How technology changed Buffing

[Capttomo]

Living in the Bronx during the 1970’s, prior to getting on the job, I buffed fires. Looking back it is amazing how high tech buffing has become. All scanners were crystal controlled. You had to purchase a 5 dollar crystal for each frequency you wanted to listen to (typically from Radio Shack). Almost all handheld scanners only were able to monitor 4-8 frequencies. ( citywide, 4 Boros, handi talki, NYPD SOD, and local NYPD division where I lived ). Mobile scanner like the “Sonar Brand” and some of the “realistic” brand had as many as 12-16 frequencies that could be monitored. Some of the super buffs had 2-4 mobile scanners in their cars with 2-4 antennas on the trunk. The only way to find your way to jobs - especially in unfamiliar sections of the city was to carry a book which listed all the box numbers and locations and a Hagstrom map of each boro. If you weren’t listening to the scanner or near your landline phone you missed jobs. Cameras - 35mm with rolls of 24 or 36 exposures. You had to plan your shots carefully and use the limited number wisely. Then you had to wait 2-3 days for the film to be developed. Share photos with someone. You had to take the negatives back to the photo store and pay to have copies or 8x 10
Enlargements

Flash forward to today. All data is retrievable in an instant via your own personal computer - your smartphone. You can receive notifications as the runs are being dispatched. Sites such as this provide the run downs of units responding. You can look up box locations, firehouses, etc instantly from anywhere. Heck you can even instantly pull up a photo of the fire building via apps such as google street view. To get there , your smartphone gives you turn by turn directions - no physical maps! A GPS in the car is even nicer. Scanners? For decades now the digital scanners have permitted users to program 100’s and even 1000’s and frequencies / talk groups into the device , you don’t even need to buy a scanner. Mobile scanner apps are available. Cameras? Once again your smart phone is your camera allowing almost unlimited shots and allowing you to instantly post stills and videos to on line sites, social media and share with friends or the members that were operating on scene. The ability to instantly text messages, notifications and photos, videos is truly amazing.

Sadly though there are always those that ruin it for everyone. During civil disturbances in NYC two years ago, shitheads were jamming NYPD frequencies with $100 cheap Chinese radios. When a cop is shot or a member of our job is killed or injured, the news media and shithead social media idiots rush to find out and post the members company number or even his name - before family can even be notified. Terrorists and anarchists listen to police and fire tactics and procedures for there own nefarious reasons This has resulted in the gradual shift to encryption. All of the UK is encrypted. Many cities are going encrypted as they upgrade there radio systems.

looking back - a stark contrast on buffing 40 years ago as compared to today. As us older guys like to say “ you young guys have it so easy today” LOL. Stay safe.

 

[grumpy grizzly]

When I started buffing Boston in the mid 70's I had a police radio that allowed you to monitor ONE frequency, 33.74 so you were pretty limited. No repeater either, just heard the FAO. Because BFD dispatched apparatus to neighboring towns for coverage/fires each town had its own alarm, 82XX so you could tell what was happening to some extent. Then I got a hand-held scanner with crystals so you could monitor 33.74 and 154.22 which was the metrofire freq for mutual aid for 20+ towns as well as BFD FG. The 4th slot was for the town you were going to, carried several in a film container taped to the camera. Then Bearcat solved a lot of problems with their 210 PROGRAMMABLE scanner, no more crystals, think you could monitor 10 freqs, then then made a 50 channel model. Then they really upped their game with a hand-held programmable. Moved to Chicago in 79. CFD had 2 main freq, one for N and one S. Dragged out the old trusty 4 channel hand-held because I already had the crystals from before and CFD had a repeater system. Then CFD went to a system that made it almost impossible to monitor and I moved 150 miles away,I now monitor via Broadcastify but you are really dependent on whomever provides the service. Unfortunately both the Chicago and Boston feeds are less than satisfactory but CFD is on openHZ site as is FDNY but their Broadcastify site is top notch. Maybe the old days were better after all for monitoring.

