Recommendation on a good airband-only scanner?

[racin06]

I'm looking to purchase a airband-only scanner. I'm just interested in the civilian airband. Any good recommendations? I have seen many online; however, these airband scanners are located on UK web sites. I'm beginning to think the UK has a monopoly on airband scanners. Why are so many airband scanners located on the UK web sites?

I have no problem in buying an airband scanner from a UK web site; however, I would rather buy from the States to save on shipping. Any web sites in the U.S. selling airband scanners?

 

[eyes00only]

Try www.sportys.com / I think that's the one I'm trying to remember. They used to have one that did milair & civilian at a great price, but it got discontinued. I have not checked it in a long time, and they may not sell scanners anymore, but it's worth checking.

Good luck
Jerry

 

[Grog]

Looking at that site, I found this.


http://www.sportys.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&did=19&product_id=6201

http://www.sportys.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&did=19&product_id=6679


This is a transceiver, so you should not transmit with it.

http://www.sportys.com/pilotshop/sp-200.cfm

and a full list at

http://www.sportys.com/pilotshop/pages/transceiver.cfm?trackingId=731

 

[Halfpint]

The main `problem' with the radios that `Sporty's' sells is that they are `designed?' for a fairly limited and captive audience. Hence the `addition?' of the AM/FM radio section. What respectable `Air Foamer' / `Air Fan', similar to a `Rail Foamer' / `Rail Fan' {VB GRIN!}, would actually use a scanner with only *5* channels? (And would also actually listen to AM or FM radio to `pass the time away' whilst scanning the `air band(s)'?)

I'm afraid that you either have to take the `leap of faith' and buy something from some UK site or go and buy either a RS / GRE PRO-97 or one of `UniHeave's'... err Uniden's scanners and be `satisfied'. There *used* to be a couple other fairly reasonable `air band' scanners available here but apparently there wasn't enough of a market for them and they have since disappeared into oblivion / the occasional E-bay sale. (The only one I ever had *any* `experience' with was one called `The Black Jaguar' and I still have somewhat of a `sour taste' left from that. While it *did* `scan' the `air bands' it had sensitivity and image problems that were *very* annoying. I basically gave it away, for $25, when I finally got rid of it at a local `Flea Market'.) FWIW, what little `air scanning' I have done recently the PRO-97 I currently have *seems* to do a pretty good job. I had a few freqs programmed in and then used the "Signal Stalker" function to find a few more and had a fairly enjoyable afternoon of listening when I tried it. Maybe this next summer I'll actually go to a few air shows again now that I seem to have something that works?

 

[kingpin]

My first scanner that had air was a Uniden BC350A. I found it to be quite capable of pulling in the air traffic plus, they can be found new for under $100. It's 11 years old and still works like new! The new(er) model is BC350C. They are not that expensive and I think you'll be pleased with the results.

 

[mjw357]

Here's the Sporty's JD-100, pretty sure it's the one that does UHF/VHF air. Ask the seller before you jump in.

http://cgi.ebay.com/AVIATION-AIRCRAFT-SCANNER-RECEIVER-SPORTYS-PILOTJD-100_W0QQitemZ5834860119QQcategoryZ14956QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

eBay item 5834860119

 

[TeRayCodA]

I have had one of those(JD-100) that I got from ebay about a year ago.They are a great UHF/VHF radio,with really good audio.