Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office Mobile Radios & Antennas

[JASII]

I friend of mine send me a video of a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office marked vehicle.

He was asking why there are so many antennas.

Shooting from the hip, I suggested four for the LoJack System and at least one for each of the common bands.

So, VHF-low band, VHF-high band, UHF and 800 mHz.

I suspect that someone here can shed some more accurate details on this.

 

[ladn]

This is a difficult question to answer without seeing your friend's photo. LASD has many different types of vehicles.

LASD primary communications are UHF T-band, and now RICS.

LASD doesn't uses VHF low band on patrol vehicles, and hasn't for decades.
VHF high band also isn't on most patrol vehicles. It's on the search and rescue vehicles and some special use vehicle for interop.

 

[JASII]

Thank you for the reply.

If I run across the video, again, I will share it.

Does the SO have a means to monitor CHP?

I am assuming that CHP is still low-band analog.

 

[TJX400]

I am not from the area, but my assumption would be that the ECC patches CHP to the LASD channel if a need arises.

 

[ladn]

Does the SO have a means to monitor CHP?

In ordinary patrol vehicles, no. CHP is still mostly low band analog, but their extenders are 700-800 MHz. But many CHP units have scanners so then can monitor allied agencies.

LASD is transitioning to the APX 8000 series radio. The channel matrix contains "ACCESS" channels for several CHP dispatch centers, LAPD and some other local agencies along with a selection of INTEROPP channels. Additionally, LASD is also transitioning to the trunked RICS system which further complicates monitoring.

 

[brian808]

Each car coming out now has antennas for cellular service which provides the data to the MDC's, a VHF, UHF, & 700/800 Mhz antenna (Not all antennas may be used and are for future proofing unless the car has an APX8500 which is what gets put into all new cars). There is also a puck for GPS.

 

[monitor142]

I had a fairly new LASD Explorer next to me last weekend. Just a standard marked unit and probably a take home vehicle since he was in Orange County. I saw a VHF 1/4 wave, a wide band UHF, (2) 7/800 pepper shakers, and two cell/Wi-Fi/GPS antennas on it. My guess is they opted for running separate antennas on the 8500 using the triplexer option.