Do scanners pickup local calls?

[platinumrx8]

Was just curious if you guys ever come across phone conversations and such.
I remember back in the day when I was a kid and my parents had the wireless home phones, before 900 mhz ones came out.. occassionally I could pick up others around me by switching channels. When I went to a 900 mhz phone and it would not do this as much, but sometimes.

. I know the FCC has cell phone freqs blocked from scanners.

anyways. thanks

 

[elk2370bruce]

The answer is no. Even if you could, that activity is now prohibited by FCC law. Besides, most of the calls would be boring as hell. "Pick up milk, bread, and a box of disposable diapers on the way home. Juicy conversations would be few and far between. Most of the cell traffic uses multiple frequencies and constantly shifting patterns any way. Don't even go there!

 

[platinumrx8]

k, was just curious..

I guess the cell phone freq's are reserved for our gov't to listen in on.

 

[elk2370bruce]

They are probably the only ones who can afford the gear needed for these systems and the satellites that serve them. Whether we like ot or not, the Patriot Act lives, breathes, and fornicates.

 

[policeMonitor]

i use to listen back when it was analog so it was able to be done with a modded scanner

 

[mjthomas59]

If you buy a scanner which was made outside of the U.S. or for distribution outside the US then cellular is unblocked. Seems kind of ridiculous for it to be ok everywhere else except here. Canada, Europe, and Australia versions i believe are all unblocked. I have no clue what you would hear on these frequencies or if cell phones nowadays do in fact change frequencies all the time or patterns, i realy don't know as i don't try and listen to them anyway. Most cordless phones have switched over to 2.4 or 5.8ghz anyway so it is probably only the highend of the unblocked scanners which would pick them up anyway And if you get caught(i don't know how you would but i'm sure our gov't is capable) you would be in some trouble.

 

[ReceiverBeaver]

Hi PlatRX8,

Actually the answer is yes and no. There are still plenty of folks using the older 46-49mhz cordless phones. Most people don't give any thought that they might be getting monitored by someone with a scanner and as long as their phone still works.....they keep on using it.

So you can still receive these calls on an typical analog scanner that has the VHF Low range on it.

Is it legal? No, but there's no enforcement and the neither the FCC nor anyone else has any possible way to detect that you are doing it. So monitor away. Now what you DON'T EVER want to do is record what you're hearing and PASS that recording off to anyone else.

It is otherwise legal to monitor any radio signal you can pick up. If the transmitting party doesn't want you to listen.....then they can take steps to keep their signal off of your property and from passing through your body.

You see that's the common sense part of the radio monitoring senario. If a radio signal is crossing onto your property and going through your body.....then you have a right to know what is on that signal.


Beavers say: Monitor away and have fun with radios !!

 

[mchart13]

If you buy a scanner which was made outside of the U.S. or for distribution outside the US then cellular is unblocked. Seems kind of ridiculous for it to be ok everywhere else except here. Canada, Europe, and Australia versions i believe are all unblocked. I have no clue what you would hear on these frequencies or if cell phones nowadays do in fact change frequencies all the time or patterns, i realy don't know as i don't try and listen to them anyway. Most cordless phones have switched over to 2.4 or 5.8ghz anyway so it is probably only the highend of the unblocked scanners which would pick them up anyway And if you get caught(i don't know how you would but i'm sure our gov't is capable) you would be in some trouble.

FYI Scanners sold in Canada are cell blocked !

 

[platinumrx8]

wow.. how very interesting.. so I guess the older cordless phones were essentially scanners inthemselves to a certain degree b/c they could pick up other cordless signals..

My other concern is if the new Pro-528 I got will be affected by say, a computer system or anything of that nature since I work in a office environment.

By the way, reason I got one is b/c I am joining the Aux Unit of my local law enforcement here in my city and was wanting to get a head start before I go on patrols and such. plus I find it very interesting listening to all of what goes on on the police officers radios I know.

anyways.. thanks guys, look forward to being on this board

 

[richster]

FYI Scanners sold in Canada are cell blocked !

Not true.

I have an Icom R-5 from Radioworld unblocked. The Icom R20 I'm drooling over will be unblocked in both 800Mhz and 2.4Ghz bands as well. I recently bought a BR330T, but I had the option of buying a UBC3500 (BR330T unblocked and no nascar sign) for extra moolah. But meh, that's what the R5 is for. I will echo elk2370bruce's post, what is left on the 800Mhz analog is few and far between, plus it gets BOOORING real fast.

Regards,
Richster from Canada.

 

[gmclam]

Sorta ...

Do scanners pickup local calls? Was just curious if you guys ever come across phone conversations and such. I remember back in the day when I was a kid and my parents had the wireless home phones, before 900 mhz ones came out.. occassionally I could pick up others around me by switching channels. When I went to a 900 mhz phone and it would not do this as much, but sometimes.

