155.100 MHz in Ocean County

[Joseph11]

I have a crystal marked "BC3/4 37.30" in my Bearcat IV scanner, which should be 155.100 MHz when used in VHF High mode. I've been listening to this frequency and it seems like a Fire/EMS dispatch, and it's listed as one in Monmouth County, I heard them talking about a kitchen fire eariler today. Up untill about 6:00 PM, I've been hearing only voice communications, but since about 6:00 PM, I've been hearing a mix of data, CW, and voice, sometimes all in the same transmission. Does anyone know what this might be?

 

[fineshot1]

Scanner Front End Overload

It sounds like this scanner has a receiver front end over load problem from a very geographically close & strong signal source or perhaps even close in frequency to the 155.100Mhz you are trying to receive. Not sure where you are in ocean county - I am in lakewood near the center of town and this place is a very rf dense environment. I used to own a RS Pro-2004(great scanner) and I had to upgrade to a RS Pro-2006 to get the triple conversion receiver feature so my monitoring activities to far off transmissions would not be overwhelmed by the strong & close by local transmissions....Dan

 

[DJ88]

When I used to use my BC210XLT (no PL capability) I had 155.100 programmed in for Neptune City Fire/EMS and used to get a lot of interference from another agency that was on the same frequency for fire. I do remember finding out who it was, but it's been so long that I have forgotten. On the FCC Database it's licensed to Camden County, Essex County, Haddon Heights, Marmora (Atlantic County), Middlesex Boro, Newton, and Salem County, so it may be any one of those.

 

[Joseph11]

Thanks everyone, I'll probably just change the crystal. BTW, I live in Beachwood. It actually looks like the scanner is shot. I'm picking up air-band on 155.61.

 

[fineshot1]

correct style crystals

Are you sure you are using the correct cystals for that model scanner?
Most of the brands back in those days used a different scheme for crystals
although I remember some of them could be switched between scanners.

 

[Joseph11]

Re: correct style crystals

Are you sure you are using the correct cystals for that model scanner?
Most of the brands back in those days used a different scheme for crystals
although I remember some of them could be switched between scanners.

I'm using a mix of 10.7 MHz IF crystals and 10.8 MHz IF crystals. I add .100 MHz onto the 10.7 MHz IF crystals, which is the true frequency when operating on a Bearcat.

 

[kb2vxa]

Hi Joseph and readers,

Nothing is wrong with your scanner, you're receiving an IF image in the aero band, perfectly normal for an old Bearcat. We used it to an advantage listening to frequencies outside it's range by programming the desired frequency plus 21.6 mHz, twice the IF.

Beachwood isn't all that thick with RF but old scanners are like radar, they pick up anything, especially those single conversion ones. Front end overload is another one, intermod here caused by a taxi company brings in a 2M ham repeater in TR plus a bunch of GKW I can't figure out. The solution is use a 1/4 wave whip to reduce the input signal level if you're not using one already. Sometimes a high gain outdoor antenna is too much.

Then you could be picking up that ham on the corner of Capstan and Larboard. Nah, Jack uses only HF but it could be Dave and I won't tell you where he lives, nya nya. (;->)

Oh, I forgot to tell you that GKW is a nuclear waste, God knows what (is in that mess).