CrabbyMilton
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My first was the BEARCAT 210 which I got as a Christmas present in 1980. Only 10 channels and no air band. But I sure got much enjoyment out of it.
Scanners from 1980s
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My first was the BEARCAT 210 which I got as a Christmas present in 1980. Only 10 channels and no air band. But I sure got much enjoyment out of it.
I can remember when I bought mine new. The guy ask me "Are you with law enforcement?" or something like that. I said no. So he sells me the radio. And gives me a piece of paper with a picture of the circuit board. Circled in the picture is a diode. And the sheet of paper says "DO NOT cut this diode apart with diagonal pliers. Doing this will enable the radio to recieve cell phone".
I didn't have to cut anything. I had that Regency handheld that got that freq range. The thing is about Cell calls back then they dropped out quickly as people changed cells while driving. The conversations were BORING!!!! nobody had anything to say that was earth shattering or even remotely interesting. "What you doing ...nothing ... what do you want to do tonight ... .I duh-know? whatever** That's about the sum total of conversations available over the air then. I quit listening to those and only to my local Emergency services and Police and Ham stations. Some anus stole the scanner out of my car as I walked into the Gas station to pay for a fill-up in 1990
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It was great listening in my area around Philly in the late 80s. I had the GRE Pro 2004 and you did have to cut a diode but there were so few car phones that if you searched the right range even though the radio didn't trunk you would get both sides of the conversation in a fixed application.
Lawyers, cops, government officials, investors but it was later in the evening it got fun... First Call, honey I'm going to be missing dinner tonight and don't wait up, we've got to work late... then the next call... hey sweetie, oh, coming right over babe, you got the martinis made? It was the classic booty call.
Xray
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It was great listening in my area around Philly in the late 80s. I had the GRE Pro 2004 and you did have to cut a diode but there were so few car phones that if you searched the right range even though the radio didn't trunk you would get both sides of the conversation in a fixed application.
Lawyers, cops, government officials, investors but it was later in the evening it got fun... First Call, honey I'm going to be missing dinner tonight and don't wait up, we've got to work late... then the next call... hey sweetie, oh, coming right over babe, you got the martinis made? It was the classic booty call.
I once listened to a guy having phone sex, problem was he was driving, just when it seemed he was about to peak he crashed, really nasty sounding crunching and gurgling sounds right into my headphones - I swore off sex and driving right after that !
I got into public safety listening in the early 70’s. I grew up in Philadelphia and it was “illegal”to own or operate a device that could monitor the police- so the police commissioner said but talking to the police i knew who patrolled in and around my neighborhood knew of no such law and thought it was funny that the rumor persisted. They could care less. A few years later one of them asked me to help him procure a scanner. Oh how times have changed!
bobmich52
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Yes I had a regency that could listen to cell & cordless calls unaltered
Agreed Boring daytime soap opera stuff most of the time BUT
one of my neighbors back in the day was talking about where they had hidden $5,000 in their house & I heard it all
Had a chat with neighbor to enlighten them on it & never heard them again on phone
Phone sex would have been challenging if driving a car with a stick shift.
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You know I actually heard that back then in the late 80s. Never understood it and I think it was very expensive but I heard it. You kind of can't unhear that kind of thing and stopped listening right awayPhone sex would have been challenging if driving a car with a stick shift.
I always drove a stick shift back then and as far as the real deal, it was no problem at all, I'll leave that up to your imagination but it did make it difficult to reach the scanners while submarine hunting or "parking" so to speak, you always left one scanner on your local police frequency.
We probably can assume your neighbor was not affiliated with any organized crime outfit, or you would've ended up in the Meadowlands in Jersey.
Same here...
I had a 210, I loved that scanner. I thought it was a game changer in comparison to my Bearcat IV.
CrabbyMilton
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Actually, Jimmy Hoffa died of natural causes in 1997. He went to that meeting and the paid him off quite well and lived comfortably in a 50000 sq. foot bunker in Area 51. He was buried in a secret mausoleum in the GRACELAND basement. Turns out he was a huge Elvis fan so Elvis supervised that himself to return the favor. There, now you know the rest of the story.We probably can assume your neighbor was not affiliated with any organized crime outfit, or you would've ended up in the Meadowlands in Jersey.
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danesgs
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Here is a pdf I wrote a number of years ago that maybe explains a bit more from that era. See attached.
My 1980's memory is of a 45-channel Regency HX-1200 I bought from Grove Enterprises around 1985. It was my first foray into programmable scanners and it was exciting to own back then! It was built like a bank vault, employing a cast metal frame.
I just found out my Vintage Scanner Facebook group was not searchable (I have no idea why). If you want to join it is at: Facebook Groups
Back in the day you actually had to call Grove or Scanner World or the place in the mid-west to see who had the latest and greatest in stock and then give them your credit card. Then the clock was ticking- come on UPS!
What was the name of that (long gone) radio/scanner store in Virginia? I think it was Vienna Virginia (somewhere not far from Tyson's Corner) and I think it was associated with Grove. I went there once while on a business trip and was like a kid in a candy store. I also lived 15 min from Scanners Unlimited (Glen loved to talk about radios but didn't much like tire kickers. RIP Glen).
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