Close Call is not a programming option

Posted on November 14, 2018 by Rich Carlson

One of the questions we often get here at Scanner Master is how I can listen to whatever is around me. While the ZIP Code scanners are the way to go for this some people think that by using the Close Call feature one can listen to all the activity in the area. While this would be a great idea it really doesn’t work that way.

Close Call and ZIP Code scanning have some similarities but are really two different animals. Close Call (and the similar Whistler/GRE/RS feature called Spectrum Sweeper or Signal Search) is a near-field receiving option that scours the bands for strong signals and locks in on them. You can then see the frequency displayed. This is great but it has limitations.

The range Close Call works at depends on the strength of the signal, it has to be very strong to trigger. Portable radios usually have to be within a few hundred feet, mobile radios within a block and base stations or repeaters within a few blocks. Sometimes you can get stations further away but that depends on so many factors like antenna, frequency, elevation etc. that anything beyond those distances is considered luck.

Close Call is a great way to find new frequencies, especially at less documented sites like shopping malls and events. It is a great tool to find all those walkie-talkies used at locales and events but cannot be used as a replacement for proper scanner programming. One feature it lacks is the ability to look up a channel in the database or programming of the radio.

ZIP Code programming is recommended for those traveling thru an area if you don’t know what frequencies are being used there. Chances are the main channels are already documented on Radio Reference and thus should be in the internal database on your ZIP Code enabled radio. Uniden ZIP Code scanners also support the use of a GPS to automatically update the location as you move.

Be sure to use the right location service for your needs. Need to find new local (VERY local) channels? Use Close Call. Need to listen to specific services or systems in a particular area? Use the ZIP Code feature.

SDS100 Hints, Tips and FAQ’s

Posted on July 13, 2018 by Rich Carlson

Here are a Baker’s Dozen of hints and tips to make life with your new SDS100 scanner happier. If your question is not answered let us know and maybe we can add it to Part 2!

1) What is the deal with the battery?

Uniden designed the radio with a new Lithium Polymer battery pack, getting away from using common AA cells. While a lot of people preferred the AA cells since they can be easily obtained and swapped out, they just could not provide enough current to run the radio for a decent amount of time. The Lithium Polymer pack that comes with the radio was supposed to be sufficient but Uniden was not happy with the results so they designed a larger pack to be used. Unfortunately the radio was already on the assembly line by the time it was discovered that the battery life was not up to snuff.

Uniden decided to allow the radio to be sold and distributed as it was but included a notice in the box to advise purchasers to sign up for a FREE larger battery pack once they are available, likely in August 2018. Sign up at Uniden’s website and they will send you the new larger battery as well as a replacement battery door at no cost.

Once these batteries are available there should also be available for sale extra batteries. Eventually some sort of external charging device will also be available so you can charge one battery while using another.

2) Can I charge the battery and run the radio at the same time?

Actually, on the SDS100 you can! While other Uniden scanners do not support this, as long as your charger has sufficient current capability you can charge the battery with the radio on as long as you have that option turned on in the Settings>Battery Options>Set Charge While On menu.

Why would you not want this option turned on? The only reason I see is that the red or green charge light will be on all the time when the radio is plugged in. It might take a while longer to charge the battery when the radio is on but it should not be a big issue.

3) What else can I use to charge the battery?

The SDS100 comes with a USB charger. Alternately any USB charger will power and/or charge the SDS100 battery. If you have a smartphone or other USB device charger you can use it if you don’t want to use the charger that came with the radio.

In the car you can use any USB port to power/charge the radio. Most cars these days will have a USB port to charge your phones and other devices, these work well with USB powered scanners like the SDS100.

4) What is the deal with the raised ridge by the antenna connector?

That ridge is part of the water proofing of the radio. When used with the supplied rubber duck antenna this helps provide a seal to block water from getting into the radio. The supplied SDS10 antenna has a rubber gasket that fits this ridge.

This does however block use of many third-party antennas and adapters. The SDS100 comes with an SMA-BNC adapter so you can use your BNC antennas but with this adapter you will not have the water resistance provided with the supplied antenna.

5) What is that little hole on the back of the radio? Am I missing a screw?

That hole below the belt clip knob is there to provide a case breather to prevent pressure issues. The radio is still water resistant due to other parts inside the case. On some radios there have been issues with elevation changes causing the case to pressurize and damaging components. This pressure relief helps to prevent these issues.

