Replacing Police Scanning
Objectives
Communication
Say hello to an old friend: The CB radio.
This legacy squawk box from the 1970s is not only still around, it's ideal for BuffScan project objectives.
Hear me out:
- Easy enrollment. CB radios are widely available and easy to buy, which is important for both direct spotter participants and those who simply wish to monitor (existing police scanners are not typically attuned well enough to pick up CB radio channels though some may be). They also don't require a license (they are guided by FCC "rules" - which BuffScan groups will strictly adhere to), and they are extremely inexpensive. CB radios for participation or monitoring-only can be had for as little as $50. Anyone who can pick one up can join BuffScan
- Reasonable coverage. The legal power limit of 4 Watts AM is sufficient to achieve ranges of 5-15+ miles under ideal conditions, providing acceptable coverage for interconnected buffscanners. True, some relay play will be necessary to reach those buffscanners operating as BuffScan dispatchers, particularly in the early days of implementation when the ground density of spotters will be thin, but not only will that chatter be aesthetically charming to the project, it avoids the cost and complexity of repeater networks associated with other more sophisticated radio network systems
Logistics
The individual buffscanning journalist should view themselves as a real-time "spotter" and information relayer of the news and drama they encounter, interconnecting with other buffscanners both on the road and in dispatch centers.
This individual is charged and active to document and upload content from three physical locations relative to the action they encounter:
- From where they are now
- From where they live
- From where they work
Incidents worthy of documentation and journaling may occur at any moment, anywhere. The crucial issue is having someone there charged as a buffscanner available to actually do so, not scamper to a scene from afar. While any incident can be learned of and traveled to, such traveling poses a risk to responding public safety units, incident victims, and even to bad actors (criminal perpetrators). BuffScanning aims for omnipresence as a means to collect and broadcast, not injecting people into unstable unmanaged situations.
