Multiple scanners

Status
Not open for further replies.

bobsav21

Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2009
Messages
78
Location
Maine / Florida
I have seen/heard people who have multiple scanners in their setups.
May I politely ask what the advantage is to having multiple scanners are.
I recently tried to listen to 4 Broadcastify feeds from 3 major metro area's and 1 rural area at the same time.
This would be the same as having 4 scanner going at the same time.
I found it impossible to listen to because you have 3 people talking at the same time.
So that brings me back to my question, why have multiple scanners. It cant be freq coverage because some say they have 3 or 4 of the same scanner going at the same time.

Bob
 

INDY72

Monitoring since 1982, using radios since 1991.
Joined
Dec 18, 2002
Messages
14,636
Location
Indianapolis, IN
One that has a good ear can tell who is who by voices etc pretty quick. Thus dedicated scanners. I run an BCD396XT BCD436HP at same time with an PRO-96 and PRO-92 ready standbys for different traffic. The 436 on state system DMR and certain other things. 396 on county system and conventional local. 92 on ltr and rail. 96 on special p25 conventional and air.

Sent from my LG-K330 using Tapatalk
 

Eng74

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
2,036
Location
Kern County, CA
It takes time. Start with two once you get used to that add a third. The more you listen the more you can tune out routine traffic and pick up things, units near you, people you know, that you want to hear.
 

PrivatelyJeff

Has more money than sense
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 5, 2016
Messages
1,055
Location
Kings County, CA
I’m slowly moving into that area with 2 scanners now. It can be hard at first. I’m doing it because I like to follow Fire/EMS on one and LE on the other. It allows me to listen to one if something exciting is happening without having to change a bunch of settings temporarily.
 

rbm

Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2005
Messages
1,395
Location
Upstate New York
The more frequencies/systems that you try to listen to on one scanner, the more transmissions you will miss.

I have sheriff's for four counties in four different scanners.

I have the local PD, Fire, and EMS in another.

The remaining county PD's, Fire, and EMS in another.

Medevac in another.

FRS,GMRS, and MURS in another.

The power company in another.
etc.
etc.
etc.

I have a good selection of everything from three counties on my scanner feed on Broadcastify.

Rich
 

paulmohr

Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2017
Messages
170
Location
Adrian MI
The reason to have more than one scanner is because while a scanner my scan several channel, it can only listen to one at a time. So once it locks on a channel that is transmitting it is no longer scanning the other channels. This can cause you to miss transmissions you might have wanted to hear. For instance you have EMS, Fire and Law Enforcement for you local town programmed in, or multiple town in your area. The scanner my lock onto the EMS talking to the hospital for an incoming patient. While you are listening to that that Police may start a car chase at the same time. You would't know because the scanner was no longer "scanning", it was busy listening to the EMS transmission.

If you had more than one scanner running you could listen in real time to more than one system. In the above example one scanner would be transmitting the EMS, and the other scanner would hopefully pick up the Police chase you might have missed.

Or you could use one scanner to monitor conventional systems and another to monitor trunked systems. If you had enough scanners you may not even have to "scan" anymore, you could just set a scanner for specific agencies and monitor them.

I only have one scanner at the moment because of cost restrictions. I am poor and cannot afford multiple 3 or 4 hundred dollar scanners. I would like to get a cheap analog scanner for conventional system though. I am watching local flea markets and good will waiting to find a deal.

What I do have though is an SDR for my computer. Depending on what program you use you can scan with one, or listen to multiple frequencies at the same time. I let my 325p2 scanner do it what it does best and scan my area. And sometimes I use my SDR at the same time to just monitor the local police on one frequency and the sheriff on another. So I am essentially monitoring two channels, and whatever the scanner picks up.

All of these are run through my computer, even my scanner using the EZsoft virtual scanner control function. This way I can visually see what is happening and either mute or lower the volume on others if something interesting is happening on one.

And yes, it gets confusing, no doubt about that. Having the visuals helps me with that. And I have to sit and listen and pay attention. It is not something I can do while doing something else, like watching TV. If I do that I just use the one scanner. My brain simply can't take that much input at the same time lol

And I have no interest in rail roads or air traffic either. I only monitor Fire and Police for the most part. State police, my county sheriff, and my counties fire system.

Another advantage to multiple scanners is sometimes they just flat out miss signals. If you set two scanners next to each other with the same programming sometimes they will pick up different things. One might miss certain transmissions while the other catches them. It seems like the more systems and channels programmed into one scanner, the more you may miss. Providing you are scanning them all. Using multiple scanners you can scan smaller "chunks" with each one and improve your odds of not missing things. This is the reason I want a cheap analog scanner, so I can use one for conventional channels and the other for trunked systems.

There may be other reasons I am not aware of, like I said I don't really own multiple scanners. Maybe one of these guys with a whole bank of them can shed some light on why they felt that kind of an investment was worth it to them.
 

