[FedCom] Re: What Can We Actually Monitor?

[Steven Rutledge]

Hey, you can still listen to the USSS.  They are virtually the ONLY
federal agency who has never encrypted their radio system.  It is done
on temporary basis when their is a Presidential or Vice-Presidential
visit.  The rest of it is in the clear.

RoyPB@aol.com wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 5/18/02 11:06:28 AM Central Daylight Time,
> fedcom-request@mailman.qth.net writes:
> 
> << Does anyone hear anything in the clear on the following?:
>  163.1000        167.9       FBI/DOE Common          12.5
>  170.0250        167.9       FED GOV Common        12.5
>  169.7500        167.9       FED GOV Common        12.5
>  165.2875        103.5       ATF Common                 12.5 >>
> 
> Scanning the feds is much different than scanning the run-of-the-mill local
> stuff (PD/FD/EMS). Needless to say, these frequencies are not nearly as busy,
> but when they are, oh, man.
> 
> Yes. Much of the traffic has moved to Nextel or is encrypted. Radio is still
> in use for tactical (on the scene, right now) operations. And although some
> of the comms are encrypted, I've yet to hear a digital body wire.
> 
> I still hear clear traffic on 165.2875 from time to time. I believe that ATF
> also has 163.1 in their radios (not just FBI), but I haven't heard much of
> anybody on this channel since several years ago when they were testing the
> system. Since it's a shared DOE, et. al. frequency, maybe it's better that we
> don't hear anything on it! :)
> 
> As far as 167.5625 (FBI Common) goes, the only thing I've heard recently (in
> the last 6 months or so) is car-to-car chatter by agents evidently on their
> way home from work. Not exciting super-sleuth stuff by any means, but the
> conversations offer insight to their work. They've got the same good & bad
> bosses as the rest of us, apparently.
> 
> Federal monitoring is not for the impatient. I'm sure anyone on this list
> who's been doing it for any length of time will agree. You can have a
> frequency lie dormant for a couple of years, but when it comes active, it can
> be a truly exciting monitoring experience!
> 
> You might want to consider doing what I do: I've got a scanner for the local
> activity and one that's loaded up only with fed frequencies. This way you'll
> have something to entertain you while you wait for these channels to become
> active.
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