What can I expect listening in Chanhassen?

[chas0039]

It has been years and years since I listened to scanner frequencies so I am looking for your help. What can I expect to hear in Chanhassen near Lake Minnetonka? Assume I am looking at a GRE 500 with a Diamond RH77CA antenna, my current best choice. I really don't want to invest over $400 and find I am only getting just 5-10 channels. Will I get very far into surrounding counties? Can I hear 35 miles away like Scanner Master says?

Much thanks.

 

[JASII]

What Can I Expect Listening In Chanhassen?

Well, that depends on what type of services you want to listen to. Is your interest aviation, railroad, amateur radio, or just public safety? Carver County public safety agencies are on the ARMER system. It is a digital trunked system and carries traffic from a number of users. Thus, if you look at the Minnesota State Patrol, you will easily hear troopers in Chisago County carried on the Carver-Scott County Simulcast towers of the ARMER system.

Since you posted that it has been years and years since you listened to scanner frequencies, there is a good chance that you listened to analog, conventinal in the past. Listening on ARMER, since it is digital and trunked, will be a whole new experience.

Also, it really will depend on what your goal is here. Do you want to try and hear radio traffic from as far away as possible? If so, then consider another antenna. The chances are you are like many people who just want to listen to what is going on in there area. In that case the GRE 500 will hear more than 5-10 channels or talkgroups.

 

[chas0039]

Thanks for your response. I am really looking to listen to as much as possible, from as many sources, in the 5 county area.

Is there some way to determine who is on the ARMER system? It sounds as though once I am close enough to hear, I should be able to hear anyone on the system, but correct me if I am wrong.

I also am leaning closer to the GRE 800 as it seems to be priced just a few dollars higher and has the database access included which then wipes out a few additional costs.

What would you guess my range would be (miles) with the Diamond antenna? I currently work 2 meters and can get close to Minneapolis with a slightly better HT antenna, but I don't have any experience with the rage at the higher frequencies. I also don't know how strong the signals are for these frequencies as my experience is limited to 2 meter ham repeaters and here I am just listening, but I also can hear the Henn. County fire at 154.385. I used to get that in Maple grove when I was on the fire department and it comes through loud and clear here as well, so clearly, something is hitting far north and south just fine.

Much Thanks

 

[JASII]

What Can I Expect Listening In Chanhassen?

One way to become familiar with who uses what it to go in the TRUNK SEARCH mode while monitoring ONLY the Carver - Scott County Simulcast. You may have to lockout talkgroups that aren't of interest to you. For example, I generally have very little interest in listening to the bus drivers from Metro Transit, so I lock those out. Then, start focusing on just what you want to hear. I would suggest that you start with Carver County first, since that is where you live. If you decide after a period of time that you want to reach out further, then start adding stuff slowly. I generally find that I want to listen to stuff in whatever county I am in at a given time. For example, if I am in North Saint Paul, I might have all Ramsey County public safety talkgroups, but lock out the neighboring counties. Part of this will depend on what type of listener you are or you become. Some people like to try and hear as much as they possibly can at a time. They will be located in Bloomington and will be monitoring MN-DOT trucks up in Coon Rapids.

Other listeners focus on one specific type of service. I know people that try to hear every fire call possible as far as they can hear them from their monitoring post. Then, if they hear something interesting, they may focus on that particular call.

Now I didn't include the various mutual aid talkgroups. There are now a number of them. They are PTACs, STACs, FTACs, etc. I would encourage you to add those when you can. That way the pursuit covering several counties or the fire involving many fire departments might be on one of them.


1 (1) 004 (4) Carver - Scott Co. Simulcast Carver 851.12500 851.37500 851.43750a 851.70000 851.88750a 852.07500c 852.43750a 852.70000 852.80000 852.93750 853.22500 853.37500 853.46250 853.78750a


Carver County - Law Enforcement Talkgroups

DEC HEX Mode Alpha Tag Description Tag
2700 a8c D CVSO MAIN Carver County Sheriff Main Law Dispatch
2702 a8e D CVSO COM 1 Carver County Sheriff Info Traffic Law Dispatch
2704 a90 D CVSO COM 2 Carver County Sheriff Info Traffic Overflow Law Dispatch
2706 a92 D CVSO C2C E Sheriff East Car-to-Car Law Tac
2708 a94 D CVSO C2C W Sheriff West Car-to-Car Law Tac
2710 a96 D CV LAW COM Carver Common Law Enforcement Law Tac
2712 a98 D CV LE ALL Carver County Law Enforcement All Law Tac
2848 b20 D CVSO TAC 1 Carver County Sheriff TAC 1 Law Tac
2886 b46 D CVSO TAC 2 Carver County Sheriff TAC 2 Law Tac
2898 b52 D CVSO TAC 3 Carver County Sheriff TAC 3 Law Tac