6) It is hard to see the color screen in sunlight, what can I do?

The SDS100 color screen is a thing of beauty but can be difficult to read in direct sun. If you go into display settings you can select white on black or black on white instead.

7) What are the “Detail” and “Simple” screen modes?

The SDS100 has a fully customizable display. You can set it up to display just the basic information (Simple) or all kinds of special information (Detail) when receiving. Almost every item can be positioned where YOU want to put it. You can even select the colors each item is displayed in.

Simple Mode shows just basic information in an uncluttered way. Detail Mode allows you to show many different details about what you are listening to, such as trunking ID’s, PL tones etc. so you can analyze systems you are listening to. You can switch between these at will and change the way they look on the radio via the keypad or Sentinel.

8) What are the software options?

The SDS100 uses the free Sentinel software to do the database and firmware updates. This is the same version as used on the BCD436HP and BCD536HP scanners and you can share files back and forth among all 3 radios. There is a separate version of Sentinel used for the HomePatrol models. The HomePatrol modes Sentinel has a brown icon, the 436/536/SDS version uses a green icon. Sentinel can also be used for programming Favorites lists as well.

ARC536 by Butel can be used to also program Favorites Lists, it provides the familiar Butel interface so if you have used other ARC products you will feel right at home. The Pro version also supports Virtual Control as well as other features.

9) Will there be a base/mobile version of the SDS100?

Yes! The SDS200 is identical in operation and programming to the SDS200, but in a mobile package with a larger display.

10) How does the GPS unit connect to the SDS100?

The Uniden BC-GPSK GPS receiver works on many different Uniden scanners and comes with several cables to adapt it to these scanners. With the SDS100 (as well as the BCD325P2) however you need a different cable. This special adapter cable, available at scannermaster.com, replaces everything but the GPS disk and attached cable. Plug the round plug from the GPS into this cable, the USB plug into a USB power source and the small plug into the Charge/USB jack on the radio. The radio will be powered/charged from the GPS cable as will the GPS itself.

11) Sharing Favorites Lists with other scanners

The SDS100 can share the same Favorites Lists as the BCD436HP and BCG536HP, and since they all use the same version of Sentinel, it is really easy to share. You can create different Profiles for each scanner if you want or just program them all the same.

To share files from other radios you would need third party software and import/export those files with that software.

12) If I have many Talkgroups or Sites in my trunked system will it slow down the scanner?

If you have many TALKGROUPS then no, it will not slow the scanner down. The SDS100 (and other Uniden scanners) does not actually scan talkgroups, it scans SITES and if it sees an active Talkgroup it looks to see if it is in an active Favorites list and Department. If it is it displays the name and listens to the talkgroup. If not it ignores it and moves on. All this is done in fractions of a millisecond.

If you have that trunked system’s Favorites List set to Trunked Search the scanner will look for the talkgroup and see if it is listed. If it is in the radio it will show the name etc. and hear the traffic. If it is not already programmed into the radio it will display it as “Unknown” with the Talkgroup number. If you can identify the user you can add it to your Favorites List.

What can slow down your scanner is if you have a lot of SITES programmed into the radio that you have no chance of hearing. If your area uses a large regional or statewide system then either turn off or delete the sites you would not be able to hear. (The radio’s manual describes how to do this…). The fewer sites the radio has to go thru the faster it will get to them.

13) Do I need ProVoice, DMR or NXDN?

Well, maybe, maybe not… Check the RadioReference database and see if anything in that area use these modes. If they use them in the areas you want to listen to then you might want to get the upgrades. ProVoice is used mostly by public safety agencies in specific areas including Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Denver and Albuquerque.

DMR and NXDN are mostly used by business operations and campus installations but are occasionally used by smaller police and fire departments as it is less expensive than P25 digital systems.

14) Where can I go for more information?

https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/SDS100_and_SDS200_FAQ_Page has a ton of info on the SDS100 and SDS200

Using a two-way radio as a scanner

Posted on October 19, 2017 by Rich Carlson

One of the more common question we get here at the opulent ScannerMaster Palace is how do I program this (Brand X) radio to my local systems. Usually it is one of those off-shore $40 two-way radio with unpronounceable names that are flooding the market on eBay and in stores.

The basic answer is that you don’t. These radios are intended as Ham radios and are basically toys. Some can be made to receive on VHF and UHF conventional analog channels and even talk on them. This is not a good thing. First off the build quality on these things is poor. They are designed not for performance but for cheapness. If the radio breaks it usually cannot be repaired.

