sabrina_h. Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 I want to get a police/fire scanner to jump on a few photo opportunities in my city. I don't know where to start. How many channels or how much frequency will i need? A name would be helpful. Not too pricey since this will be my first .. later I'll upgrade if necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grant_. Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 try radio shack, they have a good selection of many good scanners... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob_sollett Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 I use to "chase" with one decades ago during my freelance days. The one I purchased at Radio Shack still works to this day, so I recommend them. They make them programmable now, so you'd have to get the frequency and program the scanner. Radio Shack use to have a book one could buy with all the "hot" little numbers. I found the more channels one would listen to would "step" on another. I ended up listening to two...PD and FD in my area on an auto scan mode. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabrina_h. Posted September 30, 2004 Author Share Posted September 30, 2004 great, thanks guys. Radio Shack is 3 blks away from me ... i'm gonna go over and take a peek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jake_cole Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 You should know that using a scanner these days is not as productive as in the past. Many Police forces now use digital communications as well as what are called trunked radio systems and even a combination of the two. The usefulness of the scanner will really depend on where you are. RadioShack is OK for basic scanners, they don't carry as many as they use to. AOR is a great name if you want close to the untimate in scanners, which probably you don't. You need to make sure that the emergency services that you want to follow still use open voice communication systems, they may use a mixture in which cases most things like locations go through the secure system. Try to get one on an evaluation period, or with a liberal return policy. Good Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrl Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 In London the police use close channel digital communication. If yu hack into it and you are traced you can be arrested under the anti terrorism laws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabrina_h. Posted September 30, 2004 Author Share Posted September 30, 2004 I went to Radio Shack and bought a handheld/portable 1000 channel trunked radio system scanner; paid $120 for it. I asked about the return policy if i can't get the hang of it or it doesnt work for me. I can return it within 30 days. I'm looking forward to it (I hope it works). I will read through the manual and perhaps wait for the hubby to get home for a test drive (i'm not exactly technical savy :D ). They didnt have a code book for it (it does have a frequency guide for my city). I guess I have to do a little research online.. Thanks, any more info would certainly be appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob_sollett Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 Sabrina, If I remember correctly, and you're in NYC, on the FD channel a 10-75 is a fire, on PD a 10-53 is a car accident. Those were the "hot calls" a zillion years ago. I'm guessing that they may be differtn now in this post 9/11 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig_gillette Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 There are some states with stricter regulations than the basic federal laws regarding scanner use. Trunking links, like cell phones will jump around and you won't necessarily hear the second half of a conversation. Numbers of channels will vary but the more the better, it's digital controlled these days (as opposed to analog/crystal) so channel capacity isn't as expensive as it used to be. If you get a frequency guide - usually a compilation of license records - you may find that within a city, freqs listed for one department may be in use by others, etc. Depending on where you live, there may be centralized fire dispatch centers for a variety of departments, and hotshot frequencies that are kind of an "allcall" for audio dispatch for law enforcement, again, digital and encryption is becoming more common as agencies can afford to upgrade. A Radio Shack is likely to be a good place to start but there may be some other technical/enthusiasts radio store, HAM specialties, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herb dunn Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 Don't forget that some states have laws against using scanners mobile. My Bearcat 210XL is to large for grab and run anyway but a great scanner none the less.. (40 channel programmable) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabrina_h. Posted September 30, 2004 Author Share Posted September 30, 2004 Yes, i am in New York. For right now, i think i want to cover my neighborhood only (get my feet wet). Do you think different areas have different frequency codes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob_sollett Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 Sabrina: I'm going back some 20 years...but in my time each boro had their own frequency for several PD precinct's. I think the 66, 68 and 70 would be on one and several other pct's on another and so on...FD had one which covered the boro. (I worked Brooklyn, then.) Now I sit on the couch eattin Oreo's. LOL! I remembered Citywide frequencies which covered the who NYC area, but getting to those scene's took time and the action was over by the time you made it to..say Queens from Brooklyn. Again, I don't know what it's like out there now. A lot of film has passed thru my old Nikon's. Find out your local PD PCT's and nearby firehouses and zero in on them. Frankly, I found the FDNY far more easier to photograph then the PD. I hope this helps...it sure bringing back some memories for me. Where's that old F3???????