Things to do with a radio scanner?

So say i got one for the first time hooked it up to my computer what sort stuff could i decode and listen to?

reply to post by definity


You dont de-CODE anything. You pick up transmissions freely across the spectrum. Police, Fire, Emergency, Disaster etc. In some instances, cell phone transmissions etc. if you are in range. A SCANNER allows you to SCAN.

reply to post by definity


learn the technology first, most scanners you wont be able to do a thing with if you dont at least know what radio is, sounds from your post you think your pulling things from your computer?



you already scan radio waves in your car..... radio.... fm frequencies between 80. - 105.


well most aircraft including commercial airlines use the freqs 110 - 140.

police, ems, fire are usualy higher up either in the 800s or 400s google for radio freqs in ur area to find out what is near you to be heard,

then when buying a scanner make sure before hand what range of freqs it covers

then learn it,

learn it good.

Where are you?

If your in The UK this is a good site and so is their scanning directory....

ukscanningdirectory.co.uk...

You could just go here:

www.radioreference.com...

Go to the "live audio" tab and there are scanners everywhere networked together for anyone to listen to already. 90% police, fire, rescue freqs.

Originally posted by mysterioustranger
reply to post by definity

 

You dont de-CODE anything. You pick up transmissions freely across the spectrum. Police, Fire, Emergency, Disaster etc. In some instances, cell phone transmissions etc. if you are in range. A SCANNER allows you to SCAN.

With most regular scanners that's true.

But there are coded messages, you just aren't allowed to listen to them or break the codes:

Numbers station

Numbers stations generally broadcast artificially generated voices reading streams of numbers, words, letters (sometimes using a spelling alphabet), tunes or Morse code. They are in a wide variety of languages and the voices are usually female, although sometimes men's or children's voices are used.

Someone somewhere is decoding those messages. But I heard some official from the UK claim that if you're in the UK, you're not even allowed to listen to these coded messages, though I don't know how they would catch you or stop you from doing it?

yeah im in the UK London and i thought stuff like rtty and sstv and other things like satelite you can decode using a scanner via a pc and what about packet radio? that numbers thing was very intresting!

Originally posted by definity
yeah im in the UK London and i thought stuff like rtty and sstv and other things like satelite you can decode using a scanner via a pc and what about packet radio? that numbers thing was very intresting!

Then visit the link I posted and get yourself that disc, I've got it and it covers everything, Military, Prisons, Security, Government etc etc.

You can listen to a lot of stuff, especially intersting for me is the 225-400 mhz band (in AM) where I listen to fighters, real ops and military training all in the clear with nothing more than a scanner. (also see that site for recomended scanners).

So I say get yourself a good scanner ay you are thinking, from ebay is your best bet, also an outdoor antenna will get you better results, and there's a whole world of stuff you can eavesdrop on, I listen to military, my local shopwatch, a few prisons, store detctives and a load of other stuff, also if you do get a scanner check this link out full of UK frequencies and have fun

The US Federal Government gave out free "HomeLand Security" grants to police/fire departments to replace their radios to the new Digital Radios.

So your scanner can't hear them anymore. Do you even pick anything up with it?

reply to post by Pervius


The same is true in the UK for EMS mainscheme coms, however there is still a lot to tune into, and even more so over there in the states, especially as you have digital scanners for most police etc digital coms, sadly we don't have that option as our ems use Tetra Airwave which is unbreakable.

I already answered your other question as to what you can pick up, the list is endless, Here's a military op I recorded a few years ago for the illusions forum (an old conspiracy forum that's not going anymore) that gives you a glimpse of what you can pick up...