Carver County - Fire Talkgroups

DEC HEX Mode Alpha Tag Description Tag
2716 a9c D CV FIRE MAIN Carver County Fire Main Fire Dispatch
2718 a9e D CV FD TAC 1 Carver County Fire Tac 1 Fire-Tac
2720 aa0 D CV FD TAC 2 Carver County Fire Tac 2 Fire-Tac
2722 aa2 D CV FD TAC 3 Carver County Fire Tac 3 Fire-Tac
2724 aa4 D CV FD TAC 4 Carver County Fire Tac 4 Fire-Tac
2726 aa6 D CV FD TAC 5 Carver County Fire Tac 5 Fire-Tac
2728 aa8 D CV FD TAC 6 Carver County Fire Tac 6 Fire-Tac
2730 aaa D CV FIRE ALL Carver Fire All Fire-Tac
2732 aac D CV FD MA 1 Carver County Fire MA 1 Fire-Tac
2734 aae D CV FD MA 2 Carver County Fire MA 2 Fire-Tac
2758 ac6 D CV FD ROAM Fire Subsystem Roaming Fire-Talk
2816 b00 D CV EMS Carver Countywide EMS EMS-Talk
2818 b02 D CV TRAIN Carver County Countywide Training Interop
2822 b06 D CV CW FIRE 1 Carver County Wide Fire 1 Fire-Tac
2824 b08 D CV FIRE Carver Co. Fire Fire-Tac
2858 b2a D CV FIRE ADM Fire Administration Fire-Tac

Carver County - Services Talkgroups

DEC HEX Mode Alpha Tag Description Tag
2760 ac8 D CVPWMAIN Carver County PW Highway Dept - Main Public Works
2762 aca D CVPWENG2 Carver County PW Highway Dept - Engineers Public Works
2764 acc D CVPWSUR3 Carver County PW Highway Dept - Surveyors Public Works
2766 ace D CVPWPRK4 Carver County PW Highway Dept - Parks Public Works
2768 ad0 D CVPWMNT5 Carver County PW Highway Dept - Maintenance Public Works
2770 ad2 D CVPWMNT6 Carver County PW Highway Dept - Maintenance Public Works
2772 ad4 D CVPW7 Carver County PW Highway Dept Public Works
2774 ad6 D CVPW8 Carver County PW Highway Dept Public Works
2800 af0 D CVPWCOMN Carver County Countywide Public Works Mutual Aid Public Works
2802 af2 D CVPW ROAM Carver County Public Works Subsystem Roaming Public Works
2804 af4 D CVCART Carver County Buses Transportation
2806 af6 D CVROAM Carver Public Service Roaming Talkgroup Interop
2812 afc D CVENRMGT Carver County Emergency Management Emergency Ops
2814 afe D CVWEATHER Carver County Severe Weather Coordination Emergency Ops

Carver County - Shared Talkgroups

DEC HEX Mode Alpha Tag Description Tag
2808 af8 D CV FD - LE Carver County Fire/LE Shared Multi-Talk
2810 afa D CV PW - LE Carver County PW/PS Shared Multi-Talk

Carver County - Carver City Talkgroups

DEC HEX Mode Alpha Tag Description Tag
2736 ab0 D CVCVR FDADM Carver City Fire Administration Fire-Tac

Carver County - Chanhassen Talkgroups

DEC HEX Mode Alpha Tag Description Tag
2738 ab2 D CHAN FD ADM Fire Administration Fire-Tac
2778 ada D CHAN WORKS Public Works Public Works

Carver County - Chaska Talkgroups

DEC HEX Mode Alpha Tag Description Tag
2740 ab4 D CSKA FD ADM Fire Administration Fire-Tac
2780 adc D CSKA WORKS Public Works Public Works
2872 b38 D CSKA PD C2C Police Car-Car Law Tac
2882 b42 D CSKA PD EVNT Police Events Interop

Carver County - Cologne Talkgroups

DEC HEX Mode Alpha Tag Description Tag
2742 ab6 D CLGN FD ADM Fire Administration Fire-Tac
2782 ade D CLGN WORKS Public Works Public Works

Carver County - Hamburg Talkgroups

DEC HEX Mode Alpha Tag Description Tag
2744 ab8 D HAMB FD ADM Fire Administration Fire-Tac
2784 ae0 D HAMB WORKS Public Works Public Works

Carver County - Laketown Talkgroups

DEC HEX Mode Alpha Tag Description Tag
2798 aee D LKTN WORKS Public Works Public Works

Carver County - Mayer Talkgroups

DEC HEX Mode Alpha Tag Description Tag
2746 aba D MAYR FD ADM Fire Administration Fire-Tac
2786 ae2 D MAYR WORKS Public Works Public Works

