Planning a Portable Scanning Session
By Paul Blundell – October 2014
Launceston Scanner Freq
For some people this would be as easy as grabbing a radio and heading out the door; I find more planning is required to get the most from a portable scanning session.
When I am planning a portable scanning session my first step is to arrange a suitable day and time. I am very happily married and would like to stay this way so ensuring the domestic front is happy goes a long way to ensuring you have a good time. Having all your domestic duties done and ensuring you have been spending enough quality time with your better half both makes this easier. Normally I aim to have at least one portable scanning session a week, normally on a weekend however this can change based on the above.
Once a suitable day and time has been found the next step is to check the weather forecast for that day. In my time involved in the radio scanning / amateur radio hobbies I have undertaken quite a bit of out and about scanning sitting on hill tops / lookouts / mountains, from doing this I learnt two VERY important lessons:
1) Sitting in the sun for hours at a time is not fun and this reduces your enjoyment.
2) Sitting in the cold for hours at a time is not fun and this reduces your enjoyment.
Based on this I like to make sure the weather will be suitable. While the cold can be overcome with extra clothes, being too hot is much harder to control and in extreme cases this can be quite bad for your health (dehydration, sun stroke and so on). Storms and other weather extremes are also not fun to be out in so I like to try and avoid this if possible. During our Australian summer’s bush fires are a very real risk and given most locations are prime fire spots, the fire danger rating (FDR) and a safe access / escape are very important to consider. The local sunrise / sunset are also checked and this helps with planning a suitable time to leave.
Next is to decide on a location, as I am still quite new to this hobby I am exploring various locations near me. Some are quite close and others are quite a distance to drive. The things I consider when deciding on a location are:
- Distance to drive (The cost of fuel is a factor in this)
- Access (some areas are locked after hours)
- RF profile (Some locations are better due to distance from FM broadcast band stations which can cause problems on the VHF bands)
- Comforts (Shops, toilets, etc)
- Personal Security (See notes below)
Of these points, all are fairly easy to assess except for personal security, yet this is the most important. The city I live in is fairly safe and crime it is not always the first thing we think of, yet our personal safety and security is very important. Sitting in your car or walking in the bush with multiple radios, by yourself, after dark, in locations such as lookouts or hill tops, beaches, parks or car parks can expose you to increased risks to your personal safety. These locations at times can be used by people for a number of reasons which may not be legal or which may cause you to witness things you didn't want to witness. Some of these locations are used for drug dealing, exchanges or people meeting others whom they are not married to. Generally locations with a good level of passing traffic or close to houses are better than isolated spots. Good lighting is also a benefit as is having multiple entry and exits points. Local knowledge is also helpful on knowing the lay of the land and if locations are considered safe. The best advice is to keep your doors locked if in your car and to be aware of your surroundings both in your car and while on foot. If you feel unsafe or uneasy it is better to cut your session short than get caught up in somebody else's problems. Having a torch and a mobile phone plus telling somebody where you will be and when you will be home are all good safety tips.
My planning really starts the night before or early in the morning when I prepare everything I am going to take, charge batteries and pack up my gear. My normal kit consists of this:
- Receivers (1, 2, 3 or more in a number of different carry cases depending on what I am doing and what my aims for each session are)
- Batteries (Fully recharged and also some spare alkaline AA's)
- Head phones (I prefer the ear bud type and these are easier to carry)
- Log book and pen + spares
- Torch
- Folder with general information and maps
- Multi-tool
- Blanket (if it is cold)
- Spare jacket
- Digital camera
- Food and drinks
- Mobile phone / UHF CB radio
- Identification such as a driver’s licence (which you should be carrying anyway if you are driving)
In the past I have used digital camera bags and large hard ABS type cases, these types of cases / bags standout and make it look like you are carrying expensive equipment. Recently I have started carrying my radios in a plastic container which I can fit in my normal backpack. This has the advantage of being easier to carry if going portable on foot and also blending in more. They are also very cheap and as I have a few different sizes I can customise them depending on what I am carrying.
Before departing I check my kit and confirm I have everything. When I arrive onsite I do a quick recon of the area to make sure it is safe, no dodgy people around and I feel comfortable. Now I can sit back, relax and get serious about logging. If it is going to be an extended session in the car I get out of the car every half an hour and walk around just to keep the blood moving and to get some fresh air. I also try to eat something and keep drinking to keep my fluids up. I like to also get some photos each time I go logging for the report on my blog. If I am going portable I like to try a few different spots and also interact with anybody I see, even if this is just a passing hello on a track.
On returning home I make sure I spend some time with my wife before checking my loggings and entering these in to my computer. I also update my locations file with any notes for future reference. Finally I post my loggings on my blog and plan my next outing.
