MARITIMES SCANNING SITE

FAQ #6

Question: “Please send me the codes for XXXXXXXX.”

Answer: When anyone asks me this I have to wonder right away, does this person not understand radio, or do they really want to know codes? First of all it is no crime to be a newbie or to listen to a scanner yet know nothing about radio, but let’s get it straight about codes. Codes are NOT the frequencies, nor are they the talk group id’s used on trunked systems.

When I use the word “code” I mean a spoken or written expression that is taking the place of some plain language written out or spoken word or phrase. Thus the so-called morse code has dots and dashes representing numbers and letters. The 10 code has things such as 10-4 representing a phrase like “received okay” or “yes” or “acknowledged”. “Code 1” might mean lights and siren, depending on who uses it. QRM to a ham means “interference from another station”. So when you ask me for a code or for “codes”, is this the kind of thing you are asking me?? Most of the time you aren’t!

I am not going into what codes are not in any detail. Frequencies are maybe what you want to know. All radio signals have a frequency. It could be your formerly favourite AM broadcaster on 960 kHz or your new favourite FM station on 101.1 MHz. Or it could be the Halifax airport tower on 118.4 MHz, or the ships in Halifax Harbour on 156.6 MHz, or the ham repeater on Nuttby Mountain on 147.21 MHz or the fire service paging transmitters in Colchester County, NS on 152.525 MHz, or a repeater on the NS TMR on 860.0125 MHz. Is this what you want to know when you ask me for “codes”?
Or maybe it is talk group id’s that you want to know. I cannot in any way go into what they are in this answer so if you do not know what they are, I suggest you go to my link elsewhere “What is trunking?” Suffice it to say that these id numbers for the virtual channels on trunked radio systems are NOT codes unless you are of the viewpoint that any numerical designation for anything counts as a code; but if that is your viewpoint it is one kept best to yourself as no one versed in radio ever calls them that!

So when someone asks me that question above, I will refer them here or ask them what do they really want. Once in a while they really do want to know a code!!!