What I'd like to see here on RadioReference (concerning the top 20 radios).

[Omega-TI]

When shopping for a new radio, sometimes You Tube reviews can be taken with a grain of salt. Sometimes the reviews on Amazon can be misleading since they are mostly posted when a person just gets the radio. And since many things can affect our choices like size, display, external antenna jacks, SSB capability, bandwidth adjustment capability, filters, sensitivity, selectivity, ergonomics... I could go on. So with this in mind, I'd like to see a pinned thread that has the top twenty CURRENT scanners and shortwave radio MANUALS. This way people could easily check out the features, but more importantly how convoluted or easy operation or programming is for a specific unit before they buy. Having these manuals in one easy to find location would be useful. Now the manuals do not necessarily have to reside on Radio Reference, but a list with attached links would be nice.

 

[Jakeguy24]

Are there even 20 "current" scanners in production right now?? A quick look at scannermaster only showed me 19..

 

[KevinC]

When shopping for a new radio, sometimes You Tube reviews can be taken with a grain of salt. Sometimes the reviews on Amazon can be misleading since they are mostly posted when a person just gets the radio. And since many things can affect our choices like size, display, external antenna jacks, SSB capability, bandwidth adjustment capability, filters, sensitivity, selectivity, ergonomics... I could go on. So with this in mind, I'd like to see a pinned thread that has the top twenty CURRENT scanners and shortwave radio MANUALS. This way people could easily check out the features, but more importantly how convoluted or easy operation or programming is for a specific unit before they buy. Having these manuals in one easy to find location would be useful. Now the manuals do not necessarily have to reside on Radio Reference, but a list with attached links would be nice.

Make up that list with links to the manuals, post it and I'll sticky it for you.

But I'd bet links to all the manuals are available in the RR Wiki.

 

[mikewazowski]

But I'd bet links to all the manuals are available in the RR Wiki.

Which is where they belong.

 

[RaleighGuy]

Are there even 20 "current" scanners in production right now?? A quick look at scannermaster only showed me 19..

OP did say "top twenty CURRENT scanners and shortwave radio(s)", but my question is who decides what are the "top" ones, and does this get placed in scanning or shortwave threads? Also, who thinks the threads turns in to a flame war between Whistler and Uniden users like most posts do?

 

[belvdr]

OP did say "top twenty CURRENT scanners and shortwave radio(s)", but my question is who decides what are the "top" ones, and does this get placed in scanning or shortwave threads? Also, who thinks the threads turns in to a flame war between Whistler and Uniden users like most posts do?

The reviews here will be just as biased as YouTube or eHam.

 

[Omega-TI]

Are there even 20 "current" scanners in production right now?? A quick look at scannermaster only showed me 19..

Well, current sellers, not necessarily production. The reason I mentioned twenty is to cover all price points. I'm sure the flagship models of the major manufacturers would account for a few of the top models.

OP did say "top twenty CURRENT scanners and shortwave radio(s)", but my question is who decides what are the "top" ones, and does this get placed in scanning or shortwave threads? Also, who thinks the threads turns in to a flame war between Whistler and Uniden users like most posts do?

To avoid a flame war, I would not rank them for that reason, just list them alphabetically with breaks for price points, like entry level, intermediate and high end. I would imagine it would have to be two seperate lists, one in scanners the other in shortwave threads. The number could be reduced to fifteen, possibly ten. I did however think that listing twenty each could drastically reduce the comments of, "Why did you leave ______ out?"

This is place is the goto site for radio (my opinion), and having a list of radios would be of great help to those getting into or back in the hobby and reduce the number of threads asking, "What the best scanner.." as the top ones would already be broken down for them.

 

[Omega-TI]

The reviews here will be just as biased as YouTube or eHam.

I would have no problem maintaining the list, but I believe the best way would have the major heavy hitters/gurus here send a PM to the person posting and maintaining the list. That person would then take the information and combine the results alphabetically.

