Anybody run a police scanner in your car ?

[Speedy_Gonzales]

I ordered me a 100 channel police scanner to use in my car. Its a hand held Uniden. Can it be tweaked to pick up more stuff ?

[eddierox]

POLICE CODES AND ABBREVIATIONS:

http://faculty.ncwc.edu/toconnor/polcodes.htm

[my5thNewUsernameHere]

I have a Uniden BC296D and never leave home without it. On most nights, it's more entertaining to listen to than watching TV. They come in very handy for avoiding traffic delays, speedtraps, and just having a general awareness of what's going on around you. Until I owned one of these, I had no idea how much domestic violence, DUI's, etc. were happening all around me.

[my5thNewUsernameHere]

POLICE CODES AND ABBREVIATIONS:

http://faculty.ncwc.edu/toconnor/polcodes.htm

Around here anyway, these codes vary widely from one town to the next. I've read recently that they plan to phase out using codes. After 9/11 the federal, state, and local emergency responders couldn't understand each other since they all used different codes.

Some other good sites to check out:
http://www.cityfreq.com/
http://www.afn.org/~afn09444/scanlaws/

[my5thNewUsernameHere]

Can it be tweaked to pick up more stuff ?

http://www.stupidscannertricks.com/

[Daniel P.]

Better, I have the same type of radio that the police use programmed to their frequency, but no transmit, I got sheriff fire ems and some farmers for 6 surrounding counties. I even have a descrambler so when they go "code 100" i can still listen in

[SLIM_DURST]

is it digital or analog? i heard that the analogs ones will be phased out soon.

[Speedy_Gonzales]

Around here anyway, these codes vary widely from one town to the next. I've read recently that they plan to phase out using codes. After 9/11 the federal, state, and local emergency responders couldn't understand each other since they all used different codes.

Some other good sites to check out:
http://www.cityfreq.com/
http://www.afn.org/~afn09444/scanlaws/

what about all this talk of police going digital ? Also whats the truck driver freq ? They are always good about warning of police

[my5thNewUsernameHere]

what about all this talk of police going digatal ? Also whats the truck driver freq ? They are always good about warnig of police

The state police here in CT communicate using digital (Motorola Astro, APCO 25). When the signal is good the sound is crystal clear (no static whatsoever), but it sounds garbled when the signal is too weak. You can't hear them unless you have a digital scanner, which unfortunately cost a few hundred dollars more than a standard analog scanner.

Truck drivers typically use the 40 channel CB band which is somewhere around ~26-27Mhz.

Here's a good place to start if you have any interest in scanning:

http://www.strongsignals.net/access/.../starting.html

[tater_salad]

I always have mine, and when I hang out with the car club and we do our cruises and hell raisin', we have two-way radios in the cars. Fun times, haha.

It comes in handy with the fire calls, too. I have two county law/fire/ems, and going to add more.

[Speedy_Gonzales]

is it digital or analog? i heard that the analogs ones will be phased out soon.

its analog......i heard the govt is giving grants out to switch to digital but who knows how long that will take

[86 IROC-Z]

I have an analog one from Radio Shack with a Whip antenna that I keep in my car. Its pretty cool, have all the local police/emergency channels programmed into it.

[my5thNewUsernameHere]

i heard the govt is giving grants out to switch to digital

"Adoption of these standards has been slowed by budget problems in the US, however funding for communications upgrades from the Department of Homeland Security usually requires migrating to APCO-25. It is also being used in other countries world wide."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APCO-25


FYI, APCO 25 is the name of the digital standard.

[my5thNewUsernameHere]

I have an analog one from Radio Shack with a Whip antenna that I keep in my car. Its pretty cool, have all the local police/emergency channels programmed into it.

In most places, an analog scanner is all you need. In my case, the state police are digital, but all other services (fire/medical/D.O.T./drive through burger joints/etc.) are still analog.

[Speedy_Gonzales]

this is the one i bought.....UNIDEN 100 CHANNEL BC-72XLT HANDHELD SCANNER....it only goes up to 512 mhz I think.....is there anyway to make it go higher ? and thanks guys for all the info

[86 IROC-Z]

In most places, an analog scanner is all you need. In my case, the state police are digital, but all other services (fire/medical/D.O.T./drive through burger joints/etc.) are still analog.

Well, I guess the loacal police haven't switched over yet cause I can hear them sometimes, smaller town I guess. Not much goes on anyway.

[my5thNewUsernameHere]

this is the one i bought.....UNIDEN 100 CHANNEL BC-72XLT HANDHELD SCANNER....it only goes up to 512 mhz I think.....is there anyway to make it go higher ? and thanks guys for all the info

There is no way to make it go higher if that's what it was designed to do. FWIW, most of what I listen to is in the 800Mhz bands. I would look at that cityfreq link I posted above to see what kinds of services and such you'll hear on each of the major frequency ranges for your area.

It is capable of going up to 1.3Ghz but I don't find much to listen to there. (It's mostly all I hear is HAM radio operators talking to each other about the fact that they own HAM radios.)

[Speedy_Gonzales]

got my scanner today it is awesome......it has close call capture....meaning a strong close signal will be picked up and alert me sound and sight....meaning any cop that is close to me and uses his radio i get it.......meaning drive slow lol....along with my new cobra xrs-9730 radar detector i got today i am set....heck i fell like smokey and the bandit lol

[my5thNewUsernameHere]

got my scanner today it is awesome......it has close call capture....meaning a strong close signal will be picked up and alert me sound and sight....meaning any cop that is close to me and uses his radio i get it.......

Just be careful...Many (if not most) agencies use the 800Mhz range which is not covered by the BC72XLT.

With that being said, enjoy scanning! You'll find it to be much more entertaining than what's on TV.

[Speedy_Gonzales]

Just be careful...Many (if not most) agencies use the 800Mhz range which is not covered by the BC72XLT.

With that being said, enjoy scanning! You'll find it to be much more entertaining than what's on TV.

I had a mobile/base a few years back they are fun