What I’ve Noticed Changing in the Scanning Hobby (5 Months, 12–14 Hours a Day Monitoring)

Over the past five months I’ve been home a lot more than usual (between jobs), which has meant a lot more time on the radios, easily 12 to 14 hours most days scanning across VHF and UHF. It’s given me a pretty unique window into how things are shifting, especially when you’re consistently monitoring the same bands day in, day out.

For context, I’m based in Tasmania, I’ve also got an amateur licence (VK7AAL), though most of my time is spent scanning and searching rather than chatting, I still jump on 2m/70cm from time to time.

Here are a few things I’ve really noticed:

1. The Slow Decline of “Casual Voice”​

There’s definitely less general voice chatter around, particularly from smaller commercial users. Fleets that used to have constant back-and-forth are now either:

• Running much tighter comms (short, to-the-point)
• Or have disappeared entirely

Some of that feels like operational efficiency, but a lot of it feels like migration away from RF entirely.

2. The Continued Move to Digital (and Silence)
Digital modes and signals are everywhere now, but not always in a way that benefits scanning.

• More DMR and NXDN
• Increasing use of encryption, especially in commercial and security sectors
• Systems that carry traffic, but you now can’t decode or follow it meaningfully

The net effect: the bands sound quieter, even when they’re technically still active.

3. Data is Taking Over
One of the biggest changes I’ve noticed is just how much spectrum is now data rather than voice.

• Short bursts
• Telemetry-style transmissions
• Paging/data hybrids
• Digital carriers that sit there constantly

You can spend hours just identifying and logging these signals. It’s a very different kind of scanning compared to even a few years ago.

4. Less “Discovery,” More Persistence Required
It used to feel like you could "spin the dial" and quickly find something interesting.
Now:

• You need to sit on bands longer
• Watch for patterns over time
• Log and revisit frequencies

A lot of activity is intermittent or scheduled, not continuous.

5. Some Systems Just… Vanish
This one has stood out. Frequencies or repeaters that were active for years:

• Go quiet overnight
• No transition period
• No obvious replacement (at least not in the clear)

Sometimes they’ve moved to trunking or digital, sometimes IP-based systems, and sometimes they just seem gone.

6. Propagation Still Brings Surprises​

Even with all the above, propagation still makes the hobby worthwhile. From here in Tassie, I still occasionally pull in Victorian signals on VHF / UHF when conditions line up. Those moments remind me that RF still has a bit of magic left in it, and it’s not all being replaced just yet.

7. The Hobby is Becoming More Technical

To stay engaged, I’ve found myself doing more:

• Signal identification
• Logging and pattern tracking
• Experimenting with antennas and setups
• Looking at SDR and decoding options

It’s less “listen and enjoy” and more “investigate and understand.”

The hobby isn’t dying, but it is changing. There’s less casual listening, more digital, more data, and more barriers (like encryption). But if anything, it’s pushed me deeper into the technical side of things, which has its own appeal. If you’re willing to adapt, there’s still plenty out there, it just takes more patience and curiosity than it used to.

Would be interested to hear what others are seeing in their areas, are you noticing the same trends?

 

[chief21]

Would be interested to hear what others are seeing in their areas, are you noticing the same trends?

Here in the US, at least my tiny piece of it, I would say that there has been a distinct reduction in VHF and UHF amateur repeater traffic over the last ten years or so. I also think that amateur HF use is down as well, possibly due to the proliferation of Homeowner's Associations and their antenna prohibitions. The ever-rising HF noise floor is also a problem for HF operations. Additionally, the aging of a certain generation is taking its toll on amateur radio.

I don't do a lot of commercial monitoring, so I can't offer much about them, but there is clearly a trend towards increasing encryption on the public safety frequencies here, as well as consolidation from smaller, localized radio systems to larger regional or statewide radio systems.

As you mentioned, I would also agree that there seems to be fewer and fewer voice-based exchanges, as digital automation becomes more and more accessible.

 

[LISAS_AUDIO]

Over the past five months I’ve been home a lot more than usual (between jobs), which has meant a lot more time on the radios, easily 12 to 14 hours most days scanning across VHF and UHF. It’s given me a pretty unique window into how things are shifting, especially when you’re consistently monitoring the same bands day in, day out.

For context, I’m based in Tasmania, I’ve also got an amateur licence (VK7AAL), though most of my time is spent scanning and searching rather than chatting, I still jump on 2m/70cm from time to time.

