QRZ! Ham Radio 1/QRZ Ham Radio Callsign Database - December 1993.iso/arrl/faqswsca.ner

Internet Message Format | 1993-11-21 | 17KB

Date: Sun, 3 Oct 1993 13:39:56 GMT
From: [e-mail] (Bob Parnass)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.info
Followup-To: rec.radio.scanner
Subject: Introduction to Scanning
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Naperville, IL
Keywords: scanner radio, motivation, buying a scanner, books, clubs
Lines: 384

 Last changed: September 24, 1993

                  Introduction to Scanning
                    by Bob Parnass, AJ9S

  [NOTE: This article may not be reproduced in whole  or  in
 part  in  bulletin  boards, networks, or publications which
 charge for service without permission of the author.   Free
 distribution is encouraged.]

 This introduction is intended for people new to  the  scan-
 ning  hobby  and  is  oriented  to scanning in the USA.  It
 tells where you can buy your first scanner,  what  features
 it  should have, how to get frequency information, and men-
 tions a few scanner clubs worth joining.


                        Why Scanning?

 Every day and night, scanner hobbyists are  entertained  by
 what  they  overhear  on  their  radios.  Police cars, fire
 engines, ambulances,  armored  cars,  trains,  taxis,  air-
 planes,  and buses are all equipped with radios and you can
 listen to them.  You can monitor the local sheriff and fire
 departments  to  hear about events "as they happen," before
 the news reporters hear about them.  Hostage  dramas,  bank
 robberies,  car crashes, chemical spills, tornado sightings
 are all fair game.  In a single afternoon, you can  hear  a
 high speed police chase, Drug Enforcement agents on a sting
 operation, and undercover FBI agents  as  they  stakeout  a
 suspect.

 How about listening to  a  presidential  candidate  discuss
 strategy  with his advisor from a 415 MHz radiophone in Air
 Force 1, or a team of G-men protect him while  transmitting
 in the 167 MHz range?

 Listen to your neighbors deal  drugs  over  their  cordless
 telephone,  or  as  their  conversations  are picked up and
 transmitted over the airwaves by their sensitive baby moni-
 tor  intercom.   Yes,  it's  legal  to listen, and it's all
 there in the 46 and 49 MHz ranges.

 Stay ahead of road conditions by listening to highway  road
 crews, snow plows, and traffic helicopter pilots.

 Take your scanner to sporting events and listen to race car
 drivers,  football  coaches, etc., in the 151, 154, and 468
 MHz ranges.

 Monitor the everyday hustle and bustle of businesses,  from
 cable  TV  repair  crews  tracking  down pirate descrambler
 boxes, to security guards at your nuclear  power  plant  or
 mall security guards chasing a shoplifter.

 You can even listen to the order  taker's  wireless  micro-
 phone at the local McDonald's restaurant on 154.6 and 35.02
 MHz!


                     Is Scanning Legal?

 In the United States, scanning from your home or at work is
 perfectly legal in most situations.  The Electronic Commun-
 ications Privacy Act of 1986 made it illegal to  listen  to
 mobile phones, common carrier paging, and a few other types
 of communication, but many scanners  cover  these  frequen-
 cies,  and  it's clear that Americans still listen to what-
 ever they want in the privacy of their  own  homes  despite
 the  ECPA. Change is in the wind -- it will soon be illegal
 for companies to sell scanners  which  cover  the  cellular
 phone  frequencies,  but  sales by private individuals will
 still be allowed.

 Speaking of privacy, federal law also requires you to  keep
 what  you  hear to yourself and not use the information you
 hear on your scanner for personal gain.

 Be aware that several states have laws pertaining to  scan-
 ning  while  in  your car.  Indiana restricts some portable
 scanners.  You can find out about these restrictions  in  a
 39  page  paperback,  ANARC Guide to U. S. Monitoring Laws,
 compiled by Frank  Terranella,  available  for  $7.50  from
 ANARC Publications, P.O. Box 462, Northfield, MN 55057.


                 What Scanner Should I Buy?

