Help on listening to two scanners @ once.

[racing1]

I have two port ale scanners set for two separate counties on my nightstand
The problem is I have a difficult time distinguishing the different calls and understanding both equally. Any help is appreciated.

 

[rk911]

ummmm...how ‘bout the obvious? program both into one radio and turn the other off? you’re obviously having trouble distinguishing one from the other so having both counties in one radio shouldn’t be much different.

 

[hiegtx]

Or, using external speakers if necessary, separate either the two scanners, or the external speakers, enough to that one is louder in one ear, with the second one loudest in your other ear.

I have five scanners, with multiple agencies programmed, running in my bedroom. Over time, you get to where you can 'tune out' what is not of interest, and certain words, or rapid calls & replies, get your attention if something interesting is happening.

 

[Blackink]

Can you set alert tones for the different scanners? I know on both of my digital scanners, I can set an alert tone when squelch is broke.
Maybe have the same alert tone for one scanner and a different alert tone for the other?
Of course, this would mean setting the same alert tone on one scanner for all frequencies you have programmed into that scanner and you'll have to do the same for the other scanner.
A lot of work manually but software makes it much easier.

 

[hiegtx]

Can you set alert tones for the different scanners? I know on both of my digital scanners, I can set an alert tone when squelch is broke.
Maybe have the same alert tone for one scanner and a different alert tone for the other?
Of course, this would mean setting the same alert tone on one scanner for all frequencies you have programmed into that scanner and you'll have to do the same for the other scanner.
A lot of work manually but software makes it much easier.

I hadn't thought about alert tones. That would be another method to differentiate them. With most of the software programs, you can select multiple channels and change all of them at the same time. You could also set the alert LEDs (if the scanners have that option), but in a bedroom, at night, that would be distracting for some users.

 

[Jim41]

I have two port ale scanners set for two separate counties on my nightstand
The problem is I have a difficult time distinguishing the different calls and understanding both equally. Any help is appreciated.

Listening to two or more scanners is an acquired skill that is gained through listening to them. Be patient with yourself.

Jim41

 

[Blackink]

I hadn't thought about alert tones. That would be another method to differentiate them. With most of the software programs, you can select multiple channels and change all of them at the same time. You could also set the alert LEDs (if the scanners have that option), but in a bedroom, at night, that would be distracting for some users.

I thought about the alert LED's but then the OP would have to be right next to them or close to the scanners to differentiate between the two.

 

[KK4JUG]

Listening to two or more scanners is an acquired skill that is gained through listening to them. Be patient with yourself.

Jim41

It can be done. You learn to react to certain things while others go unnoticed. In our mobile command post, we have a variety of radios (800 mHz, air, marine, UHF, VHF, ham, etc. Over the years, I have learned to pick up on certain words or, maybe, elevated voices, etc., to draw my attention. Now that I'm about to give up as communications officer on the "bus," I've gotten pretty good at it.

 

[TailGator911]

I thought I'd heard somewhere that Uniden made an external speaker that was voice-activated with a red light indicator when the voice was detected? Is it the BC23A? Not sure about this, but I did read something about it a while back. I've never seen the speaker before, but when I read the product description it did not mention a red light that came on with voice activation. Maybe someone here knows the speaker I am thinking of. But, wouldn't that solve the problem if one scanner had a red light when the scanner was active?

 

[darkness975]

Listening to two or more scanners is an acquired skill that is gained through listening to them. Be patient with yourself.

Jim41

This. I have 3 that I run constantly while I am home. I also watch movies and such in the same room. I only actually actively listen to one or more of them if something of interest is transmitted, which as previously stated is a skill that comes with time and practice.

 

[gmclam]

Or, using external speakers if necessary, separate either the two scanners, or the external speakers, enough to that one is louder in one ear, with the second one loudest in your other ear.

I have five scanners, with multiple agencies programmed, running in my bedroom. Over time, you get to where you can 'tune out' what is not of interest, and certain words, or rapid calls & replies, get your attention if something interesting is happening.

This is what I also do. Don't have the scanners' speakers next to each other. Organize your scanner programming so that scanners have a "priority". Set the volume the highest on the scanner with the highest priority, etc. I have one scanner programmed with stuff that is "local" to me and it gets the highest priority. Any scanners covering "the next county" get a lower priority.

Another thing to keep in mind is that I find law enforcement "always talk". Whereas fire only talks when there is a call. When it is VERY busy out there, I'll just lock out distant law enforcement because you just can't hear it all (here in Northern California anyway).

 

[ofd8001]

I agree with most of what has been said. Listening is an acquired art and you need time to develop and ear. Once you do, you'll find you block out most of the mundane yet perk up when voices change.

I separate scanners/speakers so that "this stuff" is on one side and "that stuff" is on another side.

Given that its a nightstand, I presume its a night time thing. Having alert tones might wake a guy up when he doesn't want to be woke up.

 

[darkness975]

I turn mine off at night. I'm too light of a sleeper to have them keep running all night long.

 

[doctordialtone]

Like ofd8001 says, it's an acquired "skill".

Compare it to an Air Traffic Controller or PD/Fire/EMS Dispatcher.

Eventually, you can "train" your ears to hear a certain select source in real time.

It's second nature to me, as I've been listening to multiple sources for years as many of you have.

 

[hardsuit]

racing1 - why not try a Pillow speaker for Each scanner then put ONE speaker on the Left and Another on the Right.

 

[hardsuit]

this is the Problem with Modern scanners today , there is NO Tone control for the Speaker Output, I have Multiple Communication Receivers and I set them up EACH with Different Tone Output, I can hear ALL of them Very Clearly.

 

[dlwtrunked]

I have two port ale scanners set for two separate counties on my nightstand
The problem is I have a difficult time distinguishing the different calls and understanding both equally. Any help is appreciated.

Use two separate speakers--this is the only good way to do it. It is how you listen to one person when several conversations are going on near you.

 

[scanmanmi]

Split them up. I remember hearing the air force was experimenting with spacial audio positiong in the helmet to help conciously tune out unwanted things. You would hear things on the left and right but also different channels postionied 3d. Maybe the tower on the bottom left and your wingman on the top right, messages on the front left, ground crew in front, etc. I don't know specifically if they did develop it.

Here's one on sale for $400,000 It’s a Good Thing the F-35’s $400K Helmet Is Stupid Cool

 

[DaveNF2G]

Get a job as a 9-1-1 dispatcher. You'll learn.

 

[DJ11DLN]

Get a job as a 9-1-1 dispatcher. You'll learn.

No kidding. Back in the dark ages when I was still an RDS I worked Dispatch fairly often and had no trouble juggling multiple radios, the phones, the interphone, and people walking up to the window because dealing with walk-ins was the Dispatcher's job once the front office closed. Unfortunately, my ears aren't as young as they were then...I have trouble with multiple radios going at the same time. Separating them does help, as inconvenient as that can be.