Status
Not open for further replies.

Salvatorejrc

Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2020
Messages
156
What dictates a frequency to be either listed on RR or to display itself on a scanner? I know somebody who owns his own private company and he and the employees communicate via walkie talkies (unknown brand, bought most likely off of amazon) and it is not listed on RR. Is it possible to listen these types of communications?
 

ScubaJungle

Active Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2020
Messages
618
Location
West Central Florida
What is listed on RR is simply what people have personally logged and submitted. It has nothing to do with what you can receive. You can receive ANY signal - whether or not its encrypted or not is another story. Whether its listed on RR, though, has nothing at all to do with what you can receive on your scanner.
To receive things not in the database, you can either do a quick search, custom search, or use ID search (not scan) for trunked systems.

For something like that, where it is almost definitely not trunked, you would have to do a custom search, likely of the 450mhz-480mhz area.
If he is using a bubble pack radio from Amazon, he is likely not licensed, and they are likely FRS radios - the FRS frequencies can be found in the database, or online.
 

Salvatorejrc

Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2020
Messages
156
What is listed on RR is simply what people have personally logged and submitted. It has nothing to do with what you can receive. You can receive ANY signal - whether or not its encrypted or not is another story. Whether its listed on RR, though, has nothing at all to do with what you can receive on your scanner.
To receive things not in the database, you can either do a quick search, custom search, or use ID search (not scan) for trunked systems.

For something like that, where it is almost definitely not trunked, you would have to do a custom search, likely of the 450mhz-480mhz area.
If he is using a bubble pack radio from Amazon, he is likely not licensed, and they are likely FRS radios - the FRS frequencies can be found in the database, or online.
So how would I identify the frequency?
 

u2brent

OAMPT
Joined
Jul 17, 2010
Messages
3,070
Location
KRWDPAXKRS1
What dictates a frequency to be either listed on RR or to display itself on a scanner? I know somebody who owns his own private company and he and the employees communicate via walkie talkies (unknown brand, bought most likely off of amazon) and it is not listed on RR. Is it possible to listen these types of communications?

There is a good chance that they are are listed here.. (Not specifically by name :) )
So how would I identify the frequency?
Using a scanner.. Confirm it by having them key up their radio or just listen for a call, have a search going in the appropriate frequency range or using close call (terminology differs between make and model)

I'd read up on this too..
 
Last edited:

RaleighGuy

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jul 15, 2014
Messages
13,132
Location
Raleigh, NC
So how would I identify the frequency?

If you know they name of the business you can check the FCC database, if your friend lets you see his radio you might be able to figure out what band it is transmitting on, finally you can check the frequencies @ofd8001 and @u2brent and others above suggested.

@Salvatorejrc what scanner are you using?
 

mmckenna

I ♥ Ø
Joined
Jul 27, 2005
Messages
23,618
Location
Hiding in a coffee shop.
What dictates a frequency to be either listed on RR or to display itself on a scanner? I know somebody who owns his own private company and he and the employees communicate via walkie talkies (unknown brand, bought most likely off of amazon) and it is not listed on RR. Is it possible to listen these types of communications?

A good source of info can be obtained by doing an FCC license query. License Search - Advanced License Search

However, that will only show you info on people/companies/agencies that have been properly licensed by the FCC.

"unknown brand, bought most likely off of amazon" makes me think that they either bought some FRS radios, GMRS radio, or some random Cheap Chinese Radio. FRS is easy to search with your scanner, but they are low power radios and won't be heard very far. GMRS requires a license, but it seems like many don't bother. They sometimes use a bit more power, but it's still going to have limited range.
The Cheap Chinese Radios can be all over the place. Unfortunately they often ship with random pre-programmed frequencies, so they could be just about anywhere on the VHF or UHF band. Rarely do people who buy these sorts of radios understand the requirement that they be properly licensed. The assumption that they buy them off Amazon or E-Bay seems to make some think that it does not require a license.

So, if you are looking for them, you could search FRS and GMRS frequencies. You could also search the Itinerant UHF and VHF frequencies. Or, they could be on some random frequency.
If you can get a manufacturer/model or photo of the radio, someone may be able to assist narrowing things down.
 

Salvatorejrc

Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2020
Messages
156
If you know they name of the business you can check the FCC database, if your friend lets you see his radio you might be able to figure out what band it is transmitting on, finally you can check the frequencies @ofd8001 and @u2brent and others above suggested.

@Salvatorejrc what scanner are you using?
Thanks. I ordered an sds100 with DMR, it should be coming within the week.
 

nd5y

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
11,228
Location
Wichita Falls, TX
The Cheap Chinese Radios can be all over the place. Unfortunately they often ship with random pre-programmed frequencies, so they could be just about anywhere on the VHF or UHF band. Rarely do people who buy these sorts of radios understand the requirement that they be properly licensed. The assumption that they buy them off Amazon or E-Bay seems to make some think that it does not require a license.
Some of these are listed at
 

GlobalNorth

Active Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
May 2, 2020
Messages
2,040
Location
Fort Misery
While somewhat less likely if the radios are bought off of Amazon, but there are itinerant business/industrial frequencies on both VHF and UHF that are out there. These require licensing, but as others have said, not everyone does it.

I've heard marine band radios being used inland for all sorts of things not nautically related.
 

Salvatorejrc

Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2020
Messages
156
While somewhat less likely if the radios are bought off of Amazon, but there are itinerant business/industrial frequencies on both VHF and UHF that are out there. These require licensing, but as others have said, not everyone does it.

I've heard marine band radios being used inland for all sorts of things not nautically related.
Does the FCC just not care that people aren't getting licensed? Or is it that they cannot tell
 

ScubaJungle

Active Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2020
Messages
618
Location
West Central Florida
Does the FCC just not care that people aren't getting licensed? Or is it that they cannot tell
Its not that they dont care - they just dont have the money, resources, or manpower to do much about it. They usually reserve using their resources for serious cases, rather than something small and "victimless" like that - from what Ive seen anyway
 

nd5y

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
11,228
Location
Wichita Falls, TX
Does the FCC just not care that people aren't getting licensed? Or is it that they cannot tell
The FCC only knows or cares if they get reports of interference.
The problem is most CCRs now have Part 90 or Part 15 certification.
They are perfectly legal to import, possess and sell but not legal to actually use.
The FCC, Customs or Congress could end the problem of Chinese radios that ship programmed with frequencies that are not legal to use but they choose not to do anything. If Amazon was not allowed to sell them then people would buy them from other sources including direct from China.
 

Groeteschele

Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2020
Messages
46
Location
Munich
What dictates a frequency to be either listed on RR or to display itself on a scanner? I know somebody who owns his own private company and he and the employees communicate via walkie talkies (unknown brand, bought most likely off of amazon) and it is not listed on RR. Is it possible to listen these types of communications?

You can do band specific close call if you at least know operating band but if not do global all band close call of every band except maybe low band if you have idea radio not on low band which is rare as hens teeth.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top