There are a lot of frequencies used by "phones". You've got your "old" 47 MHz and 72 MHz cordless, then the 900 MHz cordless, then 2.4 GHz cordless, then 5.6 GHz cordless .. and cell freqs, sheesh there is PCS (yeah outdated) and TDMA (almost gone) and CDMA and that is just the start. There are the old analog "cell" phones, and then digital. ... LOL
Do "scanners" pick these up? I'd say sorta. It depends on the scanner, the frequency you want to receive and the modulation technique, etc. But why limit yourself to "scanners", why not ask if there are receivers that do the deed? A scanner is just one type of receiver. It is this type of "thinking" that gives scanners and their users a bad reputation. I am not trying to be mean, but I think real scanner users find a lot more interesting things to listen to.

 

[kc8gpd]

remember the old cordless phones that the base would Tx on AM B,Cast and the Handset would Tx on 49mhz

 

[platinumrx8]

There are a lot of frequencies used by "phones". You've got your "old" 47 MHz and 72 MHz cordless, then the 900 MHz cordless, then 2.4 GHz cordless, then 5.6 GHz cordless .. and cell freqs, sheesh there is PCS (yeah outdated) and TDMA (almost gone) and CDMA and that is just the start. There are the old analog "cell" phones, and then digital. ... LOL
Do "scanners" pick these up? I'd say sorta. It depends on the scanner, the frequency you want to receive and the modulation technique, etc. But why limit yourself to "scanners", why not ask if there are receivers that do the deed? A scanner is just one type of receiver. It is this type of "thinking" that gives scanners and their users a bad reputation. I am not trying to be mean, but I think real scanner users find a lot more interesting things to listen to.

I'm new to all this and just curious bout what all is out there to listen to. I'm sure i'll experiment with it at first, seeing what all comes in.. thats of course, if I can figure out how to work it.

anyways.. i'll be reading up some more on the topics of this forum and some stuff specific to my scanner..

 

[radio10-8]

Yes, back in the day on Analog 800 cell with a preban scanner. That was alot of fun, and now it's 900 cordless and cordless headsets you see in offices.

 

[gcgrotz]

One correction to a post somebody made above... cell phone networks in the US, be they analog or any digital format on any frequency, do not use satellites as part of the network. Only GPS receivers for timing reference. What we call "backhaul", the path back to the switching center and the rest of the world's telephones, is done by dedicated T1 or Microwave or sometines fiber optic in urban area.

Most 900 MHz cordless are a form of wideband FM, usually too wide for the average scanner and not wide enough for the typical wideFM setting used for broadcast FM. The wide setting can be used, you just have to turn up the volume. If you only have narrowband it will most likely be too distorted to listen to.

Not to mention too boring.

Now my question is whether they will remove the cellphone block when analog networks are no longer supported in a few years? Most of the guys I know with analog systems can't wait to pull the plug.

 

[hankv]

If you buy a scanner which was made outside of the U.S. or for distribution outside the US then cellular is unblocked. Seems kind of ridiculous for it to be ok everywhere else except here. Canada, Europe, and Australia versions i believe are all unblocked.

The U.S. Cell Phone Frequencies are NOT used for Cell Phones in Countries such as Australia. :wink:

 

[57Bill]

You guys, evidently, get bored easily.

 

[ryangassxx]

The answer is actually yes... Despite lots of phones using 2.4 Ghz, you can often find ghosts and images in the 900Mhz band.. Tons of phones actually still use 900 Mhz as well and that's very much scannable. Also you've also got the real old ones that you can still find between 46-49 Mhz..

If you're in a fairly populated neighborhood, I can almost guarantee that you'll stumble across a phone call at any given time of the night if you flip through the key bands.. I know I can for sure. I live in a neighborhood that's pretty much all apartment buildings, so the population per square block is very high. There's cordless phone signals aplenty.

Not that I do any of this of course...

 

[Newark777]

You guys, evidently, get bored easily.

So you're criticizing people for asking what they can pick up on their scanner, on a scanner site. Makes a lot of sense.

 

[platinumrx8]

The answer is actually yes... Despite lots of phones using 2.4 Ghz, you can often find ghosts and images in the 900Mhz band.. Tons of phones actually still use 900 Mhz as well and that's very much scannable. Also you've also got the real old ones that you can still find between 46-49 Mhz..

If you're in a fairly populated neighborhood, I can almost guarantee that you'll stumble across a phone call at any given time of the night if you flip through the key bands.. I know I can for sure. I live in a neighborhood that's pretty much all apartment buildings, so the population per square block is very high. There's cordless phone signals aplenty.

Not that I do any of this of course...

I can only imagine what you'd hear around 1 am...

I live in a townhome community.. so I'm sure I'm in same situation u are..

I'd be interested to see what all I can hear and stuff.. such as truckers and stuff. I'm guessing they operate on a very easily scanned freq themselves..