how do I tell if a frequency is analog?

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php111

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Hey a "newbie question". Let's take n2nov.net I think it's the site. How do I tell if those frequencies are analog or digital? On my scanner I will need them to be analog, I don't have a digital scanner.
 

php111

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danielkarluk said:
You could program the frequency in your scanner and if you hear voice transmissions then its an analog frequency.

I am not hearing anything. I am not sure if it's digital thats why I am not hearing anything or it could be the 90 miles or so from me in distance.
 

danielkarluk

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you probably wont hear any public safety frequencies from 90 miles away. If you hear nothing its because nothing is being broadcasted at that moment. If the broadcasts are digital, you will hear a buzzing, real annoying fax-type signal, but at a lower pictch. i dont have a digital scanner either.
 

php111

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Thank you. So I am not hearing anything because of the distance of 90 miles?






danielkarluk said:
you probably wont hear any public safety frequencies from 90 miles away. If you hear nothing its because nothing is being broadcasted at that moment. If the broadcasts are digital, you will hear a buzzing, real annoying fax-type signal, but at a lower pictch. i dont have a digital scanner either.
 

danielkarluk

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I want to buy a digital scanner soon, i am trying to find one that covers .5 mhz- 1300mhz that picks up digital tv and digital fm broadcast and has tone scan and has a spectrum sweeper and has sideband and has input finder and washes my dishes for me too. how long have you been scanning? what area do you live in?
 

php111

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I have not been scanning too long. I live in Allentown, PA.







danielkarluk said:
I want to buy a digital scanner soon, i am trying to find one that covers .5 mhz- 1300mhz that picks up digital tv and digital fm broadcast and has tone scan and has a spectrum sweeper and has sideband and has input finder and washes my dishes for me too. how long have you been scanning? what area do you live in?
 

GTR8000

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Analog or digital has nothing to do with why you can't hear NYC from Allentown, PA. It's all about DISTANCE. The signals still have to travel along the same wavelengths no matter what format they're in.

Trying to pick up signals from 90 miles away using a handheld scanner with the stock rubber ducky antenna is a lost cause. You'd have trouble picking up the most powerful transmitters from that distance, much less the ones in NYC you're trying to listen to.
 

php111

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danielkarluk said:
what frequency do you have programmed in your scanner? who uses that frequency? what kind of antennae do you have? what do you want to hear, maybe i can help.


I don't know much about scanners but I want to hear Long Island and NYC. I have some Long Island programmed in. I have the rubber anteannae that comes with my scanner and I have a pro528.
 

GTR8000

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It's not going to happen, that's the bottom line.

To pull in NYC and LI from that distance, you'd need one hell of a good quality receiver coupled with a top notch outdoor antenna mounted at a high elevation with nothing in your line of sight between you and the city. Even with all those factors being "perfect", it's still probably not going to happen. Sorry!
 

php111

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res6cue_dot_com said:
It's not going to happen, that's the bottom line.

To pull in NYC and LI from that distance, you'd need one hell of a good quality receiver coupled with a top notch outdoor antenna mounted at a high elevation with nothing in your line of sight between you and the city. Even with all those factors being "perfect", it's still probably not going to happen. Sorry!

OK. What about 64 miles into Philly? Will it happen?
 

danielkarluk

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php111 said:
I don't know much about scanners but I want to hear Long Island and NYC. I have some Long Island programmed in. I have the rubber anteannae that comes with my scanner and I have a pro528.
Do you remember some of the frequencies? I think you would have to have an antennae on a tower, and i'm not sure you can hear that far away.
 

php111

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danielkarluk said:
You could listen to the live feeds on that long island scanning website, then distance wont matter, thats the good thing about fiber optics.


I mean with my portable handheld scanner.
 

GTR8000

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php111 said:
OK. What about 64 miles into Philly? Will it happen?

With the same handheld scanner and stock antenna? Nope.

Again, there are entirely too many factors involved to give a DEFINITIVE answer. A lot of technical stuff involved, such as: How much power is the transmitter putting out? How high up is the transmitting antenna mounted? What is the surrounding terrain like that would affect propagation? What kind of antenna is being used, omni or directional? What frequency is being used? How far is the transmitter from the receiver? What is the terrain like between the transmitter and receiver? Is there a clear line of site between the transmitter and receiver? What is the sensitivity and selectivity of the receiver? What kind of antenna does the receiver have? How high up is it mounted? What's the weather like outside that would affect signal propagation? Etc etc etc
 
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