How has a scanner benefited you.

[UTE-GE]

After reading N9JIG's "Scanner Tails" and recently and in the past, the debate on streaming and encryption, do they go hand in hand? type posts.

I thought I would start one about what has your scanner done for you! Hopefully positive...
Granted, mine won't be as storied as N9JIG's as I sit by a window and sometimes a fluffy cloud goes floating by or a squirrel gets me distracted.

My story, short and sweet. It was about 1990 and I carried a Radio Shack handheld with me everywhere.
One dark evening while driving home after dinner with my girlfriend, my sister and her future hubby. I heard a broadcast from our county of a wrong way driver on our hilly hi-way. This stretch of pavement is well known for this. Either drunk or out of towner or both, because you cant see the northbound lanes coming from the west. So they turn left onto the south bound and off they go. I told my future bro in law to pull over to the shoulder before cresting a hill. Sure enough, here comes head lights in the left hand lane. Luckily, we heard it and others behind us seen it!

Unfortunately, it still happens to this day.

Not only that, but I used to call my parents to let them know of impending bad weather when it approached, or I would get the call. Either head to the basement or its mile away and you can relax for now.

There been plenty more of course after all these years, but that wrong way driver has always stood out for sure!

Oooo... squirrel

 

[BinaryMode]

Lots of times actually. Just having one in the car has allowed me to avoid certain areas of town as I was driving. In one instance there was a transient running around traffic and I said, "nope" as I approached the area and instead made a left onto a side street.

Many years ago I heard a high speed pursuit in my area and the guy bailed and was lurking around the block. Eventually they found him hiding in the neighbor's hot tub and apparently lit up like a Christmas tree when they tasered him. LOL

Very bad weather is another instance. In addition to listening to public safety I also listen to utilities (even though they like to use cellphone) and so when the power went out due to a lightning storm I was able to stay abreast of the situation. Though, some of the jargon with utilities I don't understand. With today's AI "ask an expert" I think I'll ask there next time and see what the response is about what I heard from utilities.

There's a railroad right through town and if Zeus forbid a tanker car full of chlorine or something tips it sure would be nice to hear public safety. That's one of my biggest fears that I know will happen one day.

 

[KB4MSZ]

Over the years I have found them to be a very efficient means of clearing out any excess cash build-up.

 

[mmckenna]

I thought I would start one about what has your scanner done for you! Hopefully positive...

Myself, like many others in the industry, started young with scanners, CB's and shortwave radios. 30 years of career in the books all thanks to my dad's old CB, an old shortwave radio my grandfather gave me, a scanner from my parents when it my teens.

 

[UTE-GE]

Over the years I have found them to be a very efficient means of clearing out any excess cash build-up.

😂😂 you too!?!

Like Steve Martin in "The Jerk".

All I need is this 500 ch analog scanner and this cord, and thats all I need.
All need is the 500ch scanner, this cord and this new digital mode scanner, and thats all I need. And this SDR radio
And thats all I need...

 

[trentbob]

I've had two professional careers in my life, I started monitoring early around 1965 on a slide rule dial monitor, the police were 39.18, I was enthralled knowing what was going on and having situational awareness in my town. My dad was a ham so..

I had a CB and loved swl, I had a full dark room when I was 16, maybe 1969- 70.

When I started driving I became a Stringer with a large Philadelphia newspaper. When I graduated high school in 71, I went right into a four-year nursing program. I was in the lottery for the Vietnam War.

At that time if your number came up you had to leave college and you were drafted, however, if you were a male nurse and your number was 1 through 90 you could sign up with the army and they would let you finish school and then you would go to Vietnam as a second lieutenant.

I took my chances. My number was too high and I went from 1A to a 1H. After I got my RN I continueed to go on for 3 more years full time for Public Health.

I always worked as a Stringer or part-timer for large newspapers while I was a RN. After decades I left nursing and went full-time staff with a large city newspaper.

More money and better benefits and I wasn't ethically challenged with HMO's and being told I had to accept Medicare fraud and other indiscretions or I would be fired. At that point as a nurse I was in a management position. They used to say, you want your job don't you LOL

They got their answer and I finally took the better offer at the newspaper for more money and better benefits and nurses had great benefits then.

Long grueling hours, saw so much of life. It was a high crime gang ridden city.. if I didn't have to have money to pay my bills, I would have worked there for nothing. Never looked back at nursing.

