My 2016 Ram Promaster City Mobile Radio Scanner Setup For Media Work

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K4EET

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EmergencyToday, nice installation! For the antennas, are they both Lairds and what models are they? Since they are different models, I guess they are used primarily on different bands and the scanner is dedicated to those sub-bands? "What's the scoop?"
 

CityNewsSupport

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EmergencyToday, nice installation! For the antennas, are they both Lairds and what models are they? Since they are different models, I guess they are used primarily on different bands and the scanner is dedicated to those sub-bands? "What's the scoop?"
Hello Sir
Thank You for your service in Public Safety! The Laird is a C-40 49in Antenna I Use To Pickup the California Highway Patrol The Forward Antenna Is a Larson Tri Band Antenna For all other Frequencies I Monitor. I Use A Uniden BCT15X For The California Highway Patrol & A Uniden BCD996P2 For All Others. The BCD996P2 is currently Programmed with Conventional, Motorola Smartnet & P25 Phase 1 Systems :)
 

trentbob

W3BUX- Bucks County, PA
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Hello Sir
Thank You for your service in Public Safety! The Laird is a C-40 49in Antenna I Use To Pickup the California Highway Patrol The Forward Antenna Is a Larson Tri Band Antenna For all other Frequencies I Monitor. I Use A Uniden BCT15X For The California Highway Patrol & A Uniden BCD996P2 For All Others. The BCD996P2 is currently Programmed with Conventional, Motorola Smartnet & P25 Phase 1 Systems :)
I have used that Larson tri-band for many many years, last year I swapped it out for the new Larsen tri-band antenna, it's the same exact antenna with a spring and a more heavy-duty nmo mount.

Great all-around performer.
 

trentbob

W3BUX- Bucks County, PA
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So I just noticed you have press photographer plates. I always used them on my car. I had three different sets over the years. I'm retired now from a seven-day-a-week large City daily.

PA plates are only rear license plates normally but press photographer plates were always front and back. Only plates on a passenger car with front and back plates.

We also had stickers from the state police and city police departments. We would put them on the back window and were mostly for parking.

Just for s***s and giggles I'll send you a copy of what our PP plates look like.

Resized_PSX_20200629_102334.jpeg
 

bharvey2

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This is the first time I've seen plumbing fittings used in a vehicle to mount radios or scanners. If it were me, I'd place a hose bib in the unused port of the tee. You know, just for the heck of it.
 

bharvey2

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necessity is the mother of invention!


Understand completely. I've used deck flanges and pipe fittings for a lot of projects. As an aside, my first thought was to install a fancy beer tap handle as a conversation piece instead of a hose bib but that wouldn't do the OP any good during a traffic stop.
 

03msc

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I've never heard of Press Photographer plates. I don't think we have that in Arkansas; if we do I'm not aware. Do they do any good? Like, does it give you access to 'scenes' that they otherwise would prevent a 'regular' vehicle from entering? Just curious if that's the purpose or if it is simply another type of vanity plate like a ham radio tag or whatever.
 

trentbob

W3BUX- Bucks County, PA
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Just Google it in Arkansas and they'll tell you if they have those plates. In Pennsylvania they absolutely do give you privileges. In California I don't know we have not heard from the o p for a while and he did not acknowledge my post.

You have to be a legitimate member of the press. It's not for bloggers or citizen reporters, it's for full-time credentialed members of the media and your editor has to sign the application.

They started issuing them in Pennsylvania in 1957 and there still less than 1000 plates. 1 through 10 was reserved for Associated Press.

They make a vehicle a class 4 authorized vehicle. As long as you use an orange flashing light you have privileges of crossing over where it says authorized vehicles only, you can ride on the shoulder of the road, you can go on roads that are officially closed. When I got my first set the number was in the 400s, when they got old years later my number was in the 500s and the plate that I show above is my number most recently issued.
 
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CityNewsSupport

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So I just noticed you have press photographer plates. I always used them on my car. I had three different sets over the years. I'm retired now from a seven-day-a-week large City daily.

PA plates are only rear license plates normally but press photographer plates were always front and back. Only plates on a passenger car with front and back plates.

We also had stickers from the state police and city police departments. We would put them on the back window and were mostly for parking.

Just for s***s and giggles I'll send you a copy of what our PP plates look like.

View attachment 87362
Awesome tanks for the photo! I love the Look Of The PA Plates:)
 

CityNewsSupport

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West, Sacramento, California, USA
I've never heard of Press Photographer plates. I don't think we have that in Arkansas; if we do I'm not aware. Do they do any good? Like, does it give you access to 'scenes' that they otherwise would prevent a 'regular' vehicle from entering? Just curious if that's the purpose or if it is simply another type of vanity plate like a ham radio tag or whatever.
The CA PP Plates were desingend strictly for fast law enforcement vehicle identification! When they first started issuing them Most officers did not even have two way radios. The CA PP plates do not afford any vehicle exemptions but we normally get a pass on illegal parking:) In recent years they have fallen out of Favor with the Big Media but us freelancers still love them!
 
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