best scanner for air band

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kilowa22

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please tell me your recomendations
aircraft only please
no need for public safety

I have been using my BCT15X with good results for monitoring air traffic here in NW Oregon. Since you are dedicated to aircraft listening you might want to consider the Yaesu 5000
Yaesu VR-5000 Wideband Radio Scanner Receiver VR5000
I have had an occasion to listen to Mil-Com Air with it and a good antenna will excellent results.
 

CalebATC

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Blairsville, Georgia
If you are strictly listening to VHF, I would reccomend the Vertex Standard VXA-220. The VXA-220 will give you the best run for your money. This is not a scanner, It's a trasciver, which means it can transmit over VHF, since I'm a student pilot, It has came in handy for me alot of times when at the airport. This scanner is amazing with the default antenna. It does scan slow, but it will surely do the job.

It has 250 programmable channels, plus a section where it has all UNICOM/CTAF frequencies, and common ground frequencies along with USFS, emergency and a few others.

If you do get this scanner- just make sure you don't get it in the wrong hands. Transmitting on VHF ATC frequencies will get you in big trouble. Although I have asked for a radio check on CTAF, my local untowered airport, like my "home base", funny thing that my friend answered me as I was riding past the airport, and yes- it was CTAF.


Vertex Standard VXA-220 Pro VI Transceiver - Sporty's Pilot Shop


If you are gonna go towards UHF, I would say the Radio Shack Pro-164 for it's user friendly desighn. You definately want to get a new antenna for VHF and UHF monitoring- I get really bad coverage with my Pro-164 with the default antenna, while I can hear everything crystal clear on my VXA-220 on the same frequency side-by-side.
 

Alliance01TX

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Reference to prior post a few questions:

1. Will you need the Military Air Band (Mil-Air) as well?
2. Will you also scan other bands that have some Air Traffic outside of the normally 118~136 MHz band?
3. Will this be a station or Mobile operation?
4. Will you want software interface (downloads/programming...)?
5. Any other limitations or expectations in the use or the radio capability?
6. Other: Total Memory Channel

I would think these questions, at minimum, would drive the options and cost-basis for the selection you make
 

prcguy

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I would not recommend a VR-5000 for much of anything, I have one and its a big dissapointement. For handheld use you can't beat the Yupiteru MVT-7100, it runs circles around the VR-5000 or any other scanner type radio in the VHF and UHF air bands.
prcguy

I have been using my BCT15X with good results for monitoring air traffic here in NW Oregon. Since you are dedicated to aircraft listening you might want to consider the Yaesu 5000
Yaesu VR-5000 Wideband Radio Scanner Receiver VR5000
I have had an occasion to listen to Mil-Com Air with it and a good antenna will excellent results.
 

fireant

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Copland
If you can find one and live without being able to name each frequency then the Pro 43 is excellent however if you want to be able to name the frequencies then like a Pro 97 would be good.

fireant
 

BMT

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Maybe this question should be rewritten.
What is the best ANTENNA and scanner for avaition.

This morning using a 996T and NIL-JON antenna I was getting Patrick AFB ATIS.
Distance as the crow fly's 60+ miles.

BMT
 

sean_kd4adv

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amelia county, virginia
->Any scanner with 200 or more channels.
->The option to change modes. Some Military use 138 thru 14x.xxx MHz AM on some frequencies.
I have a Pro-97 that allows me to select modes.
I rarely listen to the UHF side unless I am at the beach listening to the Coast Guard doing local ops or Military training ops.

-Alpha Tagging/Bank names where you can program the Bank name and the Channel that you have programmed in. i.e. ARTCC, AWOS-3, ATIS, CTAF, UNICOM, EMERGENCY, Air-to-air and so on.
 

kruser

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West St Louis County, MO
I would not recommend a VR-5000 for much of anything, I have one and its a big dissapointement. For handheld use you can't beat the Yupiteru MVT-7100, it runs circles around the VR-5000 or any other scanner type radio in the VHF and UHF air bands.
prcguy

I second that opinion on the VR-5000!
It looks good but other than that....
 

CalebATC

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Apr 4, 2010
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Blairsville, Georgia
->Any scanner with 200 or more channels.
->The option to change modes. Some Military use 138 thru 14x.xxx MHz AM on some frequencies.
I have a Pro-97 that allows me to select modes.
I rarely listen to the UHF side unless I am at the beach listening to the Coast Guard doing local ops or Military training ops.

-Alpha Tagging/Bank names where you can program the Bank name and the Channel that you have programmed in. i.e. ARTCC, AWOS-3, ATIS, CTAF, UNICOM, EMERGENCY, Air-to-air and so on.

Well... you already have it.... a Pro-97, from what I hear about it.

If the Pro-97 does not do what you need, get a Pro-164, it's the newer version of the Pro-97!
 
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