“Digital Scanners”

I was just wondering would it be illegal to use a device like this while operating a motor vehicle?

Uniden sells many digital Scanners in which you can listen to OPP or any other police force, ems, etc (channels are on the net to listen to)

I have heard you can hear tons of information regarding accidents, dispatch, speed traps, officer communication, and even other channels that the MTO might use, etc.

Sounds interesting would it be against the law to use this while driving?

I have also heard you can use analog ones but they only will work if an officer is near, something about analog repeaters on the cars???

If the channels are not encrypted, but digital what is stopping you from listening in?

Correct me if i am wrong but isn't this system Called "FleetNet" that is run by Bell Canada the many police, ems, and the OPP use?

The digital ones are expensive but i am wondering how these repeaters work. Do all cars repeat the signal up to X meters or something?

A trucker told me he will use them around rush hour he says if they're is an accident or a big traffic jam you can hear them talk about it. Secondly do officers give out location? If so how would they do it? Would they notify dispatch they're location. Example "location at exactly 456 km along hwy 401..."

I read another forum i think it was Radio Reference, another guy went from Ottawa to Montreal and he said you could hear tons of things, he even claimed to hear Officers requesting license suspensions for DUI's and 50 over's.

All digital scanners capable of receiving non-broadcast digital signals must be licensed with Industry Canada. As part of the Radiocommunications Act, you cannot make use of or divulge intercepted communications unless you have permission from either the recipient or originator, or the recipient was not in Canada at the time of transmission. Basically, on top of the licence, you can only listen to the communications for chuckles. Using it to avoid speed traps would be illegal, if that information is even broadcast.

tdrive2 wrote:I was just wondering would it be illegal to use a device like this while operating a motor vehicle?

Uniden sells many digital Scanners in which you can listen to OPP or any other police force, ems, etc (channels are on the net to listen to)

I have heard you can hear tons of information regarding accidents, dispatch, speed traps, officer communication, and even other channels that the MTO might use, etc.

Sounds interesting would it be against the law to use this while driving?

I have also heard you can use analog ones but they only will work if an officer is near, something about analog repeaters on the cars???

If the channels are not encrypted, but digital what is stopping you from listening in?

Correct me if i am wrong but isn't this system Called "FleetNet" that is run by Bell Canada the many police, ems, and the OPP use?

The digital ones are expensive but i am wondering how these repeaters work. Do all cars repeat the signal up to X meters or something?

A trucker told me he will use them around rush hour he says if they're is an accident or a big traffic jam you can hear them talk about it. Secondly do officers give out location? If so how would they do it? Would they notify dispatch they're location. Example "location at exactly 456 km along hwy 401..."

I read another forum i think it was Radio Reference, another guy went from Ottawa to Montreal and he said you could hear tons of things, he even claimed to hear Officers requesting license suspensions for DUI's and 50 over's.

You are not using it. It is just on like a radio.(all you can do is hear)

It just scans between the #'s you set it to do.

The one I had from rat-shack got almost all but that was just before when they switched to this digital stuff.

I have an old vhf-uhf tv that gets cell phone calls now on the higher #'s.

A lot of tow-truck drivers have 3-4 of them in truck going at one time.

That is why they are usualy at the scene of an accident first.

Cheers

Viper1

Viper the analog will still work if a car is near that has a repeater (repeater is analog)

Are peel, TPS, Halton using digital now aswell?

Squishy i understand.

But this is 2009, if they didnt want anyone to hear they would encrypt it.

And that would absolutely be illegal to listen in on encrypted channels or breaking your way onto them.

PS are the cars using 3 g now? I now they got comps and can look up road side history?

What operating system is it? Ill assume its windows xp, with novell client or something that uses VPN which provides access to MTO or driver records etc that all goes over Bell 3G then probally connected to OPP vpn or something.

The analog will travel about 20 miles.

The problem is is that you scan 5-10,000 channels it stops on every connection and the case of the digital channels it is just loud noise.

when you get a clear voice you save that channel.

sooner or later you can find all the weather channels.

Cheers

Viper1

Radio Reference has a bunch listed.

Do the analog ones always stay same?