What do you think about National Radio DATA.com

[Buckskinner33]

Ok ... I was wanting some more information in my area and I cant find it here.
So as I trudge trough endless amount of information on the net I find:

http://www.nationalradiodata.com/

Interesting, But Im not thrilled of a paysite and Im leary of it "bang for the buck" theory!

Before I chunk out the Credit card for this site I was wondering If anyone here has used this site. I would rather become a Donating member here but I would like to have a greater data base of freqs that you would not normily find on the net.

IE: Military freqs. Small town PS frequencies.

Im from KS Wichita and I still dont have an accurate list of Mc Connall AFB or Fort Riely freqs and a few small towns like one called Howard that is now trunked but there is no info on what type of system its using. I pass by there often so its nice to have the Info for speed traps and such.

There a lot of holes here in KS. I know because I live here. I have Wichita trunked radio system down pat, as a matter of fact I made numerous updates to its accuracy, ( it still aint listed right on this site but closer then it was)

I DONT WANT THIS TO BE A BASH on this site or anyothers. I just want people OPINIONS on Paid Membership site like National Radio DATA and what does some one get for the money.

Signed:
Stuck between 2 Holes
JD Daniels
KB0PAW
AKA Buckskinner33
:shock:

 

[n4voxgill]

I don't know about that site, but when I want information on a city or town that is not listed on RR, then I go to the FCC site, if it has a license it is there. As far as military, I have been able to find local clubs or sites that have them. I would not pay for frequency information. Gill

 

[DSYCUTTER]

in my opinion, I wouldn't pay a site for the info. Between posting some messages on here and several other boards, which you can PM me for so that im not advertising their sites on this great site. I am quite surprised the data isnt available on here. someone is bound to have the information.

I have always found doing yahoo or google searches have netted me great results.


just my 2cents

 

[Spleen]

USD20.00 for six months access for an all-in-one database doesn't seem too outlandish, but that might be more site than you need if you're just worried about local frequencies--if you were doing a lot of interstate travel, it might be worth it.

A cursory check of the site indicated to me that there isn't a lot of info listed there that couldn't be culled from government or public web sites; even a site like cityfreq.com will at least tell you license-holders on specific frequencies, you just have to sort out what you're hearing.

n4voxgill is correct...assuming the local traffic isn't encrypted, you should be able to hook up with someone locally easy enough.

 

[DSYCUTTER]

what counties are most important for you ???? I can do a county by county search as well

 

[N7OLQ]

This looks to be a competitor to Percon database service. FCC records and such. The FCC databse is probably harder to use, but its free.

My main issue would be that the FCC records are partially useless for 800MHz trunking data. The FCC does not track talkgroups, site assignments, or even frequencies in this band. So if you need trunking data, you'd be much better off here or joining/starting a local scanning club.

 

[DSYCUTTER]

fleet ids

http://www.bearcat1.com/fleetks.htm

hope this helps too

 

[crayon]

I don't know about that site, but when I want information on a city or town that is not listed on RR, then I go to the FCC site, if it has a license it is there. As far as military, I have been able to find local clubs or sites that have them. I would not pay for frequency information.

I agree. Paying for frequency information is like .. ummm well .. not one of the smartest things you can do. Pay sites do not have an extra "insight" or an edge into the radio scanning world. In fact, I would say that rr.com is the bleeding edge when it comes to the most accurate information.

There a lot of holes here in KS. I know because I live here. I have Wichita trunked radio system down pat, as a matter of fact I made numerous updates to its accuracy, ( it still aint listed right on this site but closer then it was)

Glad to see that you have helped out on submitting information! Half of the fun of scanning is sniffing out the unknown.

There is a link down at the bottom of each county page that will provide you with all of the unknown frequencies for that county. This is very helpful because you will not need to troll the FCC database for information.


*hint-hint* Occasionally, Lindsay will consider and approve requests for an rr.com member to be an admin at the county level.

