Episode 31 – Cameras and Radios
Author: Scott
Comments(4)
Comments(4)
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This weeks episode deals with some general information on cameras, recording equipment and video editing gear and how to determine what’s right for your agency. There’s also a brief discussion on radio communication at the tail end. Enjoy!
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You are correct that the best option for communicating between investigators is two-way radio. The only other option is Nextel group talk, but then you are at the mercy of cell phone signals and it never fails that one of the people you are trying to reach is on the phone when you are trying to reach them on direct connect. The price of good 35 watt and higher mobile radios has come down in the last ten years and the number of covert antennas available has made this a viable option. You hit the nail right on the head!
In a recent podcast, you mentioned running some plates in California. How does a civillian run plates without relying on a law enforcement friend?
I was under the impression that that particular information was not open to the public in California.
Best Regards.
Using a law enforcement friend would be a crime. In California, you apply for a vendor account with the DMV depending upon your needs, you can get CDL, ANI or plate information. You don’t get home address or photo, just registered owner and violations.
I tried the DVD camcorders when they came out and was not impressed, gave it to my sister. It was an early model, so things might have changed but… it took forever to finalize the disk so I could put a fresh one in (more than a few seconds, too long for me). Obviously, this is problematic when you have an active subject and need to change media in a hurry. Like I say though, things may have changed but the purchaser of such units should check into this.
There’s some discussion on one of the yahoo lists about these new HDD camcorders – seems everybody wants one including me. But I’m holding off, since there’s some question about what you’d have to do on the stand to comply with first/best evidence rules… you touched on this in this episode, mentioning keeping the original media. If I find out anything about the media-less camcorders, I’ll pass it on and I’d be grateful of anyone who knows the rules on this would do the same for me (bguffey AT sbmgos DOT com).
Finally, good point on professional/business-band radios. They really are the way to go, particularly if you work in the sticks. A good shop can set you up with voice-inversion (scrambling) and private-line (squelch control) too. Users should be aware that FCC licensing does apply on certain frequency bands, but the application process is neither difficult nor expensive. As a bonus, licensing also ensures you’re the only entity (business or individual) legally permitted to use that frequency in you’re area.
Anyhow, keep up the great work Scott!