If your area still uses VHF or UHF analog channels then these might be able to be used to receive your local channels but they cannot do any type of digital or trunked system.

These cheap radios are not ideal for most monitoring anyway. They lack the features scanner buyers have come to expect such as banks, scanlists or quick-keys. They also usually do not support other typical scanner features like CloseCall, Fire tone out, easy field programming etc. They often do not work on aircraft, either civilian or military.

For not much more than you will pay for one of these cheap toys you can get a decent basic scanner like the BC125AT or WS1010 that will run rings around them with the feature sets. Our basic scanners start out at under $100 and have way more features than these junk toys.

Questions? We have answers!

Posted on September 21, 2017 by Rich Carlson

Here are a few of the common questions we get here at Scanner Master’s World Headquarters as well as the answers we provide. If your question isn’t listed please call us and ask.

Q: Do you have scanners that will allow me to hear Encrypted/Scrambled communications?

A: Nope! There are 2 reasons why we don’t sell scanners that work on encrypted channels. First of all it is illegal. Our people like sleeping in their own beds at night and not on cots at the county jail. Second, even if it were legal the technology just isn’t there to break modern encryption, especially on a device sold to the public.

Q: Do you sell scanners that can hear cell phones?

A: Nope, sorry, for the same reasons we do not sell encryption capable scanners, it is illegal and impractical. Years ago one could clip a diode and open certain scanners for the old analog cell phones but those days are long past.

Q: Can you tell me the frequency for my hometown police department?

A: Sure we can. You can also find the freqs at www.radioreference.com

Q: Are you guys the same guys at RadioReference? Broadcastify? Uniden? Whistler?

A: No, we are ScannerMaster. We are friends with these other companies and do business with them but we are all separate companies. We sell products from Uniden, Whistler and others but if you need support beyond what we are authorized to do we will refer you to the right place. We can often answer a quick question here and there about these places but we have no access to their files.

Q: Can you fix my scanner?

A: We do offer a programming service and programmed replacement SD Cards for ZIP Code scanners but we do not do repairs or sell internal parts. Newer scanners should be sent to Uniden or Whistler for authorized repairs, One great source for older scanners repairs and parts is G&G Communications, they can be reached at 585-768-8151 or http://www.gcomradio.com

Q: Can my scanner be upgraded to DMR/ProVoice/NXDN?

A: Well, that depends on the scanner you have. Here is a list of the scanners that can be upgraded for these modes. Some of these can change in the future so be sure to check back! If you have an older scanner then it cannot be upgraded for these modes.

Maker Model DMR ProVoice NXDN Notes

Uniden BCD996P2 Paid Paid No

Uniden BCD325P2 Paid Paid No

Uniden BCD536HP Paid Paid Paid

Uniden BCD436HP Paid Paid Paid

Whistler TRX-1 Free No Free Via Firmware Update

Whistler TRX-2 Free No Free Via Firmware Update

Whistler WS1095 Free No No Via Firmware Update

Whistler WS1098 Free No No Via Firmware Update

Whistler WS1080 Free No No Via Firmware Update

Whistler WS1088 Free No No Via Firmware Update

GRE PSR800 Paid No No Only thru Whistler

RS PRO668 Paid No No Only thru Whistler

RS PRO18 Paid No No Only thru Whistler

All those weird ports on the back of the scanner

Posted on August 23, 2017 by Rich Carlson

Modern scanners have a plethora of various ports, jacks and sockets on them. Here is a look at some of them.

Taking a look at the rear panel of the BCD536HP scanner there are 6 different ports on it. From left to right they are:

BNC antenna jack
External Speaker Jack
USB Port (used for WiFi unit only on the 536)
GPS Serial Port
3-pin power port
Coaxial power port

Other common ports on scanners include:

USB programming port
Record jack
Headphone jack
Various serial ports.

Let’s look at each port and what it is used for: (*Bonus! See below for an explanation of the weird hole smack in the middle…)

Antenna Jack: Of course this is used to connect an antenna to the radio. Most scanners these days use BNC, the little push and turn job you see in the picture. Some handled scanners use the smaller SMA connector. Some older scanners had Motorola or even SO139 connectors and some had both an external connector and an internal threaded connector with a hole in the case to insert it.

