Scanner PC Tuner

[teebee]

I am not sure if this question has been asked. Is there is device that you could plug in the expansion slot of your Laptop and/or a PCI adapter for desktop computers that you can connect an antenna to it as a police scanner. Something like the FM/TV tuners they make for computers. I will be in a location soon where i am not able to bring my scanner but I can bring my laptop. It would sure be nice to have a device that I can put in the slot of my laptop and have a virtual software to monitor and see the display of the scanner. The adapter would be somthing like a wireless adapter for the laptop that you can connnect the BNC antenna. If there are any such devices out there please reply with the link. If not it would be nice for someone to create one. If it can be done with FM/TV tuners surely it can be done with Police scanner reception. Conventional and 700 mhz/800 mhz Trunking would be perfect.

 

[gmclam]

It's been asked before. The answer was/is no. However, you can use your PC to connect to one of the many websites that stream scanners.

 

[Pyr8]

There are a couple of scanners out there that do exactly what you say. It's basically a box that plugs into your computer and the software on teh computer runs the scanner. Cant think of the name or company right now...but I 100% have seen them out there. I seem to remember that they are fairly expensive mind you!

 

[Pyr8]

Here ya go!

http://www.winradio.com/home/receivers.htm

 

[br0adband]

Guess the WinRadio site is acting up, that link isn't working, nor does the root domain at www.winradio.com (as of the moment I posted this message, that is, it might come up later on).

That's one option, or another is the PCR series of hardware from Icom. Aside from those two options, there are no others that will use a "card" of any kind (be it PCI for a full size machine or a PCMCIA/PC Card device) that are basically 'scanners on a card' that you'd be able to use with a laptop. I had hoped for a long time that someone might be able to shrink it down even further but, there is a limit to how small such devices can be.

If you have a laptop, the best possible course of action these days is any modern handheld scanner since pretty much every single one put out in the past 3-4 years is totally controllable by a PC save for maybe the volume control (still a knob on all modern scanners you have to turn by hand, and squelch too). Every other function is controllable on the modern day stuff, and of course there's the programming options also.

My Uniden 246 is one of the smallest ones ever made that's effectively full featured (save for no digital reception and some missing coverage like MilAir). For the money, and the size/convenience, I'd still say a handheld using computer control software is far superior to those devices, and less hardware needed to carry around. And you can always leave the laptop behind and take the scanner with you if necessary...

 

[W4KRR]

Besides Winradio, there's the Icom IC-PCR1500 and PCR2500. These are more or less the same as Winradio; they are wide coverage receivers that cover from the LF bands to over 1500 or so MHz. No trunking, but I believe the PCR2500 has an option for P-25 digital.

 

[KB9NLL]

Besides Winradio, there's the Icom IC-PCR1500 and PCR2500. These are more or less the same as Winradio; they are wide coverage receivers that cover from the LF bands to over 1500 or so MHz. No trunking, but I believe the PCR2500 has an option for P-25 digital.

You are correct except that they go higher 0.01-3299.99 MHZ, but then again it says may vary refer to owners manual (or is that for the freq. gaps like cellular?). They have unlimited memory channels. Also you can get the remote control heads IC-R1500 and IC-R2500. I thought there was more (built for use on a p.c. not counting can be connected) but looking throught my magazines thats all I see aside from winradio. A different story thought there are pc controlled transcievers for amateur radio anyways.

Personally I like AOR AR-ALPHA or AR-5000A+3B, ICOM IC-R9500, and YAESU VR-5000 maybe some day? I wont bore you but the specs on the AOR and ICOM are sweet! I'm old fashioned I like my radios to be radios. In the last year I finally got pc programming, had to I got a pro-96 a little different than my previous pro-51 of 200 channels.