NexHell uses a proprietary format that no scanner will decode. Don't waste your memory on these.
Let's be a bit more precise about scan and search, since in the 2 major operating modes they operate somewhat differently...
In a conventional sense, scan will only listen to the
frequencies you have programmed. Search is different - it causes the scanner to look at frequency ranges that you either have programmed, or are already programmed in the case of a service search.
In trunking, ID Scan will only listen to the
talkgroups you have programmed. ID Search will show you every talkgroup regardless of whether you have selected that talkgroup in a list or not.
Whether it is 'better' to search or scan depends on your application and what you are trying to accomplish. Let's keep with conventional operations here - trunking would be similar...
If you are trying to find undocumented freqs in your area, then search is the way to do this. However you must keep in mind that you must limit the amount of spectrum that you search in a single pass- otherwise you might miss a short transmission on a frequency that you just passed by. This is especially important in applications such as milair where the range of frequencies to check is so huge.
If you are only interested in hearing certain things, then scan is the way to go. You would program your frequencies (talkgroups if we're talking trunking here) with only those that interest you.
Applications such as amateur radio are a little easier in that repeater operation is in certain chunks of the spectrum. Without going into all the technicalities, you can start that easily enough with a little homework first. Look for your local coordinating council - someone on the NC list undoubtedly knows who that would be, or you can use the
ARRL list to help find them. Then look at places like the ARTSCI website - sometimes they will have repeaters the council will not.
Keep in mind that the better and higher the antenna (within some limits) the better your results will be. That little duckie that comes with the scanner is, at best, a compromise - but that's a whole 'nother ballgame...
best regards..Mike