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott_fleming1 Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 If I were you I would leave my camera at home the first couple of 'incidents'. Stand back and observe carefully and cautiously. NO ONE at the scene will appreciate your presence and in fact it will be actively and even agressively resented. If you have no press credentials you will be ejected. Even forcefully. Even if you do you will be fenced out. Suppose you get to a scene first? Are you going to stand around taking pictures while people bleed in the street? Maybe you are there at night. If my wife and or kids are seriously injured and you pop a flash in our faces I'm gonna put that camera where it will greatly impede your ability to walk. Have you really considered what you 'think' you want to do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jake_cole Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 Sabrina, Read in the user manual about 'Searching' or 'Scanning a Band'. You can use that feature of the scanner to find the frequencies that will be of interest to you. If you find a current forum on scanner someone will point you in the very narrow region you need or can give you the exact frequency for a service ( sorry been out of it for a long time). Also when people talk about codes they often mean verbal codes like 10-4 means OK, not a frequency code which is typically just called a frequency and is usually something like 462.975 (UNF frequency) or 152.125 (VHF frequency) or 27.125 (HF Frequency). Enjoy ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_ Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 If you've a local Wal-mart (or on the Web) -- a scanner goes for $79 and sales tax. It's programmable as well, just less pricey over Radio Shack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabrina_h. Posted October 1, 2004 Author Share Posted October 1, 2004 I have covered fires and emergencies in my area by accident (going to shoot something else or heard them from my window :D). I've run into the same members of PD and the FD on occasion; even captured a few. I will give them images that I've captured of them in action to sweeten the deal. I got a real adrenaline rush from it. The hubby and i were on our way to shoot a lighthouse in Manhattan (the Little Red Light House) and a fire developed along the way. We were torn; light house or fire? We ran down the street and went into action. We were there before the firemen. I said to my husband, "This is real photography!" ... lol. Ever since, I've been bent on doing more of it (started this past march). Once, a police officer told me to stand aside, but i got through another way and ended up going inside of the burning building. I went inside the apartment that caught fire and took a few rolls. The owner said, "who is that lady taking pictures?" :O ... I introduced myself and mentioned that if he needed photographs for the insurance company, i can oblige. He proceeded to take me on a tour through the house :D About 45 mins later, a photographer from the Daily News showed up. He asked, "did you get anything?" ... i said, "sure i did." ... he went on to say that I could submit the images to his paper. I didn't send the images over there at that time; wasn't ready yet. I'm slowly building a portfolio for my photojournalistic endeavors. anywho, there is a fire house a few blocks from me. Do you think by chance I could walk in there and they give me their frequency? ... or is it some guarded number? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grant_. Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 the numbers are public domain....you can get books on frequencies all over the country...do a search on google.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grant_. Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 <a href="http://maxpages.com/frequencies/New_NYPD_Frequencies">nyc frequencies</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelging Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 Radio shack used to sell a book that had all the scanner freq.in it for what ever city you were in.If that does not work call a paper near where you live (a small NYC daily would be good) they might give you a list of the different frequencies.You might find it on the internet as well.Most fire and police depts each have a main dispatch channel and then several others for things like Car to Car. If you get the dispatch channel make that's your priority channel (usally Channel #1) so when you scan you don't miss the first call. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_gifford Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 I had one, but it was only 2400 dpi and was not good at scanning Black & White mobile units. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabrina_h. Posted October 1, 2004 Author Share Posted October 1, 2004 I've been fooling around with it since last night. I've found a channel for my neighborhood (based on the address the operator gave). In the past hour, i've heard 2 hold-ups (robberies) at McDonald's and a stationary store not too far from me :O . I would have run down there, but i have a photoshoot in an hour. New York is a dangerous place to live!!! This is gonna be fun :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfeetham Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 If you don't want to buy a scanner, many PD and FD communications are streamed live over the Internet. Try this site: <a href="http://www.police-scanner.info/livescan.htm">http://www.police-scanner.info/livescan.htm</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabrina_h. Posted October 1, 2004 Author Share Posted October 1, 2004 Went back to Radio Shack to get the frequency guide book for my city. The book confirmed the frequency that I found to be from my precint. It also list all police precints in the state. Going outside of my doors will never be the same again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dumpster001 Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 hey, let us know how it works out if you can. thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabrina_h. Posted October 1, 2004 Author Share Posted October 1, 2004 It's working out pretty well, I'm just starting to learn the codes. They usually say the code and then describe what is happening; "10-34 assault in progress." I heard a call of a guy standing on a rooftop with a gun; I didnt want to risk getting injured :D. It's really suprising the amount of delicate information they share. I've read through the laws of my city. You can not use the scanner to assist in a crime or share information with criminals. I've marked the codes in the book to listen out for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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