jhs%Mitre-Bedford@d3unix.UUCP (08/01/85)
A friend has asked me to try to obtain a list of the "10-codes" that the police use in radio communications. I once had such a list but can't find it at present. Could someone on the net supply the complete list, or a source in which I could find it? Also, a few references to publications that give information on local users of VHF/UHF radio frequencies, codes like the 10-codes, special jargon, etc., would be appreciated. All of this is for an elderly gentleman whose main interest is his scanner but who lacks information with which to appreciate all that he hears. A few key publications would probably get him off to a good start. Thanks for any assistance that is forthcoming. -John Sangster, W3IKG
parnass@ihu1h.UUCP (Bob Parnass, AJ9S) (08/04/85)
x
Here is a copy of a past posting on this subject. I recommend
your friend buy the book "Monitor America."
==============================================================
HOW DO YOU FIND THESE FREQUENCIES?
Part I:
Books, Magazines, Government Records, and Clubs
Bob Parnass, AJ9S
I am often asked, "How do you find these frequencies?" Scan-
ner enthusiasts can obtain frequency information from
several sources, including books, government microfiche
records, or other listeners.
Books
The most convenient source of fire and police frequencies is
the Police Call Radio Guide, published each year in 9
regional volumes by Hollins Radio Data, and sold at Radio
Shack and larger book stores for about $7. Police Call is
basically a computer printout of FCC license information in
the fire, police, local government, and conservation servi-
ces in two lists: by licensee name within state, and by fre-
quency. Later editions have included a few pages of local
airport and nonsensitive federal government frequencies.
I highly recommend Richard Prelinger's new book, Monitor
America, published by SMB Publishing, and available from
Grove Enterprises for about $15. This single edition conta-
ins 582 pages of police, fire, local government, news media,
sports, national park, and commercial broadcast frequencies
for all 50 states. The information was compiled mainly from
members of the world's largest scanning club, the Radio Com-
munications Monitoring Association (RCMA). Monitor America
contains detailed communications system profiles and pre-
cinct maps for major metropolitan areas. Police and fire
radio codes and unit identifiers unique to local agencies
are listed for several cities. This differs from Police
Call, which gives a more sterile, but uniform treatment of
licensees, listing even the smallest of towns.
The most readily available source of sensitive US government
frequencies is still Tom Kneitel's 168 page Top Secret
Registry of US Government Radio Frequencies. Published by
CRB Research, the 5th edition is available from Galaxy Elec-
tronics (Box 1202, 67 Eber Ave., Akron, Ohio) for about $15.
Kneitel's book contains frequency listings for NASA, mili-
tary, FBI, Secret Service, DEA, IRS, Border Patrol,
arsenals, ammunition plants, missile sites, and others in
the 25 to 470 MHz range. Since the US government no longer
offers frequency information for its own stations, and has
never published sensitive frequencies, most of the informa-
tion in Kneitel's book has been collected from listeners
over the years. It is certainly not complete, nor 100%
accurate, but is the best book in print for this difficult
to obtain information.
Magazines
Although national in circulation, local frequency informa-
tion is sometimes available in Grove's Monitoring Times and
Kneitel's sensationalistic Popular Communications.
Government Records
Every year, the US Government sells FCC license information,
in the form of microfiche, to the public through the US
Department of Commerce National Technical Information Ser-
vice (NTIS).
These lists contain license information for the industrial
(e.g. Illinois Armored Car, Pinkerton's Security, Joe's
Towing, etc.), highway maintenance, commercial broadcast,
aviation, common carrier, and maritime services, as well as
for police and fire. Microfiche is not for the casual hob-
byist, but rather for the ardent listener, who can easily
spend a few hundred dollars for the fiche, not including the
price of a microfiche reader.
Copies of some of the FCC microfiche files are sold by Grove
Enterprises. Buying from Grove is usually cheaper than
buying directly from NTIS, although Grove doesn't offer all
the files available from the government.
Since federal government radio stations are not licensed by
the FCC, they are not listed in FCC microfiche. In 1981, a
group of 60 radio hobbyists split a $1300 fee, and obtained
80 microfiche cards of 'sanitized' information about federal
government radio stations under the Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA)1. Only 12 of the 21 information fields for each
station were furnished. Fields like "Remarks", which indi-
cate the exact usage of a channel (e.g. "Sky Marshall's
Net"), and "Bureau", indicating agency subdivision (e.g.
TAC within the USAF), were withheld. These 80 pages of
microfiche are available from Grove Enterprises for $25. In
a step backward, the US Government insists it will no longer
release this type of information - it is now 'classified'2.
For a reason unknown to this author, the government recently
released a 1984 vintage set of frequencies allocated to the
FAA. Perhaps this was a mistake, because the information is
marked 'unclassified', but all fields are furnished, inclu-
ding some which indicate security related usage. Grove
sells this set of 33 microfiche cards for about $13.
Radio Clubs
One of the best parts of the hobby is sharing it with other
radio buffs. Trading information with other hobbyists about
frequencies, communication systems, and receiving equipment
is more valuable than a pile of magazines.
In 20 years of being an amateur radio operator, and belon-
ging to amateur radio clubs, I never realized there were any
scanner clubs! In 1983, I joined the world's largest scan-
ner club, the Radio Communications Monitoring Association
(RCMA).
Founded in 1975, the RCMA is the "first national and inter-
national organization of monitor radio listeners." There are
several regional chapters which hold regular meetings. Club
dues are $16.50 per year, which includes a monthly newslet-
ter of about 95 pages. Although the focus is on VHF and UHF
ranges, there is coverage of HF utility stations below 30
MHz.
Inquiries about RCMA membership should be sent to:
RCMA General Manager
P.O. Box 542
Silverado, CA 92676
USA
The Scanner Association of North American (SCAN) is a scan-
ner organization headquartered in Chicago. Having no elec-
ted officers or meetings, SCAN is not a club in the tradi-
tional sense, rather it is run by an advertising agency con-
tracted by the manufacturer of Bearcat scanners. The $12
per year membership fee includes SCAN Magazine, a thin,
albeit glossy, bimonthly.
Membership information is available from:
Scanner Association of North America
240 Fencl Lane
Hillside, Illinois 60162
Do Your Own Sleuthing
The real challenge is deriving new spectrum usage informa-
tion. Sometimes it requires several days of listening,
taping, and compiling fragments of information. Other
times, the frequency information is there for the taking -
without hassle.
More about sleuthing will be discussed in Part II of this
article.
__________
1. See "The Government Giveth, the Government Taketh Away",
by Richard Prelinger, in Monitoring Times, July 1982.
2. See "AFIO and the FOIA", by Bob Grove, in Monitoring
Times, September 1982.
--
===============================================================================
Bob Parnass, Bell Telephone Laboratories - ihnp4!ihu1h!parnass - (312)979-5414john@anasazi.UUCP (John Moore) (08/04/85)
In article <369@brl-tgr.ARPA> jhs%Mitre-Bedford@d3unix.UUCP writes: >A friend has asked me to try to obtain a list of the "10-codes" that >the police use in radio communications. I once had such a list but There is no standard list in use nationwide. I have heard widely varying meanings for the same "10 codes". I suggest that you call the police department of interest and ask them. The Phoenix Police Department here has a citizen ride-along program. When you go on it, they give you a complete list of 10-codes and the other codes they use. Maybe they have a similar service in your area. By the way, a common way to select other codes (211, 459, etc) is to use the criminal code number for the offense being described. John Moore NJ7E (Phoenix, Arizona)