Teletype Messages
 

I am a firefighter In Oklahoma. We have a Motorola 800mhz type II system.
I have 2 trunk tracker scanners. Is it possible to monitor the frequency
used to send teletype messages to the station printer on my scanner and read
the messages on my PC. I know someone has figured out how to do this I just
can't find where.

Thanks

On Tue, 09 Sep 2003 21:31:52 GMT,
RSK in wrote:
I am a firefighter In Oklahoma. We have a Motorola 800mhz type II system.
I have 2 trunk tracker scanners. Is it possible to monitor the frequency
used to send teletype messages to the station printer on my scanner and read
the messages on my PC. I know someone has figured out how to do this I just
can't find where.

Thanks




You will need written permission from the fire department administration to
decode the digital transmission. Then you will need to buy the equipment and
software from the vendor(s) and obtain the proper software licenses. If you
do anything else you will run afoul of several Federal &/or State laws
and could put your job in jeopardy. Consult a lawyer for proper guidance.


--
Best Regards, Keith AOL IM:kilowattradio
NW Oregon Radio http://kilowatt-radio.org/
_Give SCO $699 for using Linux or the Penguin gets it._
Torvalds: _They are smoking crack._

Keith et...

^ RSK wrote:
^ Is it possible to monitor the frequency
^ used to send teletype messages ...

^ You will need written permission from the fire department
^ administration to decode the digital transmission.

That isn't true. Teletype is an authorized FCC emission type just as CW and
AM, SSB, and FM voice are. Teletype is a transmission format, it is not a
method of encryption.



^ Then you will need to buy the equipment and software from the
^ vendor(s) and obtain the proper software licenses.

That isn't true. There is a plethora of software, much of it freeware,
written for teletype reception. Look for the software on ham radio web sites.
No hardware beyond your PC and scanner is necessary.


^ If you do anything else you will run afoul of several
^ Federal &/or State laws and could put your job in jeopardy.

That may or may not be true, but the governmental agencies and the employer
would be in the wrong and subject to civil proceedings.

Frank

On Tue, 09 Sep 2003 21:31:52 GMT, "RSK" wrote:

I am a firefighter In Oklahoma. We have a Motorola 800mhz type II system.
I have 2 trunk tracker scanners. Is it possible to monitor the frequency
used to send teletype messages to the station printer on my scanner and read
the messages on my PC. I know someone has figured out how to do this I just
can't find where.


You might try downloading TrueTTY (small fee for registering but you
can try it out for free). It decodes Baudot Teletype (RTTY) and
ASCII Teletype among other formats. All the extra hardware required
is a male-to-male audio cable from your scanner headphone jack to the
line-in jack on your PC.

73's and Cheers,
H Johnson

================================================== =======================
H Johnson Kenwood TM-733A
KG4WOU Yaesu FT-50R
Proud member of Madison County ARES RS DX-398 /ATS909
Huntsville-Madison County EMA RACES RS DSP-40
SKYWARN and NALWARN
Un-key the mic to reply via e-mail
================================================== =======================

I've seen cards that can be put into a PC to do that, or out-board devices
that will connect to a PC, but no warnings from the ads about it being
illegal. I would think it would be necessary to warn people about it being
illegal if the feds had a prohibition about that. If you can interface your
scanner with the PC via a RS 232 cable and have the right software, or can
afford the outboard option or a PC card, I see no reason you could not do
what you would like.