Scanner School - Everything you wanted to know about the Scanner Radio Hobby

Ty Stevens asked a question on last month's Ask Scanner School and by doing so, he won a free consulting call. This is our conversation as I help him with his SDS100 and why he is having issues receiving in his home state of Wyoming.  This is Ty's first scanner and he has several questions about Sentinel, using his favorites lists, the best antenna to use, and if he should be using a GPS. If you w...

This is a question I see often on websites like Radio Reference and on Facebook Groups. How do I find the correct scanner for me? Or - I just bought this radio, will it work? Or - Why can't I hear my local police, what is wrong with my new radio? Or - How come nobody told me this wouldn't work!?!?   Today we'll decode some of the information in the Radio Reference Database so you can pick the righ...

I am asked this question often - how do you record your scanner so you can go back at later date and time to play back the audio Why would you do this?   Maybe you are looking for activity on a range of frequencies Maybe you are looking for new talk groups Maybe you are looking to figure out who is using a frequency or talk group     Maybe you want to know why the local rescue services are on thei...

Commercial Radios. Setting them up for receive only is safe, right? In today's session we talk with Harrison Wilson who explains why you need to be careful if you choose to use a commercial two way radio as a receive only device.   You can find more info on our website at  www.scannerschool.com/session81   If you are looking to get started with SDR, I invite you to check our our new training cours...

Many of you have have been submitting their questions via e-mail, and today I am answering some of them. If you have a question about scanning, please visit  www.scannerschool.com/ask  and leave us a message via SpeakPipe or the local number on our website.   We'll play your message on next month's #AskScannerSchool If you are a little shy, you can always use the contact form on  www.scannerschool...

  Many of us have multiple scanner radios in our setup.   But for those of you starting off, you may wonder why we do this. I remember when I first entered the scanner radio hobby, I couldn't think of a single reason why I would want or need multiple scanners going at the same time. Today we'll break down the benefits of scanning with multiple receivers.   You can find more info on our website at ...

We learn a lot from our fathers.   We pass a lot to our children. This past Sunday was Father's Day in the US. Scanning is something that not only did my father pass along to me, but something that even my 5 year old has shown interest in.   I feel it is very important to pass on a piece of you to the next generation.   My father was able to pass several important traits and hobbies onto me,  incl...

Basic Electrical Terms Volts, Current, Resistance, Power What are they and what do they mean?   We go through them today on Scanner School.   You can find more info on our website at  www.scannerschool.com/session77   If you are looking to get started with SDR, I invite you to check our our new training course.    www.scannerschool.com/courses     A big THANK YOU to our continued Patreon Supporter...

Many of you have have been submitting their questions via e-mail, and today I am answering some of them. If you have a question about scanning, please visit  www.scannerschool.com/ask  and leave us a message via SpeakPipe or the local number on our website.   We'll play your message on next month's #AskScannerSchool If you are a little shy, you can always use the contact form on  www.scannerschool...

It's no fun when your scanner radio won't work right. Here are some steps that you can do to troubleshoot a setup that no longer works correctly.   You can find more info on our website at  www.scannerschool.com/session75   If you are looking to get started with SDR, I invite you to check our our new training course.    www.scannerschool.com/courses     A big THANK YOU to our continued Patreon Sup...

The BC200XLT is the one scanner that will always have a special place in my collection. This was the scanner that introduced me to more of what was possible with scanning than any radio before it.  If you are interested in the BC200XLT, please see the show notes at www.scannerschool.com/session74   If you are looking to get started with SDR, I invite you to check our our new training course.    ww...

Getting start with scanning or sticking with the hobby on a limited budget can be a bit tricky. With today's high end scanners costing several hundreds of dollars, monitoring your local trunk systems can be a bit of a drain on your wallet. Today's guest talks about how he is monitoring all his local activity, including a P25 Simulcast solution all on a budget. We shared a few links in today's inte...

Many of you have have been submitting their questions via e-mail, and today I am answering some of them. If you have a question about scanning, please visit  www.scannerschool.com/ask  and leave us a message via SpeakPipe or the local number on our website.   We'll play your message on next month's #AskScannerSchool If you are a little shy, you can always use the contact form on  www.scannerschool...

