Multiple Radios

[lu81fitter]

Each scanner went to a different external speaker. It took some practice to get used to, but worked quite well.

In a mobile environment, I mount my speakers in different places so that I know which radio is talking by which direction the sound is coming from.

 

[trentbob]

Now if only we could find a way to grow more ears or have more than one brain

Unfortunately as I get older I have less use of the one brain that I have LOL.

Seriously though poster, once you do it for a long time you get very good at listening to multiple scanners. I never repeat a talk group or frequency on two scanners and only have a few objects on each radio so as not to miss anything. I have one that scans more but they're infrequently used aircraft, Marine, rail police Etc.

 

[PaMonitor]

Sometimes it takes two scanners to listen to one conversation. One scanner will drop it and the other will pick it up. Kind of like listening to stereo. Last week I was listening to a PennDOT. My Pro-197 was picking up the north portable and my Pro-106 was picking up the south portable.

Additionally, when there is a wreck or fire I sometimes get more out Transit buses and Taxi's than public safety.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Also there are those of us with setups where one radio may cover more bands or modes than the other. For instance in my "shack" I have trunk tracking scanner radios but also an AOR AR-DV1 communications receiver which decodes pretty much every digital mode under the sun. Though the DV1 lacks certain functions that my scanners have (trunking, talkgroup ID'ing, etc) it makes up for it in other ways, for instance its wideband coverage of medium wave & shortwave/HF bands where my scanners don't reach. Also the DV1 has more customizable bandwidth filters, step sizes, etc, but that's a discussion for another thread & I digress. Then there are my software-defined radios

 

[a417]

Now if only we could find a way to grow more ears or have more than one brain

Dunno, how close are you to Limerick?

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Dunno, how close are you to Limerick?

Not far enough

 

[ladn]

In a mobile environment, I mount my speakers in different places so that I know which radio is talking by which direction the sound is coming from.

Exactly what I did, too. How this was accomplished changed from vehicle to vehicle. Some of my vehicles had speaker grills, so I could just install a speaker under the grill. On other vehicles, I used Motorola LMR speakers with enclosures (two on the rear window deck), one either under the dash or on the center console.

My vehicle scanners were pre-computer vintage (BC 760 XLT and older), so I had to program them via the front panel. AND they only displayed frequency info (or a channel LED)--no alpha numerics.

One of my favorites to use was the BC-101 because I could lock out channels quickly by flipping the toggle switch under each channel. The newer scanners require more attention to lock out channels which is not easy to do while driving.

 

[TailGator911]

I've had the opportunity to be at my radio desk last year when there was an active shooter (twice) both events were early in the morning. I had my scanners streamlined and programmed for various agencies and I heard it all. Very hectic radio times when everybody comes out of the woodwork at the same time. I learned a few things that I have since applied to my scanners, like not repeating TGs or systems and how to arrange my scanners for optimum performance. One scanner ascending, another descending, one or two parked on vhf/uhf fire and EMTs. I also had a bank ready to scan media frequencies - used to be they talked about everything on those 450mhz freqs while it was happening. Nowadays it's harder to scan the media ( a lot of news choppers are still on the air giving traffic reports early in the AM). But you can hear quite a bit on your local city's frequencies when something major is happening, quite a few of those agencies switching to DMR radios. Security companies on DMR. Street sweepers and snow plows. You get the idea.

 

[trentbob]

Exactly what I did, too. How this was accomplished changed from vehicle to vehicle. Some of my vehicles had speaker grills, so I could just install a speaker under the grill. On other vehicles, I used Motorola LMR speakers with enclosures (two on the rear window deck), one either under the dash or on the center console.

My vehicle scanners were pre-computer vintage (BC 760 XLT and older), so I had to program them via the front panel. AND they only displayed frequency info (or a channel LED)--no alpha numerics.

One of my favorites to use was the BC-101 because I could lock out channels quickly by flipping the toggle switch under each channel. The newer scanners require more attention to lock out channels which is not easy to do while driving.

The 101 was my favorite too for multiple scanning... 16 channels and tab under each one. Had a total of three starting in 1974. Tough with the rooftops however, no PL tones then.

