Monitoring in 2015?

[grumpy grizzly]

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Does anyone see a problem in the near future about monitoring FD frequencies. I monitor radioreference for BFD and FDNY, will this be a dinosaur, extinct way of monitoring? I remember when Bearcraft came out with the 210 programable base unit, and then they incorporated their technology to hand-held units. This was heaven for buffs, go anywhere with a programable, you are good to go.

[nfd2004]

Hey Gump, as far as I'm concerned these new scanners and some of the frequencies are a nightmare.

  As an example, the other day I had to bring my portable scanner to get it updated because of some term called "rebanding". Providence, RI was the one that I needed to have done. SO I THOUGHT. When I get it to the radio repair shop he says "Boston FD, and the Connecticut State Police have also been rebanded. When I asked what is the price for that he said "normally we get $20.00 a channel. WOW, sixty bucks just to get it updated. And I didn't even know about Boston. I could have went up there some 100 miles away to buff and not heard anything. Thats what had happened to me when I went to Providence.

  For me, the days of simply pushing a few buttons to get the right frequency are over. Now its digital stuff, encrept messages, and you need a degree in computer techonolgy to program them.

  And just to let you know, the guy ended up only charging me $20.00 to do that update. I can't tell you where because if his boss finds out, he'll probadly get fired.

[JOR176]

You Bet, I had a bunch of Radios in NY   got to Fl  couldn't get s--t,they're all in the garage in a box, 3 bearcats, 2 buff channel radios and an old BNN pager, I sprinkled some Holy Water on them and kissed them goodbye   LOL,  now I just use my Iphone when I travel.   BTW  like them but was partial to my old crystal scanner  4 channel , thats all I really needed  Bklyn,Man,Bx and citywide. You're right about the newer scanners, 9 yrs ago bought a Bearcat 250 Ch Trunk scanner and by the time I figured out how to use the damn thing it was outdated   LMAO

[grumpy grizzly]

I agree with JOR 176, I had a hand held  4 crystal, yes crystal scanner I used to go mobile. Ch-1 33.74 BFD,  2@ was 153.89 for FG, Ch-3 was 154.22 Mutual Aid, 4 was vacant for the fire/Crystals were 4.95, brought Camb/Som/Che/Rev/Lyn, hot suburbs  at. Radio Shack Do you remeber Regency scanners, another crystal scanner, the lights were flashing red on scan.  Definately old school

[nfd2004]

I also had a crystal scanner. A portable one that I would buy the crystals at the Radio Shack Store on the Grand Concourse near Fordham Rd. They had all the crystals in stock. (153.83, 154.19, 154.25, 154.37, 154.43 and I also bought two NYPD crystals, the 42,44,48 Pct, and Traffic/ESU).

  My trips to the Bronx I would change the crystals before I made the trip. I kept those extra crystals in a plastic 35 mm film container.

  Grump I also had the same Boston crystals that you had for my trips to "Whip City". Actually the Ho Jo's near the F.D. Shops and Eng 43/Lad 20. Engine 43 was a Ward LaFrance, and Ladder 20 was a Seagrave Tiller. Do you remember that place ?

[tbendick]

Things should not change for another 10 years.  That's the next FCC change.
As long as laws don't change the online audio should be fine.

[memory master]

How about the old "Plectron" scanners in the mid 1970's?

[johnd248]

Hallicrafter tunable back in the 50s.

[memory master]

Hallicrafter tunable back in the 50s.

And the "Monitor Radio" from Lafayette as well as the "Fire Pal" from the guy in Bayside.

[grumpy grizzly]

Definately remember the Ho-Jo's, I also carried my spare crystals in a film case!

[grumpy grizzly]

Just to go old school, I bet the pups on this site want to know what a crystal was?

[tbendick]

 Have an old 8track scanner at home. Try to.find on of those.

[nfd2004]

Hallicrafter tunable back in the 50s.

  Jez John, you probadly remember before the days of listening to "The Shadow" and "Flash Gorden" on the AM Radio.

[68jk09]

Since we are talking old radios........ i had posted this awhile ago in the Y.B.Years thread ( i STILL have all of them ).........Here goes................... I got a midland crystal hand held from Mike Espo / Firecom around '76 i believe.......I have every radio i ever got ....starting with a Harron Labs Fire Pal late '50s up to a Uniden Bearcat BC560XLT programable.....about 15 different models in between mostly crystal & mostly still working .........in the early sixties my friend had a Harron Labs Fire Pal for his car.....the one in a perforated metal box rather than the table model in maroon plastic...he had it in his '49 plymouth & it was set up for six volts.......another friend borrowed it one time & put it in his '57 pontiac but he didnt realize it was a 12 volt system.......boy did that radio light up as it fried.......i have an original Sonar FR 105  6 channel manual crystal controlled as shown in someones previous post......i also have one of Sonars first scanning models as well as an original Lafayette crystal controlled manual car only unit........a real simple & dependable 2 channel crystal non scanning unit about the size of a pack of cigarettes i have is a Radio Shack model.......& several other models ..............someone mentioned stuart electronics in QUEENS .....he is still there & has been there forever but if you are dealing with him you better know your shit or he will sell you what HE wants.....when i got out of the USMC Sonar had started making their first scanners ...i went to stuart to buy one & he said "you dont want a scanner in NYC its too busy....buy one of the manual FR105s"  so i did.......i found out later he was trying to unload his manual units since scanners were taking over.......lesson learned.

[svd385]

I never had a scanner but I did have an old multi band radio at home to monitor with and I had a small radio in my car that tied into the cars radio.  Since I typically only listened to DA BRONX.  But at the firehouse I belonged to there was 3 crystal scanners .  There was one in the office area, 1 mounted in the engine and one in the ambulance.