Chicago scanning

[Ch1ronTL34]

How's it going fellow scanners? I live on the north side of Chicago and listen to the CPD analog system all the time. Does anyone listen to the trunked system in or around Chicago/Cook County? I just got a Pro 97 scanner today and don't exactly know how to program it to scan the trunked system. Am I missing out?

 

[werinshades]

How's it going fellow scanners? I live on the north side of Chicago and listen to the CPD analog system all the time. Does anyone listen to the trunked system in or around Chicago/Cook County? I just got a Pro 97 scanner today and don't exactly know how to program it to scan the trunked system. Am I missing out?

Yes, frequent listener of Chicago Police and Fire, both analog Zones, city-wides as well as the Trunking System. In the Pro 97 owners manual, their is a section for Motorola Type 2 system, then with the help of the Database here, that should get you started. Make sure it's in a different bank as the others. One thing I must ask though, i'm assuming you're aware of the Chicago Digital system eventually being up and running. All the time frames I keep hearing keep getting set aside. If that's the case, and within your 30 day return policy, you may want to invest in the Pro 96, 2096 if your a Radio Shack type of guy. This way if that's your true love of listening, you will be a step ahead. Also check the data base for the O'Hare Type 2's system as well...good luck

 

[JnglMassiv]

Here's the database page for the Chicago TRS:
http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&sid=581
You may not hear anything immediatley. Activity can be hot and cold. Some days, there's a few hours of silence, then 10 talkgroups start up with great action.

Monitoring this system is one of my favorite things about Chicago and that's saying a lot.
You'll hear some fascinating stuff...but keep it under your hat.

I'm in Jefferson Park, roughly Milwaukee and Lawrence. Where's your listening post, Ch1ronTL34? If need be, I can probably help you with the programming. I'm a Uniden guy but I think the Pro-97 doens't come with a computer cable. If you haven't already, I highly recommend investing in one and using some software to load your radio. Any trunked system is going to be a little hard to manage without alpha tagging the common talkgroups and using the keypad gets mighty tedious, mighty fast.

 

[Ch1ronTL34]

I live on the north side of Chicago-Rogers Park, around Devon and Broadway. I bought my Pro 97 used on Ebay and it didn't come with a cable. I'm pretty sure I can pick one up for like $20. Maybe I should just do that and then use Win97 to program that stuff in. Like I said, I'm a newbie to trunked systems so I don't even exactly know what a talkgroup is, etc. Thanks for the responses!

 

[red8]

Talkgroup is another word for assigned channel(i.e.) channel 1 could
be labled as a talkgroup, channel 2 and so on.

 

[JnglMassiv]

Like I said, I'm a newbie to trunked systems so I don't even exactly know what a talkgroup is, etc.

Talkgroups are users of the trunked radio system. If you look at the database page I linked to earlier, the 2, 3, 4 or 5 digit numbers are talkgroups. The names associated with them are what you're going to want to alphatag. Without the tags, it's just a stream of numbers that you have to keep track of while listening...not easy.

 

[KB9LMJ]

As a former SW sider, is there any other online feed that streams CFD other than FireFeeds. I have FireFeeds and sometimes the connection isn't as clear as I'd like. I now live in Denver, so I hope there's someone closer than the FireFeeds radio that streams. Thanks.

 

[kkollins]

Not to highjack this thread...BUUUUUTT

New to scanning...just bought a Radio Shack pro94...I think I understand trunking...I plugged in the 7 frequencies listed on the database page for Chicago. Here's the problem...I get alot of action from narc, OCD, etc...all radio to radio stuff...cool stuff...drug busts...BUT...how come I don't get any dispatch, traffic or patrol stuff? It seems to all be car to car/radio to radio.

I also have Cook County Sheriff plugged in...but I must have something wrong with that because I get no traffic there at all.

One final question...I've been having trouble finding a Radio Shack that has working software to program the scanner. Once I find one, do you recommend I have it done? Does it plug in all the alpha talk groups, etc? Also, I just want police..no ems/fire...do they load everything in when they do it?....and I live in the burbs but work in the city...so I want cook county and chicago PD for down here and then a couple of the local PD's and sheriff depts for out in the burbs...can I just tell them what I want and they'll only plug that stuff in?

Sorry for the long post and many questions.

 

[werinshades]

New to scanning...just bought a Radio Shack pro94...I think I understand trunking...I plugged in the 7 frequencies listed on the database page for Chicago. Here's the problem...I get alot of action from narc, OCD, etc...all radio to radio stuff...cool stuff...drug busts...BUT...how come I don't get any dispatch, traffic or patrol stuff? It seems to all be car to car/radio to radio.

I also have Cook County Sheriff plugged in...but I must have something wrong with that because I get no traffic there at all.

One final question...I've been having trouble finding a Radio Shack that has working software to program the scanner. Once I find one, do you recommend I have it done? Does it plug in all the alpha talk groups, etc? Also, I just want police..no ems/fire...do they load everything in when they do it?....and I live in the burbs but work in the city...so I want cook county and chicago PD for down here and then a couple of the local PD's and sheriff depts for out in the burbs...can I just tell them what I want and they'll only plug that stuff in?

Sorry for the long post and many questions.

The CPD Trunking System is just that, car-to-car etc. Dispatch type things are on the various Zones and City-Wides. Cook County Sheriff is currently encrypted....not monitorable. I don't use software to program my scanner, so can't answer you there.

 

[flydream777]

kkollins,

like werinshades said, you will not be able to moniter cook county sheriff's system. you might have the old freqs plugged in (155 band), and that is why you are not hearing anything.

you asked about wanting to hear patrol calls etc for chicago pd. for that you need to plug in the 460 band conventional freqs listed in the database as the "zones." theyre fun to listen to. also plug in the "citywides."

you mentioned something about alpha tagging... the Pro-94 does not have any alpha tagging; you will need a newer scanner for that. And I would say don't go to radioshack to have them program it; they may not know which freqs to plug in.

Just take a little time on the database and plug them in yourself and you should have fun .

 

[splash1]

Some nice info here.

http://www.carmachicago.com/profiles/pdf/CookCountyOps.pdf

Rick