 Radio Shack and Uniden  (maker  of  Bearcat,  Regency,  and
 Cobra brands) offer a wide choice of scanners.  Radio Shack
 scanners bear the Realistic label but are actually manufac-
 tured  by  both  GRE  (General Research Electronics) and by
 Uniden.  Personally, I don't recommend AOR brand scanners.

 Scanners are available in two varieties: crystal controlled
 and   programmable.   The  crystal  controlled  models  are
 cheaper, but require the user purchase  and  install  a  $5
 crystal for each frequency of interest.  Programmable (syn-
 thesized) units are replacing crystal controlled models  as
 they  don't require crystals and usually have a keypad that
 permits you to store frequencies into channels.   Programm-
 ables are now so cheap it doesn't make sense to buy a crys-
 tal unit as your main scanner unless you get it  for  under
 $45 or so.

 You can get a battery operated hand held scanner, a  bigger
 "base"  scanner  which  is  powered from an AC outlet, or a
 mobile scanner which connects  to  your  auto's  electrical
 system.

 Make sure your first scanner:

  1.  has a "search" feature, which allows it to search  all
      the  frequencies  between two frequency limits of your
      choosing.  The lowest cost programmables can't search.
  2.  covers the 800 MHz band unless  you  live  in  a  very
      rural  area  where this band is not used. Usage of the
      800 MHz band is growing by leaps and bounds.

 If you're not sure whether you'll like scanning, don't want
 to  spend  much money, a 16 channel radio will do.  In gen-
 eral, the more channels and banks, the better.

 Most of the action takes place on  frequencies  between  30
 and 1000 MHz, so don't be misled by scanner models boasting
 coverage from 3 to 2000 MHz.  There's currently not much to
 monitor in the 1000 - 2000 MHz range.

 If you are interested in receiving  short  wave,  that  is,
 signals  in  the 3 - 30 MHz range, it's best to get a short
 wave  radio  designed  for  that  purpose.   Although  some
 scanners  receive the short wave band, their performance in
 that range is often poor.

 Deluxe scanners can be controlled by a  personal  computer,
 although  this feature isn't important to most scanner own-
 ers.

 Currently,  the   more   popular   scanners   include   the
 Uniden/Bearcat  760XLT  (a/k/a 950XLT) and Radio Shack PRO-
 2006 base/mobiles, and  the  Uniden/Bearcat  200XLT  (a/k/a
 205XLT) and Radio Shack PRO-43 portables.

 All scanners come  with  a  built  in  antenna,  permitting
 reception  up  to  about 20 miles or so.  Outdoor antennas,
 like the Channel Master 5094A or  Antenna  Specialists  AV-
 801,  can  extend  reliable reception to 100 miles or more.
 If you do use an outdoor antenna, be sure to disconnect and
 ground  it  during  storms  and  when not in use to avoid a
 lightning hazard.  Discone and ground plane  type  antennas
 can  be  somewhat  more  prone to lightning strikes because
 they are not at "DC ground."


                 Where Can I Buy A Scanner?

 Almost every community has at least one Radio Shack  store,
 and  you  can  find  scanners there.  Discount chain stores
 like Service Merchandise and Circuit  City  sell  scanners,
 but carry just a few models.  Department stores, like Sears
 and Montgomery Wards, sometimes offer scanners, although at
 high prices.

 The best buys on new scanners are from reputable mail order
 radio dealers, for example:


    - Grove Enterprises, 140 Dog Branch Road, Brasstown,  NC
      28902.  For a free catalog, call [phone].

    - Scanner World (Albany, NY).  Telephone [phone].

    - National Tower Company, PO Box 15417, Shawnee Mission,
      KS 66215.  Telephone [phone].

    - Marymack Distributing (Katy,  TX)  sells  Radio  Shack
      scanners at discount.  Telephone [phone].

 Many ham radio dealers,  like  Amateur  Electronics  Supply
 (Milwaukee, WI, [phone]), also sell scanners.

 Used scanners may be found at hamfests,  flea  markets,  or
 listed  in  the  classified  advertisement  section of your
 newspaper.


          Where Can I Obtain Frequency Information?

