What "book" do you recommend for total newbies to the Hobby?

[Mobilman44]

Hi,
I'm a relative newbie to the hobby, and find that even the simplified manual (Uniden 436) is filled with unfamiliar jargon and acronyms and terms. I'm a retired business analyst, very adept mechanically, but woefully short on electronics/radio expertise.

My goal in getting the Uniden 436 was "simply" to listen to area law/emergency/CB transmissions, and I'm not looking (at this time) to become an "expert" in the hobby. But I would like to be able to get the most out of the scanner, and to be honest, with the least amount of effort.

I've found this forum and some "YouTube" presentations very helpful, but of course the unfamiliar jargon exists everywhere.

So, in that light, is there a book/manual out there that would shed some light?

 

[reconrider8]

honestly i just figured out how to program my stuff then slowly took on more and more parts of my first scanner and then learned what each part did and what it was and how it affected my listening and thats how i learned. im not sure there are any "books" out there that explain stuff. but you can use your resource here and people will help ya out also

 

[fxdscon]

but of course the unfamiliar jargon exists everywhere.

-
A good place to start might be the Wiki Glossary right here on Radio Reference at this link:

Category:RR Glossary - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

 

[cmjonesinc]

Don't be afraid to ask questions. We were all new at one point. If you post your specific area others can chime in and tell you what's available to monitor and how to go about doing so. Some areas that have multiple radio systems in place can be a bit confusing for new people.

 

[RaleighGuy]

So, in that light, is there a book/manual out there that would shed some light?

I second what @fxdscon said, there is no better "book" than the Radio Reference Wiki and reading through the forums. Just about every question has been asked and answered, you just need to look.

 

[simmsrep]

There's also a website that helps with understanding how to program your scanner that may help.
You can find it here: Mark's Scanners

 

[Mobilman44]

Thank you all for your help and understanding. Yup, at some point everyone is a "newbie" in any hobby/job for sure.

I do have one big question, and I'll ask that on a separate thread........

 

[Mobilman44]

Have to add.......... I'm realizing more and more that there is a truckload of info on this site.

 

[ladn]

I haven't actually read this book, but I have a seen quite a few "Dummies" books, and they're quite well done. This might be worth a look:
Scanners for Dummies.

 

[GB46]

I second what @fxdscon said, there is no better "book" than the Radio Reference Wiki and reading through the forums. Just about every question has been asked and answered, you just need to look.

Definitely, and in addition, it's a good idea when considering a radio purchase, to not only check the reviews on this site for the model you're interested in, but also to download the manual for it. That way you can familiarize yourself with how to operate it and what it's capable of, without having to buy it, only to find out later that it wasn't what you wanted..

 

[Mobilman44]

I picked up "Two Way Radios & Scanners for Dummies" and it gives some good basic information and background on the subject. But this Forum is definitely the best place I've found for specifics and more advanced / in depth information.

I noticed early on that when I would Google a radio related question, this site was usually the first pop up response!

 

[buddrousa]

No book THIS SITE IS THE BEST INFORMATION.

 

[TomLine]

Hi,
I'm a relative newbie to the hobby, and find that even the simplified manual (Uniden 436) is filled with unfamiliar jargon and acronyms and terms. I'm a retired business analyst, very adept mechanically, but woefully short on electronics/radio expertise.

My goal in getting the Uniden 436 was "simply" to listen to area law/emergency/CB transmissions, and I'm not looking (at this time) to become an "expert" in the hobby. But I would like to be able to get the most out of the scanner, and to be honest, with the least amount of effort.

I've found this forum and some "YouTube" presentations very helpful, but of course the unfamiliar jargon exists everywhere.

So, in that light, is there a book/manual out there that would shed some light?

Youtube my friend. I avoid the ones where the guy talks REALLY slow... old U.S. army field manuals are very practical as well.

 

[NC1]

Unfortunately three very good resources are now gone. Your local Radio Shack scanner & communications guru used to be a wealth of information on any and all things local, and they knew what equipment was best suited for the area. Then there were the Monitoring Times and Popular Communications magazines where a bunch of subjects were covered every month. Those were the days!

The best place now (and it certainly does not fall short) is this site. Just about everything you want to know is right here and accessible any time you want. If there's something you are not clear on, just ask and somebody will reply with an answer or give you a link where the answer is. It's a big site so sometimes the answer is not easily found so take your time and explore - that's part of the fun.

 

[GB46]

I noticed early on that when I would Google a radio related question, this site was usually the first pop up response!

Sometimes, if I can't find what I'm looking for here, I google it, but add this site's URL to the search terms.

For example:
"scanner antenna" site:radioreference.com

Or if I only want results from the forums:
"scanner antenna" site:forums.radioreference.com

That often zeros in quickly on the subject. It helps especially when I recall an old thread and want to review it, but it's so old that it would take too long to find it in the forums.

 

[ladn]

Unfortunately three very good resources are now gone. Your local Radio Shack scanner & communications guru used to be a wealth of information on any and all things local, and they knew what equipment was best suited for the area. Then there were the Monitoring Times and Popular Communications magazines where a bunch of subjects were covered every month. Those were the days!

I fully agree about PopCom and MT. They were great. Rat Shack was hit or miss. My local store was good if the manager or one of his top assistants was there; most of the other salespeople exemplified the RS motto, "You've got questions---we haven't a clue". My local independent electronics/scanner/cb store was very good.

I've been in the hobby a long time, so a lot of my basic learning came from the magazines and(gasp) books plus hands on experience, and some from personal interactions.

RR is an excellent online source, but newbees need to spend some time calibrating and evaluating the sources. Communications Support Forum is the Wild West compared to RR and isn't new user friendly, but it does have good some good information, if you can trudge through the vitriol.

 

[baker50021]

Try this, the first hour of the show they will stay on topic...
(25) Deep Dive on Uniden Bearcat BCD436HP/ BCD536HP | TSG 2021-06-23 - YouTube

 

[iMONITOR]

So, in that light, is there a book/manual out there that would shed some light?

 

[ka1njl]

The Spectrum Monitor is a general radio-oriented magazine that is similar in format to Monitoring Times. In fact, it uses many of the same authors. You can find it here. The Spectrum Monitor - Powered by Network Solutions.

 

[GB46]

Rat Shack was hit or miss. My local store was good if the manager or one of his top assistants was there; most of the other salespeople exemplified the RS motto, "You've got questions---we haven't a clue".

Or, "You've got questions, we've got blank stares." That was my experience back when RS was still operating in Canada. A bit of prior research on a product was necessary before going into one of their stores, at which time I basically had to sell the radio to myself. RS was eventually acquired by another firm, and now calls itself "The Source." I guess they mean "the source of blank stares." They seem to sell mostly smart phones, cameras and TVs now. It's not the place to shop for radios or electronic parts.

Where I live there are no storefront radio suppliers at all. Anything I might want would now have to be purchased online. My last purchase was from radioworld.ca, based in Toronto, clear across Canada from here. At least there are no worries about exchange rates or duties. Those have been replaced by shipping charges.