Here are a few things I’ve really noticed:

1. The Slow Decline of “Casual Voice”​

There’s definitely less general voice chatter around, particularly from smaller commercial users. Fleets that used to have constant back-and-forth are now either:

• Running much tighter comms (short, to-the-point)
• Or have disappeared entirely

Some of that feels like operational efficiency, but a lot of it feels like migration away from RF entirely.

2. The Continued Move to Digital (and Silence)
Digital modes and signals are everywhere now, but not always in a way that benefits scanning.

• More DMR and NXDN
• Increasing use of encryption, especially in commercial and security sectors
• Systems that carry traffic, but you now can’t decode or follow it meaningfully

The net effect: the bands sound quieter, even when they’re technically still active.

3. Data is Taking Over
One of the biggest changes I’ve noticed is just how much spectrum is now data rather than voice.

• Short bursts
• Telemetry-style transmissions
• Paging/data hybrids
• Digital carriers that sit there constantly

You can spend hours just identifying and logging these signals. It’s a very different kind of scanning compared to even a few years ago.

4. Less “Discovery,” More Persistence Required
It used to feel like you could "spin the dial" and quickly find something interesting.
Now:

• You need to sit on bands longer
• Watch for patterns over time
• Log and revisit frequencies

A lot of activity is intermittent or scheduled, not continuous.

5. Some Systems Just… Vanish
This one has stood out. Frequencies or repeaters that were active for years:

• Go quiet overnight
• No transition period
• No obvious replacement (at least not in the clear)

Sometimes they’ve moved to trunking or digital, sometimes IP-based systems, and sometimes they just seem gone.

6. Propagation Still Brings Surprises​

Even with all the above, propagation still makes the hobby worthwhile. From here in Tassie, I still occasionally pull in Victorian signals on VHF / UHF when conditions line up. Those moments remind me that RF still has a bit of magic left in it, and it’s not all being replaced just yet.

7. The Hobby is Becoming More Technical

To stay engaged, I’ve found myself doing more:

• Signal identification
• Logging and pattern tracking
• Experimenting with antennas and setups
• Looking at SDR and decoding options

It’s less “listen and enjoy” and more “investigate and understand.”

The hobby isn’t dying, but it is changing. There’s less casual listening, more digital, more data, and more barriers (like encryption). But if anything, it’s pushed me deeper into the technical side of things, which has its own appeal. If you’re willing to adapt, there’s still plenty out there, it just takes more patience and curiosity than it used to.

Would be interested to hear what others are seeing in their areas, are you noticing the same trends?

Ive had a scanner since 1973 my dad was a policie officer who got me my 1st radio.....3 crystals alSD
Using 2 SDR ans sdr trunker all sorts of Digi modes sported....PD are ENC alot as of late didnt want to spend as mint on a radio then use it as a paper weight,,,lol

 

[MaineGuy]

Digital carriers that sit there constantly - Yes indeed.
This one goes 24/7. I think it's a 500 watt pager site. Nearby. That little blip too...

 

[ecps92]

Digital carriers that sit there constantly - Yes indeed.
This one goes 24/7. I think it's a 500 watt pager site. Nearby. That little blip too...

View attachment 200944

what is the exact freq ?

 

[Starcom21]

I strongly feel that it's been like this for 10-15 years. Maybe more so now, but it's been like this for a while in St Louis metro and south/central Illinois.

 

[Starcom21]

Digital carriers that sit there constantly - Yes indeed.
This one goes 24/7. I think it's a 500 watt pager site. Nearby. That little blip too...

View attachment 200944

It may be digital now, but there a good chance that frequency has been operating full time for about 40 years.

 

[GlobalNorth]

One more issue...

'Proprietary' frequencies are effectively dead or dying. Cities, counties, and States are leaving behind their VHF, UHF, and conventional 800 MHz licenses for trunking systems and even radio companies who maintain the hardware and the licenses. I still recall the Phoenix Police 'Chase' frequency, but I couldn't name a control channel on the RWC system.

Businesses and corporations are going the same way.

 

[smithdoor]

Over the past five months I’ve been home a lot more than usual (between jobs), which has meant a lot more time on the radios, easily 12 to 14 hours most days scanning across VHF and UHF. It’s given me a pretty unique window into how things are shifting, especially when you’re consistently monitoring the same bands day in, day out.

For context, I’m based in Tasmania, I’ve also got an amateur licence (VK7AAL), though most of my time is spent scanning and searching rather than chatting, I still jump on 2m/70cm from time to time.

Here are a few things I’ve really noticed:

1. The Slow Decline of “Casual Voice”​

There’s definitely less general voice chatter around, particularly from smaller commercial users. Fleets that used to have constant back-and-forth are now either:

• Running much tighter comms (short, to-the-point)
• Or have disappeared entirely

Some of that feels like operational efficiency, but a lot of it feels like migration away from RF entirely.