By Paul Blundell – October 2014
Launceston Scanner Freq
For some people this would be as easy as grabbing a radio and heading out the door; I find more planning is required to get the most from a portable scanning session.
When I am planning a portable scanning session my first step is to arrange a suitable day and time. I am very happily married and would like to stay this way so ensuring the domestic front is happy goes a long way to ensuring you have a good time. Having all your domestic duties done and ensuring you have been spending enough quality time with your better half both makes this easier. Normally I aim to have at least one portable scanning session a week, normally on a weekend however this can change based on the above.
Once a suitable day and time has been found the next step is to check the weather forecast for that day. In my time involved in the radio scanning / amateur radio hobbies I have undertaken quite a bit of out and about scanning sitting on hill tops / lookouts / mountains, from doing this I learnt two VERY important lessons:
1) Sitting in the sun for hours at a time is not fun and this reduces your enjoyment.
2) Sitting in the cold for hours at a time is not fun and this reduces your enjoyment.
Based on this I like to make sure the weather will be suitable. While the cold can be overcome with extra clothes, being too hot is much harder to control and in extreme cases this can be quite bad for your health (dehydration, sun stroke and so on). Storms and other weather extremes are also not fun to be out in so I like to try and avoid this if possible. During our Australian summer’s bush fires are a very real risk and given most locations are prime fire spots, the fire danger rating (FDR) and a safe access / escape are very important to consider. The local sunrise / sunset are also checked and this helps with planning a suitable time to leave.
Next is to decide on a location, as I am still quite new to this hobby I am exploring various locations near me. Some are quite close and others are quite a distance to drive. The things I consider when deciding on a location are:
- Distance to drive (The cost of fuel is a factor in this)
- Access (some areas are locked after hours)
- RF profile (Some locations are better due to distance from FM broadcast band stations which can cause problems on the VHF bands)
- Comforts (Shops, toilets, etc)
- Personal Security (See notes below)
Of these points, all are fairly easy to assess except for personal security, yet this is the most important. The city I live in is fairly safe and crime it is not always the first thing we think of, yet our personal safety and security is very important. Sitting in your car or walking in the bush with multiple radios, by yourself, after dark, in locations such as lookouts or hill tops, beaches, parks or car parks can expose you to increased risks to your personal safety. These locations at times can be used by people for a number of reasons which may not be legal or which may cause you to witness things you didn't want to witness. Some of these locations are used for drug dealing, exchanges or people meeting others whom they are not married to. Generally locations with a good level of passing traffic or close to houses are better than isolated spots. Good lighting is also a benefit as is having multiple entry and exits points. Local knowledge is also helpful on knowing the lay of the land and if locations are considered safe. The best advice is to keep your doors locked if in your car and to be aware of your surroundings both in your car and while on foot. If you feel unsafe or uneasy it is better to cut your session short than get caught up in somebody else's problems. Having a torch and a mobile phone plus telling somebody where you will be and when you will be home are all good safety tips.
My planning really starts the night before or early in the morning when I prepare everything I am going to take, charge batteries and pack up my gear. My normal kit consists of this:
- Receivers (1, 2, 3 or more in a number of different carry cases depending on what I am doing and what my aims for each session are)
- Batteries (Fully recharged and also some spare alkaline AA's)
- Head phones (I prefer the ear bud type and these are easier to carry)
- Log book and pen + spares
- Torch
- Folder with general information and maps
- Multi-tool
- Blanket (if it is cold)
- Spare jacket
- Digital camera
- Food and drinks
- Mobile phone / UHF CB radio
- Identification such as a driver’s licence (which you should be carrying anyway if you are driving)
In the past I have used digital camera bags and large hard ABS type cases, these types of cases / bags standout and make it look like you are carrying expensive equipment. Recently I have started carrying my radios in a plastic container which I can fit in my normal backpack. This has the advantage of being easier to carry if going portable on foot and also blending in more. They are also very cheap and as I have a few different sizes I can customise them depending on what I am carrying.
Before departing I check my kit and confirm I have everything. When I arrive onsite I do a quick recon of the area to make sure it is safe, no dodgy people around and I feel comfortable. Now I can sit back, relax and get serious about logging. If it is going to be an extended session in the car I get out of the car every half an hour and walk around just to keep the blood moving and to get some fresh air. I also try to eat something and keep drinking to keep my fluids up. I like to also get some photos each time I go logging for the report on my blog. If I am going portable I like to try a few different spots and also interact with anybody I see, even if this is just a passing hello on a track.
On returning home I make sure I spend some time with my wife before checking my loggings and entering these in to my computer. I also update my locations file with any notes for future reference. Finally I post my loggings on my blog and plan my next outing.