 

[Capttomo]

When I started buffing Boston in the mid 70's I had a police radio that allowed you to monitor ONE frequency, 33.74 so you were pretty limited. No repeater either, just heard the FAO. Because BFD dispatched apparatus to neighboring towns for coverage/fires each town had its own alarm, 82XX so you could tell what was happening to some extent. Then I got a hand-held scanner with crystals so you could monitor 33.74 and 154.22 which was the metrofire freq for mutual aid for 20+ towns as well as BFD FG. The 4th slot was for the town you were going to, carried several in a film container taped to the camera. Then Bearcat solved a lot of problems with their 210 PROGRAMMABLE scanner, no more crystals, think you could monitor 10 freqs, then then made a 50 channel model. Then they really upped their game with a hand-held programmable. Moved to Chicago in 79. CFD had 2 main freq, one for N and one S. Dragged out the old trusty 4 channel hand-held because I already had the crystals from before and CFD had a repeater system. Then CFD went to a system that made it almost impossible to monitor and I moved 150 miles away,I now monitor via Broadcastify but you are really dependent on whomever provides the service. Unfortunately both the Chicago and Boston feeds are less than satisfactory but CFD is on openHZ site as is FDNY but their Broadcastify site is top notch. Maybe the old days were better after all for monitoring.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[mack]

Thanks for excellent summaries, guys.

There have been many changes and influences over the years that have influenced following fires and supporting firefighters. Technologies, as you both mentioned, are big influences. Others include: the growth of EMS in the fire service; decrease in fires; increases in HAZMAT and emergencies; department policies; union policies; security and safety concerns; social media; major changes in society lifestyles and interests; and others.

We are fortunate to have manny buffs and sparks as site members. We are also fortunate to have interest and involvement from some excellent fire buff organizations. We plan to be able to highlight buff organizations on our site.

Thanks to all buffs for their site contributions and for supporting firefighters, EMTs, medics and law enforcement officers.

 

[kidfrmqns]

I remember going to Stuart's Electronics on Parson Blvd just off Union Tpk. to buy crystals and scanners often. They had everything a buff could want for listening in that shop.

 

[68jk09]

Going back to the early '60s you had to keep your eyes open when dealing with stuart ......enough said......they are still there,

 

[EdMc]

I remember going to Stuart's Electronics on Parson Blvd just off Union Tpk. to buy crystals and scanners often. They had everything a buff could want for listening in that shop.

I had a Uniden with I believe six that had toggle switches to turn then on and off and I would go to Radio Shack for the pull in crystals

 

[raybrag]

I went to Lafayette Electronics in Jamaica.

 

[Disp51]

I believe this was the first, if not one of the first, programable scanners. I still have it, as well as some crystal Sonar and Radio Shack models.

 

[grumpy grizzly]

I believe this was the first, if not one of the first, programable scanners. I still have it, as well as some crystal Sonar and Radio Shack models.

OK that is shown as a 101. Curious how did one program it? I had a Bearcat 210 with a keyboard to enter frequencies. You can monitor 18 channels with it. I brought it in 78 before I got married, both it and the wife are still in service.

 

[memorymaster]

I went to Lafayette Electronics in Jamaica.

My first was the tabletop tuneable "Monitor Radio" from Lafayette in Jamaica.

 

[Atlas]

In the summer of ‘59’ I worked selling Good Humor ice cream in several of the parks in the Bronx. I was able to save enough nickels and dimes to purchase the same radio that was at the house watch desk of my local companies, the old tunable Hallicrafter S-95 Civil Patrol wideband receiver. At that point in life, I never heard of Harron Lab in Bayside, Queens that produced the ‘Fire Pal’ which was a narrow band receiver that was found in a lot of fire stations.

