Question about listening to Ham radio on scanner

[wv82]

Is it possible to listen to 10m or 6m on a scanner?Thanks

 

[WQPW689]

Sure. Most modern scanners I know of include those bands. I have seven that do, including an ancient Radio Shack Pro-2034.

Although at those frequencies, it's pretty much a function of having proper antennas to get consistent results. Using the standard antennas you usually get with scanners (duckies, telescopes) generally isn't going to give that consistency.

When conditions are right, I can pick them up, but it's rare.

 

[n5ims]

Is it possible to listen to 10m or 6m on a scanner?Thanks

Yes, but not 100% (some modes can't be done using a scanner). A scanner will pick up standard AM signals and standard FM signals. What they won't pick up (at least directly) are modes like SSB which the typical scanner doesn't have the circuits to decode.

 

[popnokick]

10M and 6M fall into the antenna category of "VHF low band" in scanner parlance. So everything you read hear on RR regarding VHF low band ("Can't use a rubber duck", "Can't pick up with my telescoping antenna", "Can't pick up with my outdoor antenna that says it covers VHF high band and UHF", etc.) all apply here. To hear 10M and 6M FM on the scanner you are going to need a good EXTERNAL (roof or attic mount, OCFD in window, etc.) that covers 30-50mHz VHF low band.

 

[tsmerk]

Reply: Ham radio on a scanner

The other replies posted so far all offer good advice. I wanted to mention the possibility of listening on a portable shortwave recceiver instead. It all depends on how and why you want to monitor these bands. A scanner would let you search for frequencies in use, but as someone mentioned, you would be limited to FM and AM only, and on some scanners, just FM. But many short wave and general coverage receivers also allow you to listen to single-sideband mode. If your main interest is to monitor ham radio signals, you could buy a cheap used ham radio (but it probably wouldn't ne portable) and pair it (as someone mentioned) to a proper antenna for receiving in those bands. A rubber duck on a handheld scanner might give good results in the vhf/uhf police and fire bands, but is far too short for the Low-VHF and HF bands, Some ham radios also have search and scan functions like scanners do. You didn't mention if you are a ham or not, but if not, you don't need a license to listen to a ham radio, only to transmit. If you decide to get your license, you will already have a ham radio if you go that route! Enjoy!

 

[AC2OY]

When I had my Radio Shack Pro-197 it had built in service searches and when I used to search the ham bands it didn't sound too good with the stock telescopic antenna but it did pick them up. I would imagine a discone in the attic or roof would do waaaaay better on 6 and 10 meters!

 

[KB7MIB]

I don't believe I've caught anything on 6m but once, but I have caught 10m transmissions, especially an upstate NY repeater on 29.620, out here in AZ with just the duck antenna on my PSR-500.

I'm sure an actual 10m or 6m antenna would greatly improve my reception when skip is open.

John
Peoria, AZ

 

[902]

That's a great way to listen to 29.6000 and 52.5250.

Yep, you sure can. But it's the FM frequencies only. Program in 29.600 and 52.525 MHz for the simplex operations. 99.9% of the time there will be nothing there. That 0.1% of the time when the bands are open, you'll hear many stations coming through. You can also put various repeaters in if you know the frequencies.

Scanners will not pick up SSB. You might hear something, but it would be incomprehensible.

 

[EdwinAlers]

What is FMN

I see the FM but on some others I see "FMN". What is FMN ?
Can a radio scanner get (listen) on FMN ?

 

[N5TWB]

I see the FM but on some others I see "FMN". What is FMN ?
Can a radio scanner get (listen) on FMN ?

FMN = FM Narrowband, i.e. 12.5 kHz channel width. Nearly all current scanners will have no problem with this.

 

[SCPD]

scanner coverage 6 and 10 meters

99.9 percent of my transmissions on 6 and 10 meters are usb. try 52.400 am and 29.000 am . bands have really been down so good luck 73 de bob kb9qhj

 

[KE0GXN]

Been lurking on these HAM forums for a few days and decided to try and scan the pre-programmed HAM bands in my HP-2. It was completely deaf for the most part.....was using the stock duckie.

Would a wideband antenna allow me to hear some stuff?

I currently have a Pro Comm wideband 25mhz-1200mhz mag mount I could put on a cookie tray and an old RS 20-032 mag mount as well......would I be wasting my time with these antennas?

Thanks.

 

[AC2OY]

I don't believe I've caught anything on 6m but once, but I have caught 10m transmissions, especially an upstate NY repeater on 29.620, out here in AZ with just the duck antenna on my PSR-500.

I'm sure an actual 10m or 6m antenna would greatly improve my reception when skip is open.

John
Peoria, AZ

Wow that's pritty impressive. I suppose band conditions were good that day.

 

[paulears]

Once you get to below 50MHz or so then first thing to remember is that the quantity of users locally will go down and down. A few people use 10m for local chat on FM but as aerials are large and unwieldy if they actually are much good, you get better performance on the higher frequency bands. 10m does offer. Erg long distances when the atmospheric conditions are suitable, but then more activity is on SSB, which scanners can't receive. Also, to confuse further, the concept of channels, as in 25/12.5KHz slots vanishes. People have the ability to transmit on any empty space, although they do hover around particular calling or listening channels. HF is just different, and HF style operation tends to be the way 6m is often approached. Not many people have huge aerials on their homes or vehicles compared with 2m and higher.

 

[wb6uqa]

A 10 meter dipole would work much better than a rubber duck.I have a hex beam and can hear dx on 10 meters most days. 6 meters is much better in the summer time. A vertical may be better for 6 meter fm.

 

[KE0GXN]

So are you guys saying no scanner type antenna will work then?

 

[ka3jjz]

Nope, that's not quite true. You would need something that's very broadbanded that would go down to 29 Mhz in its design, or at least be capable of hearing there (albeit at a cost of some efficiency)

For example, a ScanTenna would hear the 6m FM stuff just fine - but at 10 meters, it would not be quite as efficient, but would still work...keep in mind that most discones don't go down to VHF lo without some sort of a stinger in the middle to provide the extra coverage (they would still work, but not as well without it). The Comet antenna listed on this page has such a stinger...

Scanner Antennas

There are a couple of other possibilities. The MP antennas have been somewhat controversial in their performance (read some of the reviews on places like eHam under their old name of NilJon), and I suspect that at 10 meters, they're likely to not be quite as efficient. On 6m FM, they should do OK.

These 2 bands are not ones that are open all the time - conditions (particularly solar conditions for 10m) need to be very good for these bands to work. 6 meters has the advantage of being a bit more friendly to skip when tropo conditions occur, so it may be a bit more active at times (depending very much on your environment). Don't expect to hear constant DX activity here - you will be disappointed.

Mike

 

[KE0GXN]

I have no outdoor antenna capabilities at the moment.

I will try my Pro Comm 290 (25Mhz-1200Mhz).....maybe I will have some luck.

Thanks for the feedback guys

 

[ka3jjz]

If you have an attic, you could put something up there and benefit from the extra height. Not as good as an outdoor antenna, but definitely better than just a whip in a room...Mike

 

[KE0GXN]

I have tossed that idea around too, however getting the run down into the house, i.e. drilling holes in walls and what not has kept me at bay.

Also, after much feedback on here, I have pretty much decided if I am going to go through the work of running coax down into my house, it is going to be for the full monty, i.e. outdoor antenna on the roof on a mast, etc...

I figure I might as well go big or go home, if I am going to be making modifications at HQ!