The future of Scanning hobby?

[danesgs]

Thinking about this for awhile this morning. While Uniden has pushed the limits with the SDS 100/200 series, it seems to me that the future of scanning will rely on a a totally SDR based radio. Even though such a thing may seem like a pipe dream, its a natural evolution from analog circuits and might be cheaper to make. A taste of this is the P25RX radio. Adding a keyboard for direct entry, and being able to flash the firmware for new protocol updates would also save having to make a new model every 5-10 years. Many new radio on the market for HF are already moving in this direction. Many LTE type radio hybrids are showing up as well. Also a total SDR solution would not be restricted by "bands covered". You could have a dusk to daylight radio. The only thing keeping such a radio from the market would be enough people interested in buying it.

KJ4DGE

 

[trap5858]

The hardware for the hobby continues to evolve just as everything with computers and electronics does but our listening targets become more and more elusive as encryption has become the norm rather than the exception. That is a jump the hobby electronics market will never make. Changes in protocols seem to be the most current fad- narrow band, NXDN, DMR and so on. HF will always be there and with patience there is always something to listen to.

 

[trentbob]

To address the title of the thread the future of the scanning hobby has clearly changed. With the introduction of simulcast systems and an SDR radio working optimally on them, it narrows the choice of scanners to pick from.

As public service systems switch over to these new simulcast systems it also encourages them to be secret squirrels because... they can be, there is no push back on lack of transparency of police, it's just lip service. There are many things to listen to on a scanner, we know that but I think the future of the passive, casual scanner user who wants to listen to their local police and fire in the kitchen or the convenience store owner who wants to listen behind the counter, those days are ending as their radios become obsolete.

 

[crippledchicken]

I hope I'm wrong but, the way this country is going, I fear total encryption will eventually needed for security reasons and it won't much matter what systems a scanner is capable of!

 

[werinshades]

I hope I'm wrong but, the way this country is going, I fear total encryption will eventually needed for security reasons and it won't much matter what systems a scanner is capable of!

Unfortunately we are partially to blame if not entirely. Streaming is mentioned or inferred to as a reason becuse "the criminals can listen". Add that to those that outfit their vehicles like police cars, show up at scenes and we have the ingredients for encryption. Scanners have been around a long time, the older generation (countertop listeners) know how to restrain themselves, not set up streaming, and not call the media everytime they hear some juicy detail. Scanner folks of new are now "the man in the mirror"..

 

[EastCoastSunrise]

I agree with everything said so far. I think unless something drastic changes scanning will become a thing of the past. In my area and many, many others the we are starting to see the effects of encryption, which is sad. Additionally I agree with the statement about people outfitting their cars like cop cars and showing up on scenes for no good reason. I agree that is something that has been lost over the years as the older generation of scanner listeners is replaces with like-hungry, social media driven, "reporters" who show up on scenes and interfere just for the likes that it brings. One thing I've noticed in recent years anyway is how much quitter the radios have gotten. Not just due to encryption, but the increasing use of CAD's and MDT's which allow units to not even use the radio for most things at this point. I think if the scanning community somehow comes up with some kind of advocacy to keep departments frequencies open I think this hobby will slowly die out as the airwaves go dark due to encryption. Going back to a point werinshades made, I 100% agree that the new generation of scanner listeners have much less restraint when it comes to all things related to the hobby. Not to come off as offensive but I feel there are two classes of scanner listeners out there, those who love to just scan and here what is going on around them, just for the enjoyment of it, and there are those who lack the restraint and abuse the technology. I would also agree that services like Brodcastify, are not necessarily helping the situation, as it just makes an even stronger case for more encryption, as like others have said it makes it much more easy for bad actors to just listen in. But regardless I feel there is a strand of hope within all of this darkness, just based on how much the scanner community has appeared to grow, I think that with this sudden interest in the hobby and the interest in more transparency in public safety I see scanning remaining alive in to the future, I think that it is a matter of us speaking up for the scanning community at large and making a case to legislators and public safety leaders that scanning is a worthwhile thing to keep around.