Need some recommendations please

[Arbigator]

Hi everyone,

I'm very new to this, and all of this information has been a little overwhelming, haha. I'm hoping you guys can help me out/point me in the right direction.

I'm basically looking to listen to all emergency services, primarily police, in and around Calgary, as well as airport traffic. I'm in a different part of the city everyday for work, and I frequently travel up to Red Deer and Edmonton, and down to Lethbridge. I'm looking for a mobile base station to install in my vehicle.

From what I understand, -which isn't very much- I need a digital system to listen to Calgary traffic, but what about RCMP? Are they digital too?

I also like to go out in to the bush where there's no cell reception, and I would like the ability to contact emergency services, Fish and Wildlife, or anyone that could help should the need arise.

As I said before, I really don't know anything about this stuff, but I'm hoping you guys can set me straight. Is what I'm asking for realistic?

I have my radio license, and I know the rules about communicating on the radio, this would be primarily for listening, but the ability to make an emergency transmission would be a great thing to have.

Thank you all for your help. Hopefully I provided enough information.

Regards,

Dustin

 

[ahp309]

Do a Wiki search. You will find the answers to your emergency service questions.

Is what I'm asking for realistic?

No.

 

[davecason]

A few ideas

Hi,

OK, to monitor the city cops and EMS and stuff you'll need a scanner that can do digital stuff, think of something like a Uniden BCD396T or the newer 436HP .... I just got my first scanner at a flea market last week, so this is a new thing for me too .....

You can find radio files here on RR that have everything in them for Calgary to listen to the various groups.
Download it to the radio and start listening ..... I'm still trying to understand the trucking and stuff.

As far as "out in the bush" you can't contact Fish Cops or the RCMP legally. Well OK if you open up a radio you can, but even then ..... I have all my rigs opened but that's just me, if the **** hit the fan I'd risk the Industry Canada SWAT team taking me out because made a call on an illegal frequency. You CAN listen to RCMP on a regular ham radio but again that should be for just listening like a scanner.

If you HAVE to have comm's in the bush - it's easy and pretty cheap. Get a SPOT or better yet get a DeLorme In-Reach, the Spot works on most land in Canada and around the earth in various places but it's a one way message:

- I'm OK
- I'm stuck
- Holy Crap I'm dying - Sorta EPRB mode .....

The DeLorme works all over the earth and at sea, the Spot does not. Plus the DeLorme offer the ability to send and RECEIVE two way text messaging as well as your emergency beacon mode like the spot.

That's your best but for comm's in the bush - well that or a SAT phone ....

Again just start Google-ing or head down to RadioWorld, that's where I got my Radios, my Spot and my In-Reach, hopefully that helps you a bit more ....

Cheers'
Dave

 

[robertmac]

Well, the last thing I would admit to is opening up an amateur radio. But take the rest of the suggestions as they are far, far better than "but the ability to make an emergency transmission would be a great thing to have". That is one of the reasons these departments are going digital. Besides in an emergency, it will probably take you too long to convince anyone that you happen to connect with on a radio that your call is legit. So, a couple of words to Arbiagator and ALL others buying Cheap Chinese Radios to communicate with EMS, Fire, Police, SRD in an "Emergency"-DON'T! No radio license gives anyone the right to communicate with other departments unless you have written permission from them. As I said in another post elsewhere that I have heard non recognized people trying to communicate with SRD but it took over 5 minutes to have the SRD operator understand what was going on. I am sure the last thing these departments want if everyone trying to communicate with them in a really emergency or a self perceived emergency. I have to qualify the above by saying I don't belong to any of these departments. Having been around them and talking with them [face to face] for a long time, I do know how they feel.

 

[beeperboy]

That's really good advice robertmac. If you truly perceive a need to communicate with first responders in the boonies, buy a satt phone.

 

[SCPD]

That's really good advice robertmac.

Great advice .. but you cannot prevent stupid. :wink::wink:

 

[davecason]

Yep .... like I said .....

Yep,

Robert is correct .... once they get going digital it's all moot and you'll never be able to talk to them so stick with a Sat Phone or go for the SPOT or the InReach.

