Just do the work.

[kc2asb]

On searching:

I used to do that all the time back in the 90s. Not so much anymore. The amount of information online coupled with the fact that more and more agencies are running encryption, or switching to unmonitorable LTE radios or just straight up cell phones instead of walkie talkies has really killed my passion to look for the needle in a haystack.

IMHO, it's a matter of where to search. Almost anything can pop up on the business/itinerant channels, GMRS, FRS, VHF-low, etc.

 

[EAFrizzle]

I really miss the days of poring over the newest Police Call. Tons of great info once you got used to the format. Countless issues of PopComm and Monitoring Times pages flipped looking for info on Federal agencies, notebooks filled with handwritten frequencies, stock antennas that actually worked, etc.

 

[kc2asb]

I really miss the days of poring over the newest Police Call. Tons of great info once you got used to the format. Countless issues of PopComm and Monitoring Times pages flipped looking for info on Federal agencies, notebooks filled with handwritten frequencies, stock antennas that actually worked, etc.

Same here. I started with a Betty Bearcat guide, and later had Police Call, the Scanner Master and Monitor America guides.

It feels like the hobby lost some of its magic after those magazines ceased publication. The scanning columns were excellent sources of frequencies and ideas for exploring parts of the spectrum you may have overlooked.

 

[Wilrobnson]

IMHO, it's a matter of where to search. Almost anything can pop up on the business/itinerant channels, GMRS, FRS, VHF-low, etc.

Same reason I always run two separate scan lists for those hidden gems, one full of the CCR presets and itinerant freqs in multiple modes (analog, DMR, NXDN and P25) and another for all the NIFOG stuff. I've caught downright bizarre stuff over the years on both.

 

[KCA6YU]

Back in the day with crystal and early programmable scanners, you learned what the frequency was, and you learned it fast. There were no alphatags etc. With todays radios and database programming, you dont learn that stuff anymore. My mind is full of frequencies from 35, 40 years ago I can ramble off at the drop of a hat. And it was useful info when out trackside (railfanning) and a fellow fan doesnt know the freq of the road channel. Scanning aint the same, and neither are the folks using em. Its become to easy to just run to the internet and find what yer lookin for. Every radio has a lower and a upper search range, thats how we found stuff back in the day.

 

[K9KLC]

Every radio has a lower and a upper search range, thats how we found stuff back in the day.

OH? I don't know about "every" but I agree most do. I use Unicaiton pagers for the most part, no such feature there.

 

[K9KLC]

Back in the day with crystal and early programmable scanners, you learned what the frequency was, and you learned it fast. There were no alphatags etc.

Yep just needed to know what you wanted. Frankly I miss those days.

My mind is full of frequencies from 35, 40 years ago I can ramble off at the drop of a hat.

Yep they ever go back to analog I've still got a brain full of those.

 

[19-685]

Gonna show my age (but not my maturity) ...

Anyone remember the state microfiche FCC records you could buy from Bearcat Radio Club back in the late 1980s and early 1990s? And then having to find a library that actually had a microfiche reader you could use?

Or the Percon Spectrum on disks or CD ROMs?

I've always loved searching and trying to find those elusive catches...


We've come quite a way...

19-685

 

[K9KLC]

Anyone remember the state microfiche FCC records you could buy from Bearcat Radio Club back in the late 1980s and early 1990s? And then having to find a library that actually had a microfiche reader you could use?

Yep this one I actually remember. Had to go to "town" to the library and read those. Thankfully Momma had a library card!

I don't remember the other thing you mentioned though.

 

[kc2asb]

Gonna show my age (but not my maturity) ...

Anyone remember the state microfiche FCC records you could buy from Bearcat Radio Club back in the late 1980s and early 1990s? And then having to find a library that actually had a microfiche reader you could use?

Or the Percon Spectrum on disks or CD ROMs?

I don't remember the microfiche records. I received my first scanner in 1988, but at that time, I was still getting my feet wet. Police Call guides later came with CD ROMS. I think the Betty Bearcat guides were a thing of the past by that time.

 

[6079smithw]

Not only are very few people doing searches, if they do search they want free software to program their scanners. Never mind that soft programs so many different scanners (at least a dozen) old and new, it has superior logging features that make doing searches far more efficient. I don't have a mike on my computer so I can't record my searches or monitoring a business trunked radio system to identify talkgroups, but the software is capable of doing so. I have a relatively new computer so I can't afford to replace it with one that would record each log entry. ProScan costs $50, but the number and type of scanners is is compatible make that money very effective. Since computer programmable scanners have been available, I've purchased my software and not tried any of the free software figuring you get what you pay for. I guess if you aren't going to do any searches, you can just download the database and then call it good.

Word! If you already dropped $700 for a premium scanner, another $50 for a program that will help get the most out of that unit is a no-brainer IMHO. But like the old saying goes, "Different Strokes" etc.

 

[6079smithw]

I don't remember the microfiche records. I received my first scanner in 1988, but at that time, I was still getting my feet wet. Police Call guides later came with CD ROMS. I think the Betty Bearcat guides were a thing of the past by that time.

Heck, yeah! I still have a $10.00 late 70s-county-surplus-sale fiche reader stashed in the shed somewhere. Lord only knows where the films are lol

 

[EAFrizzle]

I used them for viewing water samples. Best way for multiple people to simultaneously look at a sample in the 80s.

 

[ScanRafael]

If you already dropped $700 for a premium scanner, another $50 for a program that will help get the most out of that unit is a no-brainer

I own two BCD436HPs, a BC125AT, and an SDS100. I have no complaints with the free Uniden softwares. What features am I missing out on?

 

[kc2asb]

I own two BCD436HPs, a BC125AT, and an SDS100. I have no complaints with the free Uniden softwares. What features am I missing out on?

Proscan is certainly richer in features, but Sentinel is perfectly adequate for programming my 536HP.

 

[buddrousa]

Logging Voice TG's and UID's
Remote Control
Remote Monitoring
Just to name a few.

 

[Trad77]

I started listening to scanners in the late 80's. Then early 90's I went to the local Radio Shack and picked up a Pro 2050. Thats when I started to search for frequencies being used around me. Today I have the SDS100 and SDS200. I still search for frequencies not listed. Its actually a lot of fun... especially searching the low band frequencies. And to the scanner listeners that just stay on the pre-programmed frequencies, you are really missing out.

 

[MountainMoose]

This is why I say scanning and the hobby itself has "Jumped the shark" it's gone kind of from an underground "nerdy tech enthusiast" type of hobby to full on mainstream everybody and their brother has or wants one. And our right now right away society caters to not wanting to do any sort of research,programming, frequency sleuthing etc.