New Newbie

[Challis]

Ok. I just bought a scanner from Radio Shack. I believe that it is the pro164. Was preprogrammed.I have gone through and found what freq. match what county/area. Some of them have multiple counties or nothing real close to me. What can i do to find out what the freq. is for? The one Freq. is 460.42500. Also noticed on that Freq. That sometimes they have it to where you cant understand what they saying. Sounds like Aliens talking hehe.

 

[SCPD]

location?, state & county???

 

[Challis]

South East Idaho counties, Fremont, Madison, Bonneville, Bingham, Bannock Mostly

 

[qlajlu]

Ok. I just bought a scanner from Radio Shack. I believe that it is the pro164. Was preprogrammed.I have gone through and found what freq. match what county/area. Some of them have multiple counties or nothing real close to me. What can i do to find out what the freq. is for? The one Freq. is 460.42500. Also noticed on that Freq. That sometimes they have it to where you cant understand what they saying. Sounds like Aliens talking hehe.

Welcome to RR.com, Challis!​

You ask some very good questions and as AlabamaRS has stated, knowing your location makes a big difference in many answers. I urge you to return to your User CP (left side of the second blue bar from the top of any page if you are logged in) and edit your profile to include your location (city & state). By doing that, your location will show automatically in all of your posts. Yes, you answered that question in a separate post, but many questions in the future may also be linked to your location and adding your location to your profile will eliminate having to answer that question again.

You might also consider posting these questions in the Idaho Discussion Forum because the local people would be familiar with what you are speaking of and could answer your questions much faster. Sounds to me as if you have a frequency that is digital or encrypted or both. The Pro-164 cannot handle digital.

 

[rvictor]

Rather than trying to find out what the frequencies that happen to be in the radio when you bought it are for, you will find it easier to check the database for the counties and services of interest and then program those frequencies into the radio in a way that is logical for what you want to listen to.

The frequencies that you are having trouble understanding may be encrypted.

Dick

 

[thewenk]

Ok. I just bought a scanner from Radio Shack. I believe that it is the pro164. Was preprogrammed.I have gone through and found what freq. match what county/area. Some of them have multiple counties or nothing real close to me. What can i do to find out what the freq. is for? The one Freq. is 460.42500. Also noticed on that Freq. That sometimes they have it to where you cant understand what they saying. Sounds like Aliens talking hehe.

What you are probably hearing on 460.425 is Fort Hall Police in Bingham County and they occasionally use voice inversion encryption, which is your alien sound. All of the counties you mentioned have some vhf/uhf conventional frequencies that are still active and can be monitored on your PRO-164. As previously mentioned, your scanner needs to be reprogrammed with the conventional frequencies shown in the RR database for the counties mentioned. All of those counties either have migrated or will soon be migrating most fire/police activity to the 700 MHz digital trunked system Scanner Frequencies: Idaho Interoperable Mutual Aid Radio System (IIMARS) Trunking System, Statewide, Idaho for which you will need a digital scanner. The Pro-164 will not monitor digital. So far, there is not much encryption being used in Eastern Idaho.

In the future, if you post your question in the Idaho forum Idaho Radio Discussion Forum - The RadioReference.com Forums, you will probably get a more specific response. Also look at the following for further frequency data in the counties you mentioned.
Scanner Frequencies: Eastern Idaho Interoperable Mutual Aid Radio System (EIIMARS) Trunking System, Multiple Locations, Idaho
Bonneville County, Idaho (ID) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference
Madison County, Idaho (ID) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference
Bannock County, Idaho (ID) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference
Bingham County, Idaho (ID) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

Dave

 

[DickH]

... they occasionally use voice inversion encryption, ...

Just a clarification. Voice inversion is not encryption. Since it is just another type of modulation, it can be monitored legally with the proper equipment.
Even if you had the proper equipment, it is illegal to decode and monitor encrypted transmissions.

 

[Challis]

Alright. I would like to Thank all of you that helped here. Thewenk I found out lastnight while listening to the scanner that that Freq. was Forthall area. I have gone to the regions that you posted when i got the scanner and printed up. I have listen and wrote down the common freq. and searched what area they was and wrote that down.
One other ? if i was to buy the PC/IF cable and downloaded the freq. will the scanner then tell me what area the freq are from? like the 460.425 would it then say Forthall or equivelent.
When will Southeast Idaho be digital any idea

 

[thewenk]

Alright. I would like to Thank all of you that helped here. Thewenk I found out lastnight while listening to the scanner that that Freq. was Forthall area. I have gone to the regions that you posted when i got the scanner and printed up. I have listen and wrote down the common freq. and searched what area they was and wrote that down.
One other ? if i was to buy the PC/IF cable and downloaded the freq. will the scanner then tell me what area the freq are from? like the 460.425 would it then say Forthall or equivelent.
When will Southeast Idaho be digital any idea

Challis,
Since it appears you're in Bannock County, you should be aware that most of Bannock and Bingham Counties are on 700 MHz digital now. Using the PRO-164, you will be severely limited in what you can monitor. The Fort Hall frequency, plus fire/EMS, which is being simulcast on vhf and 700 MHz, will be about all you can hear with the PRO-164.

I would suggest that you seriously consider returning the PRO-164 to RS before 30 days is up since your purchase, and get your money back. Then consider buying a PRO-106(or GRE PSR500 or Uniden BCD396XT) which will monitor the 700 digital.

The Pro-106 costs more than the 164, but it periodically goes on sale for $399 (it's $499 right now). The 106 will be more difficult to program and will probably require a learning curve and the use of software for you to program it. Be aware it is not a simple scanner, but none of the digital scanners are as simple as the older analog style, such as the Pro-164. I really think you will be very disappointed in how little you can hear using the 164 in Bannock/Bingham.

Take a look here for info on the PRO-106 and the other digital scanners.
Pro-106 - The RadioReference Wiki
BCD396XT - The RadioReference Wiki
PSR-500 - The RadioReference Wiki

If you have further specific questions about Idaho frequencies you can pst them in the Idaho forum.

Dave

 

[Challis]

Ok Thewenk. When i bought the 164 i also bought the 1 year replacement. The guys said that before the year is up to take it in and say that it is acting up, and get the digital one. Do you have any idea when all counties will be digital?

 

[thewenk]

Ok Thewenk. When i bought the 164 i also bought the 1 year replacement. The guys said that before the year is up to take it in and say that it is acting up, and get the digital one. Do you have any idea when all counties will be digital?

Bingham and Bannock are digital now. The other counties you mentioned are testing their digital systems now and will probably be switched within 3-4 months.

Dave

 

[Challis]

Ok well i guess i will be keeping eye open for when Radio Shack gets thier digital ones out and hope they go through with exchanging it.