What happens when a 2-way radio gets lost?
 

Always wondered about it.
Let's say the "bad guy" steals the police radio.
I'd assume there is a way to disable the unit to not be able to transmit.
But it would still be able to receive very well.

Any thoughts?

That might be a possiblity on a trunked radio system Jim, but i'm not
certain. I know that an "ID" is transmitted from the unit on trunked 800
systems, so they would at least know what radio the transmissions came from.

If your hypothetical concerns a typical VHF or UHF type radio, theres no way
i'm aware of to remotely disable it. I work for a large PD and have had HT's
and other radios stolen from us in the past. The jackasses end up playing
around on the air for a while, until the battery goes dead. Then the unit
probably ends up for auction on Ebay....LOL.


Chris

Several years ago I had to track down some missing government
property: a Motorola handheld trunked radio. The land mobile radio
shop was able to determine that it hadn't been turned on anytime
recently, at least within range of our net. When one of these radios
powers up, it gets on the air and logs in, even if the transmit button
isn't touched. The event is recorded and time-stamped in a computer.

The tech said that if desired they could put a "trap" on the missing
radio, which would disable it at login.

My memory is a little hazy on the outcome, but I think the radio was
eventually found in the desk of an authorized user who had simply
forgotten about it.


Recently I heard a Los Angeles County Sheriff dispatcher ask a deputy
to get his radio reset, because it was showing "stolen" on their
computer and triggering warnings at the dispatch center every time he
keyed his mic.

--

Paul Hirose
To reply by email delete INVALID from address.

On 22 Aug 2004 18:43:19 -0700, (Jim) wrote:

Always wondered about it.
Let's say the "bad guy" steals the police radio.
I'd assume there is a way to disable the unit to not be able to transmit.
But it would still be able to receive very well.

Any thoughts?

It depends on the radio. A standard conventional system? Nope. The
radio cannot be disabled. Get into a higher end system, i.e. Astro
Sabers, or trunking, and it possibly can be 'killed' over the air.

But for the most part, if you can listen to the department over a
normal scanner, their radios cannot be modified over the air.
--
To reply, remove TheObvious from my e-mail address.

Anyone know if a GTX mobile "logs in"? I have one with a bad PA that I
wanted to get programmed as a scanner only. I don't own a mic for it so I
wouldn't think there would be a problem.

BTW its 800 trunked TYPE II

"Jim" wrote in message
om...
Always wondered about it.
Let's say the "bad guy" steals the police radio.
I'd assume there is a way to disable the unit to not be able to transmit.
But it would still be able to receive very well.

Any thoughts?