Ended up getting a pension from the hospital and the newspaper LOL.

I have so much to be grateful for monitoring and scanning. Always had numerous scanners in my car and always got the shot.

I eventually became an investigative reporter who carried a camera and then an editor.

I have so much to be thankful for discovering Public Safety monitoring as a young kid, led to a satisfying, rewarding career.

 

[UTE-GE]

trentbob, you've been on quite an adventure!

 

[wtp]

too many times to count.
but one "non-event" was...
i was putting a coat on to get some jelly doughnuts downtown.
i just happen to hear that 100 feet away there was an armed robbery at the pharmacy.
i turned around and waited for a moment.
the guy was my height (6 feet)
long dark hair (same)
the guy had on what sounded like my coat (red and white plaid)
so i skipped getting anything for a day.
my neighbor who worked at the pharmacy said "but we would have known it was not you, we know you"
i said "yes, but the police would rightfully point a gun at me, i did not need that".

 

[UTE-GE]

too many times to count.
but one "non-event" was...
i was putting a coat on to get some jelly doughnuts downtown.
i just happen to hear that 100 feet away there was an armed robbery at the pharmacy.
i turned around and waited for a moment.
the guy was my height (6 feet)
long dark hair (same)
the guy had on what sounded like my coat (red and white plaid)
so i skipped getting anything for a day.
my neighbor who worked at the pharmacy said "but we would have known it was not you, we know you"
i said "yes, but the police would rightfully point a gun at me, i did not need that".

Yes Sir, That would make a guy a bit on cautious side!

 

[jazzboypro]

My best memory with a scanner was in 1993. The Montreal Canadians had won the Stanley Cup in Montreal eliminating the LA Kings in 5 games. All hell broke loose in downtown Montreal. I was listening to the police on a PRO43. Saying they were overwhelmed would be an understatement. Some had clearly no idea what to do, it went on for a few hours. They really sounded like they were not prepared at all for this. It was really funny and at the same a bit concerning to ear what was going on. Alas Montreal has not win a Stanley Cup since then.

 

[UTE-GE]

My best memory with a scanner was in 1993. The Montreal Canadians had won the Stanley Cup in Montreal eliminating the LA Kings in 5 games. All hell broke loose in downtown Montreal. I was listening to the police on a PRO43. Saying they were overwhelmed would be an understatement. Some had clearly no idea what to do, it went on for a few hours. They really sounded like they were not prepared at all for this. It was really funny and at the same a bit concerning to ear what was going on. Alas Montreal has not win a Stanley Cup since then.

That sound of a distressed LEO is bone chilling! That reminds me of a bad ice storm we had some time back and there was a MASSIVE pile up in the interstate that just kept growing. The first arrived State Patrol officer was SCREAMING for help.
Was a sickening sound.

 

[UTE-GE]

Lots of times actually. Just having one in the car has allowed me to avoid certain areas of town as I was driving. In one instance there was a transient running around traffic and I said, "nope" as I approached the area and instead made a left onto a side street.

Many years ago I heard a high speed pursuit in my area and the guy bailed and was lurking around the block. Eventually they found him hiding in the neighbor's hot tub and apparently lit up like a Christmas tree when they tasered him. LOL

Very bad weather is another instance. In addition to listening to public safety I also listen to utilities (even though they like to use cellphone) and so when the power went out due to a lightning storm I was able to stay abreast of the situation. Though, some of the jargon with utilities I don't understand. With today's AI "ask an expert" I think I'll ask there next time and see what the response is about what I heard from utilities.

There's a railroad right through town and if Zeus forbid a tanker car full of chlorine or something tips it sure would be nice to hear public safety. That's one of my biggest fears that I know will happen one day.

I had something similar as your HS chase only mine was a high speed and long-distance runner! Was right on my block and being the idgit, I went outside to look for the moron with my Fenix TK75 torch. Welp, here he comes! and there he goes...
I few seconds later a city officer in his lord knows how many pounds of gear comes huffing and puffing by me. I directed him in the morons direction.

Thinking back now, I wish I would have clothes hangered the moron and saved the officer some steps.

 

[jazzboypro]

That sound of a distressed LEO is bone chilling! That reminds me of a bad ice storm we had some time back and there was a MASSIVE pile up in the interstate that just kept growing. The first arrived State Patrol officer was SCREAMING for help.
Was a sickening sound.