2. The Continued Move to Digital (and Silence)
Digital modes and signals are everywhere now, but not always in a way that benefits scanning.

• More DMR and NXDN
• Increasing use of encryption, especially in commercial and security sectors
• Systems that carry traffic, but you now can’t decode or follow it meaningfully

The net effect: the bands sound quieter, even when they’re technically still active.

3. Data is Taking Over
One of the biggest changes I’ve noticed is just how much spectrum is now data rather than voice.

• Short bursts
• Telemetry-style transmissions
• Paging/data hybrids
• Digital carriers that sit there constantly

You can spend hours just identifying and logging these signals. It’s a very different kind of scanning compared to even a few years ago.

4. Less “Discovery,” More Persistence Required
It used to feel like you could "spin the dial" and quickly find something interesting.
Now:

• You need to sit on bands longer
• Watch for patterns over time
• Log and revisit frequencies

A lot of activity is intermittent or scheduled, not continuous.

5. Some Systems Just… Vanish
This one has stood out. Frequencies or repeaters that were active for years:

• Go quiet overnight
• No transition period
• No obvious replacement (at least not in the clear)

Sometimes they’ve moved to trunking or digital, sometimes IP-based systems, and sometimes they just seem gone.

6. Propagation Still Brings Surprises​

Even with all the above, propagation still makes the hobby worthwhile. From here in Tassie, I still occasionally pull in Victorian signals on VHF / UHF when conditions line up. Those moments remind me that RF still has a bit of magic left in it, and it’s not all being replaced just yet.

7. The Hobby is Becoming More Technical

To stay engaged, I’ve found myself doing more:

• Signal identification
• Logging and pattern tracking
• Experimenting with antennas and setups
• Looking at SDR and decoding options

It’s less “listen and enjoy” and more “investigate and understand.”

The hobby isn’t dying, but it is changing. There’s less casual listening, more digital, more data, and more barriers (like encryption). But if anything, it’s pushed me deeper into the technical side of things, which has its own appeal. If you’re willing to adapt, there’s still plenty out there, it just takes more patience and curiosity than it used to.

Would be interested to hear what others are seeing in their areas, are you noticing the same trends?

It a on going changes. This start in 1920's with Greman's ( Enega spell error) machine. Where business want privacy.

I would think someday all most all will private. Some HAM bands are private now counter productive in hobby.

When i working with father laying out building sites I purchased rubber duck antennas so Walkie Talky range would limited. You see Navy did this using a VHF on short Antenna for reduced range. The earth curvature block long distances so had good communication ship to ship in WW2. Also aircraft flying over head.

It been around a long time it just not noticed by most. Now with computers it worst today

Dave

 

[KD9KSO]

What amateur radio bands are private?

 

[GlobalNorth]

All amateur bands are open. You just need enough cash/credit to access them - all the way from 2200 meters to 250 GHz.

 

[KD9KSO]

All amateur bands are open. You just need enough cash/credit to access them - all the way from 2200 meters to 250 GHz.

I know that. I was waiting for the bot to provide an answer.

 

[mfr301]

One area that hasn't been addressed is the drastic increased usage of POC devices / radios. Most you followed the rise and disappearance of Nextel. For those who don't know (born after "beepers" and the birth of cell phones), Nextel was a cellular version of a Two-Way Radio but was part of your phone. And if you had the Nextel with the indigo blue screen, you were THE MAN! And if you were like me with that and someone knew you owned a laptop you became the department IT guy. During the marriages of cell companies years ago, Nextel changed to Sprint and then whoever after that it doesn't matter. The point is, I'd say right after that, Spring and yes even Verizon got into the "PTT"/ "POC" phones. Rugged phones, semi-smart phones and regular flip/cell phones with a PTT button.

It never took off for whatever reason. After a while phones were made without the PTT features and it was a memory. Until Zello sparked the interest again.

Now, POC phones are a big thing. I'd say they are as big now as when Nextel first came out (albeit Nextel was more exciting). "POC Phones", "Unlimited range" comms, "global network ptt" and a host of other ambiguous terms are out and about. Companies like Baofang have complete POC systems including dispatch consoles. Global-PTT is their own "network" if you will of PTT users but you need their PTT phone. Everyone probably knows Zello and that's vendor agnostic so long as you have an iOS/Andorid / Windows devices to install it on. Probably the best out of the bunch as after Nextel, Zello was pretty much born. Zello caters to public safety giving dispatch consoles and free accounts as well.

