Mimic BCT-8 Highway Patrol Alert on PRO-97 or similar?

[icebone]

I like the way the BCT-8 has "highway patrol alert" and alerts whenever a patrol unit transmits within 3 miles -- is there any way to replicate this behavior through traditional programming on my PRO-97?

To my (limited) knowledge, the BCT-8 did its highway patrol alert by monitoring input/output channels on repeaters. i.e., if a patrol car transmitted (you would see this on the "input" freq in the NY state tables), and you heard it, you were probably close by to the car, and the BCT-8 would light up. But if the repeater talked, and you heard it, this didn't say anything about where the patrol car was.

Is this right?

Any ideas on getting this sort of "prox alert" without getting a BCT-8?

cheers,
-icebone

 

[drew6553]

no but there is the illigitimate child of the bct-8 the pro 2051 does the same alert feature and also has twice as many channels

 

[hotdjdave]

Highway Patrol Alert

http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32895

This thread asks the same question and has most of your answers there.



To specifically answer your questions (I hate it when people write "see this link" and give not further explanation or input):

Most highway patrol agencies that have this feature utilize a mobile extender. The car (mobile) and base station radio system is on one band (frequency/frequencies) and the officer's handheld (HT) radio is on another band (frequency/frequencies). For example, CHP uses frequencies in the 42-45 MHz range for their statewide system, but utilizes 154.905 MHz for the mobile extender. The mobile extender is used when the officer gets out of the car. He/she turns on the mobile extender, allowing his/her handheld to link up with his car radio via the mobile extender. Being the HT is low power, you can only pick up the frequency within about five miles (depending on terrain and other factors), normally about three miles. This is not done for "scanners'" benefits, but is a result of the low power of the HT communicating with the car radio. The car radio transmissions are rebroadcast on the mobile extender channel and the HT receives these transmissions. The same works in reverse, the officer can transmit on his/her HT and the communication is rebroadcast on the car's higher power radio. However, the mobile extender device transmits with more power (watts) than the HT, allowing the officer to hear transmissions even if he/she somehow gets out of the range their HT is able to transmit. A mobile extender is basically a "cross-band repeater."

Highway Patrol Alert systems in scanners use the HT frequency of highway patrol agencies. It monitors for that frequency for any transmissions, and when one is detected, it goes to that frequency (channel on the scanner), flashes a light, and alerts via an audible alarm.

This same process can be duplicated on most scanners, with some variations. First, the scanner should have the ability to assign a channel as priority - most scanners can do this. Second, the channel can be assigned as an alert - only some scanners have this capability.

Assign the highway patrol mobile extender frequency/frequencies for your state to one or more of these priority channels. Then, if the scanner has it, assign that/those priority channel(s) with an alert and set that alert to whatever volume level you want - my alerts for this purpose are on the highest volume settings. Now activate those priority channels as part of your normal scan. When the channel goes to one of those priority channels, you should be within range of a mobile extender of the highway patrol unit. Note: in large metropolitan areas, you may always be within range of a highway patrol car, such as where I live in Los Angeles. Also note that this only works if the highway patrol officer activates the mobile extender, otherwise there will be no transmissions. Officers usually only activate the mobile extender when they get out of their patrol cars, but have been known on occasion to leave it on accidentally). Note: most highway patrol HTs contain other frequencies (channels) as well as the mobile extender, and those frequencies can be programmed as "highway patrol alert" channels on your scanner as well because the same concept applies (if an officer is using one of those radios and you can hear it on your scanner, your are close to him/her). The other channels may be a different CTCSS settings for the same frequency, access to other agencies (police, fire, state, federal, or locally set for the area the officers patrols), Mutual Aid, tactical, HT to HT, etc.

This whole concept is typically true whenever any HT radio is transmitting in simplex mode as well. Simplex is when the radio is not using a repeater (more powerful radio on a hill top, building top, etc., with a much larger antenna) in duplex or semi-duplex mode to communicate. Duplex and semi-duplex will take more explaining - some other time (just know that your phone is full duplex - hear and talk at the same time). So when you hear a radio in simplex mode, it is more than likely pretty close to your location. Examples of this use would be officers or a team on a stake out using a simplex channel in order to avoid transmitting their communications on the entire radio system. This may be done on a normal channel, a tactical channel, or even on a non-published frequency (hey, I have seen it done).

