Scanner suggestions

[tzracer]

I am looking for suggestions for a scanner for at the track (MW, GP regions).

[spyderchick]

I've got a radio shack scanner. Too many buttons.

[Chris_s]

what exactly can be heard over a scanner at the track?  just conerworkers and such?  shoot me a frequency ;D

[Burt Munro]

I've got a 30 channel Uniden I bought on e-bay a couple of years ago. Came with full cover headphones with individual volume controls on each side and a bag to carry everything.  I think it was about $80 including shipping.  Also works with a standard discman type earplug or earbud. I think Heather might have the same model.  When I waas looking Radio Shack was about $20 more.  I think they sell the Uniden at Wally World too.\

Mines a lot like this one - only has one headset though....  http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=40058&item=5770228311&rd=1


If you're interested in trying it at Blackhawk I'll bring it with me.  I probably won't use it working Tech/Grid.

Rick

[tzracer]

What frequency range(s) should I be looking for? I had a scanner years ago, it either does not work or cannot pick up the frequencies that the tracks are now using.

[Dawn]

http://www.racemotorcycles.com/cgi-bin/board/YaBB.pl?board=cornerworkers;action=display;num=1050814594

[StumpysWife]

I still have my Walmart Uniden--can't live without it.  I've dropped it from my pitbike 500 times and it still works great.  

Heather

[Woofentino Pugrossi]

I have a Sony Wavehawk (no longer in production :( ). Picks up everything but cell phone and cordless phone frequencies (which any scanner made within the last 5-10 years or so wont due to law) and some restricted federal channels.

[dylanfan53]

I got the Radio Shack one on sale.  If it weren't for Heather I wouldn't know how to use it.  Two frequencies are all I know, corner workers and PA.  I don't know the #'s.  I just push 1 or 2.  Hope they don't change them or I might as well sell it on Ebay.

[tzracer]

I still have my Walmart Uniden--can't live without it. ÊI've dropped it from my pitbike 500 times and it still works great. Ê

Heather

Heather do you know which model Uniden it is?

[EX#996]

Brian,

I believe it's the Uniden (Bearcat) BC60XLT.  It's a 30 Channel 10 Band portable scanner.  I picked up mine at a local Fleet Farm for around $95.00.

It works great.

Dawn   :)

[Mark Bernard]

 I picked up mine at a local Fleet Farm for around $95.00.

It works great.

Dawn   :)

That just slays me... "Fleet Farm" Down here its called "Farm & Fleet"

[tzracer]

Dawn, thanks for the info, that is the model at which I was looking.

That just slays me... "Fleet Farm" Down here its called "Farm & Fleet"

Mark, both stores exist. Of course TSC is closer to me than either Fleet Farm or Farm & Fleet.

[Mark Bernard]

Yea... I saw the Fleet Farm in Plymouth. I just chuckle every time I see it.  :D

[Burt Munro]

Do a search on e-bay for bc60xlt

There are at least 30 of them listed - mostly the price varies by the type of headset(s) that come with them.  There's one on there at $22.50 with about 8 hrs. to go. Doesn't have the AC adapter for it but you probably wouldn't use that much at the track anyway.  Also doesn't come with a headphone.

Rick

[StumpysWife]

Do a search on e-bay for bc60xlt

Yup, that's mine.  I don't have earphones or anything like that.  Stumpy's dad has one ear bud he keeps in with the same scanner in a bag so his hands are free.  

Heather

[EmerWil]

radio shack currently has the Pro-83 on sale for $79.99.  That's the perfect scanner for the track.  It is small, has rubber grips on the side and has an awesome orange backlight for night use.

You do not need a 200-channel trunking scanner.  

I also suggest you get the NIMH rechargeable batteries and a recharger adapter (either vehicle or AC).  This way you can be constantly charging the batteries while they're inside the scanner and you never have to worry about carrying replacement batteries.  Plus the NMIH batteries don't develop a 'memory block' like their old sibling NiCD.

good luck!

oh..and get the extended warranty. it's 39 some dollars for 3 years..will pay for itself the first time you need it.

[SVbadguy]

Check out the classifieds section of //www.radioreference.com.  

This site also has a huge frequency database for the entire country and some foreign countries.  I haven't checked but you may be able to find some track freqs in the database or you can add any you have, something I need to do.

IMO, It's the best scanner site on the net.

[pmoravek]

I just picked up one of those PRO-83's at Radio Shack. It seems like its pretty easy to use. I really wanted a simple one because I'm not super familiar with the workings of a radio/scanner or any of that kind of thing....unlike Travis, who will rewire his scanner to pickup on any Al Qaida radio traffic at the track.

 ;D

[EmerWil]

hey PMO...

check this out...

for a couple dollars you can get a interface that goes between your scanner and your laptop computer.  

Along with a copy of Police Call (a radio shack book that has every scanner freq broken up by US region) and the CD in the back you can program your scanner using your laptop.

Pretty cool eh? You use the CD in the back of Police Call and select the frequencies you want.  The CD then uses a program to dump the frequencies to the scanner.  :)

[EmerWil]

some local freq's for Summit include:

  Skywarn spotter network (severe weather)
      147.300mhz


and NOAA is on either 162.550mhz or 162.475mhz


Oh and btw...Avoid downtown Winchester at all costs! they are in the middle of Apple Blossom Festival!!

[Burt Munro]

Hey EmerWil....

Local police in my area are using a newer system that I don't think I can pick up with a simple scanner.

Info I picked up from the radio reference site above gave me this info:

System Type: Motorola Type II SmartZone
System Voice: Analog and APCO-25 Common Air Interface  

Do you know if you need a trunking system to pick up calls from this type of system?

Rick

[EmerWil]

racer..

where are you and I can check my "sources"

or specifically what dept?

[Burt Munro]

Suburb west of St. Louis, MO - St. Charles County

Specifically City of St. Charles PD and City of St. Peters PD seem to use similar systems based on info from the radioreference.com website.

Thanks!

Rick

[EmerWil]

yes..you will definately need a scanner that has the trunking capability.  And this is actually the 2nd generation of trunking so you may need to look into some kind of trunk-tracking software.

check out this site for definitions....

http://radioscanning.wox.org/Scanner/Trunk_Systems/Motorola%20Trunking%20Systems%20Information.htm

[SVbadguy]

Hey EmerWil....

Local police in my area are using a newer system that I don't think I can pick up with a simple scanner.

Info I picked up from the radio reference site above gave me this info:

System Type: Motorola Type II SmartZone
System Voice: Analog and APCO-25 Common Air Interface  

Do you know if you need a trunking system to pick up calls from this type of system?

Rick

Fortunately for you they're still analog, but they could go digital at some point.

If they ever went digital or you want to be able to hear other localities on a digital system, you would need what I have, a Uniden Bearcat BC-250D or the updated version BC-296D, they are handhelds.  They also make base types the BC-785D and BC-796D.   Radio Shack's digital trunking model is the Pro-96.  RS has a newer version also.  

All of these scanners come with software for programming them.  There are also dozens of other  programs available on the net.

[Burt Munro]

Fortunately for you they're still analog, but they could go digital at some point.

 

Thanks for the tip - I'll make sure and pull my next bank robbery soon! ;D