Close

Results 1 to 19 of 19
  1. #1
    DF VIP Member PrideandPassion's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Scotland
    Posts
    102
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked:        0
    Karma Level
    205

    Default Scanners - what can i listen too?

    Hi all, just came across my old icom ic-r2 scanner in the loft, i used to listen to old analogue mobile phones, police etc. I obviously cant listen to that anymore but what things can i listen to these days?

  2. #2
    DF VIP Member
    tronads's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Blackpool
    Posts
    2,483
    Thanks
    75
    Thanked:        244
    Karma Level
    328

    Default Re: Scanners - what can i listen too?

    Quote Originally Posted by PrideandPassion View Post
    Hi all, just came across my old icom ic-r2 scanner in the loft, i used to listen to old analogue mobile phones, police etc. I obviously cant listen to that anymore but what things can i listen to these days?

    Not a great deal is the answer i'm afraid....stupid digital technology....
    Off the top of my head though, some Ambulance and Fire Brigades still use analogue systems I think, then there is the amatuer bands, and the stuff around 460Mhz that shops, security firms etc etc use.
    I cannot think of anything else really. Digital has ruined everything.

  3. #3
    DF VIP Member PrideandPassion's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Scotland
    Posts
    102
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked:        0
    Karma Level
    205

    Default Re: Scanners - what can i listen too?

    Cheers for that, I done a full scan on it last night and the only thing it picked up that i could listen too was normal radio. I take it their is no point in setting up the old rig (CB). Has internet killed that? Is the ham/amature radio bands suffering also?

  4. #4
    DF VIP Member doughboy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2001
    Location
    Beckenham
    Posts
    2,142
    Thanks
    139
    Thanked:        90
    Karma Level
    407

    Default Re: Scanners - what can i listen too?

    old cordless telephones

  5. #5
    DF VIP Member PrideandPassion's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Scotland
    Posts
    102
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked:        0
    Karma Level
    205

    Default Re: Scanners - what can i listen too?

    Quote Originally Posted by doughboy View Post
    old cordless telephones
    I think most people now use the digital style phones plus i am not sure i am comfortable listining into my neighbour on the phone to his bit on side or to bank etc mmmmmm then again i am a nosey so and so

  6. #6
    DF VIP Member
    tronads's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Blackpool
    Posts
    2,483
    Thanks
    75
    Thanked:        244
    Karma Level
    328

    Default Re: Scanners - what can i listen too?

    Baby monitors could be quite amusing...not obviously for listening to babies, but for when mum + dad went to bed and forgot to turn it off, hehe.

    As a new entrant to the amateur radio hobby, I have been dissapointed by just how quiet it is on there...the introduction of the foundation licence was I think supposed to encourage folk to give it a try as its so easy, but it doesnt seem to have had that effect....and there are a few retards local to me that I know have passed their foundation (so are not pirates), but they follow none of the protocols they should, and treat it just like a CB. Listening to some of their conversations is rather amusing though...I never realised such thick people exist.

  7. #7
    DF Member wes62d's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Birkenshaw, W Yorks
    Posts
    33
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked:        0
    Karma Level
    0

    Default Re: Scanners - what can i listen too?

    Where abouts in Scotland do you live? You should be able to get VHF/UHF aircraft on it. Let me know and I'll try to help out with some frequencies. You could try to scan the VHF airband 118 - 137Mhz AM, and UHF airband on 225 - 399 Mhz AM.

  8. #8
    DF VIP Member PrideandPassion's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Scotland
    Posts
    102
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked:        0
    Karma Level
    205

    Default Re: Scanners - what can i listen too?

    Baby monitors and amusing in the same sentence lol. I used to love my old CB wish it was still as busy and i would have set it up again 10-10!

    I am based in South Lanarkshire close too Wishaw, if you have any good frequencies let me know.

  9. #9
    DF Member wes62d's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Birkenshaw, W Yorks
    Posts
    33
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked:        0
    Karma Level
    0

    Default Re: Scanners - what can i listen too?

    You could try the following civil aircraft frequencies:
    Glasgow:
    Approach 119.1
    ATIS 129.575
    Ground 121.7
    Tower 118.8

    Scottish Military
    Exercises 124.05
    Military Initial Contact Frequency (ICF) 134.3
    Central/Southwest 134.475
    ATC West/Standby 233.325
    ATC East 234.5
    ATC East/South 251.250
    ATC Central/South 251.475
    ATC West 278.15
    ATC East 278.55
    Scottish Mil ICF 282.625
    Central STC/Leuchars 369.400
    ATC East/South Discrete 371.875

    You could also try the following (all Oceanic crossing frequenies)
    Glasgow Outbounds 120.350
    Aircraft Registered West of 30W (Mainly American/Canadian) 123.950 - I can hear these from my home in W Yorkshire

    In the New Year (when the military get back to work) you could try the following:

    Spadeadam Electronic Warfare Range
    Primary Hold 128.725
    Stud 03 241.825
    Join Stud 02 282.050
    Primary Stud 01 308.775


    Hope this helps.

    If you need any more, just shout up

  10. #10
    DF VIP Member PrideandPassion's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Scotland
    Posts
    102
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked:        0
    Karma Level
    205

    Default Re: Scanners - what can i listen too?

