying.

 

[toastycookies]

What Jake says is good fatherly advice. Sit back and read it a few times.

This isn't just for the O/P but many folks could use the sound advice that has been given.

As far as the whacker comments, I will refrain from name calling because that is as bad IMO as the whacking itself.

I will say that a whacker is not what one is, but one wants others to think they are.

Think long and hard about this, especially if one ever wants to work in public service as a profession. Any person who has gives off the air of being that guy will be far far away from ever reaching their goal.

Not to pick, but to the O/P, your chosen screen name is one of those things that one may scream that guy in combination with the other stuff (light bars, radios, etc). It's the complete picture I'm talking about.

Please don't take it personally. I am just trying to be helpful. I want you to be successful in life, and to be successful in public safety, you have to be taken seriously.

i dont think anyone called on here called him a whacker...

i personally had never heard of the meme until i saw this thread and googled it.

and hilarity ensued.

anyways, neat radio setup, although i do think the lights are going a little far.

only time i use a vehicle with flashing lights is when i legally have to, i would rather not use flashy lights at all, but it's the law up here at least.

 

[mike_art03a]

Yeah, I'll agree that the lights are a tad overkill... but then again, I have a couple amber lights installed in my vehicle and tend to use them when I'm pulled over doing something or doing a vehicle patrol for work (I work security and the client I work for has very unreliable cars... so I just use my own and charge for the mileage + my normal salary).

 

[SARCommCoord]

A wacker of proser will never admit they are a wacker or a poser. They will create excuses and explanations for what they do and why they have certain things. I have seen my fair share of both. Ive seen amateur radio operators driving around in ex CVPI with antennas up the wazoo, and you would think they were an unmarked unit. The way I see it is this, if someone called you a wacker, and you are asking others opinion on the matter, you obviously have taken the insult to heart and feel that you might very well be a wacker. Someone who isnt a wacker isnt going to care about what other say about them. Someone who is a wacker is going to defend themselves and what they have because they want others to view things the way they do. when I started in EMS at 18 years old, I was ambitious, but I quickly learned 2 things... lights and sirens dont mean a damn thing to anyone else other then yourself, and when I get off shift and take that uniform off, I leave my work outside the front door.

 

[rapidcharger]

I personally find posers (not whackers) very annoying. Especially when they want to clog up the roadways in their police package vehicle making everyone soil their trousers thinking they're the law. But is it impersonating? I still think that's going to far. And I don't think they should be harassed by the real cops over it if they aren't doing anything illegal.

As for whackers, if someone wants to put their lives on the line going into a burning building and get paid little to nothing for saving people, they've earned the right to put flashing lights on their car. If they want to have a bunch of flashing lights and sirens and radios and push bumpers and -better yet- pay for it all out of pocket, I fail to see how this is a problem.

I have a much bigger problem with non-posers and non-whacker police taking offense that someone has perfectly legal equipment similar to theirs, and giving them a hard time over it. It's sort of like having a yellow Lamborghini which a fiberglass Napa auto parts baseball cap mounted to the roof. It's going to get attention but it's not illegal and thus should be allowed to continue on its way without having to show papers and without having to justify why it's in the vehicle.

 

[SARCommCoord]

I personally find posers (not whackers) very annoying. Especially when they want to clog up the roadways in their police package vehicle making everyone soil their trousers thinking they're the law. But is it impersonating? I still think that's going to far. And I don't think they should be harassed by the real cops over it if they aren't doing anything illegal.

As for whackers, if someone wants to put their lives on the line going into a burning building and get paid little to nothing for saving people, they've earned the right to put flashing lights on their car. If they want to have a bunch of flashing lights and sirens and radios and push bumpers and -better yet- pay for it all out of pocket, I fail to see how this is a problem.

I have a much bigger problem with non-posers and non-whacker police taking offense that someone has perfectly legal equipment similar to theirs, and giving them a hard time over it. It's sort of like having a yellow Lamborghini which a fiberglass Napa auto parts baseball cap mounted to the roof. It's going to get attention but it's not illegal and thus should be allowed to continue on its way without having to show papers and without having to justify why it's in the vehicle.

The issue with all this isn't legalities or not. The issue is the mindset of the individual. Impersonators all had their start somewhere. In Florida we had an explorer who stole an agency radio, bought a crown vic and all the toys, and decided to play detective and was arrested. When people start adding a bunch of light, radios sirens to their car, talk about responding with red lights to go talk on a radio, we have to question that persons mental state. I work in a Public Safety Communications center. Even in an emergency, we would not respond lights and sirens to staff a radio, so why should ARES? Nothing against the OP, but this is how I view situations like this. I hate to say it ( and a big reason why I am not involved in amateur radio anymore) but with the amount of interop frequencies available to agencies, redundancies in place, portable repeaters, and massive communications caches available throughout the United States, amateur radio is no longer heavily relied upon for public safety. My agency used to have an amateur radio in the comm center for backup from ARES but it was recently removed. Why? We now have VHF/UHF/700 and 800 MHZ mutual aid frequencies, a trunked disaster system on multiple simulcast sites, access to a state system if that fails, and if that fails, we have trailers with communications cache stationed throughout the state.

 

[k8nma]

Why would you have "trooperdrummond" as your username if you're not a trooper?

 

[03msc]

The issue with all this isn't legalities or not. The issue is the mindset of the individual. Impersonators all had their start somewhere. In Florida we had an explorer who stole an agency radio, bought a crown vic and all the toys, and decided to play detective and was arrested. When people start adding a bunch of light, radios sirens to their car, talk about responding with red lights to go talk on a radio, we have to question that persons mental state. I work in a Public Safety Communications center. Even in an emergency, we would not respond lights and sirens to staff a radio, so why should ARES? Nothing against the OP, but this is how I view situations like this. I hate to say it ( and a big reason why I am not involved in amateur radio anymore) but with the amount of interop frequencies available to agencies, redundancies in place, portable repeaters, and massive communications caches available throughout the United States, amateur radio is no longer heavily relied upon for public safety. My agency used to have an amateur radio in the comm center for backup from ARES but it was recently removed. Why? We now have VHF/UHF/700 and 800 MHZ mutual aid frequencies, a trunked disaster system on multiple simulcast sites, access to a state system if that fails, and if that fails, we have trailers with communications cache stationed throughout the state.

You say this, yet in Arkansas they are currently installing amateur radios in dispatch centers around the state and working on a network for if/when communications go down in an emergency. I'm not disagreeing with the rest of what you wrote, but this issue is also a mindset. You obviously have the attitude/mindset that amateur radio is dead and no longer useful; those in Arkansas see differently and utilize it when needed (and are currently working to add these radios around the state).

 

[ridgescan]

Depending upon just how young the OP is, all this could be concluded to be a bit over-zealous aspiration. In other words kid, don't get too far into your "dream" 'cause it's showing up on your car.
Beyond that, IMHO this stuff is equivalent to stolen valor.

 

[SARCommCoord]

You say this, yet in Arkansas they are currently installing amateur radios in dispatch centers around the state and working on a network for if/when communications go down in an emergency. I'm not disagreeing with the rest of what you wrote, but this issue is also a mindset. You obviously have the attitude/mindset that amateur radio is dead and no longer useful; those in Arkansas see differently and utilize it when needed (and are currently working to add these radios around the state).

key word is "no longer heavily utilized". We still have analog phones in our comm center, doesn't mean we are going to use them.