Is it possible to intercept phone calls or police transmissions using a radio?

Question

This doesn't mean I'm going to do it, I'm just interested as someone told me they were able to pick something up this way. What are the chances of being caught?

Answer 1

Not very easy these days. A few years ago the local police used to use about 146mhz I think, and mobile phones around 600mhz? Could be wrong on the frequencies. Anyway, it is impossible to use CB (27mhz). And a transmitter is DEFINATELY nor required! A communication reciever or wide band scanner would cover the frequencies, but I'm pretty certain they are all encrypted now, so it won't be easy to decode. As for legallity it is definately illegal to listen to anything you are not authorised to recieve. I think all you can listen to are broadcasts (BBC etc), amateur and CB radio. Things like airband I'm not sure about. The authorities prabably turn a blind eye. The police have in the past transmitted false info about a crime at a certain location then caught people when they arrive there, knowing they recieved the info by illegal listening. It is not illegal to own a reciever capable of listening to these frequencies, or transmitting come to that, the crime is to listen or transmit.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

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Answer 4

You used to be able to pick up Police on FM radios about 20 years ago but nowadays they use tight banded digital transmission that is coded. You'd need an illegal in this country decoder scanner thing to hear them now.

Answer 5

You can pick up police signals on a regular radio. Can't remember which frequency (MW,FM) but you just need to go through the dial. There is no chance of getting caught listening as you are only receiving and not transmitting.

It's all quite boring normally as I remember so don't get too excited.

Answer 6

Cell phone (mobile) radio traffic is encrypted over the air. It is likely that government agencies have the technology to decrypt this data for targeted calls. Apart from that you can assume that your cell phone conversations are private over the radio part.

Police transmissions are also encrypted for obvious reasons (although they weren't when I was younger)

Not sure about DECT phones. This is digital transmission, but not sure if encrypted.

Answer 7

If you have possbily one of those mad radios that have a big signal range. I thought police signals encrypted though, and you would need to get a box from a police car to be able to listen in? I have seen TV programmes of people intercepting mobiles though.

I would say its very difficult to get caught, as you are just receiving the message and not trying to broadcast.

Answer 8

Its possible ,But illegal
The only obstacle is you have to know the frequency area of the transmission .
Mobile phones and links are in the GHZ region whereas the police would operate at VHF and UHF frequencies .
Most of these transmissions are now encrypted .

Answer 9

oh yes you can.

you need something more advanced than a simple FM radio (like a CB radio but there are others), which can handle thousands more frequencies. then it's all about finding out the frequency the police use by scanning away... you might find some other interesting frequencies ;-)

Answer 10

You can buy a radio frequency scanner and that will scan all the radio frequencies including mobile phones "it's legal" and there is nothing to stop you listening in.so if your planning to rob a bank dont do it on a mobile phone !