Carver County - New Germany Talkgroups

DEC HEX Mode Alpha Tag Description Tag
2748 abc D NGER FD ADM Fire Administration Fire-Tac
2788 ae4 D NGER WORKS Public Works Public Works

Carver County - Norwood Young America Talkgroups

DEC HEX Mode Alpha Tag Description Tag
2750 abe D NR YA FD ADM Fire Administration Fire-Tac
2796 aec D NRYA WORKS City Public Works Public Works

Carver County - Victoria Talkgroups

DEC HEX Mode Alpha Tag Description Tag
2752 ac0 D VCTR FD ADM Fire Administration Fire-Tac
2790 ae6 D VCTR FD OP2 Fire Ops 2 Fire-Talk

Carver County - Waconia Talkgroups

DEC HEX Mode Alpha Tag Description Tag
2754 ac2 D WCNA FD ADM Fire Administration Fire-Tac
2792 ae8 D WCNA WORKS Public Works Public Works

Carver County - Watertown Talkgroups

DEC HEX Mode Alpha Tag Description Tag
2756 ac4 D WTWN FD ADM Fire Administration Fire-Tac
2794 aea D WTWN WORKS Public Works Public Works

Minnesota Department of Public Safety - State Patrol Talkgroups

DEC HEX Mode Alpha Tag Description Tag
50 032 D MSP 2500 EMR West Metro Emergency Emergency Ops
52 034 D MSP 2400 EMR East Metro Emergency Emergency Ops
54 036 D MSP 2500 DSP West Metro "2500" Dispatch Law Dispatch
56 038 D MSP 2500 C2C West Metro Car to Car Law Tac
58 03a D MSP 2500 T 1 West Metro Tactical Pri. Law Tac
60 03c D MSP 2500 T 2 West Metro Tactical Sec. Law Tac
62 03e D MSP 2510 West Metro 2510 Station Law Tac
64 040 D MSP 2520 West Metro 2520 Station Law Tac
66 042 D MSP 2540 West Metro 2540 Station Law Tac
68 044 D MSP 4550 Metro 4550 Station Law Tac
70 046 D MSP 4560 Metro 4560 Station Law Tac
72 048 D MSP 4570 Metro 4570 Station Law Tac
74 04a D MSP 2400 DSP East Metro "2400" Dispatch Law Dispatch
76 04c D MSP 2400 C2C East Metro Car to Car Law Tac
78 04e D MSP 2400 T 3 East Metro Tactical Pri. Law Tac
80 050 D MSP 2400 T 4 East Metro Tactical Sec. Law Tac
82 052 D MSP 2410 East Metro 2410 Station Law Tac
84 054 D MSP 2430 East Metro 2430 Station Law Tac
86 056 D MSP 2440 East Metro 2440 Station Law Tac
88 058 D MSP 4450 Metro 4450 Station Law Tac
90 05a D MSP 4460 Metro 4460 Station Law Tac
92 05c D MSP 4730 Metro Commercial Vehicle Inspection Law Dispatch
94 05e D MSP 2000 SUP Supervisors Law Tac
96 060 D MSP 5000 AIR Flight Section Aircraft

 

[Raven95150]

I would agree, start with your local Carver County talkgroups then expand your listening as you get to know your scanner. The key here is learning how talkgroups "affiliate" with the different radio systems

Carver and Scott Counties actually share a radio system, so you should be able to easily hear everything from both counties. You should also be in range of both Hennepin East and Hennepin West systems. Hennepin East will cover most everything in Hennepin County, and Hennepin West covers the western portion of Hennepin County and some of Wright County. Also, talkgroups from Anoka County are frequently heard on both Hennepin East and West, and Talkgroups from Ramsey County are frequently heard on Hennepin East.

So, to answer your question....Yes, you will be able to hear MANY more than just 5-10 talkgroups. You will actually have to be careful about how much you monitor at once, because you will be able to pick up far more than you can keep track of on just one scanner.

 

[chas0039]

Thanks guys, you have been hugely helpful. I would be clueless without your help.

 

[blue5011]

I am looking at a GRE 500 with a Diamond RH77CA antenna, my current best choice. I really don't want to invest over $400 and find I am only getting just 5-10 channels. Will I get very far into surrounding counties?

Much thanks.

MN ARMER is more about being able to receive the tower sites than "channels". You will be able to receive what ever is broadcast from the sites that are in your area. I can hear five towers sites easy, but from what I understand, five sites can cause overload in the metro area. Due to the multitude of agencies using the system.

It took awhile to learn how to "lockout" certain talkgroups (DOT snowplows), yet be able to listen to that group when needed.

I use a BCD 996XT (2m quarter-wave antenna @ 35 ft) with FreeScan computer control, and totally enjoy it. I like the ability to log the "hits" to see if someone new has come on the system.