So many antennas, so little need?

[Gezelle007]

So, I was watching Cops last weekend, and the first section was about a Sacramento County K9 deputy involved in a chase. When the cop puts his dog back in the car, we get a great view of the top section of his car, with it's 50 different antennas...(screen shot attached). Now I know that that was California, in the middle of the valley, and its a K9 car... but still...

So the longer four black whips are for LoJack, the two white phantoms are probably 800... But in the front of the lightbar there is another short whip that is not visible, and behind the bar there is what looks to be another 800 whip. On the back theres what looks to be a VHF long whip, again not shown, but it was probably for CB, or CHP Low Band. But what about the three triangle arranged VHF whips inside the LoJack arrangement? Now I'm guessing some of those probably have to do with the Computer and his Body Mic, but with all these whips, WHERE do all the radios go!?, crown vics aren't that big!

Where I live (in Yamhill, Oregon) there are like 2 or 3 cops patrolling the smallest city... and their cars have just as many antennas as this one... (Minus LoJack)...

I'm starting to wonder if they just install every antenna known to man so that everyone is happy...

This should probably be moved to the Pictures/Mobile setup... My bad...

 

[wyomingmedic]

Well, you have to remember,

Like you listed,
+ body mic
cellphone
2ndary radio if they are a supervisor
scanner (some of our local PDs have installed scanners in all patrol vehicles).
They may have to access smaller towns systems, so they may have an entire separate 800mhz system for each town in their area.

Those are my thoughts. But that is a LOT of antennas.

WM

 

[n5ims]

The square set of 4 VHF antennas are for tracking the bank bags following a bank robbery. The triangle set of 3 inside that are for tracking the signal for LoJack. As a K9 unit, the officer probably does more work with other agencies and needs access to their systems as well so they probably have more antennas and radios for this cross-agency work (once politics gets involved, it's often easier to get an additional radio than to simply program the other agency into your other radio).

 

[Gezelle007]

The square set of 4 VHF antennas are for tracking the bank bags following a bank robbery. The triangle set of 3 inside that are for tracking the signal for LoJack.

That makes so much sense cause those three are just regular VHF high band 1/4 whips I think, Awesome. Learning something everyday ;]

 

[prcguy]

The group of four black antennas are the LoJack, not the cluster of three. I've never heard of a group of three antennas in any modern direction finding system.
prcguy


Originally Posted by n5ims View Post
The square set of 4 VHF antennas are for tracking the bank bags following a bank robbery. The triangle set of 3 inside that are for tracking the signal for LoJack.

 

[monstermudder78]

The 3 antennas in a triangle are probably for the "bank bag" tracking. Modern or not I do know for a fact some agencies use a direction finding system with 3 antennas.

 

[Mtnrider]

I noticed this as well....The officer's car that had the "perp" in it had the same antennas on it as well the one in front was a center loaded something just like the one behind the bar

 

[petnrdx]

I can tell you for certain that the three VHF 1/4 wave antennas in a triangle are for DF'ing criminals after a crime.
The system uses both DF and a crude but reasonably accurate distance to "target" methodology that works surprisingly well.
Its not a really popular system, but like Lojack it works well when used.
As for all the antennas, CA has so many different systems, I guess you kind have to do that now days.

 

[petnrdx]

Forgot to say the system used to be known as ProNet, now is ETS or Spectrum Management LLC.

 

[petnrdx]

For those that doubt a three antenna DF system ( and how this system works ) patent 5,657,026 is informative reading.

 

[Gezelle007]

Regardless of which array goes to which, I went back to the episode and took some more screen shots. These next two pictures confirm that possibly both "systems" are in the car... There is something with a screen on the dash, and another next to the headlight controls on the car. The dash one is obviously a LoJack device (label in the corner)...

 

[dragon_slayer79]

Not trying to hijack the thread...

Hello all,

Not trying to deviate from the topic or hijack the thread, but there seems to be quite a few here that are quite knowledgeable in regards to antennas, radio systems etc. I have only basic knowledge of things and was wondering do you all have degrees in radio transmissions and the equipment? This knowledge seems to me like it would be a priceless piece to the puzzle of fully understanding and enjoying scanning to the fullest. I would really like to be able to gain at least some of the understanding on how to ID antennas by just looking at them and how broadcasting and receiving fundamentally works, etc. If anyone would have any suggestions of books, websites, college course, etc. that would be good to look into it would be greatly appreciated!

If this post would belong better in a different place, please relocate it for me and sorry for the error in posting.

Thanks for everybody's time and help.