BCasto

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 16, 2007
Messages
351
Location
Morrisville NC
Here is a good example why more than one scanner helps. Recently I was listening to a local city PD in a pursuit. I locked the scanner on that pursuit frequency (talk group). The sheriff's office was called to assist. so, I tuned another scanner to the appropriate sheriff frequency. Then the state police joined, so I tuned a third scanner for them. I didn't miss any of the excitement.

Here is another reason to consider.. Often I am sleuthing trying to find unknown frequencies. I dedicate one scanner for that while I use another scanner to do my normal scanning.

One of the challenges of having multiple scanners is keeping them all updated. That is why most of my scanners can use the same ProSoft programming file. Update it once and upload it to multiple scanners.

Also, if you keep up with digital trunking developments, you are buying a new scanner about every 12-18 months. The addition of DMR and P25 Phase 2 are recent examples. When you buy a new one, keep the old one and dedicate it to some appropriate scanning service.

My 2 cents.

BTW, I have 7 :)
 

w8prr

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 23, 2005
Messages
276
Location
West Liberty, Ohio
My 2 cents: All the reasons stated are good ones. Do you need more that one? The question could be do you need even one. But this is a hobby and we all play it differently. I just counted and I have I have 9 scanners running, plus 2 digital portable radios that belong to an agency that I still have some professional involvement with. I also have fixed channel Plectron receivers on a couple of fire dispatch channels. None of that includes the ham equipment on other desk. Crazy? Its possible. Do I like it? Yep! Before I retired from a county 911 center I 16 fixed frequencies that were monitored all the time. 9 fire dispatch, 2 law dispatch, 1 highway dept., 3 LE interop and 1 fire interop, plus a Undien 996XT for anything we wanted to hear in surrounding counties. Could it be nut city? Sure could, but you learned it or you looked for other employment. Many couldn't do it, and that wasn't because they were dumb or had any other issues, its just a talent that some develop and others don't. Same here as a hobby, you do what you like and other do the same. Biggest thing is we all have fun
 

kd0ega

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 23, 2014
Messages
109
Location
Topeka, Ks.
In the man cave its a BCD996T and /\/\otorola XTS 5000 monitoring the local P25 system w/ a Pro 92 that gets a listen to during severe weather events locally.
At the present time I don't have the XTS 5000 programmed with the same talk groups as I do in the 996T ...eventually I'm hoping to get that taken cared of...so there is at times two separate talk groups at once. I have figured where to set the volume so that one unit does not over power the other.
Like others have stated, you get to hear more...Friday and Saturday nights can get interesting and if its a full moon, Katy bar the door.
I don't have any multisite issues, but there have been instances of one unit picking up a transmission when the other one doesn't.
I like having the ability to lock in on one agency or talk group and still be able to monitor other traffic.
 

ScanYak

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Apr 22, 2009
Messages
157
Location
Eastern Washington
Great topic. I agree it takes time to be able to listen and understand multiple radio transmissions at the same time. I’ve spent 50 years, 30 of that was a fire fighter for a professional department. I use some scanners but also single channel radios to listen to potentially six transmissions at the same time. I run two feeds, one a private server for police and fire and a Broadcastify feed using four radios for our local fire. I do it so I don’t miss any communication. After a lot of practice you begin to hear the voice with different inflection, urgency, speed and loudness that your ear notices out of the ordinary.

Yakima Fire Feed
https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/26070
 

ofd8001

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 6, 2004
Messages
7,891
Location
Louisville, KY
I agree with the above. Another example is the auto accident with a rescue. The police will be talking as will fire and EMS all on separate channels and often at the same time. With one radio/scanner you'll hear just a third of the traffic.

As noted above, trying to listen to three sources at once will be challenging, but with time, you'll develop "the ear". You'll tune out the mundane and pick up on the exciting.

If it's possible, while you are developing that ear, try to physically separate your scanners (or remote speakers). For example, police is to your left, EMS in the middle and fire to your right. Where the sound comes from can assist in identifying who is talking.

The people that have really mastered this art are dispatchers. Back during my fire chief days, I'd be on the phone with one of them and we'd be carrying on a conversation and all the while they are handling radio traffic too.
 

iMONITOR

Silent Key
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 20, 2006
Messages
11,156
Location
S.E. Michigan
I found listening to four scanners at once is actually quite stressful, and distracting, if you are trying to do anything else, ie; pay bills, catch up on emails, or even just surf the web. Even three scanners at once makes it a little overwhelming at times.

I think two scanners are enough for most practical purposes. There is a tendency to over-program a scanner with a lot of non-critical services in fear of missing something. This can result in the having the opposite effect one hopes to achieve. While the scanner stops on an active freq/TG to discuss a stray dog, you might miss the home invasion next door!

Just like the old days of selecting banks, today judicious use of quick-keys, help to zero in on the important services and talk groups to cherry pick what you actually are listening to.

