Me and my dad want to get a scanner, after my dads freind got one. HIs is a realistic pro 28. He got it second hand for +?25. We want a decent digital about 10 channels and we want to listen to police, fire, air ambulance. The lot basicaly but we will only pay +?40. I dont mind if i can get a decent second hand one that is in good condish. I found loads all over the net but they are too expensive. They are for professionals. They have like 1000 channels.
So for +?40 what is the best digital scanner.
Looking for ideal scanner
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rob_jeffers
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Andrew
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Because it has 1000 channels, doesn't mean it's for professionals, it just means there is oodles of space for the possibility of being able to have separate banks for individual users (police, fire, marine, air etc) and also as in mine, seperate banks for different locations (Ayrshire, Lancashire, Cleveland / Durham etc)
I have a load of local and national radio stations in mine too, as it has wide fm.
Even complicated ones can become simple after a bit. I have a Pro 26 which I had for years and is simple in comparison to my AR 8200, but I keep forgetting how to programme the 26 and have to keep refering to its instructions...
You really need to have one with about 100, or better still 200 channels, then at least you can programme in frequencies that are not used in your area, but maybe somewhere you visit regularly. I have loads of stuff for North Lancashire and Cumbria stored, but only about 4 or 5 of them are used here in Ayrshire. I also have other area's I visit too in separate banks.
When you say digital scanner, I take it you mean digital, as in LC Display, as you can get 'digital' transmissions almost all of which are non encryptable. The police will all be 'gone' by next year, as they are going to Airwave. Quite a bit has gone already.
As for makes, models and prices, that can depend on what you want it for. If it is at least am / fm switchable, various modes (nfm, wfm, am etc) a decent number of channels then take it from there. Some parts of the country have the police on AM, in other parts the same frequencies but FM. All police and fire in Scotland are NFM, apart from those gone to Airwave, which are no longer for us to listen to. Some fire services have gone too, Lancashire for one.
One other useful feature is user programmeable search bands' You tell it what you want to listen to when searching, rather than have it installed in the radio, and you can't alter it. Having a wide range from say 25 - 1300 mHz is handy too, especially if it doesn't have 'gaps'.
With that sort of range you can pick up cordless phones, low power walkie talkies, right through to emergency services, airband, shipping, etc. Even television sound as well.
Lots have people have different choices. AoR's like my Mk 1, Alinco's, Uniden Bearcats, Radio Shack etc. Good old E bay is a source if you like that sort of thing, I got mine locally thanks to Shortwave Magazine. Brand new, still in its box, for +?200, reduced from just under +?400. It was too complicated for its owner, where as I already had experience using one. I've had it 4 1/2 years, and there is still bits on it I never use.
Unless you go to the likes of E bay, +?40 won't get you much, you are better aiming at nearer the +?80 - 100 mark. Have you tried sites like Waters and Stanton, Martin Lynch and Sons, Nevada etc? Where you live can make a little massive difference. Either in a city or a large town is vastly different to living in the North Yorkshire moors etc.
I have a load of local and national radio stations in mine too, as it has wide fm.
Even complicated ones can become simple after a bit. I have a Pro 26 which I had for years and is simple in comparison to my AR 8200, but I keep forgetting how to programme the 26 and have to keep refering to its instructions...
You really need to have one with about 100, or better still 200 channels, then at least you can programme in frequencies that are not used in your area, but maybe somewhere you visit regularly. I have loads of stuff for North Lancashire and Cumbria stored, but only about 4 or 5 of them are used here in Ayrshire. I also have other area's I visit too in separate banks.
When you say digital scanner, I take it you mean digital, as in LC Display, as you can get 'digital' transmissions almost all of which are non encryptable. The police will all be 'gone' by next year, as they are going to Airwave. Quite a bit has gone already.
As for makes, models and prices, that can depend on what you want it for. If it is at least am / fm switchable, various modes (nfm, wfm, am etc) a decent number of channels then take it from there. Some parts of the country have the police on AM, in other parts the same frequencies but FM. All police and fire in Scotland are NFM, apart from those gone to Airwave, which are no longer for us to listen to. Some fire services have gone too, Lancashire for one.
One other useful feature is user programmeable search bands' You tell it what you want to listen to when searching, rather than have it installed in the radio, and you can't alter it. Having a wide range from say 25 - 1300 mHz is handy too, especially if it doesn't have 'gaps'.
With that sort of range you can pick up cordless phones, low power walkie talkies, right through to emergency services, airband, shipping, etc. Even television sound as well.
