Blue Bloods on scanners in NYC

[n9nwo]

There was a Blue Bloods episode tonight where they had someone making false dispatch calls. Had the cops looking at scanner owners. The one kid had a radio (HT) that they said could transmit on NYPD frequencies. In the end they did capture two individuals who did have an HT that did make the transmissions (assumed that the NYPD had means to fingerprint the transmitter).

What is the NYPD frequencies? Are they still on VHF High (155 Mhz)? No trunking or 800 Mhz as we have here in Indiana?

Thanks.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

UHF conventional.

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[n9nwo]

UHF conventional.

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Just looked at the database. UHF, FM. Not sure if they use repeaters.

UHF is does well for penetration.

Wonder if they could make the system into a trunked system using their current frequencies? 800 Mhz might not be the best.

 

[n9nwo]

So it does appear that someone could fake a dispatch call.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

Just looked at the database. UHF, FM. Not sure if they use repeaters.



UHF is does well for penetration.



Wonder if they could make the system into a trunked system using their current frequencies? 800 Mhz might not be the best.

They do use repeaters. My understanding is they have tried implementing a P25 system or two with a lot of growing pains that made it not practical.


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[INDY72]

NYPD is UHF NFM analog, with some special divisions also on the city TRSs, and is also very slowly phasing in P25 channels. Very, very slowly. NOTE: The P25 currently in use is encrypted Read the DB page for detailed info on how NYPD has it set up. FDNY/EMS are also rather unique in the communications set up.

 

[GTR8000]

NYPD is UHF NFM analog

NYPD operates primarily in the T-Band spectrum, and with the exception of some of the simplex 460/465 MHz UHF "TACT" channels, has not been narrowbanded.

with some special divisions also on the city TRSs

NYPD does not operate on trunking.

and is also very slowly phasing in P25 channels.

NYPD is not "phasing in P25 channels". There is some very limited P25 conventional usage for sensitive comms due to the encryption capability that digital offers, which is not available with analog.

 

[W8RMH]

Typical Hollywood...they don't even know that scanners cannot transmit.

 

[INDY72]

Encryption is very available on analog, it just sounds horrible on analog, and NYPD has one analog encrypted freq still. NYPD has used the DOITT TRS for investigations and surveillance purposes. And I thought NYPD Transportation Bureau was on DOITT with the NYC TLC?

 

[n9nwo]

Like I said, this was one of the story lines this week on Blue Bloods. Showed a bit of hostility towards scanner owners, especially young men with handheld scanners. There was a push that these were HTs and not just receivers.


Blue Bloods Video - In & Out - CBS.com

 

[rftechnyc]

Ha

I saw the episode, was wondering when the UV5Rs were going to pop up...

NYPD dispatch is all NFM repeater based. Main transmitter for each pair of co-located preceints and numerous voting receivers for each.

 

[GTR8000]

I hate to sound like a broken record, but NYPD is still wide, not narrow.

The FCC issued a waiver that exempted T-Band from the narrowband mandate in April of 2012. The city was not going to waste money narrowbanding a huge network of repeaters and radios if they didn't have to.

https://www.fcc.gov/document/waiver-narrowbanding-deadlines-t-band-470-512-mhz-licensees

 

[rftechnyc]

I hate to sound like a broken record, but NYPD is still wide, not narrow.

I hate to be that guy but NFM in the sense of not WFM - <30khz wide

 

[ff026]

For the purposes of LMR, wide is 25 kHz and "narrowband" is 12.5 kHz. We are on a scanner forum not a broadcast engineer forum.

 

[DJ11DLN]

I haven't watched the episode yet -- it's in the DVR. Blue Bloods is -- to me, anyway -- one of the more watchable programs on broadcast TV these days, so I find it a bit dismaying that they've taken up the "bash the dangerous scanner junkies" crusade. If in fact they have.

