Frequently Asked Questions
- Who are you? Who runs this site?
- Why are you doing this? What is this all about?
- How did you get into this?
- Is this legal?
- Aren’t you worried about giving away what the cops are doing?
- How do you make money doing this?
- Where does your audio come from?
- How do I listen to just _____?
- Can you add this frequency I want to listen to?
- Why didn’t I hear anything when I listened to the live player?
- What the heck are they talking about? It just sounds like a bunch of numbers.
Q: Who are you? Who runs this site?
I actually get this question fairly often. I choose to remain anonymous and MOST people respect that. It really bothers some that they don’t know who I am and can’t control what I’m doing.
I do not disclose anything to anyone regarding any conversation I may or may not have had with any person. Please save yourself the trouble and don’t ask.
My anonymity is an extra precaution to protect those who come to me in confidence.
I don’t work in public safety. I am not a dispatcher. I am not from Arkansas. I am not from the Mid-South. I didn’t grow up around here. You wouldn’t know me if I was standing in front of you.
Q: Why are you doing this? What is this all about?
It’s a hobby. I’m a nerd.
This combines two things I enjoy, radios and computers, into what I view as something as a public service of sorts. My goal is to increase situational awareness and let people know what’s happening in their community. You make better-informed decisions about your personal safety during emergencies, natural disasters, and dangerous events when you have a clearer picture of what’s going on around you. This is a resource for real-time information.
Q: How did you get into this?
Radio has always fascinated me. I got into CB radio as a teenager. By the time I was 20, I had my technician class FCC amateur radio operator’s license. I’m no longer involved in either of those but I still have a love for the technology and its capabilities.
I’ve been into computers for even longer than that. I got my first one almost 40 years ago. The first “programming language” I learned was BASIC. I was an early adopter of the Internet, when 14.4k dial-up was the standard and social media didn’t exist.
More and more, the two technologies are being merged. For someone like me, that just means more fun! Installing radio hardware, writing computer code, and working on ways to bring this information to people for their benefit is something I’m doing for enjoyment.
Q: Is this legal?
Yes. Nothing in Arkansas law prohibits what I’m doing. In fact, a provision in one statute specifically addresses the legality of it:
Arkansas Code Title 5. Criminal Offenses § 5-60-120 Interception and recording of communications:
(e) Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to prohibit or restrict a Federal Communications Commission licensed amateur radio operator or anyone operating a police scanner from intercepting a communication for pleasure.
There are no federal laws which prohibit anything I’m doing. Anyone who uses any of the audio or information I collect in the commission of a crime will probably end up in trouble for it.
Q: Aren’t you worried about giving away what the cops are doing?
No. I only broadcast primary dispatch or fireground channels. The police have “talk around,” tactical, MAC, narcotics, and other channels that I do not broadcast where they conduct more sensitive business. I’m not trying to get any law enforcement officers hurt or compromise any of their special operations.
Q: How do you make money doing this?
I don’t. I’m not doing this to make money.
I despise advertising. If I ever mention a product or service, it’s because of an experience I’ve had with it myself. I’m not sponsored by anyone.
I’m not going to hide any “exclusive access” to my content behind a paywall. I’m never going to let you hear the audio for free but then charge you to see who’s talking.
It does cost me money to do this. The radio hardware is expensive. There are fees associated with the server which hosts the website and processes the audio for everyone to hear. There are various licensing fees, etc. If any of this stuff ever disappears, it’s probably because my piggy bank is empty!
Q: Where does your audio come from?
I’m pulling it out of the air with my antenna. All of my audio originates with my radio equipment. I don’t incorporate audio from any other source. I supply the “East Central Arkansas Public Safety” audio stream on Broadcastify, and the audio for the various smartphone “police scanner” apps that use that same audio stream.
They all have significant delays compared to the audio player here on the website. Many of them charge a fee to remove ads or for “premium content.” Listening through this website is the best way to get an ad-free audio feed with a delay of only about 15 seconds.
Q: How do I listen to just ______?
You’re stuck listening to what I have my equipment configured to monitor. If you want to listen to, say, just West Memphis Police & Fire and nothing else, I can make that happen. The associated equipment will cost about $1,000.
Q: Can you add this frequency I want to listen to?
Maybe. If you’re somehow aware of a public safety frequency in the area I could be monitoring but currently am not, please let me know. If you want to listen to the employees at Walmart, random walkie-talkies, or crop duster pilots, I’m not going to be able to help you.
Q: Why didn’t I hear anything when I listened to the live player?
Assuming you clicked the play button, you probably just didn’t let it run for long enough. Depending on the time of day, it’s not unusual to go for several minutes with absolutely no radio traffic whatsoever.
An absence of radio traffic on public safety frequencies is usually a good thing.
Q: What the heck are they talking about? It just sounds like a bunch of numbers.
That’s because it is a bunch of numbers, but those numbers all mean something. The explanation is complex enough that it has it’s own blog post, which I’m still in the process of writing.