Scanner

The Scanner radio has been around for some time. They became commonly available in the early to mid 1970’s. On average they offered 8 channels that could be changed by adding a crystal to the logic board internally. They radios were used to receive airport control towers and eventually local Police and Fire operations. Some really early models had to be tuned using a dial like that of a transistor radio. The technology grew in popularity with the 1970’s CB Radio age. But unlike CB radio which almost vanished from consumer use in the mid 1980’s the scanner lived on. During the early 1990’s when radio systems began to get more complex the scanner was reborn. Models by Radio Shack and Uniden began to gain in popularity. The Radio Shack Pro-2052 and the Uniden Bearcat BC895XLT set off a firestorm of scanner development that continues into today.

Why do so many people have them and what can I use one for?

The ‘Police’ Scanner today is used mostly to monitor Police and Fire radio communications. Nosey or more likely board people sitting in a bedroom with little to do but want to know why the cops are at the neighbors house for the 103rd. time this month.

However there is another group of people who really enjoy listening to their local Police but also power companies and even airport or aviation traffic. Some people even just like listening to ham radio operators. Though the ham radio operators I know hate the scanner, the scanner has led many to getting their ham radio license. In addition the scanner has contributed to many becoming Police officers, paramedics and firefighters.

What can I hear on a scanner?

What you can actually hear on a scanner changes a lot but within reason everything from about 25 megahertz to 1.3 gigahertz excluding cellular bands. Now, can you really hear everything? There is the debate. US Military aviation operate 139-142 MHz and 270-379 MHz but, today, much of their communications are done over satellite communications which is part of the digital battlefield. Police communications have been increasingly moving to encryption to prevent people from hearing them and rightfully so, with crime rising so quickly everywhere it’s the only way to combat it, especially narcotics interdiction and organized crime syndicates.

What you CAN hear is still quite remarkable. While larger, butter funded Police agencies have moved to encryption other smaller, less financially blessed departments have not. Business radio systems for Security and Paramedics are mostly in the clear, All public Safety interoperability is clear, a lot of US government is in the clear. Railroads, aircraft, marine traffic all very monitorable. Ham radio, storm spotters and local civil defense groups are mostly clear so really there is a heck of a lot to listen to on a scanner. The question is what kind of scanner do you want and how much money are you willing to dump to buy one?

Currently we (The world) are going into some really dark and scarry times. In these times I would not be caught without a scanner at my bug out site even if I can’t hear the Police I can still hear other groups of preppers, survivalists and people fleeing the large cities. The information I can catch on a scanner will be priceless in planning survival moves. The ability to hear weather reports, disaster reports and other chaos even if the cellular and internet systems are down will be the difference between life and death. And, If I find myself locked down for 30 or more days the scanner will sure help pass the time and keep me out of the arms of insanity.