I use my little VX-2R for a lot of local scanning. It just stopped on “CH-7,” 460.300. That’s Boston PD’s Channel 7, used for unit-to-unit chat.
I tried to see who had the license in NH, only to find no one. (Actually, that’s not true: the State of Vermont has a license on that frequency in NH, but it’s up north.)
So I switched over to my ASTRO Saber, which has a better antenna, and has the DPL code used by Boston PD programmed, so as to not receive extraneous data. A few minutes went by and, sure enough, Channel 7 came up with some traffic.
What range: 50-60 miles to be received decently well by a rubber-ducky antenna indoors. But I guess when you’re licensed for 335 Watts ERP from the top of the Prudential, that type of thing is to be expected. But strangely, I’m not hearing activity on any of their other channels.
Incidentally, we have a GP-15 on our roof at home, which I used trying to listen to a distant fireground channel last night, and found to have excellent gain: 6.2 dBi on VHF, and 8.6 dBi on UHF. I might have to go down there and see how Boston comes in some time when there’s not a lighting storm overhead.
Sure enough, Boston PD has a decent signal in here, especially off the external antenna. It varies depending on channel, as they seem to be at different sites — “Channel 7” comes in booming, whereas Channel 3 (Roxbury/Mattapan) doesn’t register on the S-meter but is readable. Their detective channel, 13, is S3 (S6 with the preamp kicked in). 4 (Roxbury / Jamaica Plain) is similar to 3: doesn’t register on the S-meter, but I can hear it alright.
Waltham PD is very weak but audible. They’re licensed for just shy of 300W ERP from the top of Prospect Hill, whereas Bentley is licensed for 100W ERP from Morison Hall, so monitoring Bentley doesn’t seem likely from here.