WaveTalkers Emergency Prepardness Guide: Public Safety Radio

Monitoring Public Saftey Radio for Situational Awareness - Episode 82

Recorded LIVE at 1pm PST September 17, 2023

Terminology

• Scanner – A specialized radio receiver that sequentially listens to a series of pre-programmed frequencies, stopping when an active frequency is found.
• Lockout – The ability to eliminate an individual frequency from the scanning sequence
• Priority Scanning – One, or more, frequencies that receive priority in the scanning process.
• Conventional Frequencies – Analog, non-digital frequencies
• Digital Frequencies – Digital Schemes, usually P-25 in Public Service
• Trunking – A frequency assignment scheme in which available frequencies are not assigned to a specific group but are placed in a queue. When a member of a group keys their microphone, a computer selects an available frequency from the queue and switches all members of the group to that frequency.
• P-25 – A digital mode commonly used in public service radios. Other digital modes such as DMR and NEXDN are less frequently used in public service. Specialized scanners are required to receive digital frequencies.
• Encryption – A technique used to prevent unauthorized users from hearing transmissions. Encryption is becoming more widely used in public safety, particularly in law enforcement. Encrypted channels can not be monitored by scanners.

Links

• Broadcastify
• Radio Reference
• NIFOG - National Interoperability Field Guide

Public Saftey Radio Scanning Equipment

Below are Amazon Affiliate links to common Public Saftety Radio Frequency Scanners that you may want to consider for your own situational awareness. Before using any equipment to monitor public saftey frequencies, be sure to check your local laws for any legal issues related to monitoring such frequencies.

To help suppor WaveTalkers, you can follow these links and make a purchase direclty from Amazon. These links will not cost you any more money than searching for these products directly on Amazon, but following these links will provide a small return to WaveTalkers direclty from Amazon.

Getting Started SDR Dongle
Under $40

RTL-SDR Blog V3 R860 RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO SMA Software Defined Radio (Dongle Only) (Black)

Amazon Affiliate Link

Base Station Scanner
Under $100

Uniden BC355N 800 MHz 300-Channel Base/Mobile Scanner, Close Call RF Capture, Pre-programmed Search “Action” Bands to Hear Police, Ambulance, Fire, Amateur Radio, Public Utilities, Weather, and More, Black

Amazon Affiliate Link

Handheld Scanner
Under $150

Uniden Bearcat BC125AT Handheld Scanner, 500-Alpha-Tagged Channels, Close Call Technology, PC Programable, Aviation, Marine, Railroad, NASCAR, Racing, and Non-Digital Police/Fire/Public Safety.

Amazon Affiliate Link

Base Station Scanner
Under $300

Whistler WS1065 Digital Desktop/Mobile Radio Scanner

Amazon Affiliate Link

Handheld Scanner
Under $300

Whistler WS1040 Handheld Digital Scanner Radio

Amazon Affiliate Link

Advanced SDR Dongle
Under $400

Nooelec HackRF One Software Defined Radio (SDR) & ANT500 Antenna Set. Capable of Receiving All Modes in HF, VHF & UHF Bands. Includes SDR with 1MHz-6GHz Frequency Range & 20MHz Bandwidth and ANT-500

Amazon Affiliate Link

Preferred by W6AH for
Situational Awareness Monitoring

Mobile Scanner
Under $450

Uniden HomePatrol-2 Color Touchscreen Simple Program Digital Scanner, TrunkTracker V and S,A,M,E, Emergency/Weather Alert, APCO P25 Phase 1 and 2! Covers USA and Canada, Quick Record and Playback

Amazon Affiliate Link

Preferred by NR6V for
Situational Awareness Monitoring

Base Station Scanner
Under $700

Uniden SDS200 Advanced X Base/Mobile Digital Trunking Scanner, Incorporates The Latest True I/Q Receiver Technology, Best Digital Decode Performance in The Industry

Amazon Affiliate Link

Handheld Scanner
Under $700

Uniden SDS100 True I/Q Digital Handheld Scanner, Designed for Improved Digital Performance in Weak-Signal and Simulcast Areas, Rugged / Weather Resistant JIS 4 Construction

Amazon Affiliate Link