CHP RADIO SYSTEMS
1938 - Present
These pages are a pictorial history of the mobile radio equipment used by the California Highway Patrol. Note that there are separate pages dealing with motorcycle radios and equipment in use after 2001, as shown in the index. The topic is divided into four chapters. Click on the desired chapter below.
Other separate pages:
Special Test Sets for GE Exec II "Extender" mobile repeaters
What's New:
Pages have been recently updated as follows:
10/23/13 - Added link with photos of new CHP SUV at bottom of CHP 2009 page
1/24/14 - Added radio instruction cards for 1977 Micor radios to Chapter 3
5/17/14 - Added photos of CHP FMT-25V Deluxe Mobile to Chapter 1
2/07/15 - Added list of radios in use in 1946, and photo of interior of radar car to Chapter 1
6/17/2015 - Added pdf of 1968-69 Motor Transport Wiring Diagram for Dodge cars to Chapter 2
6/25/2015 - Added HT1000 top and new S810 head overlay photos to Chapter 4
7/2/2015 - Added photo of 1952 patrol car dash with radio heads to Chapter 1
7/31/15 - Added photos of Link 205A receiver to Chapter 1
9/8/2015 - Added photos to Chapter 4
10/31/2015 - Added photo of 1955 Buick interior to Chapter 1
02/22/2019 - Added photos of 1955 Buick with 1946 transmitter to Chapter 1
07/04/2021 - Added web page for Containment Boxes
Car restorer note: The equipment used in any given vehicle as it came off the production line was documented in the installation guidebook for that particular car, printed by CHP's Motor Transport Division. These were for the most part printed annually, e.g. 1992 Mustang, 1995 Caprice, etc. These booklets contain wiring diagrams, part numbers and drawings showing how everything was originally put together. These are not publicly available anywhere that I know of, but some of them have been scanned by enthusiasts and are floating around the web as pdf's. A lot of the information here comes from those books. When restoring a car and trying to be as authentic as possible, these booklets are invaluable. Try to find one of these if you can as it is going to be almost impossible to get things correct without it.. If you have any of these booklets and can scan them, I can save them here to help people who may need them. I have the 1995 Caprice and 1992 Mustang and the wiring diagrams for 1968 Dodge cars. Also some for newer than 2009 Crown Victorias and the Watch Guard video system.
Ver. 07/04/2021 Copyright Geoffrey Fors, 1999 All rights reserved