Choosing A Mobile Radio Scanner

Some people get a mobile radio scanner because they enjoy following police and emergency vehicle responses or are assisting policy in some way in a volunteer capacity. Other people need the scanner because they live in an area that has such severe weather that they can be left in perilous situations if they are not aware of incoming storms or must be able to get help when there is not electricity.

Mobile radio scanners are available in many styles and designs that fit the individual needs of their users. Some scanners are manufactured with the built-in capability to send an emergency signal to police and emergency services departments. Other scanners are designed to be used both in a vehicle or as a base station in a home.

On average a mobile scanner will pick up a frequency up to 40 miles from the location of the scanner. This depends on the type of antenna and location of the individual. A magnetic antenna which uses the vehicle as the ground for the antenna often has a greater receiving capacity and clearer audio than other antennas. In addition, this antenna can easily be transferred to a home base unit to increase the capacity of a home antenna.

Glass mounted antennas are permanently attached to the glass on a vehicle. Some people use these antennas on their sun roofs. Other individuals place the antenna on the back window. Some of these antennas can be removed from the base unit. But most are permanent fixtures on the vehicle once they are installed.

There are hundreds of channels monitored by the scanner. When it reaches an active channel during search mode it will stop. The scanner also stores thousands of channels making it easier for a person to collect favorite channels or frequencies in one location. Some of the scanners are available in a VHF frequency that is used by police, military, air traffic, etc. The frequency for these scanners is 30Mhz to 300Mhz. If an individual wants a scanner with more range, they may select a scanner that include VHF and UHF capability which increases the frequency to 300Mhz to 3Ghz. These frequencies are often used by agencies on their two-way radios.

An individual can store thousands of channels on their scanner. It is possible to scan hundreds of frequencies per second. There are scanners manufactured that also can follow APCO-PC 25 digital frequencies and trunked systems. These frequencies are used by emergency services and security agencies in the federal, state, and local governments. Some of the transmissions of these agencies is encrypted and mobile radio scanners cannot receive them for security purposes.

There are many times when the mobile radio scanner that one selects will provide security. This is especially true of individuals who travel a lot or live in areas with severe climate changes. Having a mobile scanner that can receive important information when one is traveling, or emit an emergency beacon when a person is stranded is of enormous benefit to most people.