[FedCom] Re: What Can We Actually Monitor?

Sat, 18 May 2002 20:01:09 -0400

I guess I just don't know the correct frequencies to program into my
scanner.

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, May 18, 2002 3:39 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [FedCom] Re: What Can We Actually Monitor?

In a message dated 5/18/02 11:06:28 AM Central Daylight Time,
[email protected] 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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