    Cheers Wes62d, i will give them a try

  11. #11
    DF VIP Member Deadly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Liverpool
    Posts
    3,553
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked:        3
    Karma Level
    523

    Default Re: Scanners - what can i listen too?

    Ambulance, fire brigade, marine band, amateur bands, civil airband, military airband, retail security (shopwatch/pubwatch) analogue cordless phones (there's still a lot in use believe it or not), baby monitors, pmr446 walkie talkies (used extensively in shops for staff/warehouse), cb radio (pretty dead these days) plus more

    There's still a fair bit to listen to in my opinion, it's only really the police that are totally gone now, and ambulance/fire will follow eventually, but for now most are still using analogue.

  12. #12
    DF VIP Member PrideandPassion's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Scotland
    Posts
    102
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked:        0
    Karma Level
    205

    Default Re: Scanners - what can i listen too?

    I have still not picked up anything worth listining too, plenty of static and some repeaters bleeping but nothing else, maybe i need a new antenna.

  13. #13
    DF VIP Member Deadly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Liverpool
    Posts
    3,553
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked:        3
    Karma Level
    523

    Default Re: Scanners - what can i listen too?

    Are you definitely scanning the right places, using the correct step sizes/mode?

    What would you like to listen to?

    Do you live in the middle of nowhere or near a big-ish town? obviously the latter would help! lol

  14. #14
    DF VIP Member PrideandPassion's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Scotland
    Posts
    102
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked:        0
    Karma Level
    205

    Default Re: Scanners - what can i listen too?

    i think so, i am scanning the full range on the scanner using the minumum steps which i thin is 5, I do live in a relatively rural area. Not sure what i wanted to listen too, just dug it out and thought i would pick up CB, HAM, cordless phones etc (my neighbours must all be wise to the non dect phones) :-)

  15. #15
    DF Rookie zaster79's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Sector 0,0
    Posts
    4
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked:        0
    Karma Level
    0

    Default Re: Scanners - what can i listen too?

    My scanner range is 100khz - 1.2Ghz

    I hooked up a long piece of wire (2-3 meters) to my aerial and hung it up. It increased the lower frequency reception by..well loads really. I was able to pick up a whole host of weird and interesting signals on AM usually but also USB and LSB as well) 7.5Mhz downwards to 500Khz including morse code stations, radio faxs and loads of really strange sounding stuff. And a bunch of radio stations, mostly foreign. None of it could be picked up on the included aerial.

    There is plenty to listen to, it's just everything is pretty sparse.

  16. #16
    DF VIP Member
    Cooleo's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    England
    Posts
    1,365
    Thanks
    19
    Thanked:        22
    Karma Level
    275

    Default Re: Scanners - what can i listen too?

    CB radio is still going

  17. #17
    DF VIP Member
    Brydo666's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Glasgow
    Posts
    3,414
    Thanks
    205
    Thanked:        181
    Karma Level
    456

    Default Re: Scanners - what can i listen too?

    Quote Originally Posted by PrideandPassion View Post
    i think so, i am scanning the full range on the scanner using the minumum steps which i thin is 5, I do live in a relatively rural area. Not sure what i wanted to listen too, just dug it out and thought i would pick up CB, HAM, cordless phones etc (my neighbours must all be wise to the non dect phones) :-)
    (Old thread, I know!)

    I don't know where you are in Scotland - but you can pick up loads from the airport from some of the small parking areas around Inchinnan & Renfrew.

  18. #18
    DF Rookie NattyFido's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Margate, Kent
    Posts
    16
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked:        0
    Karma Level
    0

    Default Re: Scanners - what can i listen too?

    If you are able to hook the scanners audio out to the line in of your PCs soundcard, you can decode some of those digital signals. There is a lot of free software available to do just that ie. wACARS to decode the digital transmissions from commercial aircraft and plot their position on a map on your monitor, you can do the same with ShipPlotter if you're near the coast. With a simple antenna and free software, you can receive weather satellite images live.

  19. #19
    DF Rookie NattyFido's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Margate, Kent
    Posts
    16
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked:        0
    Karma Level
    0

    Default Re: Scanners - what can i listen too?

    Found a list of satellite frequencies which might be interesting to scanner owners.
    http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/satel...ies.php?opOnly

Similar Threads

  1. digital scanners
    By gimp in forum Home Audio/Video, Electronic Toys & Gadgets
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 28th April 2004, 11:48 AM
  2. ok listen
    By GhettoMoose in forum Hall Of Shame
    Replies: 15
    Last Post: 27th February 2004, 12:47 AM
  3. Can someone do a sticky about the best scanners to buy ?
    By sanjuro in forum Home Audio/Video, Electronic Toys & Gadgets
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 9th July 2003, 01:48 AM
  4. digital scanners?
    By THE/ACKSTER in forum Home Audio/Video, Electronic Toys & Gadgets
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 7th October 2002, 12:55 PM
  5. Scanners, Pagers & Satellites?
    By bugnote in forum Home Audio/Video, Electronic Toys & Gadgets
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 19th September 2002, 03:05 AM

Social Networking Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •