No Longer hearing drive-thru chatter

[brikey9613]

Hi Folks, I live in the
S.W Detroit. Lincolon Park area and I use to get alot of traffic from drive thru fastfood resturants ie: Wendys, Burger King Taco Bell,ect... on the 457.xxx freqency but, I no longer can pick up the traffic.
Anybody else expierence this? did they change anything?........Brian

 

[MtnBiker2005]

Go inside and see what system they are using

Might be using the HME drive-thru headsets digital system.
http://www.hme.com/qsr/drive-thru-headset-systems/

 

[GB1952]

Interesting digital drive thru

 

[kc9cra]

I have noticed some of them in the 900's. Here on rr, it shows Mcdonalds as having several freqs in the 900's, but I have heard others. I have also heard the vhf itinerant freqs used as well. These mics can really use any itinerant freq or one licensed by the business. Plus, the idea is that it is a short range mic, so some places don't even care about getting licenses, so you may not see the frequencies listed. Try searching the entire 450 to 470 band as well as the 920's. The vhf freqs might net you something too, but I highly doubt anyone's using vhf/low anymore. If they are, please share. It would be interesting to see who has held on to the old way of doing things.

 

[freqs]

Both these sites are a bit old but could help .There is some newer 900 MHz headsets ive heard of and may be digital ? National Communications Fast Food Frequencies or www.fordyce.org/scanning/scanninginfo_/fastfd2.htm the one Burger King in Warren is in the 34.6400 low band

 

[diskmonger]

More and more of them are using the HME digital system now adays, no listening to that

 

[freqs]

I found a old Motorola Hand Held in thrash one day at the landfill I took it home charged it I think it was on 154.5700 or in that range ,So I had it with me one day drove past a McDonalds and picked up thier drive thru

 

[brikey9613]

Drive thru chatter

HI again,took my trusted Pro-106 w\ me to the store the other day and what da ya know, drive-thru chatter from Burger King Just when I was about to give up on drive-thur chatter.....

 

[W2GLD]

You should consider programming your search range with the following settings:

150.8000 to 162.0000 NFM 7.5 kHz spacing

450.0000 to 470.0000 NFM 6.25 kHz. spacing

Many of these stores use nationally based communications companies to support their needs. These licenses are almost always following the newer standards these days. In addition, several use 900MHz. spread-spectrum as well.

I do have one question though; why on earth would you want to monitor the drive-thru frequencies? The coverage is severely limited, the conversations are generally nonsense, etc? Just curious...

 

[KC4RAF]

Hummm,

maybe Micky D and Wendy and others gone "digital encrytion"!?! :-o

 

[Bob_61]

I do have one question though; why on earth would you want to monitor the drive-thru frequencies? The coverage is severely limited, the conversations are generally nonsense, etc? Just curious...[/QUOTE]

Now I don't listen very offend, But here in Enfield,Ct. on the weekend you can hear some crazy s**t! I will go to those freqs ,if I hear something from PD dispatch. Same goes for the local mall. Again listening to someone order their meals is pointless unless you are next to order and ask for the same thing the person in front of you is ordering (just say I want what the people ahead of me ordered) and see how that pans out!!

 

[brikey9613]

Listening to 'drive thru

In answering the question Why do I want to listen to drive thru chatter, I live in the Detroit area and there is just too much violence w/ public saftey and hems and Idon't get to sleep at night listening to that kind of chatter...... When I had my pro -164 I coud listen to Tim Hortons from my home...some very interesting chatter from employees talking to one to another and with customers..I mostly listen to trunking and ham frequenies.....

 

[ecps92]

We each bring a different aspect to Monitoring.

We could ask each and everyone who comments on why he wants to listen to fast food to answer "why you listen to the Cops when it's None of Your Business what is going on". But we don't.

Scanning/Monitoring brings those from Business Band, Taxi's, Public Safety, Military [LMR and Aero], Aeronautical, Marine, to then expand into Recreational [Museums, Theatres, Ball Parks, Theme Parks] etc etc etc

I do have one question though; why on earth would you want to monitor the drive-thru frequencies? The coverage is severely limited, the conversations are generally nonsense, etc? Just curious...

