LoJack?

[RespondingCode3]

Group,

Several times a day I hear a data burst on 173.0750 MHz. NFM. It sounds much like amateur packet radio. Most of the time I hear it I am in the Westlake, North Olmsted area. There is no CTCSS associated with it. The intervals do not seem to be consistent.

I have logged this on and AR-8200MK3, Pro-96, Pro-97 & BC250D so it is not a fluke with a certain receiver.

Any ideas?

 

[PanJurekMrJerry]

Yep, that is LoJack, alright.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=173.0750+&+Lojack

 

[freqhunter]

LoJack

I think Westlake has LoJack installed on unit 7022, a Ford Expedition.

 

[nicklep417]

I thought the LoJack units installed in police cars just listened on that frequency. If this is true, then you are actually hearing the LoJack transmission from a stolen car. Someone tell me if my logic is wrong.

 

[Mike-KC8OWL]

I have noticed lojack antennas on a number of local PD units lately. I have seen a Warnsville PD units on I-480 with them pretty regularly. Cleveland has some too. I wonder what happened to influence so many local agencies to install the equipment at about the same general time.

Mike

KC8OWL / WPZP902

 

[freqhunter]

LoJack

North Ridgeville now has at least one car with it installed as well.

 

[spd766sgt]

LoJack

Why do so many departments have LoJack installed? Politics and marketing. The company is offering free equipment and installation to police depts. In exchange LoJack,as a marketing tool,uses that dept. in a list of participating depts. to market their product.

 

[PanJurekMrJerry]

Approximately how tall is a LoJack atennae?

 

[n4voxgill]

Why do so many departments have LoJack installed? Politics and marketing. The company is offering free equipment and installation to police depts. In exchange LoJack,as a marketing tool,uses that dept. in a list of participating depts. to market their product.

First, police departments have monitored and responded to burglar for years. Second, stolen cars are a major problem in metropolitan areas. Third, this is a very effective use of modern technology in both catching crooks and increasing clearance rates.

LoJack is also installed on things other than cars. Expensive construction equipment that is on wheels and easily towed has been having Lojack installed.

Stolen cars are also used in committing violent crimes like armed robbery and drive by shootings. So anyone in a stolen car may well be wanted for more than GTA.

No politics, just a good crime fighting tool. The department I retired from had 5 patrol sectors, and one car in each sector had lojack installed. The officers loved using the lojack cars. Catching a felon beats responding to a loud party any day.

 

[brucewarming]

OK, now that we know the freq. and what it sounds like, does anybody program that? and see if they will here a signal? Say if I had that in a channel and walked thru a parking lot and there was a stolden car, would I hear it?

 

[RolnCode3]

This is a nationwide issue. My understanding is that the system will occasionally send out a signal. If you are actually receiving an activation in a stolen car, the car will transmit about every 1-2 seconds (mind you, this is just what I understand to be the case...I don't have a LoJack tracker in my patrol vehicle). What you are probably hearing, though, is the system.

Last, I don't see how this is a gimmick or some marketing scheme. It is legitimate use of technology, just like the RAM tags. You could set up a DF kit and listen to the freq...see if you can track down a transmitter.