UHF 406-420: A couple of questions please

[Archie]

Why didn't scanners cover this band back in the day??

And were there any add on adopters so this band could then be monitored??

Why was AOR the only scanner manufacturer to cover this band??

Many Thanks

 

[jonwienke]

And were there any add on adopters so this band could then be monitored??

Why was AOR the only scanner manufacturer to cover this band??

No on adapters.

Most Uniden scanners cover that frequency range.

 

[nd5y]

Back in the day the 406-420 MHz federal LMR band was lightly used in most areas.
I remember various converters for different bands but I don't remember if anybody made them for 406-420.
Most older crystal controlled scanners were not capable of covering all of 406-512 MHz at one time.
I never had an AOR product and don't remember anything about the older ones.

 

[ladn]

Why didn't scanners cover this band back in the day??

And were there any add on adopters so this band could then be monitored?..

That's something I've wondered about as well. Moot point now.

Some explanations I've heard:
1. Insufficient activity in this area to justify the engineering cost to add this coverage.
2. It's the "forbidden band" and the FCC wouldn't certify any radios with this receive frequency range because of government use (DEA, etc). Gene Hughes POLICE CALL books used to label many of these frequencies "UXX" or "US Govt-Classified".

 

[ChrisP]

I had alway heard stories about the federal agencies had asked Electra Bearcat/Uniden not to include the federal UHF band, but have never found any credible evidence that the stories were true.

My first two Bearcat 210 programmable scanners came with those bands and that's how most of us listened to the DEA back in the day. But I do remember other brands of early programmable scanner radios did not.

- Chris

 

[nd5y]

2. It's the "forbidden band" and the FCC wouldn't certify any radios with this receive frequency range because of government use (DEA, etc).

The first and only ban on receivers covering specific frequency ranges that I have ever heard of was for cellular frequencies in 1986.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

I had alway heard stories about the federal agencies had asked Electra Bearcat/Uniden not to include the federal UHF band, but have never found any credible evidence that the stories were true.

My first two Bearcat 210 programmable scanners came with those bands and that's how most of us listened to the DEA back in the day. But I do remember other brands of early programmable scanner radios did not.

- Chris

I was monitoring 418.900 with a Bearcat 210 back then.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

 

[mm]

In the early 80's I retuned the front end of the UHF receiver section on my ACT10 CRYSTAL scanner to listen to Phoenix DEA in the 411 to 418 range.

I worked very well for years.

 

[bb911]

Why didn't scanners cover this band back in the day??
...
Many Thanks

Scanners did cover the band. To name a few that I don't believe have been mentioned: BC-250, BC-300, BC- 200 xlt.

Also, the RS Pro-2021 covered the band. I monitored the FBI in the LA (Calif.) area. Generally quiet unless they put out "good 211" calls. (Confirmed arm robbery of banks and other fed covered institutions).