Police Helicopter Frequencies

[cdawg030]

I've searched the forum and am having trouble finding the answer that I'm looking for. There may be multiple answers.

Say I want to monitor a police helicopter for a county that has a P25 system. Does the police helicopter have an ID on the same P25 system, or do police helicopters use frequencies of their own, something that may be more of an air type of frequency, or is it different depending on where you are in the US?

I assume it just depends on where you are, but was just wondering. Most of that around me is encrypted, but a lot is not. I just have never seen something representing a helicopter on the database listings. If it is there, I may have overlooked it, or it may be named something else.

I live in Walton County, GA which is encrypted. Nearby Gwinnett County is encrypted. I can pick up Atlanta P25 and Dekalb P25 from my office and was wondering how to find out what a police helicopter frequency or system is so I can monitor it. Once, I heard a police helicopter using 154.9050, but have not been able to hear any other agency on another frequency in a police helicopter.

Thanks in advance!

Chris

 

[IAmSixNine]

Around where i am, there are two helicopters available. City and State. (Dallas and DPS Department of Public Safety) Dallas responds on/in Dallas first then can go into neighboring agencies if requested and available. DPS typically assists agencies outside of Dallas but the two have worked together on special ops.
They are two aspects to this. They are a helicopter first and have to abide by FAA rules. SO they use an airband radio to communicate with local towers just like other aircraft have to. In my area they will talk in the designated tower for their location but in Dallas County they have a specific aircraft helicopter channel that all helicopters monitor when in the air.
Second they are public safety vehicles. So they tend to have access to their agency and surrounding. DPS for example in my area does not have access to some of the agencies who are encrypted so they use law call / mutual aid channels.
But your local police helo may be set up differently when it comes to access to encrypted comms. Wish i could help more.

 

[N8IAA]

I've searched the forum and am having trouble finding the answer that I'm looking for. There may be multiple answers.

Say I want to monitor a police helicopter for a county that has a P25 system. Does the police helicopter have an ID on the same P25 system, or do police helicopters use frequencies of their own, something that may be more of an air type of frequency, or is it different depending on where you are in the US?

I assume it just depends on where you are, but was just wondering. Most of that around me is encrypted, but a lot is not. I just have never seen something representing a helicopter on the database listings. If it is there, I may have overlooked it, or it may be named something else.

I live in Walton County, GA which is encrypted. Nearby Gwinnett County is encrypted. I can pick up Atlanta P25 and Dekalb P25 from my office and was wondering how to find out what a police helicopter frequency or system is so I can monitor it. Once, I heard a police helicopter using 154.9050, but have not been able to hear any other agency on another frequency in a police helicopter.

Thanks in advance!

Chris

Chris, I don't think you quite understand what goes on in the metro ATL area regarding LE helos. They can use whatever system they are on, or use simplex. Your chances of hearing them are going to be rare. You have a better chance of hearing news choppers, or medical helos. You were given a load of hooey in the GA forum on this same question.

And repeating the question here is just redundant. How police helicopters are used in other states and areas won't help you to understand how they are used in Georgia. Just saying. Been monitoring the metro area for twenty years. The last time I heard a helo on a system was over 11 years ago before Gwinnett went quiet.

Oh, and this is the wrong forum.

 

[gcopter1]

A police helicopter is an expensive asset to that department so it can be operating on any given talkgroup.
Usually, from experience, they are parked on a headquarters channel, raised by dispatch, and then told to change channels to wherever the units on the ground needs it.

Listen for the tell-tale whooshing noise on the background, take note of the unit id (UID) and program that in your scanner. Next time the helo keys up, you'll have visual confirmation.

Yes, helicopters have their own radio or unit ID, just like any other radio on the system, sometimes more than one. Every time you hear the helo, pay attention to the UID. Over time, you will have all the unit id's that the helo use.

Depending on where you live, the aviation component of the PD, may or not, have their own talk group, or they could be lumped in with other specialized units in their own talk group. That's why you might not see it specified on the database, either nobody has contributed that data to the database or the helo does not have a talk group specifically named as such.

