This is the place to discuss generalized scanner questions and information for San Diego County. Whether it's radios, antennas, or other general scanner related topics, you can talk about it here.
My husband got me a Ubiden Bearcat BD60XLT-1 scanner for Christmas.
I read the directions on how to program it and entered the SDPD frequencies that I found online. The problem is is that I don't hear a thing, and I know SDPD is not that quiet.
Also, this may seem like a stupid question...but what is trunking?
Any hepl would be greatly appreiciated.
I don't believe that scanner you have will do trunking. I might be wrong, but looking on the web, it seems to me that it is not capable. If that's true, there's not too much in San Diego to listen to, government wise. You can plug in CDF (151.190 dispatch) and the CHP 39.400 (SD CHP) and 39.800 (Oceanside CHP). There is plenty of business operations out there that are not trunked.
Trunking is basically a pool of frequencies. When a request to talk is received, the controller looks into the pool and finds a vacant frequency and assigns it for that transmission. Once the user unkeys, the frequency re-enters the pool to be used again.
There are pre-defined TALKGROUPS that represent channel uses. 2256 is the talkgroup number for SDPD Mid City for example. When a user keys up and is granted a frequency from the pool, any user with their radio dialed into that talkgroup will hear the conversation.
Talkgroups basically replace "channel numbers"
The benefit of a trunking system is that you can exponentially multiply the number of users for a given number of frequencies. For example, with 3 frequencies on old-fashioned radio systems (ch1, ch2, ch3), they could only be used by three groups of users assigned one of those ch numbers. When no one was talking on anyone of those CH numbers, it sat idle and unused. Now, throw those CH's into a pool and dynamically allocate them based on immediate need, you can get perhaps ch1, ch2, ch3, ch4, ch5, ch6, ch7, ch8, ch9 out of them and assign a whole lot more users "their own" frequency or channel.
If you listen to a trunk frequency in conventional mode, you might hear a police officer say something to the dispatcher then a second later on that same frequency you might hear a school bus driver say something.
It's very clever and became necessary as frequencies became crowded and agencies couldn't get new ones.
Scanner Specifications
Type Handheld
Range 29-54, 137-174, 406-512 MHz
It brings up an interesting question. What would you listen to if you only could use this scanner? Or, what are your 30 must have UHF/VHF freqs. This may be the perfect entry level scanner for Truckingwife. Later, she may want to move on to trunking and digital scanners and keep this as her dedicated UHF/VHF scanner, but for now here are my suggestions to get her started and see if she enjoys the hobby. Use the service search feature to locate interesting frequencies on your own. Then write the frequency numbers down. Later, when you have a list, you can use scanning web site such as ScanDiego.Com and SanDiegoScan.com and other sites to figure out what you are listening to. You may want to purchase a telescoping anntena to increase your signal coverage. Sean, that was a great job expaining the trunking systems to a new scanner user. Here is a partil list of some frequencies to start listening with the radio you have now. Any corrections or additions for the 30 most important UHF/VHF frequencies are welcome and can enhace everyone's scanning pleasure..
161.760 KGTV C10
450.3375 KFMB CH 8
450.4125 KFMB CH 8
450.4375 KNSD 7/39
450.0625 KUSI CH 9/51
455.7125 Air Watch Traffic
462.650 Stringers
39.400 CHP SAN DIEGO
39.600 CHP NORTH
39.140 CHP BLUE
460.375 STATE POLICE
154.905 CHP REPEATER
158.895 BOR-TAC
151.191 CDF VHF DISP
151.355 CDF CMD 1
151.265 CDF CMD 2
151.340 CDF CMD 3
151.280 CDF A/G
151.385 CDF Riverside
151.175 CDF Riverside 2
151.445 CDF San Bernadino
171.475 San Bernadino USFS
159.225 CDF
138.600 PENDLETON FD
168.750 US FOREST SVC
415.450 US FOREST SVC
168.200 USFS FOREST TAC
168.150 US FOREST ADMIN
168.025 US FOREST LAW
166.675 USFS AIR TAC
151.430 CA FISH GAME
154.665 CA DEPT JUST
154.680 CA DEPT JUST
156.800 COAST GUARD 16
157.100 COAST GUARD 22A
155.205 AMER MEDICAL RESPONSE
155.220 AMER MEDICAL RESPONSE
155.265 AMER MEDICAL RESPONSE
155.280 AMER MEDICAL RESPONSE
453.500 SDSO RESCUE
166.750 BLM LAW
166.350 BLM
408.025 FEDERAL
408.300 FEDERAL
408.350 FEDERAL
408.750 FEDERAL
408.950 FEDERAL
409.150 FEDERAL
409.275 FEDERAL
409.550 FEDERAL
409.950 FEDERAL
410.150 FEDERAL
138.750 Point Loma Naval Base
138.800 Gov.
138.875 32nd Street Naval Station
140.050 Gov.
140.0875 Gov.
140.050 NINAS
140.225 Naval Station San Diego
140.400 NAB Coronado
140.525 Gov.
140.825 PL Navy
141.100 MCAS
141.8875 Gov
143.550 NAB Coronado
143.725 Balboa Naval Hospital
149.725 Gov.
160.380 San Diego Trolley
160.530 San Diego Trolley
160.665 San Diego Trolley
160.710 San Diego Trolley
160.755 San Diego Trolley
160.905 San Diego Trolley
160.935 San Diego Trolley
161.295 San Diego Trolley
161.415 San Diego Trolley
161.565 San Diego Trolley
461.125 Stadium Security
Well, SDPD is no longer on those frequencies, they are now on an 800 MHz trunked system along with most other PDs and fire depts in the county.
I think the city trash trucks and the street sweepers are using a couple of the old PD channels now, so you might hear something.
I think you'll get plenty of entertainment from CHP on 39.400 (San Diego), 39.800 (Oceanside), 39.140 (Statewide) and 39.600 (El Cajon).
This summer CDF and US Forest Service will be non-stop action.
Oh, and the Trolley System is a blast! It's safer to fight a war in Iraq than to ride the trolley!
The main trolley channels are: 160.665 (south bay) 160.380 (El Cajon branch)
