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Air Traffic Monitoring => Listener Forum => Topic started by: YWGTower on February 22, 2007, 06:17:48 PM

Title: Cheap scanner.
Post by: YWGTower on February 22, 2007, 06:17:48 PM
Hello, I'm from Canada, and I'm looking for a cheap scanner. Mainly to be used around the airport, and possibly about 5 or 6 miles away. Would a hand-held scanner be best for this? I'm not too far away from the airport.

Any suggestions would be great. :)
Title: Re: Cheap scanner.
Post by: blizzard242 on February 23, 2007, 01:15:51 AM
If you are going to the airport to listen than a hand held scanner should be ok. In general hand held are less sensitive than base models so you really should buy a decent antenna for the radio. I don't know if you have a radioshack in Canada but just get an adjustable telescopic antenna, it will fold for easy transport but is adjustable to Tune to the desired frequency, read the instructions that come with the antenna. Also another suggestion is to buy two good sets of rechargeable batteries. One in the radio and one ready to go into the radio. Lastly to find a good cheap radio try the old fav. EBAY. Its free to use paypal for buying and it is the safest way to buy off ebay. If the seller does not accept paypal reconsider the buy. I use paypal all the time. Hope this was helpful. 

P.S. check with the local police to see if it is illegal to have a scanner in your car. I know in Michigan, unless you have a ham listens it is agents the law to have the radio in the care even if it is impossible to use (ie. no batteries). Yes, it is technically illegal in Michigan to bring the radio home form the store unless you have a ham listens.
Title: Re: Cheap scanner.
Post by: YWGTower on February 26, 2007, 10:51:13 PM
Thanks for the information!!

So do you think one of these would work? http://cgi.ebay.ca/Radio-Shack-PRO-95-Dual-Trunking-1000-Channel-Scanner_W0QQitemZ330092806857QQihZ014QQcategoryZ40979QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

And would I be able to purchase an antenna later on?
Title: Re: Cheap scanner.
Post by: blizzard242 on February 26, 2007, 11:34:17 PM
That scanner would work excellently, and you can buy another antenna at any time, just make sure that when you buy an antenna it has a bnc connector. Its connector should look like the connector an the supplies antenna.
Title: Re: Cheap scanner.
Post by: YWGTower on February 27, 2007, 08:28:23 AM
Thanks for your reply!! :D

I see that the other one was getting a bit pricey because people were bidding a lot... would this one work too? :)

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130083798472&fromMakeTrack=true

Thanks!!
Title: Re: Cheap scanner.
Post by: Lezam on March 01, 2007, 11:16:14 PM
I have a little pro 83, you could prob buy it for $30 on ebay. I love it, used to feed the JFK feed with it
Title: Re: Cheap scanner.
Post by: pilotman1260 on March 04, 2007, 12:14:52 AM
I use a PRO-60 handheld and a Maldol AH-500 which is made for both Vhf And Uhf freqs,i pick up Vhf traffic from over 100 miles away and some UHF at the same distance,comes in handy where i live with Military bases all around and aircraft switch between VHF and UHF.

  pilotman1260