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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!trsvax!mikey
From: mikey@trsvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Police scanners and speeding
Message-ID: <55200115@trsvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 15-Nov-84 18:31:00 EST
Article-I.D.: trsvax.55200115
Posted: Thu Nov 15 18:31:00 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 20-Nov-84 23:41:01 EST
References: <1896@pegasus.UUCP>
Lines: 23
Nf-ID: #R:pegasus:-189600:trsvax:55200115:000:1288
Nf-From: trsvax!mikey    Nov 15 17:31:00 1984



As a former occupant of PA, I may shed some light on this.  First off,
in PA there are NO state laws against scanners.  In a few places, Philly
for example, the police are almost fanatical if they find a scanner.  Seems
they don't like the light of day.  Anyway, in PA  there are 7 main 
frequencies that the State Police use.  Base 1, 2, and 3, Mobile 1, 2, 
and 3, and the Mobile to Mobile channel.  All base and mobile units can
use all 7 frequencies.  Each barracks picks one of the 3 sets,
i.e. Base 1 and Mobile 1, that gives them some degree of freedom from the
other nearby barracks.  Base always transmits on the base frequency and the
cars always transmit on the mobile frequency.  The problem with scanners is 
that the cars are low powered and the bases usually have their antennas
high on mountains or structurs.  Sounds like a ham repeater right?  
Except mobile transmissions are not re-transmitted by the base units.  
This means that when you are mobile, you ususlly don't pick up the cars
except when they are fairly close ( a couple of miles) but after the car
has been lurking for a while, there is usually a CB report of it.  There
are also frequencies in the call book that are cleverly labeled as to who
they belong to but the State Police use.

mikey at trsvax