The easiest way to narrow your choice of scanners is to determine "how" you want to monitor, and "who."
Are you content to monitor at home, in the comfort of a Lazyboy ? Or would you prefer to listen to the military aircraft while parked near the Cherry Point base ?
A base scanner, connected to an antenna mounted on the roof of the house, will enable you to monitor communications from a wide distance from your location. But, a handheld scanner can be taken to work, or any location that will get you closer to the action.
With an idea of whether you want a base / desktop scanner, or a handheld model, you need to decide who you want to listen to.
Newport / Carteret County is relatively easy to listen to. Most of the local public safety agencies are using VHF high band ... and the NCHP are currently on low band. Any scanner will cover those frequencies.
Not all scanners are capable of monitoring mil-air communications, though. You'd want a scanner capable of monitoring 138-144 MHz and 225-400 MHz in A.M. mode.
If you want to monitor the local military trunked system, you'd also need a scanner capable of monitoring UHF / 400 MHz trunking.
If you want to monitor the Jacksonville / Onslow County trunked system, you need a trunktracking scanner. Some of the talkgroups are reportedly digital, though, so a digital-capable trunktracker would be recommended.
Picking out a scanner gets complicated, huh ? Let the forum readers know who you want to monitor, and how, and we might be able to suggest particular scanners that fit your needs, although maybe not your budget : )
BTW - I got an enjoyable 50-cent tour of your fire department, and the National Weather Service facilities about 13 years ago. The FD still kept low band radios in a couple of the apparatus at that time. I also toured a local AM/FM station, just off Hwy 70. The AM side played Big Band music, but I believe they are no longer in operation.
Jeff Multer
Fort Mill, S.C.
