VHF radio phone question

[Pyr8]

I have a family member thats a warden in northern Ontario.

I was just talking to him and he mentioned that they use a VHF radio phone. Is it possible to monitor the conversations on the system with a scanner?

 

[N4JNW]

Considering it's VHF, I don't see why not, unless it's encrypted..

 

[Pyr8]

that would be my thinking...anyone els?!

 

[OpSec]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_radio_telephone

 

[ampulman]

I have a family member thats a warden in northern Ontario.

I was just talking to him and he mentioned that they use a VHF radio phone. Is it possible to monitor the conversations on the system with a scanner?

Way back, somewhere around 1960, I listened extensively to my Allied (tuneable) radio which included a public service band. Somewhere around 154 mhz, was the Bell Telephone Mobile service. It was several analog channels and the mobile unit would transmit an audible code ater which, the base would broadcast a dial tone. The mobile would then dial.

There weren't many users--you would hear the same voices frequently. It was a non-cellular system. Nevertheless, one could drive and transmit/receive over distances and conversations could easily span 20-30 minutes.

AM

 

[rescuecomm]

The term radiotelephone used to refer to using voice over radio. The term radiotelegraph refered to using morse code (CW) transmissions. He may have talking about the VHF radio comms they use.

Bob

 

[w8jjr]

Way back, somewhere around 1960, I listened extensively to my Allied (tuneable) radio which included a public service band. Somewhere around 154 mhz, was the Bell Telephone Mobile service. It was several analog channels and the mobile unit would transmit an audible code ater which, the base would broadcast a dial tone. The mobile would then dial.

There weren't many users--you would hear the same voices frequently. It was a non-cellular system. Nevertheless, one could drive and transmit/receive over distances and conversations could easily span 20-30 minutes.

AM

Ah yes the old days. When you could hear good things on mobile phone. Hear the PD on their cell phones and track a phone or group of phones from one tower to another. Monitor the MDT's , hear Airforce One in the red and monitor the milstats operations. Learned many things in those days.

 

[DaveH]

I have a family member thats a warden in northern Ontario.

I was just talking to him and he mentioned that they use a VHF radio phone. Is it possible to monitor the conversations on the system with a scanner?

Several possibilities here, one being the old pre-cellular IMTS mobile phone
band with outputs in the 152.480 to 152.840 range, inputs 5.26MHz up.
No longer used for public mobile phone, this sub-band is used for phone
company repair ops, but also what I believe are hunting/fishing lodges,
outfitters etc. especially towards the north. Also, in the North Bay area
going back a number of years I found what appeared to be "private"
systems in the 153MHz range with the same input/output spacing which
led me to think they were using retuned IMTS phone equipment (makes
sense); e.g. 153.305, 153.395 etc. It's been a while (too long) since I've
been up that way to update my findings.

Dave

 

[Pyr8]

well ill be sure to post my findings when i get back....interesting thing is that they are sooo remote that they dont even have elctricity at the park...they run off diesel generators...lol.

 

[mikepdx]

I have a family member thats a warden in northern Ontario.

I was just talking to him and he mentioned that they use a VHF radio phone. Is it possible to monitor the conversations on the system with a scanner?

Here in the US, there is Rural Radiotelephone Service:
Rural Radiotelephone Service is a fixed radio service where a wireless technology is used to provide telephone service
to subscribers in remote areas. Conventional Rural Radiotelephone stations may employ standard duplex,
analog technology similar to that of pre-cellular mobile telephone service.

The FCC has a page about it:
http://wireless.fcc.gov/rural/

Perhaps a similar service in Canada exists too.

 

[SKEYGEN]

Rural VHF phone systems exist or have existed in most of the world. The broadcasting site my old man used to work on had one during the mid 80's.

 

[DaveH]

Here in the US, there is Rural Radiotelephone Service:
Rural Radiotelephone Service is a fixed radio service where a wireless technology is used to provide telephone service
to subscribers in remote areas. Conventional Rural Radiotelephone stations may employ standard duplex,
analog technology similar to that of pre-cellular mobile telephone service.

The FCC has a page about it:
http://wireless.fcc.gov/rural/

Perhaps a similar service in Canada exists too.

It does although I don't know its official name. On Manitoulin Island
(northern Ontario in the Sudbury-Sault St. Marie area) I heard a bunch
of these in the 406-421 band; possibly above that but need to dig through
notes.

Dave