Optoelectronics Scout 40 Question

[Scannerfan15]

Hello everybody, I have a quick couple of question.

I plan on buying a Scout 40 but want to ask a few questions first, will the normal Optoelectronics Scout 40 catch P25 and DMR/MOTOTRBO or do I need the Digital Scout, and has anybody replaced the battery pack with a 4 cell NI-MH pack.

Thanks for the help
Scannerfan15

 

[dkf435]

What is the reason for buying a Scout and not a 396xt or PSR500 type radio with Closecall or Signal Stalker?

David Kb7uns

 

[Scannerfan15]

What is the reason for buying a Scout and not a 396xt or PSR500 type radio with Closecall or Signal Stalker?

David Kb7uns

The only portable I have with those modes is a pro-106, which is slower than I would like in signal stalker mode even with only one band selected.

 

[teufler]

Got one, had it since the late 90's. Very sensitive on the charger used. Had a bunch of wall warts, optiscount says 12 volts, found a 12 volt and plugged it in. About 3 seconds, blue smoke and the unit was dead. Very picky on its own 12 volt charger. A scanner has more range, but within 300 feet, its instant read out. Memphis Drug Task Force used to come by and borrow it., They would place it in a car, then put the unit in the log mode. Then hours later, they would drive the car awsay and chedk the unit for frequencies stored and the number of times each frequency had been on the air. Before cell phones were digital, they captured alot of cell phoine frequencies. If anyone in the area was usiong a radio, they knew about it. Rather than scan, it instantly logs what frequency has come on. Handy at a hamfest, walk around and know what frequencies anyone is using. Do not have to determine ahead of time, vhf-uhf-or higher. Also handy as a bug detector, as it will detect any transmitter in 300-400 feet. lower power, got to get closer, but no more than 100 feet away, it will record and indicate.. I have the cable that plugs from the Scout to a uniden scanner, it becomes a near field scanner then.

 

[dkf435]

Scout needs 9v charger 12.00v even is max. Replaced batteries several times with NIMH you need good matched cells and do not run them too far down.

For picking stuff up in normal land mobile bands the Close Call or Signal Stalker will win. With the Scout you almost need the tunable preselector or a band specific antenna as there is so much garbage with cell sites paging, data and broadcast.


All it takes is one large transmitter in the area will make the Scout not very useful and then you will need to fall back to the Explorer Close Call or Signal Stalker

Back in good old days as soon as I showed up at the TRW swap meet with the Scout and AR8000everybody stopped talking as they did not want me trapping their remote base freqs.

The Scout, DC 440 and AR8000U was a powerful combo but the PRO-106 will do most trapping and decoding in one hand.

David Kb7uns