Unlocked Scanner Question

[phenom666]

Hi, I am new to this scanner thing. I used to have a Bearcat 800xlt. This was before manufacturers started locking out certian frequency ranges.

My question is: Where can I buy a scanner that tunes from 0 - 1300 mhz with no breaks in coverage and no freq's locked ou?.

Thanks for your help!

 

[pfish]

You would have to buy them from companies in another country (UK for example). The problem with that is shipping and the risk of U.S. Customs not letting it come into the country.

Most cellular stuff has gone digital now and there is nothing to hear in the blocked out ranges. You will waste alot of money to have those unlocked when there is nothing even on them.

 

[hotdjdave]

Unblocked versions of used scanners are available all the time on eBay. You have to watch out for them. Usually, a scanner that can receive those frequencies is slightly older and would probably not have some of the features as newer scanners (trunk tracking, digital decode (APCO P25), dynamic memory allocation, close call feature, etc.).

As pfish wrote, the frequencies blocked are in cellular band; but cellular is digital now (for the most part). There is not much to be heard on those frequencies anyway. I am not even sure why the government still bans the frequencies. I guess because it is still possible that if a cell phone cannot connect in digital that it will make the connection in analog.

There are Uniden, RadioShack/GRE, iCOM, and other scanners still out there that will pick up this band, you just need to keep an eye out for them. They are not illegal to own, just illegal to manufacture for sale in the USA that can be altered to receive those frequencies. Sometimes foreign versions, like this "Canadian Version" iCOM R10 (covers 500 kHz to 1300 MHz) on eBay, receive the blocked bands. Also, see this "United Kindom" AOR AR8000 (covers 500 KHz to 1900 MHz) scanner on eBay.

An example is the iCOM R1 (I have one). It receives from .1 MHz to 1300 MHz with no gaps. It is a very small handheld scanner. My iCOM W2A doesn't cover from .1 MHz to 1300 MHz, but it does get the unblocked band.

 

[kingpin]

A good one I use is the PCR1000. It covers 100 KHz to 1300 MHz. I got a canadian version that is unblocked in the 800 band. There's nothing left to listen to there. if that's all you are wanting one for, you're wasting your money. However, if you want full coverage and this chunk doesn't matter, you can pick up a PCR1000 for not too much on EBay or EHam. I've had two of them and have been using them for years. Excellent radios and they are all mode. You will need a computer to control it as it is a black box radio.

 

[mike_s104]

http://www.javiation.co.uk/

they have a Uniden UK Digital Scanner with full 800MHz

 

[PhilJSmith67]

Importation of these unblocked scanners is technically illegal, as well, but Customs has far more significant things being imported to worry about... Like cigars from Cuba.

 

[SIGINT]

Has anyone considered wiring the signal output from an unblocked scanner to the input of a cell phone and letting the phone handle the GSM demodulation for you? I know that isn't EXACTLY right, but you see what I mean, right? You use the scanner to receive the signal and the cell phone to decode the signal. Hey, come to think of it, can you get a cell phone to scan all available frequencies?? That would be VERY interesting...

 

[car2back]

Importation of these unblocked scanners is technically illegal, as well, but Customs has far more significant things being imported to worry about... Like cigars from Cuba.

I bought a UBC-3300 on ebay from a guy in GB and had no problems recieving it...

 

[N_Jay]

Has anyone considered wiring the signal output from an unblocked scanner to the input of a cell phone and letting the phone handle the GSM demodulation for you? I know that isn't EXACTLY right, but you see what I mean, right? You use the scanner to receive the signal and the cell phone to decode the signal. Hey, come to think of it, can you get a cell phone to scan all available frequencies?? That would be VERY interesting...

Most cell phones are way to integrated to get to the connection points you would need.

Also the control software would have to be rewritten to allow it to open the vocoder when it did not know it was in a call.

 

[gewecke]

Has anyone considered wiring the signal output from an unblocked scanner to the input of a cell phone and letting the phone handle the GSM demodulation for you? I know that isn't EXACTLY right, but you see what I mean, right? You use the scanner to receive the signal and the cell phone to decode the signal. Hey, come to think of it, can you get a cell phone to scan all available frequencies?? That would be VERY interesting...

Try this: Obtain an old startac or motorola analog only phone and visit
WWW.cellphonehacks.com
There is a hack allowing access to all 832 channels!

 

[skip294]

hello

Well if your looking for something unlocked i have a aor8200 mk2,that i'm selling.

 

[cookiend15]

Scanner

I used to own an Icom IC-R2 Handheld scanner. The frequency coverage was great if you are looking for a handheld. it covered from .495 - 1300 MHZ. There are currently 2 for sale on e-bay.