Escort 8500 & scanner hardwire pic. What are the Radar bands used in Socal?

[gnarly]

Here is a pic of my 8500 and bearcat "weather scanner" that picks up Highway Patrol and Local PD. It also has a proximity alert for HP. Very Useful. I still need to get an amplifier for the scanner though(any ideas). My question is what Radar bands are used by HP and PD here in Socal? I am new in the area. I know the photo redlight cameras use K band (only in Culver) and that on the 5 between here and SF the Highway Patrol use Ka. What do other cops use? Do any cops use X band? I am thinking I should figure out how to disable X band on the 8500. Heres the picture

thanks

Carlos

http://pws.prserv.net/techmonkeyinternational/Hardwire.jpg

[Croak]

Takes like two seconds to disable X band on the 8500. I haven't gotten a bonifide X band radar source in years. Just stay out of Podunk. ;)

I seem to recall a freq list in the back of the 8500 manual if you still have it, and it's pretty accurate.

[gnarly]

Not the right freq list

[gnarly]

Not the right freq list I am looking for. I am trying to find out what band X, Ka, K or Laser, that the police use here in Socal.

thanks

Carlos

[mcornwell]

Haven't seen X band in a long time. K and Ka are 95% of what I see, with Laser *maybe* 5%.

[Pinecone]

Well, NC is starting to get tricky. I have had several valid X hits in NC.

I know it is not CA, but watch out if this tip/trick is shared.

[BCM M3]

haha...i see X more than anything else used by local cops here in NJ. Although, in bigger towns I see mostly K and Ka.

[///MDriver]

X band gives me nothing but false alarms around here.

[topazbimma]

x band also give me nothing but false alarms here....i would disable....


what exaclty are you using the scanner for....im confused.... sorry for sounding dumb..

[topazbimma]

x band also give me nothing but false alarms here....i would disable....


what exaclty are you using the scanner for....im confused.... sorry for sounding dumb..

[gnarly]

the scanner will scan police radio bands. Local and Highway Patrol. If you were to be driving down the highway going 120 mph someone might call the cops. You might then hear the call on the scanner ie.. "late model black BMW speeding down HWY 5 in the vicinity of exit 23". I have heard many of these. none for my car of course. Also it has a proximity alert as described in the original post. It will tell you if a HP is close to you and how far away. It doesnt work all the time because it is dependent on the HP's radio repeater (used when the car recieves a signal from another HP car and is passing it on to extend the reach of the signal, kind of like those gadgets that let you use your remote control all over the house). So if it goes off, it is 100% for sure that Chips is really close. You can also use it to tune to Newscasters frequency, DOT, Weather, road conditions etc..

[EvanL]

I've definatley gotten legitimate X-band while driving through eastern Oregon. One of the best hiding jobs I've ever seen was by a Oregon HP sitting under a overpass with his lights off in the middle of the night. Saw his radar from a mile away, but didn't see him until I was literally within 20 feet of him...scared the shit out of me, too.

[gnarly]

I would really like to know if anyone has been hit with X band in Socal because it goes off so much I almost am ignoring the detector unless its Ka. Would be great to just disable it

[topazbimma]

how much for the scanner??? cause that is actualy what i am looking for.... with all the problems we are having with cops around here.... they seriously will park accross the street from us and wait for us to pull out and just follow us....only because they know all of our cars... and they think we are gonna "race" or pull some "fast and furious" crap.... considering we just drive the damn speed limit...

anywase....where did you get the scanner and how much if you dont mind????

thanks

kevin

[gnarly]

I bought it at a scanner place in San Jose. You can find it online. I think they might have stopped making them. I paid $169.00 It is a Uniden BCT-12
You might want to check out the BCT - 7 looks like it does the same thing

http://www.uniden.com/product.cfm?product=BCT7#

otherwise I am sure you can track down a BCT 12 online

[randywalters]

Here is a pic of my 8500 and bearcat "weather scanner" that picks up Highway Patrol and Local PD. It also has a proximity alert for HP. Very Useful. I still need to get an amplifier for the scanner though(any ideas).

