POCSAG Pager Question

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ThomasMcKean

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Does anyone know where I can get a POCSAG pager in the 70cm band? Or at least the 2m band? Is it even allowed? I understand that it is, but there is some controversy over it...

Where can I find a pager? Does anyone know?

TIA :)
 

gewecke

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Even if you could, paging services don't transmit that low in vhf or uhf bands.
What is it you're trying to do?

73,
n9zas
 

ThomasMcKean

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Even if you could, paging services don't transmit that low in vhf or uhf bands.
What is it you're trying to do?

73,
n9zas

True enough. Paging services don't. But there are POCSAG encoders out there that can. As for what I am trying to do, I am trying to do what every ham does. EXPERIMENT! :)
 

SCPD

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You realize it's illegal to decode common carrier paging systems or messages not intended for you. I don't see what thrill people get out of decoding this information. Use that SDR dongle for something that is worthwhile.
 

SCPD

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You realize it's illegal to decode common carrier paging systems or messages not intended for you.

Quote me that statute specifically for this situation. If it were really important, it would be encrypted.

Anyway, I'm more about the mode, software, etc. than I care about the conversation.

I don't see what thrill people get out of decoding this information. Use that SDR dongle for something that is worthwhile.

I don't get the thrill of your spanking us, but hey, to each his own. I probably do more with dongle than most, so I'm sure "something that is worthwhile" is likely some day. Something worthwhile isn't easy in this hobby since it's, well, just a hobby.

73
 

kc0kp

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You realize it's illegal to decode common carrier paging systems or messages not intended for you. I don't see what thrill people get out of decoding this information. Use that SDR dongle for something that is worthwhile.
First of all, POCSAG is all but obsolete. No common carrier in the US uses it anymore so your point is moot.
Second of all, POCSAG is a legal mode for amateur radio. Kantronics even included it at one time in their software for their TNCs.
As for the OP's question, the secondary market is about the only source left. We were running our own POCSAG system here at the fire department until we moved to other systems. We were buying our pagers direct from mainland Chinese manufacturers up until 5 years ago. We were on the 450 Mhz band. We sold all of our spare and used pagers as surplus and were bought for scrap value. We used POCSAG to control all our Civil Defense sirens as well as paging.
Keep looking, they are out there. As for how to identify them readily, I do not know although Motorola had a few POCSAG only pagers with specific model numbers. Finding software to reprogram the channels they were on can be a pain in the rear. I know there were several ham clubs that used the pagers to notify them of emergency incidents. Some of those pagers may be floating around.
I admire your curiosity and encourage you highly. All the naysayers on here obviously do not know what they are talking about and are only too glad to tell you why it won't work or is illegal.
Craig
 

cavmedic

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Apollo pagers , the software is free on their website to program , most can be programmed via the front buttons, and is the method of alerting our County uses for primary dispatching , station printing and I have switched our House Siren over to trigger via pocsag.
 

majoco

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You realize it's illegal to decode common carrier paging systems or messages not intended for you.

It's never been illegal to intercept and decode any broadcasted signal. What is illegal is to use any of the information you receive for illegal purposes or pecuniary gain or advantage. The "security of communications" acts go right back to the days when ordinary mail and telegraph was the only form of communication.
 

CanesFan95

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A second vote for Apollo pagers. I've had a few and they work good, not to mention a nice bright backlight.
 

ThomasMcKean

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It's never been illegal to intercept and decode any broadcasted signal. What is illegal is to use any of the information you receive for illegal purposes or pecuniary gain or advantage. The "security of communications" acts go right back to the days when ordinary mail and telegraph was the only form of communication.

Actually I think he's right. I think the pager law is in there with the cell phone and cordless phone law from back in 1994.

But I am not looking to intercept. I am looking to page.
 

mikepdx

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I built a HAM based paging system last year which was based on these (Wrist Watch Pager American Cellular Inc.) pagers. Really cool and well received. I would program it to send a callsign on a unused CAPCODE every 10 minutes to keep it legit.

Neat project.

I'm curious why you'd have the transmitter key-up and identify
every 10 mins.

You should only have to send your call sign once at the end of any page, or series of pages.

On a given day, if you didn't activate the transmitter to page,
it would still ID 144 times. That's a lot of QRM on a frequency,
particularly if it's used by others in range.
 
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wa8pyr

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It's never been illegal to intercept and decode any broadcasted signal. What is illegal is to use any of the information you receive for illegal purposes or pecuniary gain or advantage. The "security of communications" acts go right back to the days when ordinary mail and telegraph was the only form of communication.

This may be correct in New Zealand, but in the US the mere act of decoding a pager transmission from a common carrier was made illegal in 1986.
 

Your_account

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So in Austria its illegal to receive one of that Transmissions.
 

thundermedic

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What are you using to "Dispatch" the calls out? I was looking at using something like the Pagers to activate the ARES group in Calgary.
 
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