 

[STiMULi]

I do not feel compelled to go to that site after viewing it for the 1st time. If there is not a good guide for your area start one

Go to all the resources you can and meet HERE (ON THIS SITE) with other scannists in your area to share data. To pay a subscription for someting that is already easily located is ambitious but probably only in the best interest of that sites owner.

Also if you need to spend a couple of bucks spend it here as a donation. We would all benefit from it

 

[Buckskinner33]

Thanks for the reply....

I received a lot of private e-mail and responses in regards to my posting showing me a lot of websites Like, City Freqs, KSU Scanner club, Wichita Scanner Site and PerConn.
I’m great full for the input but as you look at those sites they are all 5 years or more out of date. With two exception to KSU Radio Club, which is OK for Manhattan KS and PerConn.

Example: I started out with Wichita Scanning Site, I found it to be useful at first but since I work for the City of Wichita I have access to a complete list of talk groups which allows me to compare notes, make changes according to what I know what works, what is updated, obsolete and what is just bogus info.

Yes, the FCC site is very useful but I also know we (the City of Wichita) still hold the old freqs and repeater rights even though we don’t use them any more. The down side to using the FCC site is this; Freqs listed are apps that were made for bandwidth privileges. They often make a coded comment if it is to be used for a Trunking system or for something else.

They do not, however, give details as to what type of system is to be installed. IE: EDACS or Motorola's type 1 or 2 systems. Or at least I haven’t not found that sort of information on the FCC site. Maybe they do and I'm not privy to text coding decipher!

PerConn is also another good website but they are the software designers for the FCC. So What the FCC knows they know. But wouldn’t you think that they are limited as to what they can put out?

Fort Riley, Mc Connell AFB and numerous amounts of little towns in KS are the holes I would like to fill. Before this site changed from Trunking Radio.net to what it is today there used to be a real good DATA base of military freqs, but since 9/11 occurred there is NILL. And yes, I understand as to why this is.

I go to Fort Riley a lot because the have an open ground for Farrell Hog hunting and I know the radios that they use is a Vertex/Standard system that is a UHF Trunked, (judging by the Fat stubby ant seen on the hand held) I think its a Trunked system because of the tell tailed 0 squelch and Triple toned roger beep. Maybe EDAC sys? It would be nice to have a scanner just incase they start maneuvers. Which is rare but you know as well as I do the right hand often doesn’t know what the left hand is doing. Especially when it comes to government operations. Murphy’s Law

The same with Mc Connell AFB, But not Trunked, VHF Fat long Antenna same Vertex/Standard radios (not sure of the model, not a Standard fan) Since it is close to home I like just to listen in on what’s going on.

Elk County: Good old Howard KS.... What can I say about that place except I feel that I helped pay for the new radio system by 3 $90 dollar speeding tickets:?. Yeah, I know, It’s my own fault and no scanner would have saved me anyway! But what I have noticed is that the officers all carry Motorola MTX 8250 hand held. The same as I do for the City of Wichita. So I programmed my scanner for a Type II system. Now, since I don’t spend a lot of time in Howard it is hard to find an active talk group, and since it’s a small town, radio activity is low.

I am also assuming that since Howard is Elk Co. County seat, it would be safe to assume that they split or shared the cost of putting in that system with other small towns like Fall River. Seems to be the fad of small towns getting 9/11 Homeland Defense money for there community.

Which bring up another valid point.....Homeland Defense.
There is a lot of money being spent upgrading communications like the one I just described. Here in Wichita a ton of federal money is being spent to build a new 911 dispatch call center.

From what I’m hearing about Wichita dispatchers is that not only do they work for Wichita but for a lot of small towns all over the US. It is rumored that this new call center will house 150 to 250 Dispatchers.

Wichita and its outlying community population in Sedgwick Co. are only 550,000.
Awful lot of dispatchers for a town that size. Don’t you think?

So....Back to my original question. Are websites like NationalRadioDATA.com, PerConn, City Freqs and other, providing us with accurate information? If not, is it worth paying for?