I happen to have been using radar detectors and scanners all over the Southern California highways for over 25 years now. Aside from the CHP proximity alert, your scanner is pretty much useless for evading enforcement from local police departments. And now that LAPD has gone to a fully digital radio system you can't hear anything they broadcast. I used to listen to all their secret frequencies and even found some of the ultra-secret frequencies of some of their "wires" used on undercover drug buys (about a half-block range). In all the years of listening to all this i've heard very few instances where somebody listening could pick out information they could use to avoid getting caught for a traffic cite, and you better know the 10 codes and call signs so you can identify which PD is doing the talking. Culver City has 3 police frequencies but i bet the BCT-12 only has one of em. CHP uses around 30-40 different frequencies around So Calif alone, including separate frequencies for their Mobile Extenders and their Airplanes.

All the cities surrounding Los Angeles have their own frequencies too so when you're driving through Culver City and hear police talk on the scanner, you probably won't know which department is doing the talking unless you know their unique call signs. When i'm in Santa Monical i can pick up Redondo and Torrance and even Lomita Sheriffs. Did you know the Culver City dispatch also handles the El Segundo Police and Fire departments and broadcasts using Culver City frequencies? Unless you know what to listen for, what it means, and what frequency you're hearing it on it's all pretty much useful only for it's entertainment value :-)

A real scanner where you can input known frequencies is much better because after a while you find yourself memorizing 300 frequencies and you'll know which department is broadcasting as soon as you see which frequency is displayed.



My question is what Radar bands are used by HP and PD here in Socal? I am new in the area. I know the photo redlight cameras use K band (only in Culver) and that on the 5 between here and SF the Highway Patrol use Ka. What do other cops use? Do any cops use X band? I am thinking I should figure out how to disable X band on the 8500.

Every single CHP cruiser in the State is equipped with moving front and rear Ka band radar, and many also still have their old K band units along side the Ka. Even their BMW bikes have Ka radar as well as the all white Crown Vics and Camaros. And they're very very good at using it !

The various local PDs all seem to use K band primarily, but just about all of em now have at least a few Laser guns including LAPD West Traffic and South Traffic. I commonly see Laser in Santa Monica, Culver City, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Playa Del Rey, LAPD on the West side, and all the South Bay cities like El Segundo, Hermosa, Redondo, Manhattan Beach, Torrance, Hawthorne, and Gardena.

However i haven't gotten a single X-band police hit in over 15 years. Not one. I've disabled X band on my V1 and that eliminates about 95% of all false alarms right off the bat.

Be careful on all the freeways in California, in every canyon and mountain road, and on PCH from Santa Monica to Oxnard - the CHP and Malibu Sheriff and Ventura Sheriffs all use front and rear moving radar and love to sneak up behind you while you're looking ahead. The Passport 8500 only has a front-facing antenna so you're left almost completely vulnerable from behind, and when it does go off you don't know if their ahead or behind you. This is how i got tagged on the 405 when i was using a Passport 7500. After that i bought a Valentine One primarily because it has a rear-facing antenna in addition to the front antenna so it's really like having two detectors in one. I get such joy out of detecting a CHP or Sheriff car while it's still a mile behind me - with my old Passport the cop could be zapping me from a half-block behind me and i'd never know it but that problem is solved with the V1. The V1 is much more communicative than the Passport, especially in So Calif !! Definitely worth the extra hundred bucks over the 8500.

http://home.earthlink.net/~randylwalters/_uimages/V1RemoteinDash.jpg

[EvanL]

Hmm...never picked up any X band while I was in SoCal...but that was only for a week.

Incidentally, the only time I've picked up K band was in rural Iowa. But, unless you're crazy, I'm pretty sure you won't be driving through there anytime soon.