External Speaker: These are used to plug in an external speaker and are different than headphone jacks. Speaker Jacks do not limit the volume like a headphone jack will. When you plug in a speaker into the external speaker jack the inside speaker is disconnected.

Headphone Jack: The Headphone jack has a limiting circuit to protect from overly loud sound that can damage your hearing. Otherwise it works much like the external speaker jack. Headphone jacks are usually in the front panel of desktop scanners while speaker jacks are usually on the rear. Handheld scanners usually just have a headphone jack on the top.

Record Jack: The Record Jack allows one to pull audio from the scanner at a constant level that is not affected by the volume control. This is important when the radio is used as a source for recording or streaming. Some older RadioShack scanners and some current Uniden scanners have record jacks.

GPS Serial Port: Unique to Uniden scanners, the DB-9 Serial port (male) is used mostly to connect a GPS receiver to allow location based scanning. It can also be used to program or control the scanner with the properly constructed cables. Do not confuse this with the female DB-9 port used for programming on older scanners like the BC780XLT or the BC898T

USB Programming port: Most scanners these days use a USB-Mini port on the front or side to program and control the scanner. On many handheld scanners these ports are also used to charge the batteries and power the radio. On the BCD325P2 a special cable is used to connect a GPS to this port.

Other serial ports: Some older scanners use different type serial ports. Older Unidens (like the “XT” series) use a unique 4-pin square connector for programming and connection of the RH-96 remote head. HP-1 and HP-2 scanners use that same port style for connecting to a GPS. Older design RadioShack/GRE/Whistler scanners use a jack that is just like a headphone jack for serial port connections.

Coaxial Power Port: Most desktop/mobile scanners have a coaxial power port to provide 12 VDC to the scanner. There are 2 different jacks in common use. The majority of Uniden mobile and desktop scanners use a “Type M” male jack while most recent RadioShack, GRE and Whistler mobiles use a “Type T” female jack. Both use center-pin positive. Some older handheld scanners use smaller coaxial power ports but newer portable scanners usually use the USB port for charging and external power.

3-pin power port: This is another unique to Uniden port, similar to the power port used on some of their CB products. On Uniden scanners there are the regular black and red wires for power and a third orange wire used to control the brightness of the display when connected to the lighting circuits of the car.

Discriminator Jack: This is probably the most popular jack that doesn’t come on scanners. Discriminator audio is used to provide an unfiltered audio source mostly for data decoding. This type of decoding usually does not work from the record or speaker jacks due to the filtering circuitry in the radio. Scanners usually do not come with jacks for this but it is often added on by advanced scanner hobbyists to allow data decoding.

Bonus Round

See that threaded hole smack in the middle of the back panel in the picture at the top of the page? Most Uniden base/mobile scanners have that. It is used to allow a rear bracket to stabilize the radio under the dashboard. It is not mentioned in the owner’s manuals but is shown in the diagrams.

FRS/GMRS/MURS/CB: The Personal Radio Services

Posted on August 16, 2017 by Rich Carlson

Anyone can use one of several types of two-way radios, most of which do not require a license. From something the kids can play with to serious business uses there are a bunch of different types of varying quality and usefulness. These are called CB, FRS, MURS and GMRS. Only GMRS requires a license, the others do not. Each of the four services have different intended functions.

FRS: Family Radio Service (low power, short range, intended for families and individuals)
GMRS: General Mobile Radio Service (high power, longer range, intended for families)
MURS: Multiple Use Radio Service (mid-power, medium range, intended for business)
CB: Citizen’s Band Radio Service (low power mobile)

You ever go into Wal-Mart or Best Buy and see those cheap little two-way radios encased in one of the most devious inventions of man-kind (Bubble Packs)? They boast wild range figures (“35 mile Range!”) and are made by many different companies like Motorola, Midland and Cobra. These are called “FRS Radios” (Family Radio Service). FRS radios are restricted to ½ watt, non-removable antennas and are intended for short-range person-to-person communications. While titled as the Family Radio Service they are commonly used by businesses and government organizations. In my neighborhood I hear construction crews, hunters, the local school and the golf course maintainers on FRS channels. Just about everything but families… There are few restrictions on what you can use it for so business and personal communications are allowed.

FRS is actually pretty interesting to listen to in many cases. While a lot of the traffic is inane nonsense, like kids wearing out the noisemaking alert beep button, occasionally there is some interesting stuff to listen to. I live in a fairly isolated area 20 miles from the nearest town. There is construction going on and the crews use several FRS channels to coordinate activities. There is a school in the area that uses FRS radios too. The golf course guys use FRS when performing maintenance or to corral loose duffers. Local landscapers use FRS as well.