 To avoid chaos, the FCC licenses two-way  radio  users  and
 assigns  them  specific frequencies.  Groups of frequencies
 are allocated to specific types of users, so you won't usu-
 ally  find  fire  departments using the same frequencies as
 taxi drivers, for example.

 Scanner enthusiasts can obtain frequency  information  from
 several  sources,  including  books,  government microfiche
 records, or other listeners.

 Books: The most convenient  source  of  fire,  police,  and
 local  government  frequencies  is  the  Police  Call Radio
 Guide, published each year in 9 regional volumes by Hollins
 Radio Data, and sold at Radio Shack and larger book stores.

 I also recommend Richard Prelinger's book, Monitor America,
 2nd edition published by SMB Publishing, and available from
 Grove Enterprises for about $25.  This single edition  con-
 tains several pages of police, fire, local government, news
 media, sports, federal government, and commercial broadcast
 frequencies  for  all 50 states.  It contains detailed com-
 munications system profiles and  precinct  maps  for  major
 metropolitan  areas.   Police and fire radio codes and unit
 identifiers unique to local agencies are listed for several
 cities.   This differs from Police Call, which gives a more
 sterile, but uniform treatment of licensees,  listing  even
 the smallest of towns.

 Uniden has published several regional directories using the
 "Betty Bearcat" name, although there are much better direc-
 tories available from Scanner Master (Newton Highlands, MA)
 for some regions.

 The most readily available source of sensitive  US  govern-
 ment frequencies is still Tom Kneitel's 168 page Top Secret
 Registry of US Government Radio Frequencies.  Published  by
 CRB  Research,  the  6th  edition  is  available from Grove
 Enterprises for about $19.  Kneitel's  book  contains  fre-
 quency  listings  for  NASA, military, FBI, Secret Service,
 DEA, IRS, Border Patrol, arsenals, ammunition plants,  mis-
 sile sites, and others in the 25 to 470 MHz range.

 Commercial Magazines:  Although  national  in  circulation,
 local  frequency  information  is  sometimes  available  in
 Grove's Monitoring  Times  and  Kneitel's  sensationalistic
 Popular  Communications.   National  Scanning  Report  is a
 national scanner magazine published bimonthly and is  affi-
 liated  with Uniden's Bearcat Radio Club.  The best scanner
 frequency lists are often found in club  publications,  not
 commercial magazines, and are discussed later.

 Government Records: Every year, the US Government sells FCC
 license  information,  in  the  form  of microfiche, floppy
 disk, and magnetic tape,  to  the  public  through  the  US
 Department  of Commerce National Technical Information Ser-
 vice (NTIS).  The high cost of  buying  government  records
 limits their appeal to hardcore enthusiasts.  You can write
 for a catalog of FCC Master Frequency Database items to the
 NTIS, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161.

 Grove enterprises sells FCC license information  on  floppy
 disks.   Disks  for each state are sold separately, and the
 information is basically the same as the FCC "state  sort,"
 i.e., transmitter location (state/city), callsign, licensee
 name, and type of license.


            Do Your Own Frequency Detective Work

 When you try listening to a frequency for the  first  time,
 you'll want to know who you're hearing.

 Although FCC rules require radio users  to  identify  their
 operations  with  their  assigned call letters, most ignore
 the regulation.  This often makes it difficult to know  who
 is  transmitting.   Moreover,  many  radios  are  now being
 placed in service illegally, without  first  obtaining  the
 required FCC license.

 There is a challenge in deriving new spectrum usage  infor-
 mation  on your own.  Sometimes it requires several days of
 listening, taping, and compiling fragments of  information.
 Other  times,  the  frequency  information is there for the
 taking - without hassle.

 You can approach from two directions:

   1.  Listen first: Monitor a frequency or frequencies, and
       try  to determine who's transmitting and what purpose
       the channel serves.  Once you identify the user,  log
       the information.

   2.  Compile first: Take advantage of opportunities,  such
       as  examining the frequency label on a guard's radio,
       or reading the FCC  license  hanging  on  the  "radio
       room"  wall, to compile frequency lists, then monitor
       the listed  frequencies  to  confirm  that  they  are
       really  in  use.   Readers  are urged to abide by the
       rules of good taste and local laws in the  quest  for
       frequency  information.   Don't trespass, wait for an
       invitation.