I have a BCT-7 (BCT-8's predecessor). I have programmed my new Uniden BCD-396T as I described above and the only difference is that there is no flashing light when the alert alarm goes off. It works great.

I hope that this helps and is not too much info.

 

[car2back]

the problem with the HP alert is by the time it is going off, you'll probably be hearing your DL number being given for a return! :lol:

 

[hotdjdave]

Saved Me From Some Tickets

the problem with the HP alert is by the time it is going off, you'll probably be hearing your DL number being given for a return! :lol:

I have avoided several tickets over the years by monitoring the mobile extender frequencies with an alert in one form or another; both in rural and urban areas, in California and in Nevada. Especially back when the speed limit was changed to 55 MPH nationwide...it was near impossible to drive that SLOW on a highway! Combine that with a good RADAR/Laser detector and RADAR deflecting, and you increase the odds in your favor. Of course knowing how to use all these things helps as well. Just having them doesn't do the job unless you know how to "work" them.

 

[icebone]

Thanks a lot, terrific explanation. I'll save it and try to set that up on my PRO-97. I don't think that scanner has alert tones, but just adding that freq to the bank should help. That said, i looked up the database and can't identify the mobile extender frequency. Does it go by a different name? I checked NY state, here:

http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&aid=615

Is it listed? How does one identify this freq?

Oh, and also "...DL number given for a return?" What's a DL?

Cheers,
-icebone

 

[icebone]

And so furthermore, just to clarify, the 'highway alert' feature doesn't necessarily sound when a nearby patrol car uses its radio... it specifically means the officer is OUT of the car AND talking on the radio? This doesn't seem as useful, wouldn't it hardly ever go off? Seems like a lot of conditions to meet: proximity, officer outside, officer talking.

Cheers
-icebone

 

[rdale]

"This doesn't seem as useful"

Correct...

 

[rware96]

And so furthermore, just to clarify, the 'highway alert' feature doesn't necessarily sound when a nearby patrol car uses its radio... it specifically means the officer is OUT of the car AND talking on the radio? This doesn't seem as useful, wouldn't it hardly ever go off? Seems like a lot of conditions to meet: proximity, officer outside, officer talking.

Cheers
-icebone

How useful will depend on what state you are in. I travel frequently and in the states of Arkansas, IL, and Mississippi have found it to work very well. Works great for the speed traps with the multiple chase cars. It has even saved me when there was a plane overhead, again because of the multiple chase cars extenders transmitting.
In Indiana, since they have moved to the SAFET system, the extender has not been any help.

 

[icebone]

NY state, for instance, assuming you coudl even scan in your car, it probably wouldn't help much -- the vast majority of thruway traps are just one car sitting in the median u-turn lane, or shooting radar at oncoming traffic. Radar detectors work, but it's spotty -- you need a good, sensitive detector and you need to slow heavily at any whiff of Ka or K.

I really don't know how useful a BCT-8 style system would be UNLESS there are multi-car traps, but as i said, in my thruway travels i have yet to see one in NY.

-icebone

 

[rware96]

Another interesting feature of the beartrackers alert function, now this depends on what state you are in, the radio is programmed to alert to the main mobile radio transmittions, the frequency is off by 5 kHz in order to reduce the sensitivity. This insures that it is a nearby transmitter. For example, here in Mississippi, the highway patrol's mobile to base frequency is 42.300 MHz. The beartracker alert goes off when it receives a signal on 42.295 MHz. Therefore, here in Mississippi, it does alert anytime a highway patrol car is near and transmitting, in addition to the mobile extender frequency.
Note that in some states the beartracker only alerts on Extender frequencies.

