Radio Question

Status
Not open for further replies.

james07731

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 21, 2004
Messages
57
Location
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Here's the situation...

I work for a county jail (not saying which for security reasons) that does not provide us radios on certain details where we would be with a prisioner(s) such as Transportation or hospital duty. Our only means of communication is our cell phones. Wehave radios in the cars, but none once we get out on foot.

I was thinking of buying a radio myself and programing our dispatch frequency on it for such an occasion. Any suggestions for a cheap radio? Our Dept uses HT1000's right now.

What do you guys think of this radio: I can get it with the mod to transmit on our freq (472mhz range) for about $150 with shipping.

http://www.icomamerica.com/downloads/brochures/amateur/IC-V82_U82_series_brochure.pdf

Any other suggestions? I appologize if this is in the wrong spot.
 

apu

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
128
A used HT1000 isn't that expensive either and might make the county radio folks happier since its like a radio they already support. You're going to need their permission (well, the licensee's permission which is probably the County and delegated to the radio shop and Sheriff) to operate on their channel legally.

Plus, you don't want to use a radio not designed for public safety use if you are expecting to use it to call for help, etc. First, its not legal. Second, in many cases, there are some operational issues to make the land mobile stuff more "idiot proof" than the amateur stuff. Not saying you are an idiot but, in the heat of the moment, you don't want to have accidentally switched to another channel or to talkaround or whatever because you bumped the radio.
 

902

Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2003
Messages
2,632
Location
Downsouthsomewhere
I can relate. I was a C/O for a while during a time where they issued VHF Midland portables, but no chargers on post. I would get a battery just when I got on shift, then it would go dead because it only got 10 minutes of a slow charge. (Then I'd get literally yelled at for not answering the radio.) I thought about bringing my own in, but was not allowed. Eventually they figured it out, but I found another job by then. That was one of a bunch of things that drove me into working with radio. I'd say talk to your sergeant first to see if you can without them jumping your ****.

A used HT1000 is great. Engrave the hell out of it to prove it's yours.

I've had problems with modified ham radios going up to the 470 and 500 MHz frequencies reliably. I would say that's not a good choice, stay away from them! If you look around, you can get an HT1000 for less and it would probably be more reliable. If you're a ham, you can put your hammie channels into it more readily than putting the job channels into your hammie portable.

Even if you get your own radio, that does not mean that your system works good enough to hear you when you are out of your vehicle or when you are outside of the jail campus. Be careful.

Judging by the frequency, we might have worked in the same place, except I was there 18 years ago and wore brown, not blue.
 
N

N_Jay

Guest
1) Using ham equipment on Part 90 (Business, and public safety) frequencies is not legal.
2) No matter what you get you need permission to use it.
3) The licensee can not give you permission to use non-legal (ham) equipment.
4) Your department is going to have to narrow band your system in the next few years.
 

elk2370bruce

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
2,060
Location
East Brunswick, NJ
Before plunking down your hard earned dollars, make sure the employer is willing to let you have their frequencies on a radio that is your personal property. Some correctional facilities have already nixed this idea. You may own the radio but the system and frequencies are licensed to them.
 

james07731

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 21, 2004
Messages
57
Location
Monmouth County, New Jersey
It's sad that officer safety can be jepardized by technical issues, as to who owns what radio, frequency, etc. Maybe if the cheap --- employer provided the equipment it wouldn't be a problem to begin with. Any laws requiring a law enforcement agency to provide its officers with means of communications while on the job? I would love to present something like that to them.

If I can operate on the dept freq with their radio, why not my own radio if business related only?
 

scannersnstuff

Active Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2006
Messages
1,940
radio

try ar communications in eatontown,nj 732-542-8695.he has a wide selection of new and used radio's for sale.he deal's with motorola and kenwood.possibly a few other mfg's also.i just bought a radio from him and was extremely happy with the service,price and the radio.i have been dealing with him for year's.he is a good guy.i am not affiliated with the buisness.this is just imho.
 

zz0468

QRT
Banned
Joined
Feb 6, 2007
Messages
6,034
james07753 said:
It's sad that officer safety can be jepardized by technical issues, as to who owns what radio, frequency, etc. Maybe if the cheap --- employer provided the equipment it wouldn't be a problem to begin with. Any laws requiring a law enforcement agency to provide its officers with means of communications while on the job? I would love to present something like that to them.

If I can operate on the dept freq with their radio, why not my own radio if business related only?

The system licensee is responsible for the operation of that system. That includes base stations and any associated mobiles and portables. As soon as people start putting their own equipment onto that system, the licensee has lost control. I can see a number of reasons why this wouldn't be ok.
 

902

Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2003
Messages
2,632
Location
Downsouthsomewhere
james07753 said:
It's sad that officer safety can be jepardized by technical issues, as to who owns what radio, frequency, etc. Maybe if the cheap --- employer provided the equipment it wouldn't be a problem to begin with. Any laws requiring a law enforcement agency to provide its officers with means of communications while on the job? I would love to present something like that to them.

If I can operate on the dept freq with their radio, why not my own radio if business related only?

I get the safety issue, but what your employer lets you carry on the job and how they let you carry it are entirely up to them. I went this route at one time and, right, wrong or indifferent, it wasn't pretty. There's a chain of command and you get what they let you. IF your superiors allow you to use something at your own expense, that's up to them. In my case it wasn't just "No," it was "No" with a major a** chewing. I couldn't even carry a pager back in the day. I had to hide it in my shirt like it was a pack of cigarettes. Let's think about firearms. Will your department let you take your own Mini-14 into work because you believe you need a rifle in the car?

Or, maybe you can talk to your PBA delegate to see what he can do for your case, but that may actually be stirring the **** up more than helping you.

Now, IF they do let you get your own radio (and G*d help you if they say "no" and you do it anyway - best case they call it contraband and take it from you, then it's a radio they can issue to someone... who will usually not be you, worst case they charge you with something... in the middle somewhere, they fire you), the ham portable is not what you want to use. Aside from the illegal part, they are not as reliable. Don't bet your life on 'cheap.' That is IF.

There are no laws that compell them to give you a radio if they don't have to or don't want to. That might be a bargaining issue to bring up for the next collective bargaining session!

Good luck!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top