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HenryJ
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Post by HenryJ »

border man wrote:...where can I find some good info on operating a scanner. ...

I haven't looked for much information about them for quite some time, but can pass on what little information that I have.

Get a portable. The bases are OK, but when the power goes out the handheld will let you listen in on what happened, and you can take it with you.

I have a couple handheld scanners. A used one is not a bad investment since 10 channels are about all you want to scan without missing much, and the pawn shops usually have a few old ones to choose from. They are handy for just having in the house.
That is why I still have the first one that I ever bought. It is a 10 channel Uniden Bearcat BC60XL.

Now some of the other models offer much more, and one very handy feature that you will want is the search function. You can scan a bank of frequencies. Either frequencies that you have stored , or a range. This works great for races, and while out of town listening. It will seek and store active frequencies.
I again bought Uniden, this time the Bearcat Twin turbo Sportcat SC150B. This one is pre-ban so I have 29-956mhz coverage.

If you get your Ham license there are quite a few radios that have wide band coverage, or can be modified to RX wide band.
I think my Yaesu mobile works almost as well as my best scanner, although the scanner probably does a better job for just listening.

If you are looking for FCC listed frequencies try FCC frequency database or alternate site

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Post by F9K9 »

Excellent information :D

A word of caution if other states have laws like KY. A scanner is considered a "police radio" here and it is illegal to posses them in motor vehicles. You and I know that they aren't but, in KY they are.

Just meet up with your favorite DOT/KY Motor Vehicle Enforcement Officer and he or she will give you hundreds to chose from :lol:
[size=75][b]"For those who have fought for it, [i][color=red]FR[/color][color=white]EE[/color][color=blue]DOM[/color][/i] has a taste that the protected will never know."
[url=http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=73349]GUIDE TO SEARCHING. [i] (Some of the forum software is different but, it has helped me a lot.)[/i][/url][/b]
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HenryJ
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Post by HenryJ »

f9k9 wrote:...A scanner is considered a "police radio" here and it is illegal to posses them in motor vehicles. You and I know that they aren't but, in KY...
Does a Ham Radio fall into the same category in Kentucky?

"Speed doesn't kill, suddenly becoming stationary does." - Richard Hammond
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If at first you don't succeed - Don't take up Skydiving! - ThunderII KE7CSK
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Post by F9K9 »

HenryJ wrote:Does a Ham Radio fall into the same category in Kentucky?


No and you can have your Ham radio call sign on the special Ham tags on your rig. But, I just recalled that the guy who wanted the freqs was putting them in his handheld and vehicular ham radios. I'd suggest stopping the scanning if you get "lit up" travelling through KY.
[size=75][b]"For those who have fought for it, [i][color=red]FR[/color][color=white]EE[/color][color=blue]DOM[/color][/i] has a taste that the protected will never know."
[url=http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=73349]GUIDE TO SEARCHING. [i] (Some of the forum software is different but, it has helped me a lot.)[/i][/url][/b]
[b]"Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it." Edmund Burke[/b][/size]
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Post by HenryJ »

Is there a website that lists the restricted states?
What about Canada? I know they frown upon radar detectors.

"Speed doesn't kill, suddenly becoming stationary does." - Richard Hammond
"Speed is just a matter of Money - How fast do YOU want to go?"-Mechanic from Mad Max-
If at first you don't succeed - Don't take up Skydiving! - ThunderII KE7CSK
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Post by F9K9 »

One Site to check out.
[size=75][b]"For those who have fought for it, [i][color=red]FR[/color][color=white]EE[/color][color=blue]DOM[/color][/i] has a taste that the protected will never know."
[url=http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=73349]GUIDE TO SEARCHING. [i] (Some of the forum software is different but, it has helped me a lot.)[/i][/url][/b]
[b]"Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it." Edmund Burke[/b][/size]
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Post by ludwis »

This is a great site that I use (on the east coast)
http://fordyce.org/scanning/index.html

This is another great one...all kinds of frequencies (esp for you nascar fans)

http://www.nationalradiodata.com/

I live about 1 - 2 miles off the glide path to my local airport so I use

http://www.flightarrivals.com/cgi-bin/W ... ts/Flights

to listen for the incoming / outgoing planes. Its pretty cool when you can hear your friends plane coming in on final approach -> hop in the car -> and by the time you get to the gate they are walking out. Much nicer than sitting in the airport for hours 8)

As for radios I currently have an icom RC-3 that I bought from
http://www.hamradiooutlet.com/ they have a great selection.
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Post by JimmyDiamond »

It's too bad all the scanners now have some bands blocked. I was big into scanning in the early 90's and still have some that I bought then. I've got a couple Radio Shack 200 channel models that pick up EVERYTHING. 8)

I've also got a Uniden BCT-7 in the Jimmy that I bought 10 years ago. It's just like the BCT-7 you can buy right now except nothing is blocked in it. 8)

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Post by shrubs2000 »

I have a BC-3000 handheld I purchased in 1997. It's a great little scanner. It picks up everything including cell.

I always though scanners in vehicles we illegal in Ohio but http://www.ncsl.org/programs/transporta ... htm#table2 states otherwise.

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