 

[hotdjdave]

And so furthermore, just to clarify, the 'highway alert' feature doesn't necessarily sound when a nearby patrol car uses its radio... it specifically means the officer is OUT of the car AND talking on the radio? This doesn't seem as useful, wouldn't it hardly ever go off? Seems like a lot of conditions to meet: proximity, officer outside, officer talking.

There are a couple of other things that will set off the alert: when the officer actually activates the mobile extender, a tone will sound and you will hear a broadcast for a few seconds; when other traffic is on the radio as well, not necessarily when the officer talks on his/her radio.

As for RADAR detectors, here is the absolute best one I have seen: http://www.beltronics.com/sti.html

And here is a RADAR detector testing site with a whole lot of cool devices to "avoid" RADAR and Laser: http://www.radarbusters.com/ (Note: this guy's info is trustworthy)

 

[hotdjdave]

Another interesting feature of the beartrackers alert function, now this depends on what state you are in, the radio is programmed to alert to the main mobile radio transmittions, the frequency is off by 5 kHz in order to reduce the sensitivity. This insures that it is a nearby transmitter. For example, here in Mississippi, the highway patrol's mobile to base frequency is 42.300 MHz. The beartracker alert goes off when it receives a signal on 42.295 MHz. Therefore, here in Mississippi, it does alert anytime a highway patrol car is near and transmitting, in addition to the mobile extender frequency.
Note that in some states the beartracker only alerts on Extender frequencies.

All of this can be done on any scanner as well, as I previously posted. But a BearCat Tracker is cool, too.

 

[dcg729]

Off topic question, What is the legalality of radar jammers, I have one that claims to send a scrambled signal such as 41,53,39,52,44 in quick order back to the receiver, true ? or scam ??, I also love my bc350c and used a bc8 for years until the alert got on my nerves, In my town it seemed to always be going off (300k pop). Take home cruisers so lots on the street at anytime. I have scanned for 35 years and started with a lafayette hand held complete with a 3 foot telescoping ant. Equipment has come a long way . Thanks

 

[hotdjdave]

Off topic question, What is the legalality of radar jammers, I have one that claims to send a scrambled signal such as 41,53,39,52,44 in quick order back to the receiver, true ? or scam ?? Thanks

This site will inform you all about scanners, jammers, other RADAR/Laser equipment, and legal issues involving their use:
http://www.radarjammer.com/

See also:
http://www.radarbusters.com/

 

[icebone]

That detector looks a bit flashy... i used to use a bel vector 985, which came with a similar flashy metal case that i never once used. The speaker died after a couple years and i traded it in (well, extended-warranty-returned it to CC) for a new 995, which i'm now using. More or less the same device, i think. Works pretty well.

-icebone

 

[hotdjdave]

One of the Best

That detector looks a bit flashy... i used to use a bel vector 985, which came with a similar flashy metal case that i never once used. The speaker died after a couple years and i traded it in (well, extended-warranty-returned it to CC) for a new 995, which i'm now using. More or less the same device, i think. Works pretty well. -icebone

The good thing about this detector is its many features. Some of the outstanding ones:

Magnesium casing
The only detector that cannot be detected by all detector detectors (G2, VG4, Spectre I, II and III)
New Tech Display provides actual numeric radar frequency for any radar signal
Programmable Bands (on/off) - I always wanted this
Its performance is comparable to the Escort Passport X50 and the Beltronics RX65, the two top rated RADAR detectors

 

[icebone]

Yeah, check out the vector 995 then -- has all that, including the Ku and voltage display and programmable feature and all the rest of it, just without the fancy case of the RX65. I've noticed this about bel before -- they tend to have a couple of expensive, flashy models that don't add much to the tech. I generally get the top rated hardware and forego the extras.

-icebone.

 

[icebone]

The one thing it doesn't have is invisibility to ALL detector-detectors...

but then, i don't see why you need that, unless you use it where they're not allowed, like DC or VA. I know they're illegal in ontario and i dutifully pack it up and stow it every time i hit the border. No point using it there, not worth it. They're really nice when they're allowed, but not worth the hassle otherwise.

-icebone.