 

[KR7CQ]

A police helicopter is an expensive asset to that department so it can be operating on any given talkgroup.
Usually, from experience, they are parked on a headquarters channel, raised by dispatch, and then told to change channels to wherever the units on the ground needs it.

Listen for the tell-tale whooshing noise on the background, take note of the unit id (UID) and program that in your scanner. Next time the helo keys up, you'll have visual confirmation.

Yes, helicopters have their own radio or unit ID, just like any other radio on the system, sometimes more than one. Every time you hear the helo, pay attention to the UID. Over time, you will have all the unit id's that the helo use.

Depending on where you live, the aviation component of the PD, may or not, have their own talk group, or they could be lumped in with other specialized units in their own talk group. That's why you might not see it specified on the database, either nobody has contributed that data to the database or the helo does not have a talk group specifically named as such.

What he said....helicopters are multi-million dollar investments and the agencies that own them often assist other agencies, so they can and often do operate on every public safety radio system in their vicinity, regardless of band. Of course they also operate on AM air, and may use an air to air frequency for their agency, and probably one for air to air with other local aircraft. The Phoenix firebird helicopters pack more than a half dozen different radios for two way communication.

 

[tkenny53]

One advantage of Helio's, most have a radio that is open band, meaning any freq with or without tone. Similar to a commercial aircraft, but not limited to just air freq's.

 

[INDY72]

Here in Indy we have and use a Helo, which monitors all the Dispatch/Primary TG's on our system, if they are on duty and airborne or at the airport prepping. If not on duty, and not on repair/rest rotation, and a ground unit requests the helo, Control/Dispatch will make the call out to see if they can fly. This is determined by current status of the aircraft, the pilots/crew, and weather conditions. If all is green, the pilot/crew are paged, and the bird is prepped, then launched. Once in the air, they are directed to switch to whatever District TG they are needed on. We also have the State Police aviation section which has helo and fixed wing assets. They mostly do ISP work, but can and do assist local agencies if needed and available. They operate primarily on the State's system, but can switch over to ours for interop. When they are flying, you will hear them for sure here.

 

[RadioJonD]

I've found that listening to inputs from within about a sixty mile radius useful for aircraft monitoring. Granted, you will hear more medical than LE. However, LE seasonal eradication efforts can pop up about anywhere.

Best bet for events and special details is mutual aid frequencies.

I've never tried programming inputs from a mega 700/800 system; not any in my location. That could prove time consuming and perhaps useless unless you chose only the closest site to your location.

 

[jaymatt1978]

For air-to-air communication try 123.1000 which is reserved for public safety helicopter

 

[nd5y]

For air-to-air communication try 123.1000 which is reserved for public safety helicopter

I don't know where you heard 123.1 is reserved for public safety helicopter but it's wrong.
123.1 is primarily for search and rescue and can be used at aeronautical special events on a non-interference basis.
See

eCFR :: 47 CFR Part 87 Subpart M -- Aeronautical Search and Rescue Stations

www.ecfr.gov

and

eCFR :: 47 CFR Part 87 Subpart O -- Airport Control Tower Stations

www.ecfr.gov

 

[iMONITOR]

In Michigan it's common for helicopters to use the state's MPSCS P25 P1 digital trunked system. Police, Medical, even the USCG!

 

[dmccabe79]

DeKalb County helos are on the DKPD Special Ops TG on the DeKalb p25. They will switch around as necessary though.

 

[bravo14]

Possible what every system your county be on if trunk they may be on a certain tg. Conv could be any freq. If you hear Air One or Knight One chances are that is the PD Helicopter talking to LEO if they are looking for someone. I don't know if they have to call in to the nearest airport for lift off or landing?

 

[medic9351301]

I second what has been said. here my so has 2 birds they show up anywhere.

we have a multi-agency trunked county system. they use what we call p tac, homeland security tacs, the so dispatch channels or tac channels. it is funny I am listing to it right now on a hls tac.
also if you know the id listen to the tower, approach and departure . or 123.450.