Close Call, RF Capture

[baybum]

Using a portable scanner, such as the BC-246, just as an example.

What is the typical distance you need to be within to capture;
1) Low power 800mhz portable
2) An 800 mhz repeater from a tower
3) A low power VHF/UHF portable
4) A baby monitor
5) A moble CB radio
6) A typical VHF marine radio
7) a neighborhood 900 mhz cordless phone

Just thinking about weather this feature is worth having, or is it just hype.
What other scanners have this feature?

Mike

[mciupa]

Originally Posted by baybum

Just thinking about weather this feature is worth having, or is it just hype.
What other scanners have this feature?
Mike

Of course it's hype
Don't tell me people have forgotten how to use the SEARCH feature on their scanners !

Radio Shack's in on it too
check out :
http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...ct%5Fid=20-501

[Voyager]

Originally Posted by baybum

Using a portable scanner, such as the BC-246, just as an example.

What is the typical distance you need to be within to capture;
1) Low power 800mhz portable
2) An 800 mhz repeater from a tower
3) A low power VHF/UHF portable
4) A baby monitor
5) A moble CB radio
6) A typical VHF marine radio
7) a neighborhood 900 mhz cordless phone

Just thinking about weather this feature is worth having, or is it just hype.
What other scanners have this feature?

Mike

Well, since the unit is not out yet, it's difficult to say with the 246T, but since it should be close to the same as any other counter, I'll try to help you that way...

First, ALL captures are going to depend on the surrounding RF noise floor. The more transmitters there are around, the more interference and the fewer captures, and the less range. It also will vary greatly with the antennas you are using. In in-band antenna will generally capture at a greater distance. Also, the greater the TX power, the further the capture distance.

1) Low power 800mhz portable
Low power being 2W? Roughly 100-300 feet.

2) An 800 mhz repeater from a tower
Could be a mile or more, but roughly 2000-3000 feet for a high power unit (non trunked, as the trunk control channel will self-interfere with any voice channels)

3) A low power VHF/UHF portable
100-400 feet. (VHF would be farther) assumed low = 2W.

4) A baby monitor
Flea power - maybe 50 feet.

5) A moble CB radio
Low power, and using a general scanning antenna (that doesn't work very well on any Low Band frequency), maybe 100 feet if you're lucky.

6) A typical VHF marine radio
Same as #3

7) a neighborhood 900 mhz cordless phone
As most are digital, it likely would not capture any. If it would, maybe 100 feet.

It's NOT hype, as this will be the same for ANY frequency counter. As for what models support it, currently just the PRO-83 (available for $55 the day after Thanksgiving) and the BC246T (should be available anytime now). I'm sure future higher end models will have it as well if it takes off as well as it seems to be doing (going by the PRO-83 boards)

It's worth having if you are close to any scene where you don't know all the frequencies in use. On higher power VHF/UHF stations, I've seen hits on my Scout from well over a mile away. If course, it doesn't receive the frequency - it just displays it. But, the range of the CC/SS units should be very similar.

Joe M.

[dynamitedjs]

no other scanner has this feature except the sister radio of this by radio shack which is made for them by uniden. Do you realize how long it takes to find a hidden frequency if you don't know where it's at by searching? Sure sometimes you get lucky on blue moon nights but it aint easy......plus you would have to know where to start in the freq. range.

[baybum]

So it flat-out doesn't work? Or do you prctically have to be within inches of the transmitting radio for it to be useful?

Anyone own one of these that can provide feedback?


Thanks,

Mike

[Voyager]

Originally Posted by mciupa

Of course it's hype
Don't tell me people have forgotten how to use the SEARCH feature on their scanners !

You have obviously never used a counter. How can you sit there with ANY credibility when you say that a 50 mS capture is no more useful than a 10-minute search - especially when the search is likely to wander by the frequency in use while nobody is transmitting?

That's like saying email is hype and ask if people have forgotten how to use snail-mail. Sure, they both get the message through, but one is a LOT faster than the other.

Joe M.

