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Scanners

The technical side of broadcasting. Think IBOC is a sham? Talk about it here! How about HDTV? Post DX reports here as well.
k8jd
Posts: 603
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Commerce, MI

Re: Scanners

Post by k8jd » Wed Jan 29, 2020 6:38 pm

What ??
ALL my scanners have a search function where you only have to enter the lower and upper freq limits (takes u forever to search DC to daylight freqs, take one MHz bites to search), Some scanners will enter a freq that is busy into the next available empty channel in the radio, when you search !. Please read the manual thorolughly !



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Turkeytop
Posts: 8854
Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:27 pm

Re: Scanners

Post by Turkeytop » Wed Jan 29, 2020 7:35 pm

k8jd wrote:
Wed Jan 29, 2020 6:37 pm
What ??
ALL my scanners have a search function where you only have to enter the lower and upper freq limits (takes u forever to search DC to daylight freqs, take one MHz bites to search), Some scanners will enter a freq that is busy into the next available empty channel in the radio, when you search !. Please read the manual thorolughly !
This one has that function too. Whoever made that complaint in their review hadn't read the user manual. Now I have to figure out how to set the range within which I want to search?

Does the radio automatically switch to the mode being used? e.g. AM, FM SSB etc? This stuff is going to take a while to learn.


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.

k8jd
Posts: 603
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Commerce, MI

Re: Scanners

Post by k8jd » Thu Jan 30, 2020 6:59 pm

All my scanners have mode locked to range of freq, AM for Aero band and FM for all others.
You only find CW/SSB is on 6, 2 and 3/4 Meter ham bands . BUT on most scanner type radios,you can not go to the SSB mode.
The really good Receivers that cover HF and up to VHF/UHF, With any mode selectable, are very costlty to buy, around $ 1K and up !
Have fun learning your Uniden Handheld Receiver :D



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Turkeytop
Posts: 8854
Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:27 pm

Re: Scanners

Post by Turkeytop » Thu Jan 30, 2020 10:54 pm

So, it arrived earlier this week. I still have a lot to learn yet. I haven't loaded anything into the banks yet. Just using search mode. Mostly hams. I expect there will be more activity on the air back at home. I live near a rail yard and also an airport.


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I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.

k8jd
Posts: 603
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Commerce, MI

Re: Scanners

Post by k8jd » Fri Jan 31, 2020 3:09 pm

Is that black metal framework an antenna project in progress for your new scannder ? :D



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Turkeytop
Posts: 8854
Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:27 pm

Re: Scanners

Post by Turkeytop » Fri Jan 31, 2020 7:59 pm

k8jd wrote:
Fri Jan 31, 2020 3:09 pm
Is that black metal framework an antenna project in progress for your new scannder ? :D
That's the patio table. The radio doesn't work as well when it's on there.


Image


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.

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Turkeytop
Posts: 8854
Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:27 pm

Re: Scanners

Post by Turkeytop » Sat Feb 01, 2020 9:40 pm

Connected to an outdoor antenna tonight. Works a lot better. These mobile homes are like working inside a tin can.


Image


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.

k8jd
Posts: 603
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Commerce, MI

Re: Scanners

Post by k8jd » Sun Feb 02, 2020 12:02 pm

What kind antenna have U got up there ?
FOR my Scanners, I have three magmount whips on the metal roof of my sun room in the warmer WX, VHF Hi, Loaded VHF lo for around 35 MHz and a 5 DB gain UHF ant. Also have a couple of Discones with feedline running down to the radio room,



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Turkeytop
Posts: 8854
Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:27 pm

Re: Scanners

Post by Turkeytop » Sun Feb 02, 2020 8:39 pm

I was using the dipole I erected here for SWL. I don't have enough real estate here for a proper SWL antenna. Each leg is only 20 ft long. But it seems to hit a sweet spot with my Grundig Sat 750. It works great for SW, MW and even FM.

I tried replicating the same setup for my radio at home and it didn't work worth a damn.

It's far from an ideal scanner antenna, but at least, it's outdoors and up in the air.


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.

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WOHO
Posts: 820
Joined: Thu Dec 16, 2004 12:05 am
Location: 2965 Pickle Rd.

Re: Scanners

Post by WOHO » Mon Feb 03, 2020 4:29 pm

I believe this radio has the "Close Call" feature, so if you're lucky enough a nearby unit is in service it will stop and telling you what it found. Getting it back out of 'close call' is a giant PITA, but neat feature. Some railroads are going to NXDN mode, don't know, but SOME Uniden radio you can upgrade to include NXDN or DMR reception for non-analog and non-P25 digital Phase 1 or Phase 2.

Hey, got any secrets for building a 40m band antenna that will fit into an attic without starting a fire from high voltage?



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SolarMax
Posts: 702
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 5:59 pm
Location: 313

Re: Scanners

Post by SolarMax » Mon Feb 03, 2020 11:47 pm

WOHO wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2020 4:29 pm
...got any secrets for building a 40m band antenna that will fit into an attic without starting a fire from high voltage?
Unless you're trying to run a KW or two, you're not going to start any fires. String out 66 feet of wire in the attic, 33' each side of a center insulator hung as high as your ladder can reach, 50 or 75 ohm coax. Use a choke balun to keep RF off the shield. Run the wire in the rafters, zig-zag it, put it wherever it can go. I have multiple attic dipoles, 100W max, out, typically 40-50W on digital modes and work the world. Anything you put up will receive and radiate RF, just not nearly as well as a full size antenna at optimal height over ground. You do the best you can with what you have. Don' t overthink it.



syntheticexctasy
Posts: 118
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 10:26 am
Location: 49270

Re: Scanners

Post by syntheticexctasy » Tue Feb 04, 2020 10:40 am

I run two SDR dongles in tandem with unitrunker and DSD+ for ultra cheap, reliable P25 phase 1 and 2 decoding. You can even monitor multiple control channels (systems) at once and give priority to talkgroups from a global (multi-system) standpoint.



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WOHO
Posts: 820
Joined: Thu Dec 16, 2004 12:05 am
Location: 2965 Pickle Rd.

Re: Scanners

Post by WOHO » Tue Feb 04, 2020 1:18 pm

Use a 4:1 coax to wire balun okay for 40m? 4 conductor bell phone wire x 33' each side? Thanks, didn't think to zig-zag it with the ends flapping around.
73 to you SolarMax



k8jd
Posts: 603
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Commerce, MI

Re: Scanners

Post by k8jd » Wed Feb 05, 2020 5:23 pm

dipole wire should be insulated if you are worried about fire or detuning by touching odds and ends in the attic. bending ends around a corner is OK but just not bending back against the rest of the wire.
Best advice ...Move to where you can run your antennas up high in trees !



k8jd
Posts: 603
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Commerce, MI

Re: Scanners

Post by k8jd » Thu Feb 06, 2020 11:22 am

The screen reads "press any key".
I have searched the keys for one that says "ANY' on it. can not find it anywhere ! :eek



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