About Acton Police Frequencies
- 3 conventional channels are analog FM, so any scanner can receive them. Enter the frequency and set the tone shown in the table.
- 5 conventional channels use a digital mode (P25), which needs a scanner that decodes that mode.
- Trunked radio systems that carry law-enforcement traffic here: Commonwealth of Massachusetts Interoperable Radio System - BC5: 18 talkgroups; Middlesex County Sheriff: 3 talkgroups. A trunking scanner is required, and it must support the system type shown.
- To follow a trunked system, program a control channel first. For Acton, start with the Concord site of Commonwealth of Massachusetts Interoperable Radio System - BC5, about 2 miles away. Its control channels: 853.175 MHz.
- 6 listed entries are marked encrypted. No scanner can decode encrypted audio.
Acton conventional frequencies
Dispatch
| Agency | Description | Frequency (MHz) | Tone | Mode | FCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acton Police | Police Operations | 154.8150 In 159.4050 | 173.8 PL | FMN | KCB875 |
Middlesex County channels that also cover Acton
Dispatch
| Agency | Description | Frequency (MHz) | Tone | Mode | FCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Framingham State University | Campus Police | 471.5250 In 474.5250 | 172 DPL | FMN | WPLU291 |
| Harvard University | Campus Police | 484.0875 | NAC 495 | P25 Encrypted | WIL504 |
| Harvard University | Campus Police | 484.2625 | NAC 495 | P25 Encrypted | KFN287 |
| UMass - Lowell | Campus Police/EMS Operations | 460.3875 In 465.3875 | NAC 769 | P25 Encrypted | KIG568 |
| UMass - Lowell | Campus Police/EMS Secondary | 484.7125 In 487.7125 | NAC 769 | P25 | WQGA385 |
Tactical
| Agency | Description | Frequency (MHz) | Tone | Mode | FCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Campus Police Department Patrol | 852.4375 In 807.4375 | NAC 0B3 | P25 | WPSE405 |
Talk-around & Car-to-Car
| Agency | Description | Frequency (MHz) | Tone | Mode | FCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UMass - Lowell | Campus Police Training | 451.3125 | 141.3 PL | FMN | WQFX933 |
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Interoperable Radio System - BC5
| Agency | Description | Talkgroup | Hex | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Braintree Regional | C8 Regional Police Operations | 7311 | 1c8f | T |
| Department of Corrections (DOC) - Bridgewater (Old Colony) | Prison Officers | 2916 | b64 | T |
| Department of Corrections (DOC) - Bridgewater (Old Colony) | Prisoner Movement | 2931 | b73 | T |
| Department of Corrections (DOC) - Bridgewater (Old Colony) | Prisoner Status Checks | 2938 | b7a | T |
| Department of Corrections (DOC) - Bridgewater (Old Colony) | Facilities | 2942 | b7e | T |
| Department of Corrections (DOC) - Concord | Northeast Corrections Ctr – Operations | 2826 | b0a | T |
| Department of Corrections (DOC) - Framingham | DOC Facilities | 2871 | b37 | T |
| Department of Corrections (DOC) - Gardner | Prisoner Movement | 2781 | add | T |
| Department of Corrections (DOC) - Norfolk | Operations | 2758 | ac6 | T |
| Department of Corrections (DOC) - Norfolk | Prison Officers | 2886 | b46 | T |
| Department of Corrections (DOC) - Norfolk | Prison Facilities | 2901 | b55 | T |
| Department of Corrections (DOC) - Shirley | Prisoner Movement | 2796 | aec | T |
| Department of Corrections (DOC) - Shirley | Facilities Maintenance | 2799 | aef | T |
| Department of Corrections (DOC) - Shirley | Corrections Officers/Door Control | 2804 | af4 | T |
| Department of Corrections (DOC) - Shirley | Kilo/Julie Side Corrections Officers | 2805 | af5 | T |
| Department of Corrections (DOC) - Shirley | Lima/Michael Side Corrections Officers | 2806 | af6 | T |
| Department of Corrections (DOC) - Shirley | Administration/Medication Distribution | 2811 | afb | T |
| Department of Corrections (DOC) - Shirley | Yard Operations | 2818 | b02 | T |
Middlesex County Sheriff
3 encrypted talkgroups (cannot be monitored)
| Agency | Description | Talkgroup | Hex | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations | Operations | 1 | 1 | T Encrypted |
| Operations | Operations | 2 | 2 | T Encrypted |
| Operations | Operations | 3 | 3 | T Encrypted |
Nearest trunked radio sites
Distances are measured from the center of Acton.
Concord · Commonwealth of Massachusetts Interoperable Radio System - BC5
RFSS 1 · Site 112 (hex 70) · NAC BC1 · about 2 mi away
Control 853.175
Voice 851.35, 852.45
Middlesex HOC · Middlesex County Sheriff
RFSS 1 · Site 1 (hex 1) · NAC D32 · about 3 mi away
Control 851.55, 851.75, 854.7125, 856.1375
Massport Hanscom Field · Commonwealth Of Massachusetts Interoperable Radio System (CoMIRS)
RFSS 1 · Site 34 (hex 22) · NAC D14 · about 8 mi away
Control 857.0125, 857.4375, 858.2625, 859.4375
Voice 854.0125, 856.4375
What do these numbers mean?
- Control channel
- The frequency your scanner listens to first. It tells the scanner where each voice call is happening, so program it before anything else.
- Voice
- The other frequencies the site uses for calls. A trunking scanner follows them automatically once it has the control channel.
- Site
- One tower location of the system. Scanners show the number in decimal or hex, so both are listed.
- RFSS (Radio Frequency Sub-System)
- A group of sites run by the same controller. Large Project 25 systems can have several.
- NAC (Network Access Code)
- A hex code the site transmits. Your scanner can use it to ignore other systems on the same frequency.
- Talkgroup
- A virtual channel on a trunked system, such as one agency’s dispatch. Programming uses the decimal or hex number, depending on your scanner.
Common questions
What frequency do the police use in Acton?
Dispatch channels listed for Acton: Acton Police 154.8150 MHz (173.8 PL).