I've come to understand that, as a scanner user, I am going to be viewed as kind of a crackpot by at least certain segments of the populace in our modern environment, where a certain amount of paranoia is considered normal. It just comes with the territory and I don't let it bother me. If I knew about someone who was interfering with PS comms, I'd definitely report that person. As I think most here would. Unfortunately, most people in the non-monitoring world will never know this, and will likely tend to continue to view those of us who do eavesdrop on public comms as, at best, "a little different.":roll:

 

[Analogrules]

I saw that episode also and recently, NYPD has had some issues with unauthorized broadcasts in real life. However, I think the Baofengs are the only radios available to the public and sold in the US that could technically transmit in their 470 MHz band. However, I read/heard somewhere that even the Baofengs cannot transmit on many of the precinct alocated frequencies due to the way the technology is set up. Not sure if that is true or not.

 

[sefrischling]

And I thought NYPD Transportation Bureau was on DOITT with the NYC TLC?

Transit just moved over from VHF to UHF

 

[sefrischling]

I saw that episode also and recently, NYPD has had some issues with unauthorized broadcasts in real life. However, I think the Baofengs are the only radios available to the public and sold in the US that could technically transmit in their 470 MHz band. However, I read/heard somewhere that even the Baofengs cannot transmit on many of the precinct alocated frequencies due to the way the technology is set up. Not sure if that is true or not.

The Baofeng radios transmit just fine on the channels. There have been documented cases of cops using them, specifically under cover cops, they are very easy to conceal. The NYPD strongly frowns upon this, it is not allowed, the radios are not Part 90 nor are they authorized. A number of transit cops were using them when Transit was VHF and everyone else was VHF and they were cut off from anyone above ground.

 

[mike4164]

I saw that episode also and recently, NYPD has had some issues with unauthorized broadcasts in real life. However, I think the Baofengs are the only radios available to the public and sold in the US that could technically transmit in their 470 MHz band. However, I read/heard somewhere that even the Baofengs cannot transmit on many of the precinct alocated frequencies due to the way the technology is set up. Not sure if that is true or not.

Any UHF radio can transmit on NYPD frequencies if properly formatted!!!! I have a Yaesu that can and I have used it for work when I worked for NYC*EMS FDNY/EMS before I retired 6 years ago. There has always been problems with unauthorized transmissions on NYPD radios from stolen or lost radios to radios available to the public. It is easy to get a radio programmed for those frequencies to be field programmable. I have had radios for years, even before I started working for the city when I was a volly in the ambulance corps. in Brooklyn. There will always be radios that can be programmed for these frequencies. There was a time alot of NYPD cops carried their own radios to monitor other frequencies for EMS and citywide that were not programmed into their radios and just for their own peace of mind for safety because as you well know NYC equipment is not always reliable. As long as you have the transmit and receive frequencies as well as the PL. you can program the radios.

Mike
Retired Lt. NYC*EMS-FDNY/EMS
Haz-Tac

 

[Project25_MASTR]

Any UHF radio can transmit on NYPD frequencies if properly formatted!!!! I have a Yaesu that can and I have used it for work when I worked for NYC*EMS FDNY/EMS before I retired 6 years ago. There has always been problems with unauthorized transmissions on NYPD radios from stolen or lost radios to radios available to the public. It is easy to get a radio programmed for those frequencies to be field programmable. I have had radios for years, even before I started working for the city when I was a volly in the ambulance corps. in Brooklyn. There will always be radios that can be programmed for these frequencies. There was a time alot of NYPD cops carried their own radios to monitor other frequencies for EMS and citywide that were not programmed into their radios and just for their own peace of mind for safety because as you well know NYC equipment is not always reliable. As long as you have the transmit and receive frequencies as well as the PL. you can program the radios.

Mike
Retired Lt. NYC*EMS-FDNY/EMS
Haz-Tac

There was a story about a bunch of the old crystal controlled radios getting into the market right around narrow banding that still had all of the current channel elements in them. Caused a minor issue for the guy who purchased them (he was parting them out).