Judging By most of the comment I would have to agree by saying NO!

I don’t care if you live in New Jersey or California; You as a scanner listeners know what works best in your community. I just want to make sure as to what I get and what I post for my community is accurate and up to date. I don’t feel that this information needs to be clouded in a big mystery or be held for ransom.

IE: www.payformyinfo.com (Hypothetical Web Site, I hope)

I like this site. I feel it has the best information out there because of people like you who work hard at providing good, accurate information for free!!! Plus, it teaches nimrods like me a little more about how different radio systems work. I’m sure that is what Lindsay Blanton is trying to achieve here.

I was also asked as to why I am even concerned as to how accurate this or any other web site was.

My response: Because I’m a Nosey Parker!!! That’s why!
Look, I’m not going to go into the whole freedom of information act. I just have an interest in communication. I always have since I was a kid in scouts. That’s why I became a HAM and also why I went for the commercial license. By having an accurate listing of freqs available it make the hobby that much more enjoyable. Plus there is a lot of useful information floating around out there.

I started a Post for Radio Shack DATA files for there programmable scanners. Most of the Info was pulled off other websites and news groups. A lot people put in a lot of time figure out what worked best in there home town. I thought that this would be a good place keep that info going for future reference. I can’t vouch for how accurate they are for the states I post them in. But if a guy or gal was to get serious about the hobby he or she can take the info and make what ever corrections needed and Re-Post them with the changes they made. Sorry Bearcat guys. I don’t have a Bearcat scanner so I didn’t post any of those types of files. But I know you’re out there!!!

Start a forum on the subject. What the Hell, It just a start! Right!?

OK … enough of my chattering. I’ll get off my soap box for now.
I would like to think that you all would have a better understanding to my question, get a good laugh at my dilemma and I hope that this covers all the questions that were asked on and off line.

Thanks
JD
Buckskinner33

P.S.

I did find out today as to why I don’t hear Fort Riley or Mc Connell AFB anymore…

SINGAR by Honeywell (a Satellite Communications System).

I’m not sure as to what the acronym SINGAR stands for. But it was thought to stand for Satellite Integrated Network with Global Array Repeaters.

I can’t hear them but I bet they can defiantly hear me! Thanks for the anonymous tip!

I might hear them if I was using WinRadio with expanded freq up in the Hi-GHz range. But defiantly not with any Radio Shack or Bearcat rig. It would be nice to find out some info on this system.

 

[DSYCUTTER]

I completely understand... I never really thought about how accurate the information I am being given is, I guess i just assume someone else did the legwork for me. I would definately say that this will make me more aware in the future.


By the way I tried my best !!!! :lol:

 

[crayon]

Re: Thanks for the reply....

BIG SNIP ..

They do not, however, give details as to what type of system is to be installed. IE: EDACS or Motorola's type 1 or 2 systems. Or at least I haven’t not found that sort of information on the FCC site. Maybe they do and I'm not privy to text coding decipher!

Quite a dissertation there Buck ..

The FCC website does not provide what the flavor of trunking will be in use.

I was also asked as to why I am even concerned as to how accurate this or any other web site was.

Whoever asked you that type of question is an idiot.

 

[Buckskinner33]

To DSYCutter and Crayon

No problem DYSCutter..... As you figured out by now I already had those sites. That the reason why I question the validity of a lot of those web sites. Don't stop trying to help people:lol:

Crayon:

The same numbskull that asked me that stupid question off line was the same guy who gave me the info on SINGARS which is actualy SINCGARS which after looking it up is an actual system but it is not the ALL MIGHTY REPEATER IN THE SKY as he made out to be.

Some people aint happy unless they raise a little hate and dis-content.

So I still don't have the correct info as to why I don't hear Ft. Riley or Mc Connals Gas Station.

K sa ra -sa ra :wink:

thanks for the reply

JD
Buckskinner33