Listening to FRS channels at the mall or around amusement parks etc. can also be fun. The stores and shops often use FRS radios for clerks and stockers, customers use them to keep in touch with their family.

A lot of the FRS channels are shared with GMRS, so listening to one set of frequencies you may hear both services.

GMRS is a little different than FRS. Since a license is required and power levels are higher they tend to be used in a more formal matter. FRS also allows repeaters so you may hear traffic from all over the area. GMRS is often used by REACT and other volunteers as well as family businesses and often for just idle chit-chat and radio clubs. Sometimes it sounds a lot like ham radio.

MURS can be very interesting. It is on VHF and allows higher power than FRS but in many other aspects it is very similar. Like FRS there are few restrictions on what you can use it for. Since the radios tend to be a little more expensive MURS channels tend to be more business oriented.

CB these days is mostly a wasteland of unintelligible noise. It is still popular with the highway crowd but between high-power illegal amplifiers, over-driven power echo-mics and other noisemakers it is no longer a viable communications tool. It can be interesting to listen to however!

If you put these frequencies in your scanner you may find some interesting communications. You might also be bored silly but you won’t know until you try it.

General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS)

Freq (MHz) Remarks
462.5500 Repeater Output/Simplex (Repeats 467.5500)
462.5750 Repeater Output/Simplex (Repeats 467.5750)
462.6000 Repeater Output/Simplex (Repeats 467.6000)
462.6250 Repeater Output/Simplex (Repeats 467.6250)
462.6500 Repeater Output/Simplex (Repeats 467.6500)
462.6750 Repeater Output/Simplex (Repeats 467.6750)
462.7000 Repeater Output/Simplex (Repeats 467.7000)
462.7250 Repeater Output/Simplex (Repeats 467.7250)
462.5625 Simplex (5 watts)
462.5875 Simplex (5 watts)
462.6125 Simplex (5 watts)
462.6375 Simplex (5 watts)
462.6625 Simplex (5 watts)
462.6875 Simplex (5 watts)
462.7125 Simplex (5 watts)

Family Radio Service (FRS)

Freq (MHz) Ch #
462.5625 1
462.5875 2
462.6125 3
462.6375 4
462.6625 5
462.6875 6
462.7125 7
467.5625 8
467.5875 9
467.6125 10
467.6375 11
467.6625 12
467.6875 13
467.7125 14
462.5500 15 (Shared with GMRS)
462.5750 16 (Shared with GMRS)
462.6000 17 (Shared with GMRS)
462.6250 18 (Shared with GMRS)
462.6500 19 (Shared with GMRS)
462.6750 20 (Shared with GMRS)
462.7000 21 (Shared with GMRS)
462.7250 22 (Shared with GMRS)

Multiple Use Radio Service (MURS)

Freq (MHz)
151.8200
151.8800
151.9400
154.5700
154.6000

Citizens Band (CB)

Freq Ch # Freq Ch #
26.965 1 27.215 21
26.975 2 27.225 22
26.985 3 27.255 23
27.005 4 27.235 24
27.015 5 27.245 25
27.025 6 27.265 26
27.035 7 27.275 27
27.055 8 27.285 28
27.065 9 27.295 29
27.075 10 27.305 30
27.085 11 27.315 31
27.105 12 27.325 32
27.115 13 27.335 33
27.125 14 27.345 34
27.135 15 27.355 35
27.155 16 27.365 36
27.165 17 27.375 37
27.175 18 27.385 38
27.185 19 27.395 39
27.205 20 27.405 40

WiFi on BCD536HP. How does it work? What you can and can’t do with it.

Posted on August 2, 2017 by Rich Carlson

The Uniden Bearcat BCD536HP is the only scanner that has the capability of being directly controlled by WiFi. By using the included WiFi dongle one can connect a smart phone or tablet to the scanner and listen to and control the scanner with the device. There are some other uses for the WiFi dongle as well.

Uniden has provided free “Siren” software (available for free via the Apple iTunes store or Google Play Store) to allow you to use your smart device as a scanner controller. You can even use this as a remote head for the scanner if mounted in a vehicle or to listen to your scanner from the patio or another room of the house for a scanner installed in the home. Some third party software allows you to use the WiFi feature to connect the canner to the computer without the need to plug in a cable.

