Scanner's...The radio variety

[neumanns]

We have been wanting one for awhile so I bought a used portable off ebay. I should be recieving it soon and have found most of the local frequancies That we will monitor.<br /><br />Having never owned one I was just curious who has them, what do ya listen to other than the standard police fire ems, and do ya have an external antena.<br /><br />Also if ya have a two way what does it cost other than the radio.

 

[one more cast]

Re: Scanner's...The radio variety

we (all the locals) get most of our news over the scanner and you sure won't get away with much around here between the cell phones and scanners, you will get caught. We just use the little antena on the unit.

 

[jimr]

Re: Scanner's...The radio variety

you can actually listen to the space shuttle when it is up. I don't have the freq. # but you should be able to find it. I used to be a firefighter back home and listened all the time. I don't listen to it much anymore but if I hear sirens I click it on or when there are storms around.

 

[surplusman]

Re: Scanner's...The radio variety

Wasnt long before I had my portable phone zeroed down as well as the neighbors phones. I have an older uniden bearcat, but the newer ones can pick up al ost anything.

 

[Link]

Re: Scanner's...The radio variety

Have a old AOR 2500. Covers 1Mhz to around 1500 Mhz<br />I use software to control it. With outside antenna at about 40ft. Has 62 scan banks with about 2000 frequencies and another 15 search banks..<br />One keystroke and you can dump another 1000 frequenices in it.<br />Used for the normal stuff, police, fire, etc.<br />Not that I would <br />But covers cordless phones, cell phones, Micky Ds Burger Ks ordering freqs etc. Remember that baby monitering station you put in? <br /><br />This scanner was built around the time they were banning AK-47s. Here is a warning from the manual that came with it<br /><br /> WARNING <br />If you are operating this unit and it happens to stop on a cellular phone band plus some tone and voice paging frequencies, plus some IMTS phones, plus some radio/TV/Press frequencies that are forbidden by the Communications Act of 1986<br />Please be WARNED If your radio should happen to intercept this kind of call you can either shut it off, leave the room, or shoot it with a AK-47! <br /><br />LOL I just type that right out of the manual!<br />Also use it as a spectrume analizer (sp) IE: Mrs.Link and I are both Ham operaters and when I wanted to find a seldom used freq in the 2 mtr band 144-148 Mhz for us to operate simplex on I set it up to scan the bands for three weeks then just looked on the chart for where people were not talking in this area. Turned out to be 145.510 in this area.<br /><br />Two way you asked?<br />Family Radio Service<br />FRS no lic required 10-40 dollars for radios<br />have a few of them.<br />General Mobile Radio Service<br />GMRS I think there is a fee for the license and about the same cost as FRS. No test and you can use external antennas and up to 50 watts.<br /><br /> http://www.bestbuy.com/olspage.jsp?id=cat12077&categoryRep=cat06000&guideID=1072288099473&type=page <br /><br />License around 12 dollars per ten years<br />Amateur radio ofcourse you need a license and radio cost is 59.99 to extremes. I have on the desk a FSR that cost 30.00 a 2mtr hand held at 60.00 and another HF rig at 1500.00 So what am I doing... typing on a computer! Go figure

 

[neumanns]

Re: Scanner's...The radio variety

Several days of research, Starting to think I am getting a grasp of it, Along comes Link and makes me feel like an imbascile <br /><br />I really dont know what to call them other than two-way. I do know they are a step above FRS, and I believe even a step above GMRS but not sure of that. Esentially a business radio....Like taxi dispatch etc.<br /><br />Those "unlocked" scanners sound fun, but pricy.<br /><br />I am rambling here, Link If I put up an external antena for my scanner to extend range do ya think a basic one would do....Or what do I need to look for? I would like to be able to pull 50+ miles and I don't think ground level will get me that. <br /><br />If I understand they are line of sight to horizon or about 30 miles, Twenty some feet should give me the hight I need more or less but what do I need to stick on top of that?

 

[Moody Blue]

Re: Scanner's...The radio variety

Have an older ICOM (1999) that is (was) fun to listen to. Trunked systems are commonly in use now making it harder to follow conversations but still possible. Most of the emergency services are switching to digital systems thereby making it impossible to listen to anymore. Other receivables are cell phones, cordless phones, marine traffic, air traffic, towing companies, security companies, storm chasers, public works departments, ham operators, public transit etc etc. They are also interesting to use at air shows to listen to the different pilots and controllers talking. Mine is able to scan the un-encrypted military air frequencies as well which is sometimes interesting. I just use the factory antena and am able to pick up signals from about 50KM (30 miles) distance.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Scanner's...The radio variety

Canada has much more liberal scanner laws than the USA. Canada does not block out frequencies.<br />Check out this link <br /> http://www.mainefire.org/scanninglinks.html#MN <br /><br />When you feel real comfortable then you should look into amatuer radio (HAM). That's the best place to get radio education. After you look into HAM you will be amazed at how little a "scanner" actually receives.

 

[Link]

Re: Scanner's...The radio variety

neumanns<br />Id just use and enjoy it the way it is.<br />After you get to know the frequencies in your area then you can make a decision on a outside antenna. <br />For the two way communications I can look into it a bit if no one here knows. Business vrs GMRS.

 

[neumanns]

Re: Scanner's...The radio variety

No biggie link, I'll do my research in due time. If I decide to go that route, somthing I have considered for a while.<br /><br />The extended range is so my wife can hear the ambulance dispatch's in the town she works. From what I understand the $25 doller antena mounted on the tv antena and a length of RG59 should work.

 

[Moody Blue]

Re: Scanner's...The radio variety

Careful with that RG59 cable. The signal loss in the cable could erase any gains from your external antena. I think an RG/4 is better suited for this application.

 

[neumanns]

Re: Scanner's...The radio variety

I will take that into consideration rodc.

 

[SlowlySinking]

Re: Scanner's...The radio variety

Hi, here's a link to a coax cable loss chart. <br /><br /> http://hamradio.arc.nasa.gov/coaxcableloss.html <br /><br />Compare the cable TV coax and you will see it's pretty good and cheap. Plus connector adapters are readily available. Ken

 

[BLU LUNCH]

Re: Scanner's...The radio variety

Spend the money and buy 9913 over 400mhz the loss is very low. I use it on all my uhf and vhf rigs and also buy the best connector you can find I use silver teflon N-connectors. they are milatry specs. I saw about some one talk about {SAREX} Space Amatuer Radio Experament even if you heard talking to other hams write the shuttles operators callsign and list several other callsigns you hear them work write the time and date mail it info to ARRL in Newington Ct and about a year later it takes time you will get a SWL confirmatiom card from the shuttle crew. I was lucky twice to worked KC5ACR and Sts-58 and I worked Sts-61 on voice.145.550 was the downlink. My first ham satalitte contact was on a Yeasu Ft-470 5w HT I made it from Ct to Texas thru a Satalitte.........