Blast From the Past/Data Burst Question (Nashville COPS Show, 90s)

[ToTheBitCave]

In watching an old episode of Cops from the 90s, there is a sound heard frequently from the radios. It does NOT sound like MDC1200, but it's definitely a data burst of some kind. You can hear it 2:18 and 2:24, 2:42, 14:53, and several more times more clearly. From some preliminary research, MNPD was using analog VHF radios in the early 90s. Does anyone know radio system/manufacturer the data burst/preamble sound is from?

 

[chrismol1]

That sounds like GE Star

 

[16b]

Definitely GE Star. I didn’t get a good look at any radios in that clip but one looked to be a GE PR or the later synthesized version MPS. One officer had what looked like a Motorola HT1000, which must have been new at the time. I had several HT1000s and I believe they all did GE Star.

 

[bunangst]

That sounds like GE Star

Watching 90s Cops doesn't count unless there's some GE Star

 

[ToTheBitCave]

Thanks everyone, I sincerely appreciate it!

 

[kc2asb]

Thanks for posting the video. I miss the sounds made by those old radio systems.

 

[12dbsinad]

Thanks for posting the video. I miss the sounds made by those old radio systems.

Me too. Analog signaling of all sorts, tone control beeps, voter clamping clicks, DTMF, 2 tone, 5 tone, etc all made radio systems fun and interesting to listen to as each had their own qualities. Today, everything just sounds like they have Covid or a bad cold.

 

[kc2asb]

(snip) Today, everything just sounds like they have Covid or a bad cold.

Best description yet!

 

[Golay]

Thought I share this. Decided to google GE Star radio. Came across this page of all sorts of radio chirps and burps:

W2SJW - Radio Sounds

 

[ToTheBitCave]

Thanks for posting the video. I miss the sounds made by those old radio systems.

Same! I remember hearing these sounds on my grandmother’s scanner when I was a kid, and the video brought back those memories but also the realization that I haven’t heard it since the 90s and now I know why (and what it was!). About 8 years ago, the local PDs here used a mixture of MDC1200 and DTMF but they’re all on P25 now sadly.

 

[IC-R20]

Same! I remember hearing these sounds on my grandmother’s scanner when I was a kid, and the video brought back those memories but also the realization that I haven’t heard it since the 90s and now I know why (and what it was!). About 8 years ago, the local PDs here used a mixture of MDC1200 and DTMF but they’re all on P25 now sadly.

If they ever go P25 in my area I just pray its the higher voice quality 9600 mode.

 

[merlin]

Well, it is GE star but they had terminals called MDAT to display call info. you could hear that too.

 

[cubn]

I remember the days when I could tell what department I was hearing just because the sound of the analog was slightly different. Didn't even have to look at the scanner display screen to know who I was hearing.

 

[kc2asb]

I remember the days when I could tell what department I was hearing just because the sound of the analog was slightly different. Didn't even have to look at the scanner display screen to know who I was hearing.

Same here, which was great in the days before alphanumeric displays. My first scanner was a Bearcat 140XLT, which only had a two digit LED display for the channel number.

 

[IC-R20]

Well, it is GE star but they had terminals called MDAT to display call info. you could hear that too.