Highway Patrol

[chargedbird]

Hey all,
How would you choose what Highway Patrol Freqs would you use in your scanner, if you where driving Interstate 8, 10 to 20 from San Diego to Dallas. I know I can look at the freqs. Do I use the Statewide Freqs or should I use more City specific freqs.

Just would like to know how other people program their scanner when you travel with it.

Thanks in Advance

 

[n4yek]

You would be able to get a better response in the California Thread of the forum. Locals always know the info you want in a specific area of the country.

 

[GrayJeep]

While the locals might know local tuff, that's a lot of territory.

I'd use the RR database to create zones of coverage in the banks of my scanner.
I'd program the hiway patrol freqs then the county SO and FD freqs then city freqs for the jurisdictions along the way. Might want to add state road crews so you know about snow plowing ops too.

Try to arrange it so your scanner is covering as few frequencies as you can get away with in each zone. This way you'll hear more from the relevent active channels.

You'll want to make yourself a reference card of what is programmed to which bank so you know when to turn banks on and off. For a trip of that size, you might even need Vscanner folders to hold it all.

Programming a road trip is fun (for me at least).
But it is NOT a way to avoid a speeding ticket. Be careful.

 

[UPMan]

I'd prioritize programming as follows (because you'll likely not finish...):

1) State Highway Patrol
2) DOT (if you are traveling through areas that might get snowed in, state DOT's have a lot of traffic regarding road clearing).
3) Major Metropolitan
4) Small Towns

You don't mention which scanner, but if it is a BCD996T or BCT15, you can assign a geographic area to each system, connect a GPS, and have the scanner automatically switch to the local systems as you drive.

 

[chargedbird]

thanks for the info guys,

I have a PRO-96 that uses V folders, the problem is that I never used them before. I will do reading on them.

I really like the idea about hearing about snow plows and stuff, those freqs would fall under the DOT for that state?

I think I am going to have fun programming for this trip.

 

[brandon]

For San Diego to Arizona Border

39.400 - I-8 from San Diego to El Cajon
39.600 - I-8 from El Cajon to Imperial County Line (only for car-car simplex). Normal ops on RCS system: http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=499 (37888/38800 talkgroups)
42.920 - I-8 for Imperial County. Cars on 42.640
39.140 - CHP Blue is handy to listen to speed enforcement ops involving the bird

For Arizona I would use Dist 04/06/08/09 from this page: http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?aid=126

For New Mexico: http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?aid=116

For Texas: http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?aid=71

 

[GrayJeep]

Vscanner folders are extremely useful. Not too awfully complicated to use.

But if you haven't used vscanners..... are you using programming s/w? If not - DO SO! Entering this much by hand would be a killer. Buy a RR membership, get compatible s/w (I like Win96), get the cable, and you can get this stuff entered to a first approximation in an evening. Then you can spend years grooming it for optimum results


In Colorado the snowplows on the State roads (interstates and US hwys) are under CDOT. It's the first place to look for them in the database. They might not be called specifically 'snowplows' though. More likely to be road crews or road patrol or something else.
I use my scanner as I commute 50 miles each way. Listening to what the plows are doing is very helpful on bad weather days. ( But you have to recognize the places they are talking about for their info to be very useful. )

thanks for the info guys,

I have a PRO-96 that uses V folders, the problem is that I never used them before. I will do reading on them.

I really like the idea about hearing about snow plows and stuff, those freqs would fall under the DOT for that state?

I think I am going to have fun programming for this trip.

 

[chargedbird]

NWOU,
Yes I do have software and cable, I use WIN96. I guess I will be just listen to BS as I drive, I will have my laptop to make changes and yes I have a sub to RR database and it is much easier to import the data too.

Brandon,
Thanks for the info, I greatly appreciate it.

Cheers
Brad

 

[chargedbird]

Hey all,
How do import the 39.400, 39.600 and the rest of the freqs from the DB, I can import the RCS, just cant figure how to get these?

 

[N5TWB]

When you start programming for TX, figure on using P25 for DPS reception. See the DB for details, join up so you can download directly.

 

[Ebenge]

One other way you may do this is to use 2 scanners, I use a old BCT7 that scans police and state freqs and then program the ones I know in the other one. Even though the BCT7 is Old if you have a newer on you can scan the odd freqs and listen to the RR listed ones in your other. I have found many unlisted freqs that way,

 

[GrayJeep]

Hey all,
How do import the 39.400, 39.600 and the rest of the freqs from the DB, I can import the RCS, just cant figure how to get these?

When you run the maze of US-State-County there was a choice for trunked or conventional systems.

These freqs are probably found under conventional systems.

I find it helpful to have an Explorer window up on RR showing what I want so that I have the path I'll need to follow in Win96 in front of me in a different window.

 

[chargedbird]

NW0U,
I tried your idea, I gave up on importing the Conv. freqs and just programmed them via QIN 96.

What I have noticed is it that most Highway patrol use conv freqs while most citys use the RCS system. Why is this? I though most of the US was using RCS...any comments?

 

[GrayJeep]

Whatever works. If it's a small number of freqs I'll do it manually too.

Asserting "most" about anything on this board will cause you trouble because it might not be true.

Colorado highway patrol is mostly 800 Mhz P25 digital. I don't know about most. Maybe most on your route?

But the basic problem is always $$$. Hiway patrols have had their radio systems up and running for a long time. And the basic VHF radios are on the order of $1000 apiece. The P25 trunked radios are 5x that and require entirely new towers, relays and control systems. Very expensive to change.

NW0U,
I tried your idea, I gave up on importing the Conv. freqs and just programmed them via QIN 96.

What I have noticed is it that most Highway patrol use conv freqs while most citys use the RCS system. Why is this? I though most of the US was using RCS...any comments?