  What can receive DMR, NXDN, P25, and other digital modes...and is free?   It's DSDPlus! Today we talk about what DSDPlus is, how to use it, and what the differences are between the free and paid versions of this versatile software.  We shared a few links in today's interview, and I've placed those links in the show notes at www.scannerschool.com/session71   If you are looking to get started with...

On today's podcast we have Corrosive from the Signals Everywhere YouTube channel. I've a huge fan of Corrosives work and what he has been doing for the SDR community.    Corrosive and I discuss  a lot of the more advanced things you can do with a software defined radio. We shared a few links in today's interview, and I've placed those links in the show notes at www.scannerschool.com/session70    ...

Let's Build Something Together!!   I will be hosting a 4 week SDR Workshop. Details can be found at www.scannerschool.com/courses     All session notes can be found on our website at  www.scannerschool.com/session69   A big THANK YOU to our continued Patreon Supporters.  You can support us on Patreon by clicking here. Please support the Scanner School podcast.  Visit  www.scannerschool.com/support...

On March 29, 2019, Whistler announced the end of development for the long awaited TRX-100 and TRX-200. What happened to this product, why did it fail to launch, and what does this mean for Whistler? I have a few ideas why this might have happened and I share my thoughts on today's podcast.   All session notes can be found on our website at  www.scannerschool.com/session68   A big THANK YOU to our...

Many of you have have been submitting their questions via e-mail, SpeakPipe, and Voicemail.  Today I am answering some of them. If you have a question about scanning, please visit  www.scannerschool.com/ask  and leave us a message via SpeakPipe or the local number on our website.   We'll play your message on next month's #AskScannerSchool If you are a little shy, you can always use the contact for...

No matter when you are listening to this podcast, mother nature is always coming up with a way to change the weather.    Tornadoes in the spring if you live in the mid-west US. Hurricanes or cyclones in the summer and fall. Blizzards in the winter.    If you are along a fault line, you have to worry about earthquakes and the possibilities of tsunamis. No matter where you live, you always have to k...

Programming a scanner using Uniden's DMA ( Dynamic Memory Architecture ) can be a very intimidating task. But don't fear this memory configuration any longer.  By the end of the podcast, you will understand how DMA works and how you can use DMA to program your scanner efficiently.  ** BONUS DOWNLOAD BELOW ** All session notes can be found on our website at  www.scannerschool.com/session65   A big...

  A lot of users in the scanner radio hobby have started using Unication G4 and G5 pagers. Maybe you are one of them or maybe you have been tempted to purchase one yourself. Unication has announced the G2 and G3 pagers.  One is VHF or UHF while the other is dual band. We'll talk about the new G2 and G3 as well as the new pricing schedule in today's podcast. If you are in the market for a Unication...

Many of you have have been submitting their questions via e-mail, and today I am answering some of them. If you have a question about scanning, please visit  www.scannerschool.com/ask  and leave us a message via SpeakPipe or the local number on our website.   We'll play your message on next month's #AskScannerSchool If you are a little shy, you can always use the contact form on  www.scannerschool...

Enhance your scanning hobby with these apps for your smartphone and tablet. Today be discuss 5 categories of apps that you can download to pair with scanning.   All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at  www.scannerschool.com/session62   Please support the Scanner School podcast.  Visit  www.scannerschool.com/support  to see how you can help us.  Some...

SDR - or Software Defined Radio - is bringing new excitement into the scanner radio hobby.    If you wanted to learn about SDR - this session will get you off the ground   All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at  www.scannerschool.com/session61   Please support the Scanner School podcast.  Visit  www.scannerschool.com/support  to see how you can hel...

This week is Valentine's Day - and I wanted to bring someone special on the podcast and get their point of view on the scanning hobby. My wife and I discuss the parts of the hobby that annoy her, the parts that she likes, and how to live in harmony with the rest of your family. We also learned that I can buy as many radios as I want.   All session notes with links to the items we talked about can...