Scanning with GMRS radio

[Papatree675]

Hello everyone,
I'm new here (and to the world of GMRS radio), so please be kind, as I'm not sure of any etiquette on this site. That said, I don't have a scanner, per se, however my new Radioddity GM-30 and DB20-G are capable of scanning Rx Frequency Range: 65-108MHz, 136-174MHz, 400-470MHz (analog). I live in north Los Angeles county.

So my question here is: what channels/frequencies are recommend for listening to (emergency traffic, fire, police, etc.) for such a limited device as mine.

 

[nd5y]

Look in the database for your county.

Los Angeles County, California (CA) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference for Los Angeles County, California (CA)

www.radioreference.com

Look at the Mode column. Anything with FMN or FM should be receivable if it is within the frequency range your radio covers, but what you can actually receive depends on your location and other factors. In your radio menu or programming software FMN would be "narrow" and FM would be "wide".

 

[kny2xb]

It looks like you could program in the frequencies for:

LACoFD VHF Fire Command/TAC [the radio coverage ending at 470 MHz bites, as that cuts you off from the LACoFD dispatch & LASO]

Paramedic/Hospital channels, which are also known as the UHF MED channels

Los Angeles Regional Tactical Communications System

Los Angeles Area Fire Chiefs Association Mutual Aid Inter-Ops

LAFD Air-to-Ground

VHF Public Safety Mutual Aid Common [VSAR, VFIRE, VMED, VLAW]

CAL FIRE

Since you’re in North LA county, depending on where precisely you live, you may also want to check the database for Ventura, Kern, & Riverside counties to see if you’re within range, & if there’s anything that catches your interest

 

[Papatree675]

Look at the Mode column. Anything with FMN or FM should be receivable if it is within the frequency range your radio covers, but what you can actually receive depends on your location and other factors. In your radio menu or programming software FMN would be "narrow" and FM would be "wide".

Thank you for the info, good to know.

Since you’re in North LA county, depending on where precisely you live, you may also want to check the database for Ventura, Kern, & Riverside counties to see if you’re within range, & if there’s anything that catches your interest

Thanks for the tip, I'll check those out.

 

[xilix]

Don't write off LA County Fire/Sheriff just yet - alot of the Chinese radios will go beyond 470 Mhz for receive (unless the CPS limits it).

 

[Papatree675]

Don't write off LA County Fire/Sheriff just yet - alot of the Chinese radios will go beyond 470 Mhz for receive (unless the CPS limits it).

Thanks for your reply, and yes, I'm receiving both LASD and LAcFD, as well as InglewoodPD, LAXPD, LBPD, and others

 

[kny2xb]

That's awesome! I'm glad that I was wrong & that you're able to get the other departments after all

I just found out that the LA County Fire Museum is having a celebration for the 50th Anniversary of the first broadcast of Emergency! in January

I'm going to see what it will take $$ wise & see about coming out to SoCal for a week or two, I've never been to Disneyland or California Adventure

I'm already programming the h-t's for GMRS repeaters & receiving the LACoF frequencies

 

[Papatree675]

That's awesome! I'm glad that I was wrong & that you're able to get the other departments after all

Nice to hear you're going to be able to visit the "Happiest Place on Earth" aka Disneyland. If you get the chance and like roller coasters, I recommend Six Flags-Magic Mountain...its Awesome!

Now, it may not be that you were incorrect, it may just be about the different equipment.

I have two HT's now. The GM30, which I've programmed those above mentioned frequencies with success. However my new KG-935G won't let me put in freqs above the 470 range (i.e., 482.86250 LACSO-dispatch).

Both radios list the same frequency range(s), so I'm interested in why the difference in the scanning limitations of the KG935G

 

[KF6DGN]

You may want to monitor the Angeles National Forest

172.37500	KME22	RM		ANF Forest	Forest Net	FMN	Federal
173.77500	KME22	RM	103.5 PL	ANF Admin	Admin Net	FMN	Federal
171.50000	KME22	RM	103.5 PL	ANF Service	Service Net	FMN	Federal

And some of the others USFS frequencies in Region 5.