For Scanner listeners: Multi-Site Radio Systems (Tower lists)

 

Many of us who listen to scanners today are confronted with large regional and statewide trunked systems, involving many tower sites, each with its own control channels and coverage.

Since many of these systems have more control channels than a scanner can store, it really helps to know what tower sites are nearby, what control channel frequencies are associated with them, and possibly what their range of coverage is. One scanner currently on the market, Uniden's 996T, is actually set up to be interfaced with a GPS for this purpose.

Right now, I'm playing with files I made with about 20 sites each from Virginia's STARS system, West Virginia's Interoperabily Radio Project, and North Carolina's VIPER system.

Each system has its own file, but all three are in the same folder so that they can be mixed or separated at will. Anybody else out there have similar needs or projects going?

I've also mentioned this in the "Electronics" forum on RadioReference.

Minnesota ARMER

Great idea. I am on Radio Reference, but I missed your post there. I usually look at a few sub-forums and move on. I have the amateur radio files from here downloaded as well as national weather service and FM broadcast, but I think your idea could be great. Maybe out future radios will have the means to not only connect a GPS, like the BCD996T, but also install a micro SD cad for GPS coordinates!

Should

This should work great. I have many radio files in my gps and it helps when you are traveling to "see" how far you really are. I have not upgraded since getting a couple 780's, but KS is installing a statewide 700 mhz system. I may have to break down and sell some of the "museum pieces" to buy a new scanner soon...

Daniel

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Garmin StreetPilot c580 & Nuvi 760 - Member 32160 - Traveling in Kansas