Handheld monitoring

[kymarkh]

For those of you with handheld units instead of desktop or mobile scanners, how do you monitor? For instance, do you use a stand of some type to keep your handheld from tipping over when using it? Do you use headphones or the built in audio? Do you, for instance, use a tablet with RadioReference.com open at the same time? Do you log your listening activity?

Just looking to see what everyone else is doing. I use a handheld with a 'stand' which is basically a book stand, and I use the built in audio if inside but headphones if out on the deck. I'm not using external antennas yet but can see that in my future - I typically upgrade from the stock antenna to a diamond or Nagoya antenna.

What is everyone else doing?

Thanks!

 

[Enjoi19]

I have mine often in the car - so I got a cell phone mount that’s bolted up to the passenger seat bolt. I’ve run 3 cables up it and tied them down nicely - antenna, aux audio for connecting to the cars system, and USB power. Works great.

 

[pb_lonny]

I only use handhelds, my UBCD396XT is running in auto store mode 95% of the time, just sitting on my desk.

 

[kymarkh]

I have mine often in the car - so I got a cell phone mount that’s bolted up to the passenger seat bolt. I’ve run 3 cables up it and tied them down nicely - antenna, aux audio for connecting to the cars system, and USB power. Works great.

What antenna are you using and are you happy with its performance? How difficult was it to run?

 

[Enjoi19]

What antenna are you using and are you happy with its performance? How difficult was it to run?

It's a mag mount, Hustler. Amazon.com: Hustler / New-Tronics Antenna Corp. MRMBNC Magnetic Mount Scanner Antenna with BNC Connector and 12' Coax Cable (1 Each): Electronics

I move between vehicles every so often as well as take it off to get into my parking garage (which has pretty low clearance). But I like it a lot. Reception is excellent. Easy to run cabling in my car for me, but I used to work on cars so pulling trim quickly to run cables isn't a big deal.

Eventually will install something more permanent.

 

[pb_lonny]

I should add, I also use mine in the car a bit: Car Radio Scanner Mount - August 2020

 

[marlin39a]

I live near the BNSF Phoenix Sub. I walk the dog every morning with my BC125AT. Other than that, it’s off until the next morning.

 

[RichardKramer]

I have 10 ht scanners on my desk. Fed by a Radio Shack discone to a tv amp to phillips/magnavox splitters. One BCD436 is dedicated to recording Federal/PA StarNet/Civil Air Patrol/PA OAG a/g systems. They are mounted on various stands/mounts. Each has a ceiling mounted 3" speaker. The AR8000 scanner monitors milair/RS Pro 60 monitors Civil V/UHF air and both are connected to a Y fed into a voice activated 900MHz wideband intercom for relay around the house and yard. One BCD396XT monitors Federal comms and is also fed to another 900MHz intercom to be relayed around the house. I carry a BCD436 around the house connected to a speaker mic where I replaced the speaker mic plug with a 3.5mm plug to fit the scanner. I also installed on my 436 a new speaker jack to get full audio into the speaker mic since the audio output is limited with the original jack.

Rich - N3VMY - KAG0096

 

[TailGator911]

I used to go out on the road for Crete and I had my Freightliner wired for sound, ham radio, scanners, CB radio, DISH laptop and talking gps. Loved that feeling going down the highway with scanners going, good QSO on 2m and CB...ahhh those were the days. Nowdays I am on the AARP plan haha - read retired and bored silly - and I am limited to what I can carry with. I usually take just 2 radios with me when mobile - SDS100 & AnyTone 878UV. My favorites right now. A double cup drink caddy velcroed to the dash does the trick. Can't do any drilling (lease) or modifications, so I am limited to velcro and my imagination. A dangerous combination, to be sure. I also use a gooseneck phone holder that fits down into my caddy holder that works like a charm and puts my SDS100 scanner right up where I can easily read it and push buttons. I do have a window clip mount BNC rubber duck antenna rig for the SDS100 - puts the Remtronix up and outside the window. Mobile coms are working now, but not going out so much to work them. No traveling this year.

I had so much fun this time last year on the rv trip with my rv/radio set up. I had a blast!

But that's another thread...

 

[kymarkh]

Thanks so much for this insight, it is interesting to see how other folks monitor as everyone does things differently and there are some great ideas out there

 

[DJ11DLN]

I use HH scanners as mobiles in my vehicles. Two are in cellphone holders for large phones and they stay put just fine. They are on external power with no batteries in them and jumpered from the headphone jack to the aux-in jack on the stereo. I use external antennas, a Larsen NMO tri-band in the pickup and a Spectrum Force mag mount on the car because I'm chicken to try and fish co-ax past the side-curtain airbags etc. The last is my old junker/grandpa's toy Jeep Wrangler, just run it on batteries, hang it by the belt clip on a loop I mounted (can't find a place to put a regular mount), run on batteries with the antenna right on the scanner and earbuds plugged into it. Which obviously isn't optimal but it's not bad either. And until somebody finds a way to make no top or a ragtop work as a ground plane it's probably gonna stay that way...

 

[donslade]

I use my radios in my home office. Just getting back into scanning after finding OP25 and SDRTrunk software and SDRs. I dug up my old PRO-2004 and Pro-164 radios and found a decent deal on a PSR-800 (upgraded to WS-1080 by Whistler). The Pro-2004 is connected to a slightly less old home made Off Center Fed dipole just outside my office - trying to keep the wall perforations to a minimum. I use a small external speaker with the 2004 while monitoring local aircraft and hams. The Pro-164 was used for the local PD and FD trunked system some time back until they went to P25 digital so it now does a little air but mostly it is idle. I now use the PSR-800 for the PD/FD, some air and hams around the house and yard and in my car.

A good external communication speaker really brings out the audio on any of these radios. I can get easy to hear audio in most of my house with just the 2004 and the external speaker - when the wife is not home. In my car I use the Aux input for nice loud audio from the PSR-800. When using the desktop PC for OP25 or SDRTrunk the external speakers are more than adequate for good audio. I have to keep the volume down when I'm on work calls in my office otherwise my coworkers keep asking me to turn up the radios to listen.