When I first started listening to public safety radio in the late 1960's the procedures and equipment were simple- an agency had dedicated dispatch channels and dedicated auxiliary channels as needed for the agency.
The radios were dial-tuned or crystal-controlled to those dedicated channels.
By the early 1980's the agencies' radio systems were unchanged- but the radios had become programmable: you could manually enter whatever channel or frequency you wanted to scan or monitor.
Then came the 1990's and 800-megahertz "trunked" radio systems.
A new type of radio altogether was needed to monitor these systems- as they used multiple radio frequencies whose use was dictated by that systems' "control channel" or computer.
No problem- the new radios- after a bit of study- could be programmed by the user and worked well.
Now in 2009 it's a new ballgame.
The Federal government has re-allocated frequencies and this means most public safety agencies have to invest in new- computer-controlled radio systems.
They're radio systems "on steroids" and all the old trunked radio receivers can't receive them. Independence-MO agencies are already on the new system and Johnson County-KS is soon to follow.
So news organizations like mine have to purchase all new radios and the new radios require a computer to program them.
The new rigs aren't cheap- a little over $500 apiece.
Shown is one of my new Uniden BCD-396T radios- the actual scanner and an image of it's computer program- this facet of which looks like and controls the actual scanner.
I use the portables for that very reason and for the fact they can be operated on ordinary AA batteries in case of power failure.
So most everything is up-to-date here at CSW- so I can continue to inform you- the reader- of breaking news wherever in the Metro or MetroRegion Kansas City it happens.
POST-SCRIPT: If you've bought one of these new scanners and don't have a clue on how to or what to program into it- I'll be willing to perform this task for you CHEAPER than other local businesses.
Email me at: doctor_mulcahy@yahoo.com for more information.
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