As for the CCT's or any radio, buy whatever you like, I have decently made Yeasu's and my cheaper Wouxun's all open but just because they are opened doesn't mean you should use them but if you "had" to and that's a mighty big damm "had" its just another option. Now would I actually trust that the sucker would work when I need it to ....HA No .... !

I'll stick with the tried and tested global based In-Reach or a really decent EPIRB ...... that way you know you're covered.

Cheers'
Dave

 

[kayn1n32008]

That is one of the reasons these departments are going digital.

I doubt that civilians trying to communicate with them has anything to do with going digital. Going digital has more to do with 'interoperability' and the ability to employ encryption than keeping outsiders from transmitting on their frequencies.

So, a couple of words to Arbiagator and ALL others buying Cheap Chinese Radios to communicate with EMS, Fire, Police, SRD in an "Emergency"-DON'T!

Very well put.

That's really good advice robertmac. If you truly perceive a need to communicate with first responders in the boonies, buy a sat phone.

This is the best advice. Having a modded hamcraptastic, CCR or LMR radio programmed to transmit on public safety frequencies is NOT being prepared. It is a cop out to actually being prepared. Having a sat phone, Spot, EPiRB or InReach beacon is being prepared.

... Stick with a Sat Phone or go for SPOT or InReach. .



Cheers'

Dave

Bears repeating, a modified hamcraptastic/CCR radio is NOT a substitution for being prepared to get help. Sat phones can be rented, Spot is less than C$200 to buy, and C$100 a year in monitoring. FROM personal experience(my employer uses them for crews working outside of cellular coverage for crew tracking) I can send an 'ok message' and receive conformation our tracking server has received the beacon on my cell phone in less than 10 minutes, usually in less than 5 minutes. Spot works well for a one way device. They claim a 95% success rate in receiving an emergency beacon in 20 minutes.

Great advice .. but you cannot prevent stupid. :wink::wink:

Yup, even ductape and a 2x4 does not fix stupid... There will always be those that think modding radios 'just in case' is being prepared...

 

[davecason]

Mod'ing Radios

Hey,

I dunno, I have no problem with people who mod their radios (as you can tell) I think most people do it:

A: for the challenge and tinkering factor
B: to optimize their purchase

That's the only reason I do it, now if you lack discipline and self control, then it's not for you. Here's why....

I did it and a few other hacks like mic mods, and display mods, and stuff, for the same reason - to tinker. It's fun and I know my way around a schematic and a soldering iron so that's reason A covered..

Now to the B reason: Did my mod on my Yeasu 8800 work? I'll never really know for sure because I'm not about to actually test it. Can I now chat to the local RCMP or that small place flying overhead?

I don't know because it's not legal to try it .... It's really that simple, maybe one day when Lassie runs up to me and tells me Billy fell down a well and to get help I might try it.

But even then the chances of it working are 50/50, it's back to the same reason why when I bought my first radio a CCT, I had no clue if the bugger even worked for the first year that I owned it because I never pressed the TX button till I got my license. (I sure listened a lot)

I want the maximum performance out of my radios and if they have the ability to do something I want it to be ABLE to do it, but will I actually use the feature that my radio now has, probably not, just like the 37 other features my radios have, this is just one more ......

I'm still gonna open it up and I have used it to try talking to a FRS radio and it works, but for me it's way more part A then B.

Cheers'
Dave

 

[robertmac]

The problem with yaking about opening these radios up is it leads to the problem of interfering with licensed users. Has happened and will happen needlessly. An amateur radio is that. It is not a LMR. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Their is no need to do it in this age. Period.

 

[davecason]

Your call

Hey Robert,

Yep, I totally understand your point. However I'm not one for ever telling someone what they can and can't do with their life or their stuff, so I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

I think they're are more problems in the world to work on than worrying about someone playing with their radios. Just remember folks: Thou shalt not cause harmful interference !

Cheers'
Dave

 

[robertmac]

And I agree to disagree. The problem being, is a lot of people opening up their radios or buying these cheap radios that are capable of wide band transmitting never take the time to look at spurious signals interfering on other frequencies [as per amateur radios being opened]. How many on RR were scanner listeners to CPS and Fire Department when illegal use of FRS radios occurred in Calgary?