old radios

[QwKiE]

I have 3 older realistic radios pro-38, pro-2020, and a pro-2006 all the scanners work but not many frequencies to pick up on them that I can find. Well I really havent looked to hard. Im useing a Home Patrol-1 now and I really like it im in Warren Michigan. What I would like to know is, are these scanners worth anything or are there frequencies that are still out there that all three scanners can pick up. In my area I can still get Southfield police and fire on all three scanners as they are not going to go to Opensky and I guess there not digital yet either anyone that knows about these scanners can you give me some info please what there worth or what I can listen to on them. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[KR4BD]

I also have several older scanners and, quite frankly, with the rapidly changing technologies, these old radios are dinosaurs and not worth much anymore. Yes, there are still a few analog signals to be found, but even these are slowly giving way to digital, narrowband modes.

Do what I do....start your own "museum" that remembers the "good old days"....

 

[AC2OY]

Qwkie I also have a old Pro-2005 and had the same issues only heard some stuff I'm assuming the analog stuff thats still bieng broadcasted and to think I bougt that scanner in 1986 or 87 just to pick up the 800mhz band back then because the meadowlands and my local police went to the 800's!!! I had to break down and get one of these new digital ones....my lord what a difference!!!!

 

[mass-man]

If you move away from public safety listening, these radios will be good for a bit longer. Monitoring air traffic control is actually very interesting...takes many hours, but then you hear something and it is fascinating!!! Amateur repeaters for when the weather gets bad in your area! The statewide/nationwide interop freq should be in one, for you never know when someone may need to use them. Even with agencies going P25, etc, they will use those to talk to other entities.

Yea, you might be able to hear ALL this on one of them, but don't put them on the shelf and forget them just yet...

 

[freqs]

I have 3 older realistic radios pro-38, pro-2020, and a pro-2006 all the scanners work but not many frequencies to pick up on them that I can find. Well I really havent looked to hard. Im useing a Home Patrol-1 now and I really like it im in Warren Michigan. What I would like to know is, are these scanners worth anything or are there frequencies that are still out there that all three scanners can pick up. In my area I can still get Southfield police and fire on all three scanners as they are not going to go to Opensky and I guess there not digital yet either anyone that knows about these scanners can you give me some info please what there worth or what I can listen to on them. Thanks in advance for any help.

I also live in Warren I have a 2006 bc350 pro 96 pro95 pro 106 I have them on everyday.Police and fire is getting smaller on vhf and uhf .
My non digital radios are full of active freqs for the area I have a wide range from DPW EMS TOW TRUCKS CEMENT MIXERS TAXI'S MALLS HOME DEPOT LOWES HOSPITALS MEDIA LIST GOES ON .If you would like ill pm all the active freqs I have in my radios that you may or may not have ?Dont forget if you have a good outside antenna we live in a good skip area so search low band as well as uhf and vhf for far away police and fire I have had great luck getting comms from down south east coast and a few times I have picked up CHP Golden Gate

 

[ST-Bob]

Another great use for old scanners is to use them as a source for a Radio Reference feed. This gives you free access to the database for downloading into your spiffy new digital scanner which can be so challenging to program by hand.

Simply find a nearby public safety (Police, Fire, EMS) that you can still receive well and set up the scanner to receive JUST the dispatch and routine communications stuff. Now check the Live Audio Feeds section of Radio Reference to see if someone else has an identical feed. If not, submit yours and connect the scanner to your sound card. There's lots of help on this process and it works well for me. As an audio feed provider you will have basically what the paid subscribers have simply by using your always-on computer, Internet connection and old scanner. Sure makes life easier with the newer thousand channel and up scanners to be able to download directly from the RR database. Best part is you don't have to PAY for it!!!