Fieldcraft Someone explain radio scanners to me

[TheGerman]

I get the basic premise of them, but by comparison they also all look the same to me and I don't know if there are features I do/dont need and what to look for.

What I'm trying to do and looking for (questions below incase some of what I want doesnt make sense/doesnt exist):

- Vehicle mounted
- Programmable - know some are 'zip code' porogrammable, but I have a list of all the police/fire/EMS frequencies so this isnt a must
- Can quickly monitor both a wide range of frequencies (i.e. all of VHF/UHF) as well as then specify I only want it to monitor X channels (or a pre programmed specific group of channels?) at times
- Can have a headphone jack plugged into it that I can get to work with a Peltor ComTac / Silynx unit

I'm looking for something to put into a UTV that while riding around we can have it monitor whatever frequencies we want to pick up anything going on around us (other people talking that are near us, etc) as well as the capability to monitor whats going on with BLM/police to make sure no one is freaking out about UTV's with machine guns driving around or something. The capability of hooking it into a headphone set is that the UTV isn't exactly quiet and I also don't want it randomly blaring whatever shows up on the scanner if someone is TXing somewhere. So we need something that does very well at these things, and really dont care about other features as they probably wouldnt be used, unless I'm missing something.

Couple questions:

- (Im sure this varies) is there a certain number of frequencies scanners can typically handle and monitor to where it will not get caught cycling frequencies and missing something? For example, I put in a range of 300 frequencies, are they fast enough to monitor all 300 instantly?

- Does an antenna extend the 'listening' range for a scanner? If so, does it need its own antenna or could it use the vehicle mounted antenna for vehicle comms?

- I see some as digital and some as trunked scanners; whats the difference and what do I need?

From just searching, I came across this, but again, not sure what I actually need. https://www.amazon.com/Uniden-Bearc...447T65R7035&psc=1&refRID=9WB75YEYP447T65R7035

 

[bigdaddydmd]

Tagged as I am interested also. The amount of info out there is rather overwhelming and contraindicatory. Paging @Gunfighter14e2 He seems to have solid experience with radio tech. Me, I'm only good for SC/PT and couldn't ever get an ANCD to fill so know nothing about scanners and multi frequency scanning. I am starting to look harder and harder at comms and scanners just because it is one of my weaker areas and I am sick of trying to use those stupid little Motorolla walkabouts with members of my hunting party.

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

I get the basic premise of them, but by comparison they also all look the same to me and I don't know if there are features I do/dont need and what to look for.

What I'm trying to do and looking for (questions below incase some of what I want doesnt make sense/doesnt exist):

- Vehicle mounted
- Programmable - know some are 'zip code' porogrammable, but I have a list of all the police/fire/EMS frequencies so this isnt a must
- Can quickly monitor both a wide range of frequencies (i.e. all of VHF/UHF) as well as then specify I only want it to monitor X channels (or a pre programmed specific group of channels?) at times
- Can have a headphone jack plugged into it that I can get to work with a Peltor ComTac / Silynx unit

I'm looking for something to put into a UTV that while riding around we can have it monitor whatever frequencies we want to pick up anything going on around us (other people talking that are near us, etc) as well as the capability to monitor whats going on with BLM/police to make sure no one is freaking out about UTV's with machine guns driving around or something. The capability of hooking it into a headphone set is that the UTV isn't exactly quiet and I also don't want it randomly blaring whatever shows up on the scanner if someone is TXing somewhere. So we need something that does very well at these things, and really dont care about other features as they probably wouldnt be used, unless I'm missing something.

Couple questions:

- (Im sure this varies) is there a certain number of frequencies scanners can typically handle and monitor to where it will not get caught cycling frequencies and missing something? For example, I put in a range of 300 frequencies, are they fast enough to monitor all 300 instantly?

- Does an antenna extend the 'listening' range for a scanner? If so, does it need its own antenna or could it use the vehicle mounted antenna for vehicle comms?

- I see some as digital and some as trunked scanners; whats the difference and what do I need?