[baybum]

Voyager, thanks for the detailed reply.
Maybe at $55 it might be worth a shot.

Mike

[Voyager]

Originally Posted by baybum

Voyager, thanks for the detailed reply.
Maybe at $55 it might be worth a shot.

Mike

Of course it is worth it at that price. Worst case, you advertise it on eBay (a few times) with a much higher reserve and sell it for a profit, or you return it within 30 days for a full refund. I think I paid over $200 for my Scout, and that is readout only. Of course, that was about 10 years ago. At $55, you quite literally can't lose!

Joe M.

[dynamitedjs]

I would say at least up to 1/4 mile away

[dynamitedjs]

heres one for sale on e bay


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...25175&rd=1

[mciupa]

Post deleted and going to confession ops:

[UPMan]

BC92XLT (shipping now), BC72XLT (future), and SC230 (also future) have Close Call RF Technology.

I recommend you look at the BC246T thread for some discussion of the feature as well as the PRO-83 thread. Here is a link to one page that includes the Close Call discussion.

http://www.radioreference.com/module...&start=180

The people outside of Uniden who have used the feature will tell you that it is not hype.

[dc2wheel]

I have been thinking about getting a Scout for a few years now but always wondered how well [or not] it would work in frequency-saturated areas like downtown DC. Are these things going to be totally overloaded with every hotel, office building maintainance, hospital, university & construction site using FRS/GMRS/itinerant business freq's/etc?
-dc2wheel

[Voyager]

Originally Posted by dc2wheel

I have been thinking about getting a Scout for a few years now but always wondered how well [or not] it would work in frequency-saturated areas like downtown DC. Are these things going to be totally overloaded with every hotel, office building maintainance, hospital, university & construction site using FRS/GMRS/itinerant business freq's/etc?
-dc2wheel

In a word, no. In a few more, I would definitely but one of the mentioned CC/SS units before I bought a Scout. The scanner will not only do the same job at counting the frequencies, but it will also let you hear what it found and display the CTCSS/CDCSS used. (much more like an Xplorer)

As to why it would not be overloaded, you have to remember that although there may be many signals around, the likelihood of one being 10 dB stronger than the rest is still pretty great. Portables will only be strong enough to see within 100-500 feet or so, so they will only 'compete' in that area with other signals, and then only while they are transmitting. FRS/Itinerants/MURS are likely going to be low power, and on the lower end of my range specs (closer to 100 feet if not less).

Your range may be cut by 50-75% in a large city, but that still leaves plenty of use, as you will likely be much closer to things in the city as opposed to the country. In the city, you may be able to get within 25 feet of a construction worker and never be noticed, while you may not get within 100 feet in a rural setting - being noticed a lot farther away than that.

As I said before, what do you have to lose? Try a PRO-83 for 30 days (well, 25 to play it safe). IF you like it, keep it. If you don't, return it. If you like it, but want more features, return it and buy the BC246T. 8)

Joe M.

[dc2wheel]

Originally Posted by Voyager

In a word, no. In a few more...

Thank you so much...this is the kind of info useful I've been looking for. Much appreciated!
-dc2wheel

[kikito]

And don't forget the several other features the BC246T has that can help deal with interference and have better frequency hits when using Close Call:

- It can skip pager and/or data transmissions
- It can automatically switch to a repeater output frequency when it detects an input frequency match
- You can lockout frequencies
- You can select specific bands
- You can select step size
- You can select modulation type

So based on the above, the more you know about your "target", the more you can tweak the scanner to improve your chances of a good hit.

[Auren]

Originally Posted by dynamitedjs

no other scanner has this feature except the sister radio of this by radio shack which is made for them by uniden. Do you realize how long it takes to find a hidden frequency if you don't know where it's at by searching? Sure sometimes you get lucky on blue moon nights but it aint easy......plus you would have to know where to start in the freq. range.

The Alinco DJxt2000 has this feature, and it would be interesting to compare it with the opot counters and intercpetors and the close capture tech from uniden.