Batboard

I'm told that if I bought an 800 MHz Astro to use as a monitor for police/fire frequencies on our local digital P25 system it would be as worthless as a brick since it can't work without being authorized.

I volunteer as a special deputy with our sheriff's communications response team and bought a Uniden BCD396T but am not happy with it. The Motorola Astros in our van have far better reception. I'd like to buy a used one and put it in my car but I'm told the county has to pay a user fee to the state for each authorized radio in the system. There's no way they are going to pay for all of the volunteers. Only the sergeants and above are issued digital handhelds (and some astros for their cars).

My question is -- wouldn't there be some way to modify the radio so it doesn't need to be authorized to just receive talk groups? I'm totally inexperienced with Motorola. If my Uniden can receive them I'd think an Astro could too with some modification. If it could be modified what would one have to do?

W0QU wrote:I'm told that if I bought an 800 MHz Astro to use as a monitor for police/fire frequencies on our local digital P25 system it would be as worthless as a brick since it can't work without being authorized.

I volunteer as a special deputy with our sheriff's communications response team and bought a Uniden BCD396T but am not happy with it. The Motorola Astros in our van have far better reception. I'd like to buy a used one and put it in my car but I'm told the county has to pay a user fee to the state for each authorized radio in the system. There's no way they are going to pay for all of the volunteers. Only the sergeants and above are issued digital handhelds (and some astros for their cars).

My question is -- wouldn't there be some way to modify the radio so it doesn't need to be authorized to just receive talk groups? I'm totally inexperienced with Motorola. If my Uniden can receive them I'd think an Astro could too with some modification. If it could be modified what would one have to do?

What type of antenna are you using??? If you use a 800 mhz antenna then your reception will be alot better. Scanner antennas aren't tuned to any particular frequency so their reception unless you have a really strong signal is shady at best in most situations.

Is the system a single-site? If you're just going to use it to monitor, there are definitely ways to program a radio to not associate (unless you key up) on a single zone system. Even on a smartzone system, you could program it and would associate. It all depends on how much you know about the system and what cool software tools you have. :-X

Not that I'm advocating anything illegal!

1) Make sure that you start your questions in a new thread - not post off topic information in another thread.

2) You need to buy a scanner. You can not buy a portable and have it on the system without being authorized. There have been cases in Michigan where people have been tried and convicted with respect to gaining access to that system. Unless you'd like to be in the same boat.

This doesn't say that what your trying to do isn't possible - your simply not allowed to do it.

Also - Ewiner - it's a 9600 P25 System....

Thread closed.

-Alex