How Many Hours A Day Are You Monitoring?

[bberns22]

Curious how much time people devote to monitoring (not work related).

 

[belvdr]

I'm on-again off-again, depending on what's currently happening. During warmer months, it's much lighter, as I have other hobbies I'd rather do. I used to monitor more while working from home, but things changed and I can't keep the volume up.

 

[bravo14]

Depends. There is times if open bands are happening it can last 30 mints to hours into it. Some days I scan for a few hours depending what I'm doing that day before or after work too.

 

[ecps92]

COVID ? - 7a-5p while working remote
Pre Covid ? 6a-3p while in the Office [Analog Only]

Curious how much time people devote to monitoring (not work related).

 

[vagrant]

Definitely four, but it is often double that as I am able to monitor while at work.

 

[AB5ID]

I listen to my own stream (with Bluetooth headphones) quite a bit while I'm at work.

 

[captainmax1]

My scanners stay on 24/7 in my office and my bedroom.

 

[K4EET]

@bberns22, you did not specifically ask for monitoring/scanning a specific medium. So I'll give you my "long" answer...

I am disabled with a severely compromised immune system (among other things) and must basically stay within the confines of my room which comprises my radio shack, dining mess and sleeping quarters. While my sleep patterns can be quite erratic, I am generally awake for all but 4 to 6 hours per day. That leaves me 18 to 20 hours per day to find something to do inside my cozy room.

I have a Uniden BCD536HP scanner which stays on 24/7 at a volume level of 3 to 5. My SWL station / Amateur Radio station is a FlexRadio Systems FLEX-6500 transceiver and it is generally on as well and either tuned to a "net" or I am "spinning the dial" seeing what I can find. My other therapeutic hobby is music where I attempt to play the guitar, harmonica and keyboard (not necessarily all at the same time).

So let me take a stab at the time breakdown to each:

• Monitoring the BCD536HP scanner traffic ---> 4 hours
• Monitoring the SWL Band on my HF Radio ---> 4 hours
• Two-way Amateur Radio QSOs worldwide ---> 5 hours
• Practicing musical instruments just for fun ---> 2 hours
• Eating, sleeping and miscellaneous things ---> 9 hours

Probably a little more information than you were looking for but I tend to have a unique case when it comes to time management. Responding to Radio Reference threads is as time permits within the above time slots. LOL!

 

[rk911]

Curious how much time people devote to monitoring (not work related).

i have a scanner in my home office and in my radio shack. absent when we are on vacation those radios are on 24/7. as are my dual band vhf/uhf ham gear.

 

[ltginrage]

The only time I don't listen is when I go into stores or places where it would look. Now I only "actively monitor" at night or after a snow storm.

So basically I have it on 24/7 I have in the background and I listen for the good stuff, unless Im studying or something, then I would turn it down or off.

 

[lwvmobile]

Depends on if I'm busy on a day or at home. Also depends on what I'm feeling like doing or not doing.

Typically, if I'm working at home, I'll just get something going on the SDR in the morning and just let it run in the background all day while I'm working on other projects. Same for the old Radio Shack Pro-528 hand held, just turn it on at a moderate volume and leave it on in the background. Plenty of Analog stuff to listen to in my area.

Other times, if the bands are open and I feel like doing some exploration, I'll spend an hour or two perusing through the bands in GQRX looking for signals I've never seen before and seeing what all they might be, see if anything is strong enough and worth listening in on and bookmarking it, and then put it into DSD+ FL, OP25, or SDRTrunk and see if there is anything going on there.

Other times, if I'm working on my little software project:

GitHub - lwvmobile/ledacs-esk: Linux EDACS ESK Trunk Tracking using rtl_fm and rtl_udp.

Linux EDACS ESK Trunk Tracking using rtl_fm and rtl_udp. - lwvmobile/ledacs-esk

github.com

Shameless self-plugging aside, I'll make tweaks, get it started, look at the data pouring in, and make changes, listen in for any unencrypted groups, working on that project for a couple hours a day until I'm about cross eyed.

Other times, I'll just lose interest for a few days and just do other stuff for entertainment, especially if I'm burnt out on it.

 

[bobruzzo]

Radios usually on all day from about 8am till I go to bed around 11pm. So I am retired and spend a lot of time at home and listen on and off all day. Sometimes watch a movie while listening. I have desk with computer and 3 radios. I will go outside from time to time or walk thru house. Wife still works so I take care of the house and cleaning.

 

[bberns22]

To answer my own question I generally do serious monitoring less than 30 min a day. Often I carry a radio when I walk the dog - at least an hour a day, but it’s more background noise unless something big comes across..

 

[DJ11DLN]

Pretty much if I'm awake, I'm listening. That's not an absolute of course; while I don't watch much TV anymore, if something good is on and I'm having trouble enjoying it due to scanner yack, I'll mute the scanners. I have 3 in the house and one in my workshop. They pretty much never get turned off, just muted sometimes. I have HH scanners in my vehicles and really enjoy monitoring while I'm driving. And with a set of these...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0083E7T7C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I can monitor while running a tractor or mowing grass or doing something else noisy. They're not quite as good as regular foam earplugs but they're close enough and the audio, while not great, is fine for scanner traffic, talk radio, and that sort of thing.

I guess that makes me a bit of a junkie...

 

[ladn]

Usually at least a couple of hours each day, but it really depends on a lot of variables:

• Working from home: Scanner is on all day
• Nearby fire or other emergency situation: Scanner on constantly
• Relaxing (in the before days) with friends: Scanner off
• After working in the office: Scanner on for a couple of hours while I check emails and such
• 4Wheeling in the backcountry: Scanner on

 

[TailGator911]

Every hour that I am awake - nonstop. Relatives that are LEOs and I listen to them constant. I listen to much more than public safety, as well. If it transmits I will monitor.

 

[JDrisc3480]

Working in Afghanistan I listen to Broadcastify about 2-3 hours a day

 

[TailGator911]

JDrisc3480, thank you for your service.

 

[pb_lonny]

I have my UBCD396XT on most of the time, it spends 95% of the time in auto store mode, I only spend 1/2 an hour a day actually "listening", the rest is logging.

 

[mass-man]

Four scanners on 24/7
HF amateur rig/SWL receiver on usually 6-9a and 7p-11p!
I'm in the SHACK 6-8 hrs a day...but I can hear the scanners from the kitchen, so am able to keep up with what is going on.