paulears
Member
That's of course your choice, but my personal view is that the needs of an amateur are totally different and scanners often have better usability. I've been tendering for a commercial marine project. The equipment that meets the specification is 19" rack mounting, has dual power supplies with auto changeover. The changeover also switches a coax relay to swap to an alternative antenna. It has to run 24/7/365 with no chance of failure. For the operators it offers ZERO advantages, and in fact, two standard class A marine vessel sets with power supplies would offer better reliability and heaps more useful features that the industrial units have. Two of these radios would cost around 800 UKP. The commercial grade ones in the tender are 4000 each. I can provide you certified aircraft radios, or a leisure radio. There is a difference. Better filtering so with the new 8.333KHz spacing, a channel next door will not bleed so much.
I commend you idea, but the equipment grade you are purchasing is ridiculously over specified and probably poorer for the typical scanner user's needs - which are VERY different from the military or Federal users needs.
I cannot speak for the US situation, but the old Radio Authority in the UK used Racal receivers in their mobiles until the first AoR scanners appeared and then they could afford multiples of these rather than just one military grade receiver. Now with SDR radios, monitoring equipment is vastly different from what you are describing. Your requirement for mimicry is admirable - but thank goodness you have surplus funds, because for most of us - we simply do not have access to exotic radios. I appreciate this is your focus of the hobby - but while I have always wanted a new Range Rover, sadly, it isn't going to happen. My wife believes my 'need' for one is foolish. She may be right.
If I wanted to listen to satcom, I'd be looking at cleverer antennas than a zero gain hemispherical . With your access to funds I'd have thought a rotator with rotation and elevation and circular polarised log-periodic or helical would be where the fun would be. I'd pay for gain. I'd certainly consider a commercial antenna bad value for money. I'd also by a Harris - and I even know which one, like I know the Range Rover I'll never have.
I commend you idea, but the equipment grade you are purchasing is ridiculously over specified and probably poorer for the typical scanner user's needs - which are VERY different from the military or Federal users needs.
I cannot speak for the US situation, but the old Radio Authority in the UK used Racal receivers in their mobiles until the first AoR scanners appeared and then they could afford multiples of these rather than just one military grade receiver. Now with SDR radios, monitoring equipment is vastly different from what you are describing. Your requirement for mimicry is admirable - but thank goodness you have surplus funds, because for most of us - we simply do not have access to exotic radios. I appreciate this is your focus of the hobby - but while I have always wanted a new Range Rover, sadly, it isn't going to happen. My wife believes my 'need' for one is foolish. She may be right.
If I wanted to listen to satcom, I'd be looking at cleverer antennas than a zero gain hemispherical . With your access to funds I'd have thought a rotator with rotation and elevation and circular polarised log-periodic or helical would be where the fun would be. I'd pay for gain. I'd certainly consider a commercial antenna bad value for money. I'd also by a Harris - and I even know which one, like I know the Range Rover I'll never have.
