Police and Fire still using low band frequencies ?...

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fires999

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Good Morning,
I was just wondering as a rough percentage how many Police and Fire Departments still use Low-Band frequencies ?
Here in the UK I fondly remember when conditions favoured , I could have the scanner on around 42mhz listening to Police and Fire comms.

Like yourselves , our Emergency Services migrated to a digital radio network (TETRA based) but I was shocked when reading a popular US radio magazine online that in a regular article that selects a different State each month , it showed Police using Low band frequencies I think between 32 and 40 mhz ?

Thanks in advance for any comments - Just for the record , my radio history is a UK firefighter since 94 we used 70mhz in am mode and since 2013, I am still a firefighter however I am now based on a USAF Base in the East of England using P25

K
 

PrivatelyJeff

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I believe many statewide law enforcement agencies do, due to needing very wide coverage, at least out west.

I just double checked. I guess only CHP does.
 
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mmckenna

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California Highway Patrol still relies on low band VHF analog for it's primary communications. The state of California is very large and very mountainous, and VHF low band is the only solution that will reliably cover enough of it. They recently started installing new low band radios combined with VHF, UHF and 7/800MHz RF decks to handle everything they need.
 

fires999

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Morning,
Thanks for your quick responses - Just surprised still being used , but as you say , vast areas need to be covered and low band is great for that.
If the sun spot cycle ever plays ball again , I'd love to listen in again in the UK afternoon - I know I could just find an internet link to listen but you all know it's not the same !!!!
As always, this forum never disappoints , really appreciate everyone's input.
K'
 

mmckenna

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If the sun spot cycle ever plays ball again , I'd love to listen in again in the UK afternoon - I know I could just find an internet link to listen but you all know it's not the same !!!!
As always, this forum never disappoints , really appreciate everyone's input.
K'

Yeah, should be possible. I know there are still a lot of low band users in the USA. You could probably also try listening for 6 meter propagation beacons.
 

Rt169Radio

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The public works dept, DOT, and fire dept in my city still uses low band.
 
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Third District Vol Fire Dept in Jefferson Parish Louisiana USA went back to their low band freq of 33.700 primary and 33.560 fg as a backup to the piece of JUNK 700 digital system they are on now. The 800 system being used before Katrina failed horribly on Sunday night due to the storm. Cell phones were knocked out too. SO MUCH FOR TECHNOLOGY !!!
 

12dbsinad

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There are still many state agencies that use lowband to supplement other radios systems. Mass SP still uses low band to this day in the western part of the state. I've seen pictures of brand new 2021 Ford utility cruisers with full 1/4 wave ball/spring mounted low band whips on the side of them. 25 years or more on 800 Mhz and they STILL can't get it to cover like lowband does.
 

reedeb

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I loved listening in on low band. I remember 1 day the skip was coming in great I ended up listening to CHP chasing someone on the PCH. It was interesting as I was in Southern Maine at the time.
 

ko6jw_2

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Forty plus years ago I was in Seattle and arranged for a tour of their fire boat station. SFD used to use 33.70MHz and there was still a low band radio in the wheelhouse on the boat. I commented to the captain that LAFD used the same frequency. He replied that he was well aware of that and he had talked to them many times. No PL in those days. CHP are still the biggest users of low band in California. I have a ham friend who was a technician for Kenwood. I asked him how long Kenwood was going to keep making low band radios and he said "as long as the CHP wants them."
 

hill

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Baltimore County, Maryland uses 46.46 for fire dispatch, but the only tones are used for the Volunteer stations. All calls come over it even without it being used for the career stations.
 
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majoco

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Only our three main centres, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, for the Police have gone to encrypted trunking - the rest of the country is still on the 75MHz AM frequencies with the occasional paralleling to the 485MHz FM band.
 

E5911

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funny story I herd about CHP and low band, some of the upgraded system is lowband repeaters instead of half duplex, well one of the new pairs was the same as Missouri HP and CHP units were hearing skip from Missouri! 2000 miles away
 

MFD2

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MUTNAV , you are correct, Jefferson Township, Morris County, is still all Low Band for DPW, EMS , FD , PD.
 

ecps92

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Actually Low Band is still in "most" cruisers and used Statewide as a back-up/Alternate to the 800 TRS

radio techs were working in Eastern Mass the past days and HHQ/DHQ indicated to use Low Band if needed
There are still many state agencies that use lowband to supplement other radios systems. Mass SP still uses low band to this day in the western part of the state. I've seen pictures of brand new 2021 Ford utility cruisers with full 1/4 wave ball/spring mounted low band whips on the side of them. 25 years or more on 800 Mhz and they STILL can't get it to cover like lowband does.
 
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