SCANNERS HEAR IT FIRST New MUC Police Districts Let's see if I got this right... 11-1 is now 2-1, 12-4 is now 3-1, and 15-2 is now 11-2? Yikes!!!! Just when everyone was getting used to the old police districts and vehicle numbering system they go ahead and stir up the soup and come up with a whole new kettle of fish. Confused yet? I was for a bit until someone who is close to the action set us straight with some informative maps that we are very appreciative of. Who ever said that scanning was boring with all the catch up to do with the new numbers and districts. I hope nobody else plans major changes to their systems. Maybe a change in the 10 code system so why not confuse the hell out of everyone including the police who have to adapt to the new stuff. Having worked for many years in a major emergency service I major changes to an existing service takes some time to get used to. Maybe they are trying to confuse the criminals. I can just see it now, two guys breaking into a building scanning for the usual car that covers that area and they get surprised by the new station number. On the ride to jail they argue as to not hearing 15-2 get the call but how were they supposed to know that 11-2 wasn't in Ste. Anne de Bellevue anymore. It's going to take some time to get used to these new stations and districts but don't get upset.(and it's not speaking to the criminal side of things) Frequency wise there have been a few small changes on channel 1 (410,1125) West MUC. Verdun/Ville Emard/Cote St. Paul are no longer in the west district, but can be found they are on SPCUM channel 3 centre MUC. There are some north-end and east end changes but I will fill you in a future issue of the column. You will also hear cars with 62-? They are what I like to call the blue and white secretarial pool and back up the overloaded districts when more than one or two cars are needed for an incident. They have been referred to on the air as ultra-sector. In the east these vehicles are in the 72-? series. The following is a list of new stations on the MUC West channel 1 (410.1125). Station 1 - Ste. Anne Senneville, Baie d'Urfe, Beaconsfield, and Kirkland (old 11) Station 2 - Western Pierrefonds, Ile Bizard, and Ste. Genevieve (old 12) Station 3 - Central/East Pierrefonds, Roxboro (old 12) Station 4 - Dollard des Ormeaux (old 12) Station 5 - Pointe Claire, Dorval (old 11 and 13) Stations 6 & 7 - Saint Laurent North & South (old 14) Station 8 - Lachine (old 13) Station 9 - Cote St Luc, Hampstead, Montreal West (old 15 & 31) Station 11 - NDG (old 15) Station 12 - Eastern NDG, Westmount (old 15 & 23) Stations 13 & 14 - Lasalle, Ville St Pierre (old 21 & 13) Stations 15/16/17 - Verdun, Ville Emard, Cote St Paul (old 22) - now on MUC Channel 3 Till next month. 73 de Fred VE2LSQ SCANNING NOTES Computers and the Internet have had a big effect on the hobby of amateur radio. Computers provide the ability to perform complex calculations with a little bit of typing, offer another way to communicate effectively over long distances and provide a wealth of information. Another area that computers may have an impact is scanning. Using the Internet, a web browser such as Netscape and program called Real Audio it is possible to "scan" the airwaves with your computer. For example, at http://www.policescanner.com there are links to listen to what is said to be live action on police and fire frequencies. You can listen to the Los Angeles and Dallas Police Departments and the Dallas Fire Department. The choice is very limited, and from what I've heard the sound quality isn't always first rate, (I have listened only with an older slower machine and modem, newer faster machines and modem may improve the quality). So here is another example of how computer technology can be used in radio monitoring, and offering another path technological change for the hobby. The Editor.