The combo BearTracker allows you to talk to other CB radios users while scanning for police, fire, EMS, and other available frequencies. With a 5-hour battery life and pre-programed to access most U. Are you interested in keeping tabs on the activities of police, fire departments and other public safety agencies in your community?
Despite the advent of smartphones, services like these still use two-way radio communication, and you can listen in and hear about all the latest emergencies, storm alerts, traffic accidents and other local chatter if you have a police scanner. A police scanner — the common term for what's more formally known as a radio scanner — can pick up radio communication transmissions not only from local law enforcement authorities, but also from fire departments, ambulances, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA , aircrafts and watercrafts both civil and military , and more.
With a police scanner, you can eavesdrop on all nearby frequencies — basically everything transmitted by radio, except for phone calls and encrypted signals. Nowadays, there are several police and radio scanner apps available for Apple and Android devices. So, why spend hundreds on an actual police scanner? The apps only transmit the audio communications that agencies decide to make publicly available.
So, if your local fire department doesn't offer a live feed, you won't be able to hear their communications. Apps sometimes also transmit feeds from volunteers who share what their personal scanners pick up. However, with a full-featured police scanner, you can manually input the frequencies of all nearby agencies so you don't miss out on any news.
Some models can automatically locate nearby frequencies too. Basically, a police scanner app is a decent option for anyone who wants to get a hint of what radio scanning is all about without spending hundreds of dollars.
However, anyone interested in radio scanning as a serious hobby will probably need to invest in an actual scanner. Tracking local events with police scanners has been a popular hobby for many years. Beyond the entertainment and gossip you can get out of such a device, a police scanner can be an invaluable security tool. By tuning into the frequencies of your local emergency services, you can keep one step ahead of crime incidents, traffic accidents, fires and severe weather events even before news outlets report them.
Even seasoned users sometimes face complications, especially when they purchase a new model. Also, you should know that most of the programming software for scanners is made for Windows. There are, however, professionals who will program the scanner for you for a price, of course , based on your location. Some can also be mounted in vehicles.
Handheld scanners are more compact and run on batteries for complete portability. Figuring out whether you need a digital or analog scanner is perhaps the most important factor when choosing a police scanner. To figure out if the signals in your area are analog or digital, look up your city or county at RadioReference. Analog signals will be labeled as AM or FM.
Phase 2 Digital Radio Scanners : These tools can send and receive signals from analog, trunk, Phase 1, and other Phase 2 digital transceivers.
Which accessories are useful with these devices? Stands : These allow you to mount your scanners in various ways. For example, you could use a stand to mount your frequency-scanner above a microphone in a studio. Speakers : Speakers can be a must when using certain kinds of vehicle and base-scanners or when you need clear and powerful audio transmissions. Carrying Cases : Radio transceivers can be relatively fragile when they get moved around, but you can prevent accidents by using a sturdy carrying case.
What types of antennas will you need? Are trunk scanners more helpful than non-trunk varieties? Browse by Brand. Nascar Advantage. Bear Cat. More To Explore.
Homepatrol 1. Uniden Bc72xlt. Radio Shack Pro Police Scanner. Uniden Bearcat Scanner. Magnetic Police Antenna. Radio Shack Race Scanner. Uniden Digital Police Scanner. Bearcat Iii. Mobile Police Scanner. Realistic Pro. Uniden Home Patrol. Digital Police Scanner. P25 Digital Scanner. Uniden Race Scanner. Gre Psr. Because these models have stronger antennas, base models get better reception and are more powerful than handheld, but you obviously give up portability. However, these tools have applications beyond listening to police communications.
Scanners receive transmissions from police, fire departments, air traffic controls, railroads, racing events, the Coast Guard and other services that rely on two-way radio communications. There is a lot you can pick up when you use the right radio scanner.
Staying updated on the happenings with the police in your local area is a smart idea. But police scanners also give you the inside scoop on local events before it hits the news. Updates on weather and road conditions can be incredibly helpful.
And that can turn into a real disaster if you live in an area with tornados or other natural disasters. When choosing a radio scanner, you should consider what features you want, how much you want to spend and whether the scanner is designed for beginners or experienced radio operators.
For instance, do you want a desktop or handheld unit? Do you want to plug in your zip code and start listening, or do you want a more sophisticated unit? There are also both digital and analog models available today. Below are the best police scanners for everyone from advanced users to first-time scanners. This handheld police tracker is easily portable and boasts a number of excellent features including a Close Call RF Capture feature, GPS connectivity, an extra-large, easy-to-read display and radio system analysis.
The scanner also includes an instant replay function so you can skip back and replay pertinent pieces of information, and you can set up custom alerts so your scanner can alert you when a specific event happens like a close call hit, emergency alert or other update. Pros: Convenient handheld design, plenty of features, customized alerts and instant replay.
This hybrid model scanner from Uniden does it all and more, with a CB radio, police scanner, fire, ambulance and BearTracker warning system built in with 40 different channels and a 7-color display.
It alerts you when any sort of public safety transmission is issued and the built-in GPS enables you to select local channels from their nationwide database. The scanner operates seamlessly alongside the CB radio so you can press a button and instantly connect to local police and fire stations.
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