There are a few things that the WiFi dongle will not work for, this includes database and firmware updates and other programming.

The Wifi dongle is designed specifically to work with your home or office WiFi network. While we have read of people using it for remote access this requires such networking tools as VPN, if you know how that works you probably can figure it out. Sorry, we cannot help with notworking issues like this!

To use the WiFi feature you need to understand the two modes involved; Infrastructure and Access Point.

Infrastructure Mode allows your scanner to connect to your home or office WiFi. This then allows you to connect to the scanner via third-party software like ProScan or RadioFeed or to the Siren application.

To get to Infrastructure Mode use the following steps:

Press Menu then select WiFi Setup>Select WiFI Mode>Infrastructure Mode

The radio will look for local access points and list them. When it displays the list select your router’s SSID name.

Then enter your password for the WiFi access point. This is the same password you would use for setting up any other WiFi device on your network. To enter the password you scroll thru the letters and use the 4 and 6 buttons to move the curser.

Access Point Mode allows you to connect you scanner to a smart phone or tablet (iOS or Android) using the free Siren software. You would use this when you are not in range of your WiFi system, such as when the radio is mounted in a vehicle. This allows you to use a phone or tablet as sort of a remote control head for the scanner.

In Access Point Mode the 536 acts as an Access Point and provides an SSID which you can change or leave at the default. You then connect your phone or tablet to that WiFi SSID and enter in the IP address in the Settings of the device. The IP address can be found in the WiFi settings on the scanner.

Siren is the free app available at the Apple iTunes Store for iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch’s. It is also available for Android devices at the Google Play Store.

Siren is a neat way to use your 536 scanner but there are limits to it. It will only work with the 536, and it has limited abilities for control. It can set the range, select Quick Keys, set the squelch and start and reply the recording features but that is pretty much all she wrote. There is also a 2-3 second delay in hearing the audio compared to the radio itself.

The WiFi feature on the 546 is unique and useful as long as you know its limits.

Selecting Your First Radio Scanner

Posted on December 26, 2014 by Scanner Master

Buying your first radio scanner requires understanding the differences between radio systems and scanner frequencies. While you do not need to know exactly how each radio system works, you do need to know which ones are used in your area. It is never safe to assume, just because you live in a small town, your needs will be met with a basic analog scanner. You would be surprised by how many smaller communities have state-of-the-art radio systems, requiring either trunking or digital scanners to listen to two-way radio communications.

Find out what radio systems are used in your town. The first step to selecting a radio scanner is to conduct a little research and find out what radio systems fire, police, and other agencies use for communications. The easiest way to do this is to use our free scanner comparison tool. All you have to do is choose your desired listening range and enter in your zip code. Next, select the counties you want to monitor on your new police scanner to see important information about the radio systems used.
Compare scanner radios based compatible with your location. Our scanner comparison tool also shows you several different models of hand-held portable, mobile, and desktop scanners that will pick up scanner frequencies in your location. The key thing to remember is that it is not what features and options are on the scanner, but the type of radio systems used in your area. Every location is different, and the police scanner has to be matched to the radio systems.
Consider what agencies you want to monitor. Most people buy a scanner to listen to fire, police, and emergency medical responder transmissions. A small percentage of people also use their scanner radios to listen to other government agencies, railroad communications, campus police, and racer/pit crew communications at live NASCAR racing events. Choose a scanner based on the scanner frequencies you want to hear.
Radio systems used in your town can change. Police, fire, emergency responders, and other agencies do upgrade radio systems from time to time. Keep this in mind when selecting a compatible scanner. For instance, if your city currently uses a basic analog radio system, they might decide to upgrade it to a trunking system in the future. Unless you have a scanner capable of picking up both analog and trunking communications, you would no longer be able to monitor any frequencies moved to the new system. You may want to check with your city or county planning commission to find out if there are any plans for upgrading the radio system in the near future before purchasing your new police scanner.
Support options for the scanner. If you know you are going to need help programming and updating the scanners firmware, it is recommended you look at models that can be plugged into a computer. This way, in most cases, you are able to receive remote desktop scanner support without having to send in your scanner any time you need help.

For more information about police scanner radios or friendly assistance from one of our scanner experts, contact us today at 1-800-SCANNER (1-800-722-6637).

