What is "tenboy varta?"

[exeter1]

I had the scanner running in the background the other day, on fire and police channels, and I heard what sounded like an automated voice, similar to the voice you hear on the weather channels, saying again and again the words "tenboy varta." This is in Central California, Tulare County.

It must have gone on for 30 seconds, "tenboy varta, tenboy varta, tenboy varta," perhaps 20 or 30 times in a row. Each time it was said sounded exactly like the first time, which made it seem automated. The original voice may have been a recorded human voice, but if it was an actual human voice then it was played in a loop, because there was zero variation between individual utterances.

I didn't have the opportunity to see which station it was that was transmitting this, but it would have had to have been police, sherriff, CHP, or public works of some type.

Anyone heard that before? Anyone have a clue as to what it was?

 

[pfish]

I think what you are referring to is a VARDA (Voice Annunciated Radio Dispatch Alarm). It is a highly technical alarm set up by the police department that is put in places that get broken into alot. It can only be put in when nobody is going to be there as it monitors for body heat and all kinds of other things. As soon as it detects something, it dispatches a preset message on a frequency set by the police department.

If thats not it, I apologize. But, I think that is what you are talking about.

Here is one I recorded in my city: http://dustin.esportsea.com/scanner/recordings/mpd_11-20-2005-varda.wav

 

[ReceiverBeaver]

TNX fish, that sounds good to me. I thought it was what came after Nineboy Varta.

Now the question is, why was this heard on a PS frequency? A radio-transmitted silent alarm shouldn't be heard over a PS frequency.

???

 

[DickH]

TNX fish, that sounds good to me. I thought it was what came after Nineboy Varta.

No, you're wrong. It's what comes before ElevenBoy Varta.

 

[pfish]

Sometimes they put it on a frequency that isn't registered. The sheriffs office here does that, I am still unable to find the frequency they use and its hard to find it because the VARDA doesn't go off often (if it goes off, you can bet on it that someone is breaking in).

The city pd here has it on channel 1. It's broadcasted on a radio frequency so they can respond to it very quickly. You don't have to wait for an alarm company to call the pd, etc. It is instant. It's generally not a good idea to put it on a very well known frequency, but oh well.

 

[JoeyC]

Now the question is, why was this heard on a PS frequency? A radio-transmitted silent alarm shouldn't be heard over a PS frequency.

???

These types of alarms are interfaced into the police or sheriffs radio system. I've heard them on the San Diego city police trunked system, although not often.

 

[JHaislet]

It's a shame these devices aren't required for all business alarm systems. I've heard an astronomical number of alarm calls when the wind blows hard during t-storms. Loose closing exterior doors (that are locked) move around with the wind, breaking the alarm contact.

I still don't think municipalities charge enough for false alarms. The fines should be high enough to deter a business from accepting a sloppy alarm install & keeping there system and exterior well maintained.

 

[KN6FXR]

In january my employer(Stone Corral Irrigation District) was broken in to for the fourth time in the past year,the tulare county sheriff's ag crime unit asked to place a varda unit in our office.We have a monitored alarm system but due to our location 16 mile northeast of visalia and the time it takes to notifiy the s.o's, responce time is about 20 minutes.The sheriff's explained that the varda unit would notifiy then directly cutting down responce time.The varda unit was a small case with a antenna and a power cord ,the detecive set it to what i believe was CH 4(453.975) when tested it it came over the air as "varda 2" when activated by a infared sensor next to my desk ,but it was not heard in the office only over the radio.At the end of each day we would turn it on when we went home,but it seems the bad guys moved on nothing ever happened so last month the good guys took there toy home. Mike in Ivanhoe

 

[exeter1]

I think what you are referring to is a VARDA (Voice Annunciated Radio Dispatch Alarm). It is a highly technical alarm set up by the police department that is put in places that get broken into alot.

Thank you very much! That makes total sense! I've never heard of this type of alarm before, but I can see why it would be a valuable tool.

I wish I had noticed which channel it was on now. I'm sure it was on one of the channels I have programmed in the p97 file I uploaded recently for Tulare County.

 

[exeter1]

CH 4(453.975) when tested it it came over the air as "varda 2"

That would sound right. In my case, "Tenboy" must bave been the location identifier.... probably "10-B," using the phonetic "boy" for the letter B.

And I do have TCSO's channel 4 "Tac/Admin" channel programmed into my scanner @ 453.975.

 

[KE7TJK]

Here they use the VARDA's on PD channel 2.

They have several scattered city wide, and every now and then one goes off.

My cities VARDA's anounce the address of the business, with 'burglary in progress' before the address.