Now, Verizon is in the game. Verizon to mobile is like Microsoft to computers. No one can match that marketing power. And it's not just branding, they have business teams, public safety sales teams, commercial teams, and so on and so on. Verizon even pushes integration with LMR systems just like Zello does. Not only that, Verizon also has PTT mobile radios that go after the needs of fleet management. Basically you're getting a two-way radio of sorts on your phone bundled in the same cost or a little more. 1 device, all the comms.

More and more people especially in the NYC metro-area are going towards this in large masses.

And let's not forget, even Motorola has their own "Wave PTX". Its basically a smart move to hedge against themselves and stay relevant in other market shares. People don't want to pay for community repeaters, licenses cost of radios and limited coverage? Okay go POC/PTT, Motorola will sell you that too. It pretty much validates the POC concept to everyone when the industry standard that everyone goes by, Motorola, has POC as the "other option".

Granted there are some "FCC Questionable gray areas" when it comes to the ability for public safety to operate on it but that notwithstanding, this and what everyone mentioned thus far DOES make it a very compelling argument that to be in the radio hobby now adays, you absolutely need to know tech. Or you'll be the only guy on the block with channel elements and an MT500 (personally my favorite radio).

Mike

301

 

[Gstod2001]

Over the past five months I’ve been home a lot more than usual (between jobs), which has meant a lot more time on the radios, easily 12 to 14 hours most days scanning across VHF and UHF. It’s given me a pretty unique window into how things are shifting, especially when you’re consistently monitoring the same bands day in, day out.

For context, I’m based in Tasmania, I’ve also got an amateur licence (VK7AAL), though most of my time is spent scanning and searching rather than chatting, I still jump on 2m/70cm from time to time.

Here are a few things I’ve really noticed:

1. The Slow Decline of “Casual Voice”​

There’s definitely less general voice chatter around, particularly from smaller commercial users. Fleets that used to have constant back-and-forth are now either:

• Running much tighter comms (short, to-the-point)
• Or have disappeared entirely

Some of that feels like operational efficiency, but a lot of it feels like migration away from RF entirely.

2. The Continued Move to Digital (and Silence)
Digital modes and signals are everywhere now, but not always in a way that benefits scanning.

• More DMR and NXDN
• Increasing use of encryption, especially in commercial and security sectors
• Systems that carry traffic, but you now can’t decode or follow it meaningfully

The net effect: the bands sound quieter, even when they’re technically still active.

3. Data is Taking Over
One of the biggest changes I’ve noticed is just how much spectrum is now data rather than voice.

• Short bursts
• Telemetry-style transmissions
• Paging/data hybrids
• Digital carriers that sit there constantly

You can spend hours just identifying and logging these signals. It’s a very different kind of scanning compared to even a few years ago.

4. Less “Discovery,” More Persistence Required
It used to feel like you could "spin the dial" and quickly find something interesting.
Now:

• You need to sit on bands longer
• Watch for patterns over time
• Log and revisit frequencies

A lot of activity is intermittent or scheduled, not continuous.

5. Some Systems Just… Vanish
This one has stood out. Frequencies or repeaters that were active for years:

• Go quiet overnight
• No transition period
• No obvious replacement (at least not in the clear)

Sometimes they’ve moved to trunking or digital, sometimes IP-based systems, and sometimes they just seem gone.

6. Propagation Still Brings Surprises​

Even with all the above, propagation still makes the hobby worthwhile. From here in Tassie, I still occasionally pull in Victorian signals on VHF / UHF when conditions line up. Those moments remind me that RF still has a bit of magic left in it, and it’s not all being replaced just yet.

7. The Hobby is Becoming More Technical

To stay engaged, I’ve found myself doing more:

• Signal identification
• Logging and pattern tracking
• Experimenting with antennas and setups
• Looking at SDR and decoding options

It’s less “listen and enjoy” and more “investigate and understand.”

The hobby isn’t dying, but it is changing. There’s less casual listening, more digital, more data, and more barriers (like encryption). But if anything, it’s pushed me deeper into the technical side of things, which has its own appeal. If you’re willing to adapt, there’s still plenty out there, it just takes more patience and curiosity than it used to.

Would be interested to hear what others are seeing in their areas, are you noticing the same trends?

It sounds as if me getting back into the hobby is not really worth it anymore. There is a stack if negatives you listed that has me now seriously questioning buying another, state-of-the-art scanner and getting back into the hobby I once loved. That is, before my truly wonderful life took over. Right. Should I honestly, and in all seriousness, bother getting one now and spend my money elsewhere?