 

[Spleen]

W2GLD had the right idea with the search ranges, though don't limit yourself to NFM mode...we got bored during hurricane duty and started scanning around for fast food (among other things) when we had the brilliant idea of trying to look up the licenses for the various chains...not everything clicks there, though, if you keep in mind that some farm out the radio work and the license is in some unknown outfitter/licensee's name, but you'd be amazed how far you can get.
What is also amazing is the range on some of those radios....there's a Wendys almost half a mile from me that fades quickly in the car leaving the place with the rubber duck antenna but bring the PRO-106 inside and hook it up to the discone and the signal buries the little LCD meter...457.5125, FM mode.

 

[W2GLD]

W2GLD had the right idea with the search ranges, though don't limit yourself to NFM mode...we got bored during hurricane duty and started scanning around for fast food (among other things) when we had the brilliant idea of trying to look up the licenses for the various chains...not everything clicks there, though, if you keep in mind that some farm out the radio work and the license is in some unknown outfitter/licensee's name, but you'd be amazed how far you can get.
What is also amazing is the range on some of those radios....there's a Wendys almost half a mile from me that fades quickly in the car leaving the place with the rubber duck antenna but bring the PRO-106 inside and hook it up to the discone and the signal buries the little LCD meter...457.5125, FM mode.

Just a note, when you properly setup those search ranges; you will still stop on the standard FM pairs and hear the traffic just fine; however the audio may be slightly louder than a none-NFM licensee.

And to the other poster; you're right, we all have our own listening pleasures, I was just curious as to why people choose what they do; I too have listened to these drive-thru's as well, while not very interesting it's more the challenge of find thier operating frequencies, CTCSS/DCS tone, etc. But I do understand and your comment is so right on. Thank you...

 

[W2NJS]

FWIW, when 3M was making drive-thru radio sets they were on 900 mHz and using spread-spectrum technology...and it was digital as well. I don't know if they're still in the business.

 

[gvranchosbill]

For Kc9cra Re: Lowband still in use.

Here in Gardnerville,NV
Recently confirmed use at KFC#835
WNKZ623 Expired Long Ago.
Outside/Order(Constant Transmit)31.140 mhz/82.5 ctcss
Inside/Headset(PTT)151.895 mhz/88.5 ctcss

Fyi:
Starbucks & Burger King about the same time in early 2011 disapeared off of UHF.

Jack & the Box,Taco Bell i have never found by searching or using Uniden close call since i started seeking their freqs.
Most likely Digital or Hard Wired.

McDonalds in Carson City mid 2010 found by searching 900 mhz band.
Outside/Order(On/Off Remote) 921.9375 mhz WBFM

Wendys Carson City has since disapeared off of UHF recently.

I wouldnt be suprised do to the availability of Two-Way Field Programable Radios for the move to more secure systems. lol

 

[gvranchosbill]

Here in Gardnerville,NV
The Starbucks was using the 457.5125 and 468.something before they moved to new system and that 457.5125 transmitter i could hear from their Store to my House! A distance of 3 miles!
Burger King also using 469.0375 Order Speaker i could almost hear at my house.
I was using 4.5db Gain UHF antenna/LMR-400 Cable to a Uniden BCT-15.

 

[gvranchosbill]

My reason for monitoring is the challenge of finding the Xmtrs and finding tones if any.
Logging them in my Logs.
I like the challenge of, if anything can be heard, i want to find it and log it just for the fun of it.
Someday somebody may want to know what they are hearing and i might be able to answer.
Its all about the find and identifying it if i had to sum it up.

 

[Sprinter06]

When you have an antenna farm on top of a van with tinted windows and everyone inside is wearing black, you might want to monitor.We were on our way to a security gig. I had the experience at a mickey d's where an employee was talking s*#t about us and calling us terrorists on the internal talk around. We had a bit of fun with it. We got our order, pulled up by the door and all of us jumped out and very quickly rushed the door and went straight for the counter. You should have seen the look on their faces! We talked to the manager and the kid who said it. Told him to watch what what he says from now on cuz ya never never know! Think he needed some new shorts! Priceless!