Lots have people have different choices. AoR's like my Mk 1, Alinco's, Uniden Bearcats, Radio Shack etc. Good old E bay is a source if you like that sort of thing, I got mine locally thanks to Shortwave Magazine. Brand new, still in its box, for +?200, reduced from just under +?400. It was too complicated for its owner, where as I already had experience using one. I've had it 4 1/2 years, and there is still bits on it I never use.
Unless you go to the likes of E bay, +?40 won't get you much, you are better aiming at nearer the +?80 - 100 mark. Have you tried sites like Waters and Stanton, Martin Lynch and Sons, Nevada etc? Where you live can make a little massive difference. Either in a city or a large town is vastly different to living in the North Yorkshire moors etc.
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StuartC
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Andrew
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I'm more a fan of direct entry, as in punching the frequency in like it's a phone, rather than having to push down the tuning control for every digit, which I think you have to do with the Alinco. It has no numeric keys on the front. I know someone who had one and it drove me up the wall having to do that tuning it.
A good starter as well as a good all rounder, is the Yupiteru 7100. I've never had one, although I had one of it's predecessors about 12 years ago. I'll have a look at some websites shortly and see whats what in radio land. It's something I haven't done in a while. Since WH Smith hauled out of town, I lost touch by not being able to read SWM, especially the back pages where radio's were for sale.
A good starter as well as a good all rounder, is the Yupiteru 7100. I've never had one, although I had one of it's predecessors about 12 years ago. I'll have a look at some websites shortly and see whats what in radio land. It's something I haven't done in a while. Since WH Smith hauled out of town, I lost touch by not being able to read SWM, especially the back pages where radio's were for sale.
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rob_jeffers
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Ok, I really dont know what to think. I will awnser a few things. When I mean digital, I mean not like those crappy multiband scanners on ebay for about +?20-+?25 jobs. I have done a little more research and found out a lot of things. I tried bidding for a GRE 282. Then i noticed an ended sale of them. He had 3 left that he was selling for +?65. I asked him if i could buy one off him for +?50. But i am still waiting for an awnser. I have a alinco djx3 in my being watched area. But i dont think it is as good as the alinco djx3. When it comes to freq coverage. The alinco is at the moment +?41.0 and got 4 1/2 days left. I think it will go up. And its used http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... RK:MEWA:IT.
I also had a look at the yupiteure and that is very expensive, Well above my budget. But Stuart C i am very interested in the alinco dj3x for +?50. Could you please give me some details about how this could be aranged.
When it compes to the price, it really doesnt matter if i have to fiddle with a dial. I just cant afford a yupiteure. I want to listen to the police with no interuptions and so what i can gather. Scanners with bands like the gre psr 282 with steps are crap for listening to the police.
I need more help. I think i will settle for the alinco djx3 for +?50. If it is possible.
I also had a look at the yupiteure and that is very expensive, Well above my budget. But Stuart C i am very interested in the alinco dj3x for +?50. Could you please give me some details about how this could be aranged.
When it compes to the price, it really doesnt matter if i have to fiddle with a dial. I just cant afford a yupiteure. I want to listen to the police with no interuptions and so what i can gather. Scanners with bands like the gre psr 282 with steps are crap for listening to the police.
I need more help. I think i will settle for the alinco djx3 for +?50. If it is possible.
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StuartC
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rob_jeffers
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1 quick question
What do you think that i will be able to listen to with this. Police, Fire, Ambulance, Taxis, etc. What have you bben able to get on it.
They will probably go up in price wont they, seems how they have got about another week left.
They will probably go up in price wont they, seems how they have got about another week left.
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StuartC
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rob_jeffers
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StuartC
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rob_jeffers
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Thanks
You have helped me alot with making my decision. Just got to get me one
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Andrew
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Also bear in mind, just because you can hear a particular town, that doesn't mean the transmitter is there. An example is local radio station's. Our's (West Sound / FM) is in Ayr, but the FM is kicked off Darvel, which is as near as dammit in Lanarkshire, and the medium flavour is stuck in a field near Symington (the near Prestwick one). They use a lower frequency to get to the main transmitter or relay, which mixes it all up and fires it out on 96.7mHz / 1035 kHz etc.StuartC wrote:I can pick up Kilmarnock Police which is about 15 miles away, So you should be able to pick up your police quite easily unless they have moved to airwave then you can`t pick them up
Oh, and talking of distances, remember radio signals are not like cars, they dont use roads! They might get lost. They go by line of sight, as the crow flies, or directly to another relay etc.
Kilwinning to Kilmarnock from centre to centre is 8 miles, Irvine is 7 to Kilmarnock. Kilwinning to Ayr in a straight line is about 12, Irvine to Ayr about 11.
I used and RAC map, a piece of folded A4 paper and and a pen to mark it with dots to find out. Easy when you know how.
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