 

[RaleighGuy]

I would have no problem maintaining the list, but I believe the best way would have the major heavy hitters/gurus here send a PM to the person posting and maintaining the list. That person would then take the information and combine the results alphabetically.

So you want to censor comments and make the volunteer admins do all the work to post, and sort the radios? The current system seems to work okay, if people provide the correct info for systems and agencies they want to monitor. In my opinion.

 

[Omega-TI]

So you want to censor comments and make the volunteer admins do all the work to post, and sort the radios? The current system seems to work okay, if people provide the correct info for systems and agencies they want to monitor. In my opinion.

The list provider would not be censoring anything. For example, say twenty of the big wigs here provided a list of five high end radios, five intermediate radios and five low-end radios (by price point), the person compiling the list would take the results and the ones appearing the most from the different lists would appear in the final form. This way bias would be eliminated and the results would be fairly accurate. The corresponding manuals for each radio would give the reader the correct information for what they want to monitor.

 

[doctordialtone]

I got an idea that will work great.

Leave it the way it is!

The mods have enough work as it is.

 

[Omega-TI]

Make up that list with links to the manuals, post it and I'll sticky it for you.

That's awesome, but I'll be the first one to admit I'm not qualified to author such a list. I am however unbiased enough to take lists from others, compile the information and then present it.

 

[Omega-TI]

I got an idea that will work great.

Leave it the way it is!

The mods have enough work as it is.

Who said anything about the moderators, with the exception of one to sticky it. When I mean heavy hitters, I meant knowledgeable people here who have a lot of experience with different radios. For example I'll use the example of @N1GAW here who is participating in this thread, have you seen the list of scanners that guy has? "Whistler TRX-1, WS1098, PRO668 & GRE800 (both w/1080 mod), Connect Systems CS750 & CS120D, Unication G5" If he wanted too, he could make a valuable contribution. No is demanding anyone participate, or for that matter read the list, only those who want to. Isn't the radio hobby big enough to cater to various ideas, wants and likes?

 

[KevinC]

The list provider would not be censoring anything. For example, say twenty of the big wigs here provided a list of five high end radios, five intermediate radios and five low-end radios (by price point), the person compiling the list would take the results and the ones appearing the most from the different lists would appear in the final form. This way bias would be eliminated and the results would be fairly accurate. The corresponding manuals for each radio would give the reader the correct information for what they want to monitor.

I still like the idea of YOU doing all the work as I personally am all about working smarter, not harder.

 

[RaleighGuy]

Who said anything about the moderators, with the exception of one to sticky it.

Then, if mods are not the ones doing it, it would be an open thread where anyone can post. And we go back to let the flame wars begin, which they will eventually, just as the comments on any What Scanner thread. Not to mention the list of the top 20 gets buried.

 

[Omega-TI]

Then, if mods are not the ones doing it, it would be an open thread where anyone can post. And we go back to let the flame wars begin, which they will eventually, just as the comments on any What Scanner thread. Not to mention the list of the top 20 gets buried.

The submissions would be by private messaging to avoid "flame wars". The results would simply "appear like magic" one day. Of course all correspondence would be kept for reviewal by moderators in the event someone suspected cheating. But hey, I can see people don't like change, or suggestions as the resistance level rising so.... FORGET I EVEN MENTIONED IT.

 

[KevinC]

The submissions would be by private messaging to avoid "flame wars". The results would simply "appear like magic" one day. Of course all correspondence would be kept for reviewal by moderators in the event someone suspected cheating. But hey, I can see people don't like change, or suggestions as the resistance level rising so.... FORGET I EVEN MENTIONED IT.

Private message to who? Sounds like a logistics nightmare to me. Maybe we need some sort of repository where info like this can be stored and viewed? Maybe some sort of Wiki or something.....wait...we have a Wiki! How about you collaborate with other users and create a Wiki page with all this info?

 

[belvdr]

I’m still curious how one can create an unbiased list of the top 20 of anything.

 

[Hit_Factor]

... in the event someone suspected cheating...

Cheating?

 

[a417]

... FORGET I EVEN MENTIONED IT.

not a problem.