[gnarly]

Wow good info on the scanner. The Proximity alert is VERY useful though. Also on open roads like driving to SF i have picked up local HP and PD and it has been useful. An Actual scanner with a freq readout would only be useful if the display was in the dash or where the scanner and radar detector is. I will disable the X band and really consider the V1.

thanks

C

[immaculate]

could you tell me how you hardwired your BCT-12? i've got nearly the same setup as you, except i've got a Valentine 1 hardwired to my garage-door opener on my 7...recently picked up the BCT-12 and have been pondering how i want to hardwire it...one idea was to use the "accessory" phone jack on my V1's power box (the jack for the concealed display)...where does your BCT-12 plug into? thanks for any tips!

aaron

[immaculate]

btw, i picked up an external glass-mounted antenna for my BCT-12 from radio shack last week for $40...haven't tried it yet, but i bought it at the recommendation of a number of friends who've used it and say that it produces good results. when i go home i can provide you with the part number if you'd like.

aaron

[abakos]

Originally posted by gnarly
Wow good info on the scanner. The Proximity alert is VERY useful though. Also on open roads like driving to SF i have picked up local HP and PD and it has been useful. An Actual scanner with a freq readout would only be useful if the display was in the dash or where the scanner and radar detector is. I will disable the X band and really consider the V1.

thanks

C

Gnarly,

I have the EXACT same setup, just with the detector in front of me because I always leave it on. I've been very happy with it.

RandyWalters,

Can you recommend any online forums or sites that would help the scanner newbies (such as myself) read up on technology and how to hear what's out there? I'm aware of the digital change-over that started a few years ago, but I would like to be able to hear anything and everything. I have some nice attic space that would be great for listening to everything around me :)

Also, if there are any nation-wide clubs that would be worth contacting to actually meet people that are into scanners, that would be helpful as well.

Thanks in advance!

--Bakos

[wildvan]

The Passport 8500 only has a front-facing antenna so you're left almost completely vulnerable from behind, and when it does go off you don't know if their ahead or behind you. This is how i got tagged on the 405 when i was using a Passport 7500.

The 8500 does have a rear antenna, this is one of the changes made, and does pick up radar behind, This I know as I was very recently slowed due to this

[abakos]

I think the scanner is much more useful as far as knowing what's going on.

I like the fact that the 8500 doesn't false, that's the biggest complaint I've heard about the V1's.

[randywalters]

Wow good info on the scanner. The Proximity alert is VERY useful though. Also on open roads like driving to SF i have picked up local HP and PD and it has been useful. An Actual scanner with a freq readout would only be useful if the display was in the dash or where the scanner and radar detector is. I will disable the X band and really consider the V1.

The problem with the proximity alert though is that it only activates when a CHP officer is keying up his mike, and he has to be within a mile or so, and only if his Mobile Extender is turned on (although they usually are turned on). On the BCT-12 i believe it gives you a tone but with a real scanner i can actually hear his conversation with dispatch or other CHP officers and sometimes i do hear something useful. Nonetheless even if i hear a splash of static on that particular frequency i check my speed and start looking around for the Chippy. But 97% of the time when i see a CHP car he's not using his Mobile Extender. It's just another input i use to help me track CHP cruisers, along with lots of brakelights ahead, airplanes doing figure-8 maneuvers over the freeway up ahead, semi tractor trailers actually doing the speed limit, and any beeping from my V1 :-)

On a road trip i just lay my scanner on my passenger seat or console and if it locks onto a conversation i look down to see what frequency is showing in the display. If you don't know who's broadcasting you may find yourself needlessly slowing down for a cop who's nowhere near the freeway :-)

Be careful on the freeways - the CHP don't leave their radar on like municipal cops do. The way CHP uses radar is the officer first visually estimates your speed (and they're VERY good at estimating) then they give a short blast of Ka to verify it. So even one or two single braps of the detector could mean you've just been clocked, but more commonly you're getting the splash of him clocking someone else ahead (or behind if you're using a V1) and you have time to slow down. The good thing about the V1 is that the arrows let you know if he's ahead or behind so you might not have to bother slowing down while you monitor the signal strength.

