2 puzzle alpha tags

[VintageJon]

I'm posting this here as I think it may be State/County specific.

In Travis County Apco 25 Project there is a USGS and a RAT alpha tag.
Both are programmed into Pro-96 and both have been heard.

The USGS seems to be consulted for weather! Now, USGS means US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY to me. Does anyone have another meaning especially in relation to Travis County
APCO-25 system!

RAT- huh? What's this an acronym for??? Not a very exciting conversation when RAT comes up, just wondering who RAT is... (very familar with Rat Fink but I don't think it's the Rat Fink I'm hearing ...)

Thanks for any insight,
Jon

 

[351stGoff]

In regards to the USGS, the geologic survey works closely with the national weather service (NOAA) as they often relate closely with one another. Here's a quick link showing how they work together in Arkansas http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lzk/html/usgs.htm

Not sure about RAT

 

[Ricka71]

Reject All Tocacco? maybe a DARE unit?

 

[n0doz]

According to the RR page for Travis Co., RAT is an Austin PD function. I looked all over the APD website but there's no reference to it.

 

[confusedtexan]

You gots RatFink on the scanner doood, tell him to contact me, I want a drawing of my harley

 

[SCPD]

RAT probably refers to the small transmitters used to recover the money bags taken in a bank robbery (hopefully recovered with the money still in it) Some APD patrol cars may be equipped with RAT direction finding equipment - similar to the LoJack system for finding stolen cars.

-rick

 

[Russell]

I guess I thought it meant something like "Rapid Assault Team" or something like that?

Russell

 

[VintageJon]

Thanks for all the replies.
RAT is an APD tag and it's used as a voice channel when I see it pop-up...

Interesting on the NWS and USGS link. Thanks.

73's,
Jon

 

[William]

I would also agree that RAT is probably for the units with the equipment to track the small transmitters put inside money bags during bank robberies.

These units usually have three antennas in a triangle of four antennas in a square on their roof.

When a bank is hit all the units turn on their tracking devices. What each car gets is a strength count and a direction indicator. The units usually spread out and start talking to each other saying how many bars they have and which direction.

This would explain having RAT as a voice channel dedicated for tracking the small transmitter.

In other words, RAT is not actually tracking the transmitter itself, but is the voice channel used by patrol cars that are tracking the transmitter on another piece of equipment.

William

 

[VintageJon]

William,
Makes sense. Thinking back on it, there was a rash of bank robberies around the time I heard this... They do hit a lot of banks here in Austin, so RAT is a good thing.

Wonder what it stands for? Robbed And Tracked?

73's
Jon

 

[William]

I think it just mean rat like "he was ratted out" the same way crooks use the term rat to describe a person who gives up secrets.

William

 

[VintageJon]

William,
Now that's a real possibility.

(I reckon I'm not used to the gangster slang even if I listen to APD all the time. Understand
10-this-that-and-the-other, but always trying to find an acronym being a tech-type.)

Glad it rats-em-out. Recall that nearly nobody gets away with bank robbery here. Smart people aren't doing the crime I guess.
BUT mom-and-pops are successfully robbed all the time with no arrests. This worries me and mom some as we run a mom-and-pop here in Austin. Hopefully a 12" Bowie and a .38 Special will keep the threat from becoming "unsolved" and ruining us.

73's,
Jon