Chesterfield PD Cars

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FINS782

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Antennas on the County cars,

Roof 800 Mhz,

what is the "stub" mount on the roof for and the "gain" antenna on the trunk for.

see them all the time and just "Antenna Curious"

THANKS
 

mrova

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It's interesting...maybe someone here in LE and provide the answer. Along the same lines, I've always wondered why as many as 6 and 8 antennas all over the roof of the cars. I know there's just not that many different radios in the cars.
sv
 

gcgrotz

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Hey Fins (parrothead?) welcome to RR.

Not having seen any Chesterfield units lately, I can't comment on that. I do know (generally speaking) that some cars have Lojack tracking equipment that uses 4 antennas on the roof. Some have CB antennas, and most VSP cars have lowband antennas for the 39.54 SIRS radios. Some actually still have cellular antennas, and some may have radios for other systems such as fire/rescue (again, generally speaking).
 

SplntrHd929

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The stubby antenna on the roof top is probably for the 800Mhz system. And would be safe with saying they still have SIRS capability, would explain the VHF antenna on the trunk.
 
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LEH

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It's interesting...maybe someone here in LE and provide the answer. Along the same lines, I've always wondered why as many as 6 and 8 antennas all over the roof of the cars. I know there's just not that many different radios in the cars.
sv

Well I'd say there is one for the display terminal (though it could be tied in with the primary car radio). The primary radio system, possibly a mutual aid radio of some kind (SIRS for VA), CB radio (troopers still listen in), mobile repeater antenna. They may even have a scanner installed too, I know I've heard it mentioned in the past by various departments.

I'm sure there are others I've missed.
 

MOTORHEAD3902

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Chesterfield PD cars customarily dont have SIRS radios, neither does their dispatch center. The Sheriff's Office over there has a SIRS base, but their use of it isn't consistent. I think the sheriff's mobile units might have SIRS radios installed, but I really aint certain.
I was told (by someone on here, I seem to remember) that the large antenna on the trunk is a high gain antenna for their MDTs. The rest of the antennae are for the 800Mc voice radio (either short stub or colinear pigtail 'cel' type antenna) and a "hockey puck" style antenna for the gps feature on the MDT.
Some PD units have lip-mount CB antennae on the trunk, installed by the particular officer to whom the vehicle is assigned. Some may still have LoJack, but this is becoming less and less common. Finally, some have on-glass scanner antennae, again installed by the particular officer.
This is going from memory, so I make no assurances as to the accuracy of these statements. :D
 

rvawatch

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some cars here do have lo jack, that, as said before, is the four antennas arranged in a square. the cars have their regular radio antenna, so that obviously would be up on the hood, they have an antenna for 800 mhz for the system that they slide their radio into, the hockey puck would make sense for gps - as I believe that is a fairly new system if I remember a friend in the force telling me correctly, MDTs probably occupy one of the antennas. and thats all i know.
 

KF4ZTO

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I've seen VSP cars with scanner antennas on them in addition to the VHF high/mobile repeater/SIRS/CB compliment.

Some VDOT trucks have just as many...I saw one the other day on 95 near Fredricksburg with a STARS antenna, a VHF highband antenna, a VHF lowband antenna, a Wilson 5000 CB antenna and one of those Radioshack magnet mount scanner antennas with two loading coils on it. Crazy stuff.
 

immelmen

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not sure about PD but when I asked a family member that is a Chesterfield Co. Sheriff Deputy in "transport" I was told the only "working" radios in the SD crownvic are an XTVA for the 800mhz portables to go into, and the MDT.
 

FINS782

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Thanks for the info

I was with Chesterfield on day 1 of 800 MHZ, they were the first in the state, I also happen to be there on day one when Hanover went to 800, what a total, under the table cluster %#ck, I would like to have gotten some of those payoffs. When I worked for Chesterfield FD and SO we had the roof 800, cell style antennas, they first tried the little 2 inch antennas. Thanks for all the input, ya'll are good bunch of folks.
It helped out a lot

FINS
 

MOTORHEAD3902

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I've seen VSP cars with scanner antennas on them in addition to the VHF high/mobile repeater/SIRS/CB compliment...

Interestingly, when STARS was implemented, the contract called for the CBs to be removed and scrapped...some guys have installed their own and had mobile radio shops add lip-mount antennae for them, thus ending up with some very impressive CB set-ups. As for my car, just have the STARS stick on the roof, the LowBand Spectra antenna on the trunk, and the VRS stubbie on the trunk. I added an NMO mount on the trunk lip to accomodate the constantly changing scanner antenna. It's currently a 1/4 wave VHF, but sometimes, depending on my mood, is a A/S monstrosity. The guy that had my car before me left his on-glass scanner antenna, but I currently dont have it hooked up to anything...hmmmm, my pro96 seems lonely.:D
 

rvawatch

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Interestingly, when STARS was implemented, the contract called for the CBs to be removed and scrapped...some guys have installed their own and had mobile radio shops add lip-mount antennae for them, thus ending up with some very impressive CB set-ups. As for my car, just have the STARS stick on the roof, the LowBand Spectra antenna on the trunk, and the VRS stubbie on the trunk. I added an NMO mount on the trunk lip to accomodate the constantly changing scanner antenna. It's currently a 1/4 wave VHF, but sometimes, depending on my mood, is a A/S monstrosity. The guy that had my car before me left his on-glass scanner antenna, but I currently dont have it hooked up to anything...hmmmm, my pro96 seems lonely.:D

lowband spectra? you might have mentioned this before, but what is that one for?
 

gcgrotz

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The guy that had my car before me left his on-glass scanner antenna, but I currently dont have it hooked up to anything...hmmmm, my pro96 seems lonely.:D

If that was a Radio Shack on-glass type, you might be better off without it. I have one on my truck and ran the antenna analyzer on it. I was curious about the poor reception. The sweep test confirmed my suspicion, it was pretty much equally bad on all frequencies. Strangely, it had its best looking SWR curve in the mil-air range from 200-300 MHz. It worked ok around town on strong repeaters, but out on the highways where you spend your time - not so much.

BTW, I had to go up north of Harrisonburg yesterday to Broadway and found the STARS Fork Mtn site pretty solid over there. First time I'd been that way since it was turned up.
 

swstow

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a lip mount antenna could be for the incar camera system, the older systems ( like moble visions ) the mics on the officer are small transmitter to the video unit in the trunk, esp if it looks like a 1/4 wave antena the mic broadcast around the 150 band if i remenber correctly,most newer unit have a built in antenna
 

Stick0413

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Yes, but not in your locality. The local PD refuses to monitor that particular freq. I see what you mean though, in the greater Richmond area, not many agencies use it anymore. Not the case elsewhere, though.

Yeah I know at least Hopewell Sheriff's cars have SIRS radios and Prince George dispatch monitor it. I've heard a Hopewell Sheriff contact Prince George on there before (you might know him, not saying names but he likes to park a Charger on 295 and runs radar :lol: only gets ppl going over 80 so I say go for it).
 

tglendye

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..., in the greater Richmond area, not many agencies use it anymore. Not the case elsewhere, though.

Unless I wasn't very observant, a Henrico cruiser I saw the other day only had one antenna on it. It was an 800 "pigtail?" on the rooftop. I did notice the lack of a lowband antenna and was curious about that. I know that some agencies can put antennas in some pretty inconspicuous places, though.
 
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