stingray327
Member
The content of these signals are monitorable?
Store and restaurant frequencies!
- Thread starter smb3
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stingray327
Member
Like Costco?
At one time, cordless phones used to use the 900mhz band. The Mrs. and I had a Sanyo 900mhz FHSS phone that was one of the best. I think it outperforms some of the newer 2.4 and 5ghz that we've since purchased. I could walk a block or two away from home and still the signal was clear as a bell in both directions.
I'll have to check out my local Costco again. They used to use Blue Dot/Green Dot but I think they've since moved to UHF given the radios I've seen.
n1das
Member
Whenever I post frequencies a particular store or restaurant is using, I also like to post what radios are being used. Knowing the radios being used helps identify what other frequencies might be in use that haven't been found yet. It helps narrow the search down a bit.
nd5y
Member
It depends on what equipment you are talking about.
That's a good idea. When I see something like a Moto CLS, I start searching on the first few frequencies listed in the manual. Quite often I get hits right away. Surprisingly, I've quite often just sparked up a conversation with a radio user and ask to see the radio. Well, I guess the surprising part is that they let me see it and quite often inspect it. While that might work in a store, I doubt I'd get much mileage out of a TSA employee.
nd5y
Member
I don't know anything about Costco. They don't have stores here. All I know is there are 433 pages of FCC license data for their FRN.
stingray327
Member
I know sam's changed from 154.600 to ???
stingray327
Member
What are the new cordless phones on? 2.4 or 5ghz?
Newer cordless phones are available in both 2.4ghz and 5.8ghz and came out in that order. The latest DECT 6.0 phones are 1.9ghz I believe.
stingray327
Member
Can these freqs. be monitored with a scanner?
I doubt any off the shelf scanners can be used to monitor them although I've never tried. Perhaps software exists to monitor them via an SDR setup. I believe DECT uses CDMA, TDMA and FHSS at least in the later iterations. When the analog 49mhz phones were replaced with different frequencies and modes, I didn't do much to keep up with listening to them.
nd5y
Member
Most scanners only receive up to 1.3 GHz and some don't even go that high.
stingray327
Member
THat's too bad.
n1das
Member
Identifying what radios are being used also serves as a further confirmation of what you are hearing when you see an employee talking into a radio. It's definitely them that you are hearing.
I have sort of done that too, LOL. I have sparked up a conversation or two with a CLS user by showing them a little Motorola DLR radio which looks like a CLS radio but is smaller. The reaction more often than not is "THAT is so cool!" The DLRs are aimed at the same target market. DLR = Digital Lightweight Radio according to Motorola.
The first 8 frequencies in the CLS radios are the 8 frequencies in the old Motorola Spirit GT series radios from about 20 years ago and before Motorola expanded the list to 56 frequencies. These 8 frequencies are:
464.5000
464.5500
467.7625
467.8125
467.8500
467.8750
467.9000
467.9250
I always check these frequencies first whenever I spot Motorola CLS radios in use. The default CTCSS tone is 67.0 Hz.
The Spirit GT and Spirit GT+ models were designed like the early Motorola TalkAbout FRS radios with the PTT on the front of the radio. The Motorola Spirit GT/GT+ radios have Motorola's crappy and much hated X-Pand audio companding feature and the CLS radios have it too. The compander cannot be turned off. The latest Motorola T series Talkabout FRS radios also have the companding feature and I wish they had the option to turn it off. Being able to disable the compander would make the Talkabouts sure sound a LOT better.
I see the Motorola CLS radios more than anything else.
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stingray327
Member
What do se Motorola CLS radios look like? They all look the same especially when the employees are wearing them and you only get a glimpse of the radio.
So if you use a scanner to scan these freqs:
464.5000
464.5500
467.7625
467.8125
467.8500
467.8750
467.9000
467.9250
That means the people on those freqs are using motorola CLS. It must be that Costco and Sam's club are using these freqs. because I do not pick them up on any of the freqs. on this thread anymore. They must have just changed at least in my area to these new Motorola CLS radios. I don't know if Wal-mart changed yet but Wal-Mart is usually the same as Sam's and Sam's club changed and is no longer on 154.600.
So if you use a scanner to scan these freqs:
464.5000
464.5500
467.7625
467.8125
467.8500
467.8750
467.9000
467.9250
That means the people on those freqs are using motorola CLS. It must be that Costco and Sam's club are using these freqs. because I do not pick them up on any of the freqs. on this thread anymore. They must have just changed at least in my area to these new Motorola CLS radios. I don't know if Wal-mart changed yet but Wal-Mart is usually the same as Sam's and Sam's club changed and is no longer on 154.600.
Just because they might be using one of the above listed frequencies does not necessarily mean that they are using CLS radios. They could be using any number of different makes and models of two way radios. Many are using frequencies that are not on any of the common "low power" lists that have been mentioned in this thread. My local Costco doesn't use one of these "low power" frequencies.
n1das
Member
This is all the more why I recommend identifying and posting what radios are in use if you happen to spot them. I see the Motorola CLS radios most often in my travels. Knowing the radios being used helps narrow down where to search in the spectrum.
The CLS radios and other Motorola business radios (RDx series, RM series, etc.) have Motorola's crappy and much hated X-Pand audio companding system. I can easily identify them by their telltale compressed audio on the air. Other manufacturers have the audio compander feature but Motorola seems to be the only manufacturer that forces the compander to be on when operating on narrowbanded channels and with no option to disable it. The companding option is selectable per channel in Motorola's higher end Part 90 radios but it is forced on in their cheap business band radios. The Motorola TalkAbout FRS bubble packs also have the companding feature forced on with no option to disable it.
My local Costco does not use the popular UHF business freqs at all. They are using FHSS digital radios on 900MHz (Motorola DLR radios) and I am able to listen to them on my DTR radios. Costco uses them right out of the box at the factory default settings like FRS bubble packs. The Motorola DLR radios look like CLS radios but don't have a volume knob or channel display and are thinner than the CLS radios. The battery packs, chargers and accessories are compatible. The DLRs are aimed at the same target market where the CLS radios seem to be hugely popular. DLR = Digital Lightweight Radio according to Motorola.
Unlicensed Business Radios - Motorola Solutions
Motorola’s on-site two-way business radios are designed to meet your business needs, helping your team coordinate quickly to address customer needs.
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