 

[trentbob]

I've had the opportunity to be at my radio desk last year when there was an active shooter (twice) both events were early in the morning. I had my scanners streamlined and programmed for various agencies and I heard it all. Very hectic radio times when everybody comes out of the woodwork at the same time. I learned a few things that I have since applied to my scanners, like not repeating TGs or systems and how to arrange my scanners for optimum performance. One scanner ascending, another descending, one or two parked on vhf/uhf fire and EMTs. I also had a bank ready to scan media frequencies - used to be they talked about everything on those 450mhz freqs while it was happening. Nowadays it's harder to scan the media ( a lot of news choppers are still on the air giving traffic reports early in the AM). But you can hear quite a bit on your local city's frequencies when something major is happening, quite a few of those agencies switching to DMR radios. Security companies on DMR. Street sweepers and snow plows. You get the idea.

Nice to see you back JD. Just like you I have really not been posting too often.

I have one Aviation frequency which is for news Choppers and they talk freely. There are also on our city wide Unicom helicopter Channel but this channel is where they all share their information on what story they're on to screw the city desk who can't monitor them on the aviation frequencies. All the network pilots work together.

I also have a favorites list on one scanner which is the State Department of Transportation and all of the township Departments of Transportation when it snows heavily. Great source of information. On that same favorites list I keep all of the bridge monitors over the Delaware Bridges who report hourly weather reports.

That's why I... monitor so many scanners at one time.

 

[eaf1956]

So what you all are telling me is that, just like my ham radio, firearms, and motorcycle hobbies, this hobby is gonna cost me lots of money too!!!! My wife is gonna hate me me. More.

Exactly!!!

 

[TailGator911]

Nice to see you back JD. Just like you I have really not been posting too often.

Thank you, Bob! Work calls now and then and I have to do the LA thing. Now back in the quiet woods lol. What a contrast, huh. I hate doing web stuff on an iPad or an iPhone, which is what I am limited to when I go out there. I am seriously looking at one of those new laptops, the really thin one. I might give that a try

 

[TailGator911]

Now if only we could find a way to grow more ears or have more than one brain

I think they have a pill for that now! lol

 

[greggk]

Its actually a GUY thing; the more scanners, obviously the more testosterone. lol

Go to the "picture" thread here at look at some of the set-ups.

 

[greggk]

So what you all are telling me is that, just like my ham radio, firearms, and motorcycle hobbies, this hobby is gonna cost me lots of money too!!!! My wife is gonna hate me me. More.

Say things like "honey, you never looked so beautiful," and "They were throwing out this scanner", Or "There was a once in a lifetime sale at Amazon." Best of luck with that. Greg

 

[SABER3]

Quick question for multiple scanner use; how do you record the audio on your computer if you only have one mic or line in in? Is there a digital multitrack recorder out there that can record mutiple tracks and yet is searchable by a computer program?

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Quick question for multiple scanner use; how do you record the audio on your computer if you only have one mic or line in in? Is there a digital multitrack recorder out there that can record mutiple tracks and yet is searchable by a computer program?

I record my two 536HP's using Proscan's wifi audio record feature (I believe only the 536HP and the SDS200 are the only radios which support wifi recording). You can open more than one instance of Proscan to record each radio and my mic & line-in jacks are free (well one is occupied by my AOR AR-DV1 )

 

[gmclam]

Quick question for multiple scanner use; how do you record the audio on your computer if you only have one mic or line in in? Is there a digital multitrack recorder out there that can record mutiple tracks and yet is searchable by a computer program?

I added USB sound cards so that each scanner has its own audio input (also needed to stream separate audio) and run one instance of a recorder for each scanner. I am using rec-all-pro Sagebrush audio software - Sagebrush Systems Inc

 

[Cognomen]

I noted that many of you mention that you have different things programmed in to the various scanners, and listen to different things on each scanner.

I listen to different things on each scanner, but I program each scanner type identically. By "type", I mean all of my modern Unidens have the same profile, and all of my modern Whistlers have the same profile. I use the bank/zone selection to determine what each scanner actually monitors. This allows me to only have to edit a single profile per scanner type, and then I can load the one profile into all of the scanners of that type. And if (when) I get another of the same scanner type, it's ready to use in just a couple minutes. Having all of the scanners programmed identically also makes finding things quick and easy when time matters. Modern scanners have enough memory capacity to load in "everything".

 

[RaleighGuy]

I noted that many of you mention that you have different things programmed in to the various scanners, and listen to different things on each scanner.

I listen to different things on each scanner, but I program each scanner type identically. By "type", I mean all of my modern Unidens have the same profile, and all of my modern Whistlers have the same profile.

That's what I do with my TRX-1 and PRO-668 (modified) but usually have different scanlists active on each one.