Don’t know how bad was your ice storm but we had a catastrophic one in Montreal in 1998. There are plenty of videos about it on youtube.




Those poles were made to withstand 2 inches of ice. We received over 5 inches in that storm.

 

[UTE-GE]

Don’t know how bad was your ice storm but we had a catastrophic one in Montreal in 1998. There are plenty of videos about it on youtube.




Those poles were made to withstand 2 inches of ice. We received over 5 inches in that storm.

Oh yeah, back in 2000? I seen a stretch of towers like that laid over. I don't believe we had 5" though! WOWZERS

 

[chrismol1]

too many times to count.
but one "non-event" was...
i was putting a coat on to get some jelly doughnuts downtown.
i just happen to hear that 100 feet away there was an armed robbery at the pharmacy.
i turned around and waited for a moment.
the guy was my height (6 feet)
long dark hair (same)
the guy had on what sounded like my coat (red and white plaid)
so i skipped getting anything for a day.
my neighbor who worked at the pharmacy said "but we would have known it was not you, we know you"
i said "yes, but the police would rightfully point a gun at me, i did not need that".

Same

One night I was out late and coming into a town when the call came out for a guy involved in a domestic that beat a woman and possibly had a weapon. The description of the subject was similar to me and the big one was the description of the car was too similar, these two things were too much excitement I wanted no part of and turned around to the long way. I've heard this scenario play out on the radio late night when a subject fled a domestic and they stopped the wrong person. In my case it was late and there was no other traffic and no doubt I would have been stopped and detained for quite a while and certainly would have had my stuff tossed.

 

[wtp]

Don’t know how bad was your ice storm but we had a catastrophic one in Montreal in 1998. There are plenty of videos about it on youtube.


View attachment 185770


Those poles were made to withstand 2 inches of ice. We received over 5 inches in that storm.

it looks like a war of the worlds movie set !

 

[mass-man]

Well it wasn't scanners I started with, but a shelf full of single channel receivers, crystal and VFO tuneable. Was glued to them and the SW receiver...that led to being the kid photogapher in the small market TV station, to a bigger market in college, to freelancing as an engineer and sound recordist...51 years of that and in a few months the last 5 as the weekend engineer/scanner guy at a tv station in market #4! It's been very, very good to me.

 

[DeoVindice]

Myself, like many others in the industry, started young with scanners, CB's and shortwave radios. 30 years of career in the books all thanks to my dad's old CB, an old shortwave radio my grandfather gave me, a scanner from my parents when it my teens.

My first "real" radio experience was a wideband receiver my grandparents had in their living room. I couldn't tell you what model it was, but it picked up airband just fine - plenty to get a kid aviation geek's interest. I tinkered with CB a little bit, then used LMR for work, and gradually learned enough that it became part of my job. I wear a lot of other hats, mainly running and fixing old iron like my avatar in and around underground mines. That's where "P25 Underground" comes from. Nearly everything I wrench on is older than me by a fair bit. I often run a machine nearly identical to the one in the avatar photo, but mine has an oil bath air cleaner and water exhaust scrubber system. The oil bath systems are messier but more effective and don't plug up the way dry paper filters tend to; the elements are also reusable after a quick rinse of diesel.

For the original question, it's helped me steer clear of manhunts and other drama, plan around road closures, and generally have situational awareness, especially while driving. I no longer carry a smartphone and don't use Facebook or anything like that, so radio is my principal means of keeping informed on the road.

 

[PACNWDude]

I still joke about how scanners has most likely kept me from getting speeding tickets, alerted me and others to police/fire/emergency medical activity (did not want to be around any of that, I do not interfere or go toward that activity), as well as receiving weather reports.

As others mentioned, it has been a hobby, as well as a profession.....scanners, and radio in general. My daily driver has a small Uniden Bearcat BC355N scanner, mostly used for local weather and Close Call to hear what is going on nearby. It is an analog only model, while local police and fire is encrypted (P25 Phase 2 now).....most have missed that they simulcast radio traffic on analog VHF as a backup. My cheap BC355N's can still pick that up.

Many will say that encryption and digital modes have "killed the hobby" but there are almost always some ways to scan the airwaves for a lot of different traffic......trains, aircraft, vessels on the water, and FRS/GMRS radios that seem to proliferate, due to their ease of use and low cost. You do not need the newest SDS100/200 or TRX-1 scanner for everywhere/everything.