Most all EMS/Fire/public service related calls are duplicated by police dispatch. Then you can enable other freq/TG, or even scanners as required to hone in on all the related activity, without having to constantly monitor them all, all the time. Try it sometime. L/O everything except your local police dispatch. See how pleasant it is to listen to, and how you really don't miss much by doing so.

Unless it's your job/responsibility to respond to all incidences, what you don't know, won't hurt you. Even most police stations only listen to their own services, and not those from surrounding communities, unless asked to do so regarding a particular activity or incident.
 

DJ11DLN

Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2013
Messages
2,068
Location
Mudhole, IN
I found listening to four scanners at once is actually quite stressful, and distracting, if you are trying to do anything else, ie; pay bills, catch up on emails, or even just surf the web. Even three scanners at once makes it a little overwhelming at times.

I think two scanners are enough for most practical purposes. There is a tendency to over-program a scanner with a lot of non-critical services in fear of missing something. This can result in the having the opposite effect one hopes to achieve. While the scanner stops on an active freq/TG to discuss a stray dog, you might miss the home invasion next door!

Just like the old days of selecting banks, today judicious use of quick-keys, help to zero in on the important services and talk groups to cherry pick what you actually are listening to.

Most all EMS/Fire/public service related calls are duplicated by police dispatch. Then you can enable other freq/TG, or even scanners as required to hone in on all the related activity, without having to constantly monitor them all, all the time. Try it sometime. L/O everything except your local police dispatch. See how pleasant it is to listen to, and how you really don't miss much by doing so.

Unless it's your job/responsibility to respond to all incidences, what you don't know, won't hurt you. Even most police stations only listen to their own services, and not those from surrounding communities, unless asked to do so regarding a particular activity or incident.
I disagree. It takes a bit of time but you can develop the ability to listen to multiple scanners at once. I asked the question of a member who posted a picture of his listening post which comprised several scanners, and the answer was that your ear becomes acclimated and you find yourself following multiple conversations at once, often with ease. I was doubtful but then I added a P2-capable scanner since my statewide system is going to start implementing P2 at some point. I kept the P1 scanner and split the programming up. It was confusing at first but just as developing an ear for digital modulation took a bit when I first started scanning that, my ear learned to understand it. And I soon found myself following two conversations at once. I recently added a third scanner and further divided up the programming (it was supposed to go in my pickup but now I'm wondering if it will make it out of the house:(); learning to follow 3X conversations at a time was even easier, and being in my 5th decade I'm certainly no spring chicken. Nor is my hearing anywhere near perfect these days. So if I can learn this, it cannot be too difficult.

I agree that when something interesting is going on you do tend to become distracted from routine tasks...but isn't that one of the better reasons to have scanners, to keep ourselves entertained as well as informed? It's easy enough to just turn them off if there's something really that important needing to be done.
 

iMONITOR

Silent Key
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 20, 2006
Messages
11,156
Location
S.E. Michigan
Well...I'm 67, and on a few medications that give me a little brain fog at times. Added to that, my wife has TV blaring in the background with all kinds of nonsense noise. Maybe I should start closing my office door. :wink:
 

DJ11DLN

Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2013
Messages
2,068
Location
Mudhole, IN
Well...I'm 67, and on a few medications that give me a little brain fog at times. Added to that, my wife has TV blaring in the background with all kinds of nonsense noise. Maybe I should start closing my office door. :wink:
I take your point and certainly no disrespect was intended...quite the opposite!
 

Ubbe

Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2006
Messages
8,944
Location
Stockholm, Sweden
If you have only one scanner that have constant chatter and it is the kind you want to listen to, then there's no need to get more scanners.

I usually have all scanners programmed with almost the same setups, except one or two that do searches. Some scanners use different antennas with different coverage on different frequencies. There is always one scanner that picks up the interesting traffic immediatly. If another scanner then gets that repeater with a stronger signal I switch over to use that scanner. Almost all my signals are weak, living in a valley at sea level. Different antenna types, or even the same type at different positions, receives differently.

/Ubbe
 

bobsav21

Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2009
Messages
78
Location
Maine / Florida
Schooled

Well I guess I've been schooled as they say. All very interesting comments and has given me a different perspective on the multi-scanner setup.
one that caught my eye and I didn't even think of was different antenna on different scanners.
That would make sense especially if your trying to pull in distant stations.
Having 1 radio on VHF with a great VHF antenna wouldn't be so good if your also monitoring UHF.
Separate radios on separate bands with the appropriate antenna for each.
That makes sense..
Thanks for all the info.
Bob
 

scannersnstuff

Active Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2006
Messages
1,920
I routinely listen to 2/3 scanner's and a fire pager, in my shack. I am a retired police communication's operator,so that help's. It help's to seperate the radio's, to different area's of the room. Listen to them at different audio level's as well. Try to listen to the excitement level's in the voice's of the dispatcher and first response people. This is usually an indicator of a routine or a "hot call".
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top