Why do you monitor utility companies?

[mparker]

I notice discussions about utility companies pop up every now and then, makes me wonder what company you monitor and why?




ill start, i monitor AEP Ohio in Columbus because i know some of the field employees that use the radio...

 

[KR4BD]

I like to monitor the power companies for service outages, etc. In my neck of the woods, that company is Kentucky Utilities, which uses a 450 mHz, digital P-25 repeater system. Whenever bad weather is in the area, some of the best information comes from these utility company dispatches. It is also nice to listen for crews working in my area when our power is out to determine how soon things might be restored.

 

[vontar]

I like hearing about when they are working on my power grid.

Last week, my lights dimmed a couple times and I heard something along the lines of they saw sparks near a substation and they needed to check it out.

It gave me enough time to power down PC's before my power went out.

 

[OldDeadOne]

When the weather's bad either in summer or winter,I usually get a heads up on what's going on locally. Also most of the time I hear a lot of b***chin' going on between guys when a lot of hours have been worked(I work in all kinds of weather myself).

 

[SM166]

all the above and
law enforcemnt in certain areas have use wide area trunk utility systems in the past

 

[FLA2760]

I monitor my local electric company (WREC) to get a heads up on what's going on particularly during bad weather when there are outages. They have their own standard VHF system that works great, in fact it blows away the county trunking system.

 

[XTS3000]

I monitor it when my power goes out to see when I can expect power to be restored.

 

[hoser147]

all the above and
law enforcemnt in certain areas have use wide area trunk utility systems in the past

Good point they also use it for late nite chat sessions that are at times good.

 

[sacscan]

Haven't listened to SMUD (local utility company) in many years, but when I did I found out the reason for a power outage in my neighborhood. A bird flew in to a power box or something and caused a short, knocking out the power.

 

[hill]

Used to monitor Baltimore Gas and Electric when they operated on the Motorola TRS during storms and other bad weather. Can't monitor them anymore, since now using a iDEN Harmony radio system.

 

[N9NRA]

Here in central WI i listen to the WPS guys (our power company in this city) so i can find out if there`s an outage, and just how long, and how much of the town is affected. Up in NW WI (when i get up to my hometown) i monitor Dahlberg Light and Power for the same reason, as power goes out a bit more frequently up there and our place is kinda out in the sticks . N9NRA

 

[chrismol1]

I listen to the gas company so I can hear them scurry around when theres a major incident or a gas leak and no one is there but you can smell it. A lot of times they use goofy handles on the radio and sometimes even play the radio on the air for a few seconds like kids playing on their FRS radios

 

[KF0SKV]

All of the above as well, (and below as the thread grows) Our electric utility just switched over to the State P25 trunked system, so besides listening to the service calls, etc., I have also been chasing new utility talkgroups.

 

[CoolCat]

I have my local utility companies programed in, but I keep that system locked out unless something happens locally that I want to monitor.

 

[chrismol1]

I have my local utility companies programed in, but I keep that system locked out unless something happens locally that I want to monitor.

I would think you'd get a lot of action in Metro Boston no?

 

[roots]

Over here in quebec, I listen to snow plow company a lot so I know road condition and also they are everywhere in the city and since police over here are full P25 crypted so it's good.

 

[KD8CES]

I too listen to the city plows, for road conditions, water department to find where the water mains blow so I know if I will have water, Electric when storms come through for outages, also school buses are a good indicator of road conditions and closings early in the morning. Scannerdweeb.

 

[nx_2000]

I have the power company programmed into my scanner but seldom tune in. I did earlier this week when there was a power outage at home. IT was a windy day and apparently some transformers blew up in a nearby neighborhood. Unlike most of the city, power lines in my subdivision are buried so I was curious what caused the outage.

 

[n2pqq]

Because it is electrifying !!! LOL

 

[sheriff205]

sounds fun if u have the right tools for the job lol .