Any real experiences bring a Uniden scanner on NCL (Sky).

[Computrguy]

and many lines have begun banning the endless Beep/Boop of the FRS/GMRS Radios
See item #33

Prohibited Items List

www.ncl.com

But a scanner is NOT a walkie talkie. Scanners are not on the prohibited items list for NCL. So, just because someone in security "thinks" it is a walkie talkie does not make it a walkie talkie.
I'm not trying to argue I'm just stating facts.
I would have had an intelligent conversation with someone with authority and not some low level person who cannot tell the different between a receiver and a transceiver. But everyone is different. To each their own and as you have said YMMV. After all, the port was in New York where rights of individuals are at risk. I used to live across the river and know it all too well and why I got out of that part of the country 17+ years ago.

 

[ecps92]

But a scanner is NOT a walkie talkie. Scanners are not on the prohibited items list for NCL. So, just because someone in security "thinks" it is a walkie talkie does not make it a walkie talkie.
I'm not trying to argue I'm just stating facts.
I would have had an intelligent conversation with someone with authority and not some low level person who cannot tell the different between a receiver and a transceiver. But everyone is different. To each their own and as you have said YMMV. After all, the port was in New York where rights of individuals are at risk. I used to live across the river and know it all too well and why I got out of that part of the country 17+ years ago.

You are not going to win. You choice will be
a. Leave the Items and get them upon return
b. forfeit your vacation

You are entering their Property and the Country of registration.
You are no longer in the United States of do what you want (rules be damned) and share your interaction on faceplant/twit-space and the other anti-social media platforms

 

[StoliRaz]

share your interaction on faceplant/twit-space and the other anti-social media platforms

I always prefered MySpace and Facebook merging as SpaceFace myself

 

[dave3825]

Seen threads stating people had no issues and seen threads where there were issues. Since I would not walk around a ship with a scanner, and since laptops are not prohibited, I bring sdr dongles.

 

[Computrguy]

Something much easier to use would be a cheap laptop running DSDPlus Fastlane with an Sdr dongle.

So, you opened this can of worms and I went and got one. I am playing with it now as I am headed on a 3+ week cruise in April.
I am using SDRtrunk. It is not showing me more info I would want to see that my scanner (SDS100) shows like color code DCS etc.
The problem I see is that it will only scan a small portion of frequencies too (like 2.5MHz). So I can not scan 462.XXX and 467.XXX.
I am setting it up like a traditional scanner with actual channels. SDRTrunk was the only software I could see how to do it this way. Coul DSDPlus be setup like a traditional scanner with channels like that?

 

[INDY72]

Multiple dongles dangling...
Multiple instances on your dangling dongles...

 

[Computrguy]

Something much easier to use would be a cheap laptop running DSDPlus Fastlane with an Sdr dongle.

I got myself an SDR. I've used it side by side my BCD436 at home. I used SDR# with Simple DMR plugin with a Nooelect v5. I used the same antenna as the 436. Performance is just not good. I realize SDR software can be tuned and tweaked. I tried to do this but to no avail. Performance of the 436 (and SDS100) is so much better IMO. I personally don't want to spend hours tweaking this and that just to try and get it receiving so I can hear it. I will be on a cruise after all. I just want it to work.
Bottom line, if you are considering a dongle be aware it is simply not as good as a good scanner. So, for me, I'll continue bringing my scanner on board.

 

[dave3825]

I got myself an SDR. I've used it side by side my BCD436 at home. I used SDR# with Simple DMR plugin with a Nooelect v5. I used the same antenna as the 436. Performance is just not good. I realize SDR software can be tuned and tweaked. I tried to do this but to no avail. Performance of the 436 (and SDS100) is so much better IMO. I personally don't want to spend hours tweaking this and that just to try and get it receiving so I can hear it. I will be on a cruise after all. I just want it to work.
Bottom line, if you are considering a dongle be aware it is simply not as good as a good scanner. So, for me, I'll continue bringing my scanner on board.

IMO, I strongly disagree. With sdr and the right plug ins, should only take a few minutes to set up and tweak. If you get the scanner manager and set up search ranges before hand, you really only need to adjust the gain and maybe play with the bandwidth setting (maybe 2 minutes of time). It will scan the range and stop on transmissions. If you get the fast scanner plug in, it can scroll thru your freqs just like a scanner.

If you had DSDPlus and set up a scan list of known freqs before hand, it's just a matter of launching and setting the scan list to scan. Only gain and bandwidth to play with.

If you set up SDRTrunk with all the freqs and they are close in range, you can monitor and record close to 10 mhz of spectrum (with an airspy) and record all transmissions simultaneously. Something a scanner will never be able to do.

I mean to each his own, but I always go the dongle route when on cruises. So much faster, easier and better on the eyes.

 

[Computrguy]

IMO, I strongly disagree. With sdr and the right plug ins, should only take a few minutes to set up and tweak. If you get the scanner manager and set up search ranges before hand, you really only need to adjust the gain and maybe play with the bandwidth setting (maybe 2 minutes of time). It will scan the range and stop on transmissions. If you get the fast scanner plug in, it can scroll thru your freqs just like a scanner.

If you had DSDPlus and set up a scan list of known freqs before hand, it's just a matter of launching and setting the scan list to scan. Only gain and bandwidth to play with.

If you set up SDRTrunk with all the freqs and they are close in range, you can monitor and record close to 10 mhz of spectrum (with an airspy) and record all transmissions simultaneously. Something a scanner will never be able to do.

I mean to each his own, but I always go the dongle route when on cruises. So much faster, easier and better on the eyes.

Yep, just posting my experience. Side by side I would decode on the scanner and nothing but a couple blips on the dongle but not even coherent in DMR. Same type antenna in the same location. I let them run for a couple hours for a couple of days. I also tried without scanning and just locked on one known frequency and was a little better but the dongle simply would not compare.
As you say, to each their own. Just reporting my experience.