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Pluton
New member
Username: Pluton
Post Number: 4
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 11:46 pm: | 
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I got a question. I want to get the best scanner, approx 500khz - 2.5ghz. All modes. all the bells and whistles. Preferably easy to mod for 800 mhz. Could anyone just point me in the right direction. |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 3486
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 01, 2006 - 11:07 am: |
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1) Mods for 800-900 mhz are hard to find
2) motorola is rebanding systems so buy one that can be reflashed GE AND OTHERS WILL NOT CHANGE.
3) Think DIGITAL ...
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Pluton
New member
Username: Pluton
Post Number: 5
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 01, 2006 - 5:05 pm: |
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Ok. Thanks for the info. Are there any specific names for digital modes or is it just DIGITAL? I saw an Alinco 2000HT or something like that on ebay from the UK with no blocking on any frequencies, so if I can find a really good scanner I might see if I can just buy it from another country... |
Hollowpoint445
Senior Member
Username: Hollowpoint445
Post Number: 1062
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 01, 2006 - 6:23 pm: |
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I think what kind of scanner you buy depends entirely on what you plan on monitoring. Where I live there aren't any digital transmissions or public service trunking, so I can still use a crystal scanner if I choose.
I highly recommend a scanner with a computer interface of some kind. If nothing else, it really helps to program 100's of freqeuncies into your scanner. The better the interface, the more it can do for you. Features like search and store and activity logging are great too.
What frequencies do you want to monitor? Are any trunked? Do they use digital modulation? |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 3488
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 01, 2006 - 6:35 pm: |
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Pluton
c-phones are going digital too you need to check localy to see how your local people do things.
AVOID untill they come out with rebanded scanners all radio shacks and bearcats ....
Think DIGITAL if anyone near you is going that way here in tampabay 20% of the systems are digital ... and all will reband .... making the current scanners have problems tracking motorola systems.
As a leagal point inporting that scanner is illeagal and it might not even work. |
Pluton
New member
Username: Pluton
Post Number: 6
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, February 02, 2006 - 12:19 pm: |
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Ok. I didn't know it was illegal 'till now. I want to monitor most ham bands, police/fire, cb, shortwave, really anything I can find. I don't know of much digital around here. There are some going to digital and trunked though. I use a r/s pro 2017 right now and it is sorry, It has lots of big gaps in frequency coverage, can't change steps, no built in attenuator, and the list goes on. I saw one that can act as a frequency counter when the the near-field of a xmitter. I like that idea too. What is the deal with the rebanding you all are talking about? I like the idea of a computer i-face, That is something I could really use.
Thanks,
pluton |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 3494
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 02, 2006 - 2:48 pm: |
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Under FCC rules it is illeagal to INPORT, USE OWN OR SELL any radio that can hear ( SOMETIMES CALLED UNLOCKED ) the restricted frequencies AKA C-PHONES .....
To better use the 700-900 mhz range the FCC is " REBANDING " systems and motorola is the most common one.
MOST older scanners like the PRO-2050 - 2060 and most BEARCATS are made to track the control channel and the problem seems to be the new REBANDED system changes how the control channel asigns receive frequencies.
I dont know if there are any REFLASHING or upgrades for these older scanners but at this point groups like the 2052 users group are reporting there are NOT.
ON THE GOOD SIDE ............
If you have only GE or the local systems are non-trunking you will have lots of nice used scanners to choose from. MY choice is the PRO-2053 its 300 ch wide band 25-1200 mhz and has a neat alphnumeric display .... but there are many others too. it will interface with your computer and can be programed that way. |
Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833
Post Number: 1190
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Friday, February 03, 2006 - 11:00 am: |
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Let me clear up a few things.
1- I have receivers that will listen in the cell phone bands and all you will ever hear is digital grunge that is nearly impossible to decode without some hard core software (which I do not have). You will NOT hear any conversations in the cell phone bands, don't bother.
2- A trunk tracking scanner is what you want for monitoring Police in the 800 MHz. band as they go to trunked systems. However, it is also important to look for a 'Trunk Tracker' that has APCO capability otherwise you will be disappointed.