Radio Scanner versus Online Police Scanner

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Scanner Master

People have various ways for listening to scanner frequencies. They could purchase their own personal radio scanner or use an online police scanner radio. There are several differences between these listening methods. Deciding which one is best for what depends on the frequencies you want to listen to and monitor. Most online scanner applications only monitor a single government agency, such as the Boston Police. If you want to listen and monitor emergency services or fire frequencies, you have to download and install another application. Further, you might be limited to only running one application at a time, so, if you want to listen to multiple channels, you have to open and close each application to switch frequencies.

With a radio scanner, you do not have to worry about these issues. Instead, you can configure your scanner to monitor and scan the frequencies you want to listen to, or set it to one specific channel. There is no software to download, install, or update. An online police scanner requires maintaining an active Internet connection in order to listen to channels. If your Internet connection goes down, you cannot listen to an online scanner. When you use a radio police scanner, you do not require an active Internet connection. The device operates using either AC power, or batteries, to monitor scanner frequencies.

Another major difference between a radio scanner and an online police scanner is the number of channels you can monitor. With an actual police scanner, you are able to monitor your local area in far greater depth, compared to an online scanner. You have access to more channels, like public works, railroads, college campus police, taxis, and several other agencies not available with online scanner applications. However, keep in mind, actual radio scanners do have limitations on the distance they are capable of picking up frequencies, depending on the model of scanner you use. Without an outdoor antenna, physical scanners ranges are between 10 and 30 miles. If you do not want to install an antenna and want to hear frequencies farther away, then an online application would be more appropriate.

Scanner monitoring laws and regulations vary, from state to state. Some states do allow people to use portable radio scanners in their vehicles and other locations whenever they are not at home or work. It is your responsibility to review the laws in your area in regards to where you are allowed to use actual scanner radios and online scanner applications. Taking the time to review these regulations prevents you from using the wrong type of police scanner or scanner application. It hardly needs mentioning that regardless of whether you use a police scanner radio or an online application, it is against the law to use a scanner or monitoring device during the commission of a crime.

For more information about police scanner radios, or assistance in selecting the best unit for your location, contact us today by calling 1-800-SCANNER (1-800-722-6637).

Journalists Monitor Police Scanner Frequencies for News Stories

Posted on October 17, 2014 by Scanner Master

Did you ever wonder how journalists and news agencies learn about breaking stories as they occur? Many newsworthy stories are obtained by journalists monitoring police scanner frequencies using scanner radios. They might learn about a fire at a local apartment complex, a break-in at a local business, or some other type of emergency. Police, fire, public works, and other government services use radio frequencies as a means of communications. These radio frequencies are normally not blocked, so anyone with a radio scanner can access the communications between dispatchers and the responding agencies.

Journalists listening to police scanner frequencies do need to confirm their stories for accuracy before releasing the information to the general public. Not all information is openly shared between dispatchers, police, fire, and other responders over police scanners. More sensitive details about the situation are typically communicated over other secure devices, such as inboard computers and cell phones.

For example, a journalist hears fire and ambulance services were dispatched to the home of the mayor. Unless other details are shared over the scanner radio, they have no other information to report until they can follow up on the story. The only information they could share on the evening news or in the local paper is that emergency responders were dispatched to the mayor’s home. Journalists need to be careful to avoid elaborating further on the story until they have obtained all of the facts.

Is It Beneficial for Journalists to Share Information from Police Scanner Frequencies?

There is some debate as to whether the information obtained from police scanner frequencies should be shared with the general public by journalists. Most local government agencies do not mind if communications are shared with the general public, as long as they are reported correctly without any conjecture. What they expect from journalists, as well as from others using police scanners in their homes, is to be responsible with the information obtained from scanner frequencies. Thanks to modern technologies and the Internet, information is shared at a faster speed today than it was in the past. Journalists and others can post status updates on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites, as well as news web pages. Since information is easier to share, accurate reporting is essential in order to avoid creating wide-spread panic in local communities.

In addition to reporting on news pieces, journalists can use scanner radios to report details about weather emergencies, such as major snow storms, tropical storms, severe thunderstorms, and hurricanes. Sharing details about weather emergencies is beneficial for local government agencies. Journalists are able to assist police, fire, and other emergency responders in getting people off of streets, informing them to stay at home or go to their local shelters, as well as to share updates about the weather emergency.

If you are a journalist or want to monitor police frequencies at home, contact us to order your scanner or scanner package today, by calling 1-800-SCANNER (1-800-722-6637).