"5-0" Radio App

[steveincowtown]

Apple has a cool app that basically turns your Iphone into a scanner. Not all feeds are available, but many fire/EMS/police feeds in Texas are.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/5-0-radi ... 76037?mt=8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You can also listen the Airport TC, HAM, Etc.

[The Annoyed Man]

Interesting... I just downloaded the "Lite" version for my iPad. They didn't show a "Heavy" version in iTunes for iPad. It works though. I'm listening the Tarrant County Police, Fire and EMS right now.

[gigag04]

We just reflashed our radios so that our primary and tactical channels are now secure (encrypted). I think fire still scans though. Apps like this were the primary motivating factor.

More than a few times, I'd be on a traffic stop and see the violator and their buddies whipping out iPhones to hear the returns. While seemingly harmless it has the potential to create huge officer safety issues.

[steveincowtown]

IMHO, everything should be encrypted/digitial before it is transmitted. My friend's neighbor was listening to their baby monitor using his scanner...creep. I would have to think that the average person, although they may like listening, is not going to know the Ten codes off the top of their head.

[Keith B]

There are some others that will do that too

I use this one: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/emergenc ... 49947?mt=8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This one is free and this let's me play .m3u links so i can hear airport and police feeds that are available over the Internet http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fstream/id289892007?mt=8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Any link that ends in a .m3u can be added as a favorite.

This one has multiple types of radio feeds, including police and fire http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/radio/id294952511?mt=8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As for the baby monitors, there are encrypted ones now, but you will pay for them.

Also, it is very easy to find the 10-codes on line. The app on the top actually has them listed on one of the screens.

[Charles L. Cotton]

We just reflashed our radios so that our primary and tactical channels are now secure (encrypted). I think fire still scans though. Apps like this were the primary motivating factor.

More than a few times, I'd be on a traffic stop and see the violator and their buddies whipping out iPhones to hear the returns. While seemingly harmless it has the potential to create huge officer safety issues.

That's interesting. For years, it was illegal to scramble/encode any radio transmissions, except for U.S. Government "spook" agencies. I guess the law changed. I understand why a PD would want to do this, but allowing it makes it possible for others to hijack a frequency and send coded messages.

Chas.

[steveincowtown]

Even if encoded, if you were so motivated, I am sure you could request transcripts/recordings through the FOIA. Although, unless you were an Attorney representing a client, I am not sure anyone would do this just for "entertainments" sake.

[gigag04]

FOIA is fine since it's after the fact - No risk to personell. I used to use the scanner app when a chase would break out in Houston.

[MojoTexas]

As for the baby monitors, there are encrypted ones now, but you will pay for them.

For the life of me I don't know why anyone would want to hear a baby crying or a toddler throwing a tantrum, unless it was your child. I know there's times I wish our son (who will turn 3 in a few months) had a "mute" button.

[psijac]

I use scanner radio for Android. They rate channels by popularity. Chicago PD and LAPD fight for the number 1. I guess the keep busy there. Houston is always in the top 20 though

[steveincowtown]

For the life of me I don't know why anyone would want to hear a baby crying or a toddler throwing a tantrum, unless it was your child. I know there's times I wish our son (who will turn 3 in a few months) had a "mute" button.

Well as foolish as it was, they left the base unit on most of the time. the neighbor always seemed to be "in the know" when it came to issues in the house.

[sjfcontrol]

For the life of me I don't know why anyone would want to hear a baby crying or a toddler throwing a tantrum, unless it was your child. I know there's times I wish our son (who will turn 3 in a few months) had a "mute" button.

Well as foolish as it was, they left the base unit on most of the time. the neighbor always seemed to be "in the know" when it came to issues in the house.

In other words, it was more the adult conversations going on in the room while the baby was being attended to, than the baby cries themselves.

[pbwalker]

FOIA is fine since it's after the fact - No risk to personell. I used to use the scanner app when a chase would break out in Houston.

I assume the information provided (in a FOIA request) won't provide the encryption algorithm?

If you've got the time, patience, and money, decrypting the OTA traffic is possible. But honestly, who wants to waste the time? Once it's decrypted, it changes. What is it anyways...800MHz digital trunked?