3- 'Rebanding' is what is coming up on the horizon. As the commercial TV stations migrate away from the analog VHF bands to the new digital modes on the UHF band, a TON of RF spectrum is about to be opened up, and the FCC is already auctioning off that spectrum for communications systems (like Police, Fire, etc.). Therefore, if you buy a scanner now that does not receive or trunk on those frequencies, you will lose out when the migration is complete. When? Who knows. The date keeps being moved backwards.
4- The scanners with 'Hyper Tune' take a LOT of RF to do that. Unless you are at a race track trying to find the cars' frequencies, or sitting right next to the signal source, you will be disappointed. I have the new Rat Shack scanner with Hyper Tune, and connected to my home antenna, it has only ever 'found' the nearby high power UHF TV station.
5- If you are trying to use the same radio for SW and VHF-UHF-800 monitoring, you will be highly disappointed. Without going to the mid-high 4-figure price range, the SW capability is a joke at best. You really DO need a seperate SW/HF radio and a seperate trunk tracking scanner for everything above. |
Hollowpoint445
Senior Member
Username: Hollowpoint445
Post Number: 1064
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Friday, February 03, 2006 - 5:19 pm: |
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There is still some analog cellular activity - at least in my area. I just searched from 870MHz-902MHz and came across several signals. It's not packed like it used to be, and it's definitely declining, but as long as analog mode is still around, there will be some use - especially during peak hours.
I don't know how the Hyper-tune feature on the scanner works, but I've had lots of luck with a device called "FM Interceptor" which uses near field radiation to grab FM signals and demodulate them. It certainly has it's limitations, but it also has it's benefits. When I'm riding around in my car I can run the FM interceptor with an antenna specifically for the VHF HI business/public service band and hear lots of signals. The sensitivity needs to be adjusted so it doesn't automatically lock on nearby FM and TV broadcasts, but it works well. I've also got an assortment of ducks for different bands and Startek bandpass filters which helps to increase range by filtering strong signals.
I walked to a fire scene in my neighborhood and grabbed my FM Interceptor to see what I could hear. A group of folks gathered around me to listen to all of the stuff I was able to hear. Several of them had handheld scanners and just turned them off because I heard more activity than they did, and I didn't have to have the frequencies already programmed. VHF LO, VHF HI, UHF - it didn't matter. We heard it all. |
Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833
Post Number: 1191
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Friday, February 03, 2006 - 7:47 pm: |
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HP- True, some analog still exists in the cell bands, but with a scanner and programmed frequencies, you never know when a channel is going to have an analog conversation or digital traffic on it. In my radio's case, it is constantly stopping on digital stuff, and I have to constantly tell it to skip. If you choose to scan 'hands off', this will get frustrating real, real fast.
The Interceptors (Same people that make the 'Scout') do work well, and certainly have a place in just about any serious scanner nut's fanny-pack. However, as a base station accessory, they don't help much at all. |
Hollowpoint445
Senior Member
Username: Hollowpoint445
Post Number: 1065
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Friday, February 03, 2006 - 9:04 pm: |
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I agree with you 833. I always search that band rather than scan it, so I just have to hit a button to resume when I hit a digital signal. My radios all search in the proper 30kHz steps through the band so it's fairly easy.
I've tried the FM Interceptor on my 2M ground plane with various filters and have had some success with it. An FM trap is absolutely necessary! I've also used the Startek filters and the Grove Scanner Filter with varying degrees of success. I use the same setup with my Scout 40 too. One day I'd like to make notch and band pass filters so I can really get rid of the broadcast stations, pagers, and other RF nuisances.
I really like the Scout 40. I've never used the reaction tune capability though. I assume the FM Interceptor accomplishes the same thing for me. I generally use the Scout to find new frequencies by carrying it around in my pocket and reviewing the hits when I get home.
I've got a camera bag filled with antennas, filters, adapters, batteries and radios, but I haven't taken it out much since 9/11 for fear of negative attention. Before 9/11 I got way too much attention because of the equipment.
You'd think people would be more interested in watching the Blue Angels rather than listening to the radio comms, but I always have a crowd around me anxious to hear the verbal queues between pilots. It is interesting, but I didn't realize that the general public was interested in it as much as I am. |
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