Let's talk Scanners

[Chris558]

I've decided it's time for a new Airband scanner. I've currently got an AR1500, had it since the mid '90s, and even then it was reduced to clear. I didn't know much about scanners then, so didn't know how good it was. It's been good enough for me, but the battery life is so short, and I think now they're probably wearing out.

I wanted to continue with UHF to pick up RAF stuff, and after reading reviews on the web I've more-or-less settled for the Uniden UBC3500XLT. It's fairly new and for the modest price it's packed with features and is regarded as setting the standard with its 'Close Call' feature, inherited from it's predecessor. Here's a comprehensive review if you're interested....http://www.ukmidlandscanner.co.uk/uni3500.htm

What scanner have you got, and am I right in thinking that technology has moved on a lot since the AR1500, such as sensitivity?

[DaveB]

Hi Chris..

You've gotta be a lot keener than me to go for something like that I have a couple of hand held scanners.. Alinco DJ-X3 and Maycom AR108 (the latter bought because someone popped down the Falklands with the DJ-X3!) and a Realistic 200 Pro 2039 desktop and I don't use any of them often. In fact, I can't remember when I last saw the AR108! The 108 wasn't too bad on batteries but didn't set the world alight.. the DJ-X3 eats batteries but is a far superior bit of kit (though both have been superceeded many times over). That said, battery technology has come on some let alone scanner technology so rechargables would be the way to go with regular use.
If that 3500XLT pushes the right buttons for you, then go for it mate. The more functions it has, it's obviously gonna take a toll on the battery life and I don't think you're gonna get away from this ;-)

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[Chris558]

Evening Dave!

Actually I was looking at cheaper ones as I don't use them a graet deal, but as far as I could make out, anything under the £150 mark doesn't have a mains adapter which is useful for home use, and with that in mind I'm also thinking of getting an antenna to stick in the loft....Hope I'm not becoming an Anorak...oh I am already!

[Tako_Kichi]

It looks very impressive but as I am a Radio Ham I have always had Ham radios that were able to work 'out of band' and do the same job as dedicated scanners (I even have air band on one of my handheld Ham radios).

Uniden are a reputable (and long established) company and put out some very nice gear (I'm not sure but I think they may be part of the Kenwood group). Many years ago when the first legal CBs came out in the UK I had a Uniden CB and it was a nice piece of kit and did it's job very well.

Re. your comment on technology, I would imagine that everything has moved on considerably since your AR1500 came out and it sounds like you will get your monies worth out of it. I looked at the price and considering I haven't priced any radio equipment in UK Pounds in over 15 years it seems like good value for money and is not that much more than the price of good scanners back then.

I just did a quick check to see what prices were like on this side of the pond and made a very interesting discovery. It would appear that the model number you specified is a UK or EU only item as it is not listed for NA but one site gave a possible equivalent and the fact that the UK/EU version has some features disabled (probably to comply with local laws). The NA version was also roughly the same numeric value in USD which in real terms means roughly half the price! :o Looks like the UK/EU is being gouged again! :@

HTH

[DaveB]

Hi Chris..

I can't remember what I paid for the Alinco DJ-X3 (probably sub £150.. I seem to remember £125.. £130.. something like that) and it DOES have an external pwr socket. That was how I used to use it at home before the desktop jobbie arrived on the scene ;-) You can pick up those multipin adaptors for a song these days and being multipin, you can plug em into untold bit's of tat
I seem to remember the latest (baby) of Alinco's is the DJ-X7 and it's around the £125 mark?? :think: It does a great deal more than mine does (and mine does more than I need) and it looks a lot slimmer. I've no personal experience of that particular version.. only of Alinco as a brand and where that's concerned, I've had no complaints at all with the performance of mine. It works as well today as it did the 7 or 8 years ago when bought ;-) Mine covers .100~1299.995mhz (.1~1300) with A3(AM), F3(FM,WFM,WFM Stereo) and can store 700 channels so I dread to think what the new version can do :o

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[DaveB]

Hi Larry

Picking up your point on US and UK versions.. as far as my old DJ-X3 goes, it's the US versions that are 'freq disabled' (according to the blurb that comes with the scanner). Some cellular freqs (back then.. probably more so now) were 'inversion scrambled'.. a feature the DJ-X3 can decode. This feature is disabled for the US market ;-)
For my part.. I have enough trouble finding what I want anyway without it being scrambled too

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[Tako_Kichi]

I think it's a bit of 'swings and roundabouts' Dave to be honest. Both sides of the pond tend to have freqs that you are not supposed to listen to and therefore equipment is supplied as disabled on those bands (but usually a quick search on the net and a few button presses in the correct sequence can usually open them up again ;-) ). Cell phone bands tend to be excluded on scanners over here for sure.

I must admit I like the Canadian attitude to Radio Hams and what they can listen to, basically if the signal is in the 'air' and you are able to 'pull it in' then you are free to listen to it. What you can't do is repeat anything you have heard on anything other than the Ham bands as that is an offence!

Having said all that all my Ham Radio equipment is stored in boxes at the moment as I am not able to put up my antennas at this current location and I do most of my 'listening' via live scanner pages on the internet. I quite often tune into the ATC at Pearson International, Toronto (CYYZ) if I fancy a bit of 'air band' listening especially in the winter or if there are bad storms in the Toronto area.

Edit:
If anyone is interested this is the page I use to listen to ATC traffic and you need to scroll down to find Pearson International, Toronto (CYYZ)...

http://www.liveatc.net/feedindex.php?type=canada

I usually just use one of the 'in browser' feeds. There are links at the top of the page for other geographic areas.

This page....

http://www.liveatc.net/recordings.php

..has some interesting and sometimes humorous recordings captured from the feeds.

[ianhind]

The NA version was also roughly the same numeric value in USD which in real terms means roughly half the price!

OFFTOPIC

Not any more! One reason that the Brits are not heading across the pond this year. But they won't be going to Euro land either. :-(

When I read the rest of the thread, I may have some comments as well.

[ianhind]

This was my first scanner. Note the "museum" part of the URL
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/gauer_gauers_vhf_6221.html

I've still got it for sentimental reasons (so applicable to thread!) and it served me well as a teenager listening to the ATC around London in the late 60s.

Here in the middle of nowhere, I bought a Radio Shack PRO-60 on special offer many years ago (I use rechargeable AA batteries in it). It has little use, since there is not a lot of activity but I'm interested to see what is the current status in case I decide to move on. The ability of that Uniden to choose the frequency step might be useful from what I was reading last week - can't find the link now.

[Tomliner]

Hi Chris.I use the Yupiteru MVT7100.I've had for some years now and can't fault it.I think it may have been superceded now. EricT