scanners and amateurs

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SCPD

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No shack scannners

I have several transcievers in my shack, and several scanners outside the shack. I have a scanner in the garage, one next to my bed, and a handheld. I generally listen to a scanner when I'm not in the shack, and if someone calls me, then I'll head to the shack. But no scanners actually in the shack.
 

RadioDaze

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But no scanners actually in the shack.

That's absurd. Must be a really small shack.

C'mon, man - get a scanner in that shack. If I had a shack, it would be filled with scanners. I might even hollow out a scanner and turn it into a shack.

How can you have a QSO with someone in another country without the sound of scanners blaring in the background? Do you want the world to get the idea that Americans can politely dedicate their attention a single task, such as a conversation? I for one won't stand for it, because I feel that we are a people founded on.....

...sorry, lost my train of thought - there's a felony traffic stop on the boulevard.
 

zz0468

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I own 2 ham radios and 9 scanners. The scanner-to-ham ratio in my shack has always been very high, but then, how many radios can one transmit on at the same time?

On the other hand, how many scanners can one listen to at the same time? I don't know about you, but I have only two ears, and a two channel audio system in my head. Much more than that, and it just turns into noise.
 

zz0468

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That's absurd. Must be a really small shack.

C'mon, man - get a scanner in that shack. If I had a shack, it would be filled with scanners. I might even hollow out a scanner and turn it into a shack.

How can you have a QSO with someone in another country without the sound of scanners blaring in the background? Do you want the world to get the idea that Americans can politely dedicate their attention a single task, such as a conversation? I for one won't stand for it, because I feel that we are a people founded on.....

...sorry, lost my train of thought - there's a felony traffic stop on the boulevard.

LOL. You have an excellent sense of the absurd. Thanks for the laugh!
 

kc2rgw

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How can you have a QSO with someone in another country without the sound of scanners blaring in the background? Do you want the world to get the idea that Americans can politely dedicate their attention a single task, such as a conversation? .

I know you're goofing around, but just a point of info for people who like a noisy mess going on in the shack.

I commonly have

music playing
scanners
VHF/UHF scanning
HF
whatever my PC is doing

All at once, going to a 10ch mixer down to a pair of computer speakers or headphones.

On HF I have a transmit relay that kicks in and mutes the audio out of the mixer before it gets to the speakers when I TX. For FM VHF/UHF I don' t have that relay, BUT, the mic I use is a hypercardioid element dynamic.

If you have the right mic and you set it up properly for close talking, nobody will hear the background at all.

I use an Audix OM-2 purely because at its price point, it has the tightest pickup pattern of anything else out there. There are other Audix models and one or two EV stage models that are similarly tight. The way it is configured, nothing coming from behind the mic will be picked up and pretty much nothing but what is directly on center on the element will go through. I set up to talk it about an inch or two away, directly on center. Works really well with all the other noise in the shack.

The down side is of course you have to remember some mic discipline while operating....which is where a boom is nice, because you can stick it right in front of your face no matter how you are sitting.

Audix OM2 : Vocal & instrument mic, full, clear sound with slight bass proximity, for small to mid-size PA systems
 

newsphotog

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zz0468 said:
I own 2 ham radios and 9 scanners. The scanner-to-ham ratio in my shack has always been very high, but then, how many radios can one transmit on at the same time?

On the other hand, how many scanners can one listen to at the same time? I don't know about you, but I have only two ears, and a two channel audio system in my head. Much more than that, and it just turns into noise.

I can listen to up to 5 scanners at a time. With time and experience, you learn how to do it. You know what incidents are nearest you. You can tell what's urgent by the tone in their voice. You know which agencies are on which scanners. You don't miss a beat with multiple scanners, as opposed to using one scanner to scan several systems -- it's bound to miss something when it takes so long to scan so many systems.
 
D

DaveNF2G

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With time and experience, you learn how to do it.

Yeah, what he said.

I spent a few years as a dispatcher in a multiagency multijurisdictional communications center and learned to listen to many simultaneous conversations.
 

burner50

The Third Variable
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I've got scanners in my shack, however, in my car my ham radio IS my scanner.
 

jleverin

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Oct 4, 2007
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My interest in radios started out with scanners. I'm an ex-EMT, and have always liked listening to public safety transmissions. Around here I noticed when my local agency went to digital and all I had to listen to was the ham channels, there really wasn't much on... Yes, I do talk on the ham frequencies occasonally and there are a few people who talk some, but by in large things are pretty dead on the UHF bands. Maybe most hams are on HF, Am looking at eventually becoming a General Class someday and looking at HF,maybe then it will be more interesting. I don't know.... Anyway, since I figured out how to program the digital radio again and pick up the local police, fire and EMS, it's a LOT more interesting. I really originally just became a ham because in some states if you get caught with a scanner, you are less likely to be harrassed by the cops if you have a license. Around here, I don't know there are NO scanner laws on the books so I suppose it really doesn't matter. I take the chance of taking the scanner in the car with me sometimes but at least I have the defense of "I'm a ham and I have the right to carry a scanner with me".
I used to just carry the little ham radio with me when everything was still analog and I could pick up police and fire fine with it, no longer an option. I just try not to get caught with it and not look suspicious to the cops. I enjoy being a ham, I belong to the local club and am a member the district ARES group but am devoted mostly to my scanners still and probably always will be.
 

k8mcn

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Feb 10, 2005
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Location
Old Monroe,MO
I have a 2052 in the shack and it is on almost 24/7,also old tube receivers and solid state stuff,along with the HF and 2 meters rig.
kinda funny that when using the antenna fed with ladder line i have to shut down my vhf rig and amplified speakers as RF attacks them--took toroids to keep it out of the keyboard and monitor-----but the 2052 seems bullet proof to RF.
no need for digital scanners since moving out to the country--everyone still analog, saved me scanner dollars to put into HF equipment :)
 
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