SD Bud, Scanner Bud, Control...RIP

[Peter_SD911]

Sadly I have to announce the passing of one the scanner GOAT's

SD Bud (Scanner Bud-Control) was the person the San Diego news media mostly TV stations relied on for most of the breaking news you saw for the last 40 years.
Bud tipped all the local TV stations and the local news stringers and made some good money in the process. Everyone wanted is stuff including insurance adjusters, construction co's, glass board-up companies, tow trucks etc...
He would sit in a room full of the latest scanners, computers and tv monitors covering all of San Diego and Socal.
He broke so many stories...he broke stories in other cities that the local TV networks didn't even know about. Back in the 90 he had a network of video stringers all on 2-way radios that prowled the streets selling video.

When San Diego PD went VHF to 800 trunk in 1990 he was on it locking out data channels every hour and mapping the system.
When the county went to RCS in 1998 Bud was a crucial part of the team that hacked and mapped RCS long before digital scanners were available. Bud got the team an RCS mobile radio salvaged from a wrecked EPD motor unit...once the team had that radio it was off to the races and debugging RCS....and creating the "XETV Codeplug" .

Bud had his fingers on the pulse of San Diego county for 40 years and more. When RCS went encrypted Bud felt the loss. When SDPD went encrypted recently he started to die inside. There was no family, his friends, the scanners and the stations were his family.

Bud liked cats and those pretty girls on Riverdance, sometimes he would get drunk on GMRS and call the Padres baseball games live over the repeater.

And the crap he used to pull on the feds in the 80's and 90's... well lets just say he broke and STOLE some really big stories that he never got true credit for...
Why???
Because we would have to kill him.

Bud would call at all hours of the night to deliver "breaking news",
He would call me anywhere in the world to deliver the latest scanner catch or some breaking item where I was at.

We will miss you Bud.
Thank You God for the time we all had with you.

"Control is 10-7"

 

[sixonenine]

How sad! Do you mind if I re-share your post for a small tidbit on my 619 News Media page?

 

[ScanFanEd]

Oh my gosh, this makes me so sad. I have known Bud for north of twenty-five years and have several great memoires. I lived out of state for quite a few years, however I would be sure to stop by Bud's home when I was in town. He was always very welcoming. We had many great chats and enjoyed helping each other with programing needs. I was so grateful for Bud's knowledge that I surprised him with having a BCD325P2 shipped to his home several years ago. He was almost in tears with gratitude.

I thought about Bud when San Diego PD when encrypted, knowing that had to of broken his heart. He truly was the master at monitoring.

Rest in Peace, Bud. I am very thankful that our paths crossed and that we were scanner and monitoring friends. You are and were the best!

 

[Peter_SD911]

How sad! Do you mind if I re-share your post for a small tidbit on my 619 News Media page?

Go right ahead.

 

[dirt992]

Sadly I have to announce the passing of one the scanner GOAT's

SD Bud (Scanner Bud-Control) was the person the San Diego news media mostly TV stations relied on for most of the breaking news you saw for the last 40 years.
Bud tipped all the local TV stations and the local news stringers and made some good money in the process. Everyone wanted is stuff including insurance adjusters, construction co's, glass board-up companies, tow trucks etc...
He would sit in a room full of the latest scanners, computers and tv monitors covering all of San Diego and Socal.
He broke so many stories...he broke stories in other cities that the local TV networks didn't even know about. Back in the 90 he had a network of video stringers all on 2-way radios that prowled the streets selling video.

When San Diego PD went VHF to 800 trunk in 1990 he was on it locking out data channels every hour and mapping the system.
When the county went to RCS in 1998 Bud was a crucial part of the team that hacked and mapped RCS long before digital scanners were available. Bud got the team an RCS mobile radio salvaged from a wrecked EPD motor unit...once the team had that radio it was off to the races and debugging RCS....and creating the "XETV Codeplug" .

Bud had his fingers on the pulse of San Diego county for 40 years and more. When RCS went encrypted Bud felt the loss. When SDPD went encrypted recently he started to die inside. There was no family, his friends, the scanners and the stations were his family.

Bud liked cats and those pretty girls on Riverdance, sometimes he would get drunk on GMRS and call the Padres baseball games live over the repeater.

And the crap he used to pull on the feds in the 80's and 90's... well lets just say he broke and STOLE some really big stories that he never got true credit for...
Why???
Because we would have to kill him.

Bud would call at all hours of the night to deliver "breaking news",
He would call me anywhere in the world to deliver the latest scanner catch or some breaking item where I was at.

We will miss you Bud.
Thank You God for the time we all had with you.

"Control is 10-7"

He was one of a kind

 

[monitor142]

Back in the day when I had some serious antennas on the roof of the house and the conditions were right, I'd love to listen to Control and the SDINA on GMRS Yellow?. Just a classy group of guys and always fun to listen to (from northwest Orange County). I don't know if they guys still use GMRS down there but the LA traffic these days would wipe out the SD comms.

Rest in peace Bud.

-M142

 

[Elpablo]

I never met him but knew of him from these pages, monitoring the Yellow back in the day and my time at XETV. The folks working the assignment desk when we launched news thought of Bud as a scanner god for what he did for the station. Often times, I would just monitor the Yellow for action and then switch over to the active TG/freq as he would call out the action and where to find it. I can totally understand his loss when the hobby is that much a part of your life and then to have it diminish as it did here recently. The dude was a legend in this town. Sail on Scanner Bud!

 

[Peter_SD911]

One thing has to be said...

Bud was not rich, he was a vet and made sure he had his steaks and Jamisons Whisky.

Most of all...
Bud was always very thankful for all of "Us" providing him the absolute best scanning gear available. All Bud had to do was say he needed something vital...from the first Bearcats (101-210 and 250)...the newest trunktrackers...the first available P-25 scanners and the Astro-P25 commercial radios he needed.
For over 40 years Bud kept San Diego covered. I saw smoke the other day, my instinct was to hit #3 speed dial.
God this is brutal for many of us who knew him...those late night phone calls are missed.

Trust me,
Bud is still watching the county and now I bet he gets full access to all the encrypted stuff he wants as a reward in Heaven.

The scanning never stops.
Scan Sexy!