Multi-purpose Racing scanner for Indy 500

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Airjocky2

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Hi all. I'm new to this forum and new to racing scanners and was hoping someone could help me find the best scanner for my needs. I go with family to the Indy 500 once a year with my wife. It's an awesome time but that's the only race spectating I do all year. I'm looking for a good scanner that displays names and can be preprogrammed that my wife and I can listen to the race on with a y adapter. It would also be a plus if the scanner wasn't for racing only as I stated before we only go once a year. Price is not too big of a deal as long as its under $300. Any ideas?

Thanks for any input
 

wwhitby

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I took my PSR-500 to Barber last weekend for the IndyCar race. It was really overkill for the race, but I already had it and I could use the signal stalker feature to find new frequencies. I also made use of the PL/DPL search feature to ID the tones that the drivers were using on their frequencies.

I've also been looking for a smaller, cheaper scanner, but so far I haven't found one that gives me the PL/DPL search and store feature that works like my PSR-500. Besides that feature, my other requirements are a alpha display, computer programming and a signal stalker/close call type feature.

I also purchased a Pole Position audio booster from Racing Electronics at the track last Sunday. All I can say is WOW! It really makes a difference. I only had to turn up my scanner to the minimal volume setting. You get a free 2 or 3 way splitter with its purchase. My headphones are Koss QZ-99 models. I also used an old UHF Centurion commercial 1/4 wave rubber duck antenna and I had minimal interference problems.

Whatever scanner you purchase, I would recommend that you program in the frequencies well in advance without tones. That way, if the tones changed, you won't be out of luck. If you PM me your email address, i'll be happy to send you the list of frequencies and their tones that the drivers were using at Barber.

One of these days, i'll make it to Indy......
 

wtp

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illogical

something that may sound backward is to use a small antenna.
radio shack used to sell a race antenna 1.7 inches tall.
when you are right on top of the show you don't want to know a guy 5 miles away has pulled up to a fastfood window.
i bought one of these to use in tight spots and it is fine.
but i can only find it at amazon. good luck
 

wwhitby

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something that may sound backward is to use a small antenna.
radio shack used to sell a race antenna 1.7 inches tall.
when you are right on top of the show you don't want to know a guy 5 miles away has pulled up to a fastfood window.
i bought one of these to use in tight spots and it is fine.
but i can only find it at amazon. good luck

I took my stubby race antenna, my 1/4 wave UHF rubber duck and the RS 800MHz antenna that I normally use. I found that the race antenna didn't have good enough reception, but this was at a hilly road course and I was sitting down a hill between turns 2 and 3. I switched to my UHF 1/4 wave duck and reception was better with very little interference.

For a race, my suggestion would be to take multiple antenna of different styles and use the one that works the best with the least interference. You may even want to take a BNC coax connector and try that as well.
 

W2NJS

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something that may sound backward is to use a small antenna.
radio shack used to sell a race antenna 1.7 inches tall.
when you are right on top of the show you don't want to know a guy 5 miles away has pulled up to a fastfood window.
i bought one of these to use in tight spots and it is fine.
but i can only find it at amazon. good luck

The really short antennas are cataloged by Diamond and Comet, to name just two, and they're usually available in both BNC and SMA connector configurations. Another one available can be found on eBay
for about $12 and is a Retech RHA601, dual band, with the special SMA used by Motorola, Baofeng,
and others. I've been using the Retech on my APX portable and it's good for close-in work.
 

KB7MIB

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At NASCAR races, you can rent a preprogrammed scanner and other electronics for the race. Check and see if you can do the same for Indy.
 

wwhitby

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At NASCAR races, you can rent a preprogrammed scanner and other electronics for the race. Check and see if you can do the same for Indy.

You can do the same for IndyCar. Racing Electronics is one vendor that will rent preprogrammed scanners.
 

KB7MIB

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Don't they (didn't they) also rent out tablets or some such that could receive telemetry data, such as engine RPM and when they were on the brake, and maybe even video from in-car cameras from at least some of the cars?
 

Jimru

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Renting is a great idea, but the OP is also interested in monitoring his local area as well.

To the OP, what area you live in will help determine which scanner to buy. Let us know and we can point you in the right direction!
 

Airjocky2

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Feb 12, 2013
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Thanks so much for all the info. I'm not too concerned with local stuff as much as I am the race but thought it would be nice if I was gonna plunk down the cash to have a radio with uses outside of racing but really it's mostly just for the Indy 500.

Renting would be ideal but the reason I'm trying to buy a scanner is because the only place we found to rent was on the far side of the track near the main entrance and we don't go anywhere near it on our way in and out of the track so it would be inconvenient to rent. And after a few years of renting wed spend enough to justify the one time purchase.

Ultimately I'm just looking for a programmable scanner with alpha numerical that my wife and I can use a splitter with so we can each listen. No intercom necessary.

Thanks!
 
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