Around the 2001-2003 timeframe New Communications Systems (NCS) came out with the NCS-3230, a 6-channel mixer/console controller that would allow one to connect up to 6 radios and control the audio much like a communications dispatch console would. You could attach a pair of speakers to monitor the audio similar to “Select” and “Unselect” protocols in a true dispatch console. You could send audio to a recorder, control volumes, select Mutes and all in all really have a handle on several scanner audio lines in a single compact package. It even had a headphone jack so you could monitor without bothering the family.
It had an amplifier to drive the speakers and you could control the audio of each of the two speakers with the balance control. It even had an All-Mute button to instantly silence all radios at once.
This thing went for about $350 back then, which in today’s dollars which would be close to $600 today but it was worth every penny. I had several chances at getting one used over the years but never pulled the trigger as they were always at the wrong time for me. Rich Barnett at Scanner Master (whom I worked for writing books and articles) offered one to me for his cost as SM sold these at retail. I really wish I would have taken him up on that!
From everything I have read and in speaking to those who have owned these they were extremely well built and worked great. They pop up on eBay and other sites from time to time, but I have always been out bid.
The next best thing would be the Zetron Model 27. This is a 4u rack mounted monitor panel that controls up to 8 receivers. It has two integrated speakers with individual volume controls so 4 radios would be sent to each speaker. With individual mute controls one can pretty much set up the way he wants to. While this device takes a little more technical savvy to set up it is a professional way to monitor many radios at once.
A year or three ago these were all the rage on RadioReference with the “Many Scanners” crowd. Some of use tried musical mixers like the various Behringers (of which I still have a 1602 and sold my first one, an X2222) others were buying the Model 27’s off eBay from a reseller of dispatch console components. Again, I should have grabbed one when I had the chance, but I preferred a solution with more individual volume controls and an integrated headphone jack, both of which the Zetron lacked.
While I might grab a Model 27 if I find a working one in my price range, I would give up my left big toe for an NCS3230. It is exactly what I need. I tried to convince some friends of mine to commission a replacement scanner-centric mixer/console/controller, but it would be such a niche product there would be no way to recoup the costs of designing or manufacturing it much less make a profit. My idea was to have 8 and 12 channel units, with individual trimmer volume controls, mute buttons and activity lights for each channel, select up to 4 different speakers using a pair of stereo computer speakers or even integrated speakers, and an integrated power system that could power the scanners as well as process the audio. While I can pretty much do much of that with the Behringer 1602 I have now, having a purpose-built device would be so much better.
If you come across a working NCS-3230 run, don’t walk and grab it. They are worth their weight in bacon for sure.
It had an amplifier to drive the speakers and you could control the audio of each of the two speakers with the balance control. It even had an All-Mute button to instantly silence all radios at once.
This thing went for about $350 back then, which in today’s dollars which would be close to $600 today but it was worth every penny. I had several chances at getting one used over the years but never pulled the trigger as they were always at the wrong time for me. Rich Barnett at Scanner Master (whom I worked for writing books and articles) offered one to me for his cost as SM sold these at retail. I really wish I would have taken him up on that!
From everything I have read and in speaking to those who have owned these they were extremely well built and worked great. They pop up on eBay and other sites from time to time, but I have always been out bid.
The next best thing would be the Zetron Model 27. This is a 4u rack mounted monitor panel that controls up to 8 receivers. It has two integrated speakers with individual volume controls so 4 radios would be sent to each speaker. With individual mute controls one can pretty much set up the way he wants to. While this device takes a little more technical savvy to set up it is a professional way to monitor many radios at once.
A year or three ago these were all the rage on RadioReference with the “Many Scanners” crowd. Some of use tried musical mixers like the various Behringers (of which I still have a 1602 and sold my first one, an X2222) others were buying the Model 27’s off eBay from a reseller of dispatch console components. Again, I should have grabbed one when I had the chance, but I preferred a solution with more individual volume controls and an integrated headphone jack, both of which the Zetron lacked.
While I might grab a Model 27 if I find a working one in my price range, I would give up my left big toe for an NCS3230. It is exactly what I need. I tried to convince some friends of mine to commission a replacement scanner-centric mixer/console/controller, but it would be such a niche product there would be no way to recoup the costs of designing or manufacturing it much less make a profit. My idea was to have 8 and 12 channel units, with individual trimmer volume controls, mute buttons and activity lights for each channel, select up to 4 different speakers using a pair of stereo computer speakers or even integrated speakers, and an integrated power system that could power the scanners as well as process the audio. While I can pretty much do much of that with the Behringer 1602 I have now, having a purpose-built device would be so much better.
If you come across a working NCS-3230 run, don’t walk and grab it. They are worth their weight in bacon for sure.