Back in the late 60’s I sold my T-bird and got a Mustang. I wanted to get a fire radio for the car and purchased a Regency multi-channel VHF receiver. It had a channel selector but required crystals for each channel. The large crystals had to be soldered into their connections. So, when FDNY decided to change Bronx frequency taking it from sharing Manhattan’s frequency to sharing Staten Island I ordered a new crystal. After a few weeks wait, I received the crystal to only find out that it was cut to the wrong side of the channel. I was then able to listen to FDNY’s ‘On The Job’ training program. I left the radio in the trunk due its size & wired an external speaker to the front of the vehicle with a volume control.

The major change came with the invention of a radio that can scan even if it was still crystal operated. Sonar & Regency had base and or mobile units besides portable units.

I guess we all had a selection of portables with on & off selection switches so we could decide what we wanted to listen to. But I remember purchasing two scanners from Sears. They were different and I was able to slide in & out punched out cards into the radio as I traveled. There were spaces to place 10 programable channels on each card. It was a great idea until you ran out of cards.

The big change came with the Bearcat 210 & then the 250 made you feel like you were in heaven. The 250 followed and now that held 50 channels and was the same size as the 210. You were able to fill all 50 channels quickly so some of us ran out to purchase a second radio.

The one receiver that always interested me was the Plectron Receiver. I first learned of these in the Mid-west where they were made and used to notify volunteers of incoming runs. The were big units & some even had their own battery power.

Today only a few companies remain that manufacture receivers and for several years we were unable to listen to trunk systems. Over the years I have seen too many changes, but the radios keep getting smaller & smaller, handle more frequencies, and newer systems.

 

[Skyler Fire]

If we can only know what it will be like in 50-100 years from now when we are all gone….

 

[Disp51]

OK that is shown as a 101. Curious how did one program it? I had a Bearcat 210 with a keyboard to enter frequencies. You can monitor 18 channels with it. I brought it in 78 before I got married, both it and the wife are still in service.

There are 16 lever switches. The manual contains the codes for setting them. Total of 16 available frequencies at any given time.

 

[paul612]

When I started buffing Boston in the mid 70's I had a police radio that allowed you to monitor ONE frequency, 33.74 so you were pretty limited. No repeater either, just heard the FAO. Because BFD dispatched apparatus to neighboring towns for coverage/fires each town had its own alarm, 82XX so you could tell what was happening to some extent. Then I got a hand-held scanner with crystals so you could monitor 33.74 and 154.22 which was the metrofire freq for mutual aid for 20+ towns as well as BFD FG. The 4th slot was for the town you were going to, carried several in a film container taped to the camera. Then Bearcat solved a lot of problems with their 210 PROGRAMMABLE scanner, no more crystals, think you could monitor 10 freqs, then then made a 50 channel model. Then they really upped their game with a hand-held programmable. Moved to Chicago in 79. CFD had 2 main freq, one for N and one S. Dragged out the old trusty 4 channel hand-held because I already had the crystals from before and CFD had a repeater system. Then CFD went to a system that made it almost impossible to monitor and I moved 150 miles away,I now monitor via Broadcastify but you are really dependent on whomever provides the service. Unfortunately both the Chicago and Boston feeds are less than satisfactory but CFD is on openHZ site as is FDNY but their Broadcastify site is top notch. Maybe the old days were better after all for monitoring.

Here's one for you. Worcester and Somerville shared the same low band frequency back in the day. When Worcester dispatched a fire they would say Worcester Fire Alarm to all WFD cars and companies as not to confuse the Somerville companies. Even when they moved to UHF they kept announcing like that for a while.

 

[Capttomo]

Great story. Thanks and stay safe

 

[BoomerTE511]

Certain afternoons in February for about an hour, radio skip from CHP on MA State police 42.-- mhz. south of Boston
I'm glad to have seen first hand all the technology advances, it's been breathtaking.

 

[grumpy grizzly]

Well when the Moon was in the 7th Heaven and Jupiter aligned with Mars you could pick up FDNY on the skip in Boston.