From just searching, I came across this, but again, not sure what I actually need. https://www.amazon.com/Uniden-Bearc...447T65R7035&psc=1&refRID=9WB75YEYP447T65R7035

While that is a very good scanner RX'ing, 300 Freqs will take it about 3-4 seconds to scan them all. During during that time you could miss a lot depending their tempo, code words.
The longer the antenna the better for RX'ing as it will pick up the weaker signals better an clearer than a short one. DO NOT,.. use any TX'ing antenna with this scanner. Install a RX only for it, the other issue that can happen is if you TX an that freq is close to the scanners RX you have plugged in it can over load the front end of the scanner an damage it, depending your TX power.
In any open ride, it needs to be water proof 24/7 plus all cabling needs to be out the bottom with water wick preventing.
For some operations you will need more than one scanner an operators, that way you can block load ferqs an have people listening to both ends, as well as snatching single code words.

 

[wigwamitus]

... Tagged as I am interested also ...

ditto

 

[Downtown]

I used a Uniden Bearcat scanner for years to monitor all the agency's in my small town. Very entertaining as well as informative. Police, Fire, EMS, Utilities, I could even monitor the school bus radio traffic when my children were in grade school. Recently, my town switched everything over to a digital system that allows easy encryption. No more listening in. My understanding is that even if I invested in a digital scanner, encryption would prevent me from monitoring radio traffic.

 

[Downtown]

I may offer that scanner in the PX, assuming any town still uses a unencrypted system.

 

[TheGerman]

While that is a very good scanner RX'ing, 300 Freqs will take it about 3-4 seconds to scan them all. During during that time you could miss a lot depending their tempo, code words.
The longer the antenna the better for RX'ing as it will pick up the weaker signals better an clearer than a short one. DO NOT,.. use any TX'ing antenna with this scanner. Install a RX only for it, the other issue that can happen is if you TX an that freq is close to the scanners RX you have plugged in it can over load the front end of the scanner an damage it, depending your TX power.
In any open ride, it needs to be water proof 24/7 plus all cabling needs to be out the bottom with water wick preventing.
For some operations you will need more than one scanner an operators, that way you can block load ferqs an have people listening to both ends, as well as snatching single code words.

Yeah the water proof is also a trick. Currently figuring out if the voltage requirments of both the scanner and vehicle transceiver are going to be too much for the Polaris and if I'd need a seperate power source.

I'm basically wanting it to monitor the police/BLM bands while we're out and then pick up anyone TXing nearby. I know its not a catch all but better than being totally blind, especially at night.

The freakiest thing I've ever heard was a scanner from the PRC picking up some 'local' traffic with the terp riding in the vehicle. When asked WTF it said, he listened and said the first guy was asking if there was any updates and the second guy describing 2 military vehicles, one tan and one green heading south on the MSR.

We had 2 humvees running some engineers down #7 towards Chaman; one of ours was green.

 

[Huskydriver]

Yeah the water proof is also a trick. Currently figuring out if the voltage requirments of both the scanner and vehicle transceiver are going to be too much for the Polaris and if I'd need a seperate power source.

I'm basically wanting it to monitor the police/BLM bands while we're out and then pick up anyone TXing nearby. I know its not a catch all but better than being totally blind, especially at night.

The freakiest thing I've ever heard was a scanner from the PRC picking up some 'local' traffic with the terp riding in the vehicle. When asked WTF it said, he listened and said the first guy was asking if there was any updates and the second guy describing 2 military vehicles, one tan and one green heading south on the MSR.

We had 2 humvees running some engineers down #7 towards Chaman; one of ours was green.

I had one describe me in detail while providing overwatch for a on the fly KLE... Got a little more hunkered down after that lol

 

[Snuby642]

I think all the good stuf is on secure channels anymore.
Evidently jamming is frowned upon.

I don't know what the world is coming to these days.

 

[Downtown]

It's not that you cannot monitor the frequency. This is a free country. It's that it's so easy to encrypt the digital signal.

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

Who cares if you can't copy the conversation, if that is your only worry or defense you have bigger issues you have never thought of to date. It's very easy to over ride a digital signal an when dealing with people who have never been w/o comms while running a opp, an it takes that type a long time to get past that. On top of that once you RDF the main NCS station, removing them for the loop is simple.
A scanner can be hooked to a TX rig that starts TX'ing as soon as the scanner locks on an stays there for X time, then resets as needed. At the same time that set up keys the next scanner an rig to wake up an get ready to work, this chain can be very long an wide spread. There are many, many, wrinkles you can add as well. There is a simple counter for everything. In today's world RDF gear is far beyond 1980s tech an in the hands of many who know how to use it.