Scanner verses Streaming

[etuck]

Can you hear the same traffic on Broadcastifi via streaming than you can on a higher priced personal scanner radio such as the SDS100 or 200?

 

[ScannerSK]

No, there is a lot of traffic that is either not allowed on Broadcastify or which most choose not to rebroadcast especially clearance and tactical channels for example. In addition, online receivers often have reception issues and cannot be customized for a specific area so a person often has to monitor a lot of unwanted traffic and just hope they receive what they desire to monitor.

 

[trentbob]

What is streamed on broadcastify and all of the police scanner apps in the Play Store that get streaming from radio reference.. is done by volunteers who contribute their effort to provide feeds of whatever they choose in their locality. If they stop then you can't stream it anymore, that's up to them.

In my area police are encrypted but you can stream fire, Railroad and other local Philadelphia area feeds including dispatch for Philadelphia police that is not encrypted for dispatch only. Any tac or sensitive channels in the clear will not be streamed.

In my area on the Fire talk groups there is considerable delay in what you hear compared to listening to the scanner side by side to your phone.

You are better off having a radio that's capable of receiving the type of systems you have in your area. There is some convenience to having for example your local fire dispatch on your phone as if you hear the whistle and you're not near a radio you will at least find out where and what so that you can avoid the area and traffic problems.

 

[RaleighGuy]

What @ScannerSK and @trentbob said. Huge difference.