 Most listeners use a combination of both approaches.

 You can examine the FCC license on premise.  I  have  found
 the  actual  FCC  radio  license,  complete  with frequency
 assignments, hanging on the walls of places like  the  mall
 security  office  or  company guard shack.  You can examine
 the labels on radio equipment.   Frequency  information  is
 engraved  on  labels on the back of many walkie-talkies, or
 inside the battery compartment, like in the Motorola  HT220
 model.   Most  pagers  have labels on the bottom or inside.
 Like passwords taped onto terminals, it's not  uncommon  to
 find labels embossed with frequencies or call letters glued
 to the front of base stations.

 You can make your own opportunities for eyeing  the  equip-
 ment or take advantage of "open house" events.  If informa-
 tion is displayed publicly, then a reasonable person  could
 assume  it's not government secret.  Hobbyists are urged to
 exercise a modicum of restraint and  good  judgement,  how-
 ever.

                   How Can I Use Equipment
                 to Uncover New Frequencies?

 If you don't know the exact frequency, but have  a  general
 idea  of the range (e.g. 150 - 152 MHz), use your scanner's
 "search" mode.  Most programmable scanners afford the abil-
 ity to search between two frequency limits set by the user.
 A few models, like the ICOM R7000/R7100, and R1, and  older
 Bearcat 250 and Regency K500, have the ability to automati-
 cally store active frequencies found during  an  unattended
 search operation.

 To find the frequency of a hotel communications system, one
 fellow  installed  his Bearcat 250 in his car and parked in
 the hotel lot, leaving  the  scanner  in  the  "search  and
 store"  mode.   He  left  the  antenna  disconnected so the
 scanner would only respond to a transmitter in the  immedi-
 ate vicinity.

 Aside from a scanner and antenna, the most useful piece  of
 equipment  for sleuthing is a voice actuated (VOX) cassette
 tape recorder.  You don't need a  high  fidelity  model  or
 anything fancy, a Radio Shack CTR-82 will do.  It's best to
 use a shielded cable to feed the  scanner  audio  into  the
 recorder  rather  than  relying  on the recorder's internal
 microphone.

 VOX recorders allow one to compress a whole day's worth  of
 monitoring  onto  a  single tape.  I often leave a recorder
 "armed" and connected to a scanner at home while  I  am  at
 the  office or doing something else.  When call letters are
 mumbled, I can play and replay the tape until  I  hear  and
 understand them.

 Test equipment can aid  in  the  quest  for  new  frequency
 information.  I've used a spectrum analyzer connected to an
 outside antenna, and a frequency counter for close-in work.


                Are There Any Scanner Clubs?

 One of the best parts of the hobby is sharing it with other
 radio  buffs.   Trading  information  with  other hobbyists
 about frequencies,  communication  systems,  and  receiving
 equipment is more valuable than any pile of magazines.

 The world's largest scanner club is  the  Radio  Communica-
 tions  Monitoring Association (RCMA).  Founded in 1975, the
 RCMA is the "first national and international  organization
 of  monitor  radio  listeners."  There are several regional
 chapters which hold regular meetings.  Club dues are $24.00
 per  year,  which  includes the monthly RCMA Journal, which
 consists of approximately 95 pages.  Although the focus  is
 on VHF and UHF ranges, there is coverage of HF utility sta-
 tions below 30 MHz.

 Inquiries about RCMA membership should be sent to RCMA Gen-
 eral Manager, P.O. Box 542, Silverado, CA 92676, USA.

 A smaller club is the All Ohio Scanner Club.  Its bimonthly
 publication,  The  American  Scannergram, is about 60 pages
 long.  Although concentrating on Ohio, there  is  frequency
 information  from  other states, and plenty of good product
 reviews and scanning tips.

 Annual dues are $15 and more information is available  from
 All  Ohio  Scanner  Club,  50  Villa  Road, Springfield, OH
 45503.

--
==============================================================================
                       Copyright 1993,  Bob Parnass, AJ9S
         AT&T Bell Laboratories  -  [e-mail] - [phone]