At night they also like to just sit on the side or center divider of the freeway or highway in the dark and simply zap you with instant-on when they see your headlights and by that time you're toast. They also like to sit on onramps and if they see that you're wizzing past too fast they zap you from behind with instant on and take off after you.

The 8500 is the best Escort/Passport ever and if you can get good at interpreting reflected signals it's certainly effective enough in most situations, but the CHP and other highway speed enforcers know that the majority of detector users are blind from behind and they take advantage of that. Learn how to use overpasses and metal highway signs and even the rear of semi-trailers as big reflectors to detect radar from behind. If you're getting a strong signal on a non-V1 and it suddenly stops when you pass that semi or go under that overpass then you can be reasonably assured that you were picking up a reflected signal from behind. This is how i detected rear radar for 20 years until i finally broke down and got a V1 about 5 years back (after getting clocked from 1 block behind with my 7500).

[randywalters]

The 8500 does have a rear antenna, this is one of the changes made, and does pick up radar behind, This I know as I was very recently slowed due to this

According to the Passport rep i talked to when the 8500 first came out, it has special new circuitry that interprets reflected signals from behind but uses the single front mounted antenna and has no actual rear antenna. He also said the interpreted rear signal will be weaker than a hit from ahead since it is only a reflection and not a direct signal. I think a lot of people mistakenly assume the 8500 has a rear antenna when it's only new circuitry. Passport's marketing is very misleading so be careful, and even the Valentine people said the 8500 does not have a rear antenna so you might want to check into this.

[randywalters]

RandyWalters,

Can you recommend any online forums or sites that would help the scanner newbies (such as myself) read up on technology and how to hear what's out there? I'm aware of the digital change-over that started a few years ago, but I would like to be able to hear anything and everything. I have some nice attic space that would be great for listening to everything around me

Also, if there are any nation-wide clubs that would be worth contacting to actually meet people that are into scanners, that would be helpful as well.
Thanks in advance!

I've done www.google searches using various keywords and have found several small message forums about police scanning so you might want to try this to find a regional board that pertains to your area and local police coverage.

The best two sources i've found for general scanner information is on the two following Usenet Newsgroups:


alt.radio.scanner

rec.radio.scanner

Guys who still use Usenet tend to be old-schoolers since Usenet pre-dated web-based message forums and they really know what they're talking about. You can search for keywords using Google's Groups feature (or dejanews.com) and find old messages that contain keywords you're looking for. Or you can just post your specific questions and you should get good responses. Be specific cause it helps them understand what info you're looking for and you'll get better answers. Also, many towns have a local scanner club or ham radio club and these geeks tend to be very knowledgeable and are just dying to talk your ear off about scanning (oops :-)

Digital radio systems are extremely expensive (LAPD's system reportedly cost over $25 Million !) and i think the only other Police agency to go digital is New York City. The more common modern changeover is to a trunked system which uses hundreds of rotating frequencies making it very difficult to follow a conversation. There are scanners called Trunk-Trackers that do a decent job of keeping up but it's still not as good as being able to lock on to a single dedicated frequency like the regular radio systems which thankfully are the most common by far.

http://members.roadfly.com/randywalters/Computer+Desk+-+TFT+Monitor+1+shrpr.jpg

[abakos]

Yeah I have a handheld that picks up most every trunked system out there. Radio Shack Pro-92 or 93, I forget. It doesn't see much use... But that might be the major shortcoming of the BCT-12.

The digital equipment is quite expensive, from what I gather you can put together a scanner for less than 1k. I have yet to understand the inner workings of the digital cards that they sell.

Thanks for the info though, it gives me a starting point :)