Hey everyone! My name is Joey and I am located in Yakima, WA. I volunteer here for West Valley Fire-Rescue and love it. For a career, I'm not sure, but I'm only 19 so some would say I have a little time before I need to decide on a career.
I've tested and passed and now have an interview with MACC (Multi-Agency Communications Center) in Moses Lake, WA as a 911 Telecommunicator. Im excited to start something I'm very interested in doing. 2-way radio and public safety -- what more could you want?
I own a few radios...here it goes.
My dad was a deputy with the Yakima County Sheriff's Office until his death in 2004. As a kid, I always went over to my grandparents house and my grandma had scanners all over the place listening mostly to the Sheriff's office. I eventually got interested and received a PRO-79 for Christmas in 2000. Since then, I've evolved into a PRO-95 and most lately a PRO-97.
For the fire department, I own a Kenwood TK-2180 and TK-2170 both with full DTMF keypads. I really like the 2180. The receiver in it at times has outperformed the /\/\ HT-1250's that guys on the dept. use. The 2170 is really light to carry around and it still puts out 5 watts. It has some receive issues that I believe we have narrowed down. But, it works just like the 2180 with channels and I like it and purchased it almost entirely for it's compact size. I also carry a Dept. issued Motorola Minitor 5....what a brick piece of crap. I wish we could figure out what it keeps going off at all hours of the day when the Zetron at dispatch is silent.....
I work for a family fun center here in Yakima where we have a Bumper Boat pond, Go-kart track, batting cages, 18-hole miniature golf course and a 65-game video arcade. To coordinate everything, we use /\/\ SP10's single channel, single watt radios. I of course got one on eBay and paid $40 for my own because I wanted to.
About a month ago I made a website with lights/radio pics. Link:
http://www.jrw14493.xtreemhost.com. It's not much but the radio page has Yakima scanner frequencies on it.
Other than that I really enjoy the hobby. Getting my ham license is in my future, sometime. I really enjoyed the the Intercept Northwest meeting we had earlier this month in Kent. I really also enjoyed coming home and telling my girlfriend that there are guys out there that have more antennas and lights on/in their trucks than I do!!
Almost forgot! -- Two Radio Shack PRO-2055's. One in my truck, one in my room. Great unit, mobile version of the PRO-97 so I use Starr's Win97 to program them.
Next...... :beer: