I need help with some frequencies!

[Nickolas16nh]

I can't seem to find the proper police and Fire department also EMS frequencies in my area, if anyone can help me find the right radio frequencies I would really appreciate that. Also I am using a Baofeng UV-5R, I am just looking for these frequencies to listen into not to transmit onto, so if there is anyone who thinks they can help me let me know.

Thank you.

 

[jtwalker]

Did you look in Radio Reference database for your county?

 

[Nickolas16nh]

Did you look in Radio Reference database for your county?

Yes i have, but they do not seem to be the right frequencies. Because i can see them go off on my scanner but once I find them and program them into my radio to listen to them they aren't active anymore?

That is why I need someone to help me if possible to find the proper frequencies I have been looking for about a month now and I still cannot find my local frequencies,

 

[johnmoe1]

I'm not a radio expert, but I googled "Baofeng UV-5R". The specs didn't mention 800MHz and didn't mention P25. You are not going to find much police/fire/ems anywhere but 800 MHz P25 in Minnesota.

 

[iMONITOR]

Try this for starters. It's all I could find for your County, Otter Tail.

Otter Tail County, Minnesota (MN) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference for Otter Tail County, Minnesota (MN)

www.radioreference.com

 

[Nickolas16nh]

I'm not a radio expert, but I googled "Baofeng UV-5R". The specs didn't mention 800MHz and didn't mention P25. You are not going to find much police/fire/ems anywhere but 800 MHz P25 in Minnesota.

I have programed my Baofeng UV-5R to go up to 800MHz using chirp, but i still cannot find the right frequencies for the police, fire, and EMS

 

[jtwalker]

1) you have not yet told us what county you are trying to monitor.

2) pretty good chance that if anyone here had better data than what’s in RR database, they would have already submitted it to db admins.

3) I suspect @johnmoe1 has hit the issues you will be running up against.

edit: After seeing @iMONITOR’s post, I can tell you that your radio will not receive ARMER. You may be able to receive the other channels in the 150-160 and 450-460 range if you are close enough, but forget about 800mhz, digital or trunked systems.

 

[Nickolas16nh]

1) you have not yet told us what county you are trying to monitor.

2) pretty good chance that if anyone here had better data than what’s in RR database, they would have already submitted it to db admins.

3) I suspect @johnmoe1 has hit the issues you will be running up against.

Ottertail county Minnesota, Wadena county Minnesota

Alright well thank you guys for trying to help me out, I will have to do more research into this and figure out what I can find.

 

[RaleighGuy]

I have programed my Baofeng UV-5R to go up to 800MHz using chirp, but i still cannot find the right frequencies for the police, fire, and EMS

A Baofeng will not pick up 800 or P25, as @johnmoe1 told you, and can not be modified to pick up those frequencies. Also that is not a scanner it is meant as a cheap transceiver. You can ask a million times, but I'm sorry, it will NOT work.

Yes i have, but they do not seem to be the right frequencies.

I think you have the right frequencies, but wrong radio to hear them.

 

[Nickolas16nh]

A Baofeng will not pick up 800 or P25, as @johnmoe1 told you, and can not be modified to pick up those frequencies. Also that is not a scanner it is meant as a cheap transceiver. You can ask a million times, but I'm sorry, it will NOT work.



I think you have the right frequencies, but wrong radio to hear them.

That could be too, I never thought of that. Thanks.

 

[johnmoe1]

I have programed my Baofeng UV-5R to go up to 800MHz using chirp, but i still cannot find the right frequencies for the police, fire, and EMS

Not knowing about chirp, I again used google:

Bug #9355: how can i unlock my baofeng uv 5 r for all of the p25 feq - CHIRP

Redmine

chirp.danplanet.com

The UV-5R is an analog radio. It doesn't directly support any digital modes like DMR or P25. CHIRP does not support the programming of digital radios.

The vast majority of police/fire/ems are using ARMER* in Minnesota (except fire paging). Assuming Otter Tail is the correct county, you could probably listen to fire pages on 158.805.


* 800MHz P25 Phase 1 - Frequencies listed here: Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER) Trunking System, Various, Multi-State

 

[natedawg1604]

If you want a low cost option to monitor P25, consider getting a few rtl sdr dongles and DSD+ Fastlane or OP25. This only works with a computer but it's a lot cheaper than buying a scanner, especially one compatible with simulcast. Otherwise the best option is to get a scanner, such as a SDS100. If there is no simulcast in your area, you could get a 436HP.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

At the bare minimum you'll need a P25 Phase-I trunk tracking scanner to track ARMER, see full list of capable receivers here. You'll also need to familiarize yourself with how trunked radio systems work, start here. Welcome to the RR forums!

 

[ofd8001]

I agree with the above. Much of Minnesota is using the ARMER system for their communications. A Baofeng will not receive these transmissions because they are trunked and digital.

 

[CcSkyEye]

Best you'll be able to do with your Baofeng is if fire and EMS first responders pager on VHF still, otherwise you are going to have to upgrade as mentioned above.

 

[laidback]

Buy a REAL scanner.

 

[zkorner]

Buy a REAL scanner.

What would you recommend as a "real scanner"?

 

[laidback]

A Uniden, Whisler. Not a ham radio that scans.

 

[RaleighGuy]

What would you recommend as a "real scanner"?

That depends on what you want to listen to and where you are located, there is no one scanner fits all as there is no one standard system in use by public safety agencies and businesses.

 

[ToddWilkinson]

Ottertail county Minnesota, Wadena county Minnesota

Alright well thank you guys for trying to help me out, I will have to do more research into this and figure out what I can find.

The ARMER system is a phase1 P25 system, buy a digital scanner!!