LoJack Hit?

[kayi4cle]

I ran across this thread and began monitoring 173.075. I’m getting a long (continues for a good full second) squawk approximately every 63 seconds, and another inconsistent one (sometimes shorter and not as loud) 31 seconds after the first. Can someone please tell me what these might be coming from? Thanks so much.

 

[reconrider8]

JACKED - LOJACK CATCHES CAR JACKER - YouTube another lojack vid of it at work in the field

 

[nd5y]

I ran across this thread and began monitoring 173.075. I’m getting a long (continues for a good full second) squawk approximately every 63 seconds, and another inconsistent one (sometimes shorter and not as loud) 31 seconds after the first. Can someone please tell me what these might be coming from? Thanks so much.

LoJack base stations transmit data bursts every few minutes, but you could be hearing images or intermod or something else.
Look up 173.075 in the FCC data for your state and you will most likely see several licenses. LoJack stations are normally licensed to the state police agency.

 

[kayi4cle]

LoJack base stations transmit data bursts every few minutes, but you could be hearing images or intermod or something else.
Look up 173.075 in the FCC data for your state and you will most likely see several licenses. LoJack stations are normally licensed to the state police agency.

Thanks so much. I was thinking maybe base station (large antenna somewhere plus whatever electronics go with it?). I didn't think it was coming from a stolen car since the squawks were so far apart. I was also wondering if it might be from a car equipped with Lojack (if they have to "phone home"?).

 

[kayi4cle]

Look up 173.075 in the FCC data for your state and you will most likely see several licenses. LoJack stations are normally licensed to the state police agency.

Also, thanks for your suggestion to look it up. Now I know why I am receiving the signal so strongly at my location. It almost makes me want to get Lojack on my old car.

 

[XTS3000]

I scan LoJack in my main scan group. 5-6 years ago I got a faint squak, so I kept temporary locking it out as it was super weak it wasn't worth thinking about. A few days later at 1am I turn on my scanner and the LoJack signal is half scale and very clear. Close to 3am the signal is full strength, I quickly removed the antenna and the signal was 3/4 full scale. I look out my front window and there is a pickup truck with a big boat being hauled. They stopped to discharge some water in the sewer drain for what ever reason, and took off 3 minutes later. The LoJack signal faded.

My guess is the boat was LoJacked, not the pickup truck. Might have been a theft or repo. Dunno.

 

[wtp]

imho

the long screech is from the base broadcasting the car id's that they are looking for, once a minute
the quick ones (once a second) are the stolen cars calling out.
i don't think a boat would get one but you never know.

 

[reconrider8]

how far do you have to be from a tower to hear the screech

 

[MesquiteWx]

What settings are people using when they load this? I am loading this as a conv system with 173.0750 and it won't scan it. Is this in the DB?

 

[nd5y]

Is this in the DB?

Public Safety Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference
http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?freq=173.075&action=sf&stid=48

 

[MesquiteWx]

Public Safety Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference
Texas Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

Thanks!

 

[ecps92]

Basic FM mode

What settings are people using when they load this? I am loading this as a conv system with 173.0750 and it won't scan it. Is this in the DB?

 

[troshs]

PGMAN89 I guess you missed the good years at Radio Shack. The Weather Cube was/is (RadioShack might still have something similar) a small battery powered NOAA receiver that was a small cube sized ( about the size of a note pad cube when new) that ran on 9Volt batteries and had a touch bar on top. you set it to receive one freq and just hit the touch switch on top to listen. They were very popular for a long time everybody had one. The early version of the weather alert radios of today

Still have them on ebay from time to time for a couple dollars.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

 

[gguy396XT]

After seeing this thread, I decided to add the frequency and check.

In my area, I get about a half-second burst of data-like noise every 64 seconds like clockwork. Occasionally, there are more frequent interspersed blips, but the overall 64 second interval is very consistent.

 

[reconrider8]

same here

 

[troshs]

This might be a dumb question, but is the frequency the same for all areas? I got the BCT15 on now and not picking up much else. Might give it a try.

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[wtp]

173.075

yep all the same
i do not know how far away i can hear them
but i have heard them everywhere i have tried
besides they all sound the same

 

[troshs]

Headed to bed now but I will make a mental note to check this out tomorrow.

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[ecps92]

100w Output with 300w ERP on VHF
Should be a pretty good distance.

Massachusetts is covered by only 11 sites

how far do you have to be from a tower to hear the screech

 

[reconrider8]

so what does erp have to do with distance? i know the wattage is the power pushing the signal out but ive never really understood what erp was and how to affected distance.