Old Regency Police Scanner

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pjb525

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Hello:
I am trying to see if I can get this old scanner to work. I have some crystals to insert and would like to give it a try before I let it go.
Please see a couple pictures that I attached – especially of the back of the unit.
Can you tell me what might be plugged into the hole to the left – if anything? It looks like possibly an RCA plug would go in there – but I don’t know for what purpose.
Also, what about the 2 set of antenna connections to the right?
What type of antenna or wire should I connect to these terminals – to help the reception. Should I use the old loop UHF type or rabbit ears? Should both of these sets of antenna terminals be connected to an antenna - or just one. Please advise and thank you for your help if possible.
Phil
 

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dispatch

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The screw terminals are for attaching an external speaker. The external antenna jack is located to the left of the screw terminals. It is a motorola jack mating with male motorola plug. Some of these scanners have an additional antenna jack but appears your unit is single band only...probably high band VHF...
 

wtp

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my $.02

if you look inside the radio you will probably see that the screw terminals are for an external antenna.
it is more than a guess it is in the manual.
 

eaf1956

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Why did no one mention that this scanner probably won't pick up anything. Maybe if he gets the right crystals some old VHF fire frequencies.
 

oracavon

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if you look inside the radio you will probably see that the screw terminals are for an external antenna.
it is more than a guess it is in the manual.

Nope. You're the one who's guessing, and you're wrong. dispatch is correct. I own several similar models, and they are all the same. The screw terminals are for an external speaker. Here is a section of the schematic from the service manual for the OP's radio (Regency model TME-8), showing the external speaker terminals:
 

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oracavon

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Why did no one mention that this scanner probably won't pick up anything. Maybe if he gets the right crystals some old VHF fire frequencies.

Probably because that's not a true statement. There are multiple police and fire channels on VHF High in his county. All he needs is the right crystals (assuming that the radio is functional).
 

oracavon

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Can you tell me what might be plugged into the hole to the left – if anything? It looks like possibly an RCA plug would go in there – but I don’t know for what purpose.

As dispatch noted, that's your antenna connection. It uses a Motorola plug (see picture below). Radio Shack sells adapters that will plug into your radio and convert it to a BNC connection.

BNC to Motorola Adapter : Adapters | RadioShack.com

Also, what about the 2 set of antenna connections to the right?
What type of antenna or wire should I connect to these terminals – to help the reception. Should I use the old loop UHF type or rabbit ears? Should both of these sets of antenna terminals be connected to an antenna - or just one. Please advise and thank you for your help if possible.
Phil

Also as dispatch noted, those are for an external speaker. See my earlier post for how it's wired.

Here's a picture of a Motorola antenna plug:
 

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pjb525

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Hello. Thank you all for the responses and information. I live in Oakland County in the Metropolitan Detroit area. My late father bought this scanner back in the 70's. It is a great piece of nostalgia for me and I have great memories of he and I (as a young boy) listening to this scanner and the police calls. It does turn on but the sound of the dials are scratchy but the reception is very weak. That is why I was inquiring about the antenna connections. I will use some tuner cleaner and aerosol air to clean some of the contacts/connections.
I will use your input, and see if I can hear any action.

Thank you, Mr. Phil from Detroit
 

wtp

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good catch

all i could find talked about the external antennas connections on the back.
i see that now, mot type.
thanks i am humbled.
 

W9NES

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The scanner takes 10.7 IF crystals. You might find some agencies still using the old VHF for fire paging, Railroad, etc but most if not all have gone to 800Mhz Digital trunking. If you know what freq your National Weather Service uses in your area the scanner would make a great Weather Service Monitor.You could drop a weather service crystal in the scanner and see how it picks up.
 

pjb525

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Royal Oak, Michigan
Hello;

Thank you all for your responses and input. As a backdrop, I live in the Metropolitan Detroit area. My father bought this scanner back in the 70's and I have fond memories of listening to it with him as a young boy.

Now that I am a middle-aged man, I thought I would try to resurrect it and see if it still works.

The unit turns on, but the reception is very poor. That is why I inquired about the antenna terminals. I used tuner cleaner and aerosol air to clean some of the contacts (volume and squelch knobs).

Once again, I appreciate the information. I will go to Radio Shack and buy the adapter and see if I hear any action.

Mr. Phil from Detroit
 

radar614

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I still have crystals from my old regency radios that I don't use any longer. If you can determine the frequencies that you want to monitor, I'll see if I have them. I'll sell them to you for $2 each.
 

pjb525

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Royal Oak, Michigan
Hello all who responded to my original thread.

I found the backplate that goes on the back of the scanner which indicates what these terminals are for.
Please see the attached pictures if you wish - as a point of reference.
Thank you again for your help.
Phil
 

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krokus

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In Oakland County, you should be able to pick up quite a few fire departments. South Lyon, Lyon Twp, Novi, Commerce Twp, Rochester Hills, Farmington Hills, and others.

Frequencies are in the database, here.

Sent via Tapatalk
 

radioman2001

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By the picture the radio appears to have 6-8 crystals already in it,(it appears from the markings on the back plate it's VHF-HI). If you take them out carefully(no pliers) the frequency should be stamped on them. Then just look those frequencies up in the RR database for your County and surrounding areas.

BTW A nice piece of history you have there. I believe it was manufactured around 1969 to 1971. I had a Peterson H/L 44 as my first scanner(looks similar but smaller). I had quite a few single band radios before it.
 
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W9NES

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The scanner was made on the eastside of Indianapolis at 7707 Records Street. I have had a lot of Regency crystal scanners since 1976. I still collect them.
 
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