Why Scanners today so Limited ?

[buddrousa]

Dear Hardsuit you can build your own receiver. I bet you may sell a few but what is your time worth.
Like others have said my Unidens 4 536's 4 996P2's 4 15x's a 785d TRX2 and a Pro197 on my desk all running at the same time tracking and logging all the data to PROSCAN meet my needs.
In my car my SDS100 436 TRX1 Pro668 Pro18 and my 346xt hears all the traffic and meets my needs.
Then I have all my commercial radios for work ready to go when I need them.

 

[KK4JUG]

The OP has very specific needs or wants and that's fine. The other two people in the whole world who have those same requirements need to get together and, like Buddrousa said, build their own radio (minimum 5-figure cost). The scanners I own do everything I want and do It well.

 

[zz0468]

short answer to Trunking, YES the ICOM can Receive and Demodulate the Audio from Trunking any Trunking system, just not Trunktrack.

Then you can't follow specific talkgroups. that's a fail for most folks.

BTW, my Whistler does not Trunktrack either, but it tunes Trunking just Fine.

Again, a fail for most folks.

as for Tuning steps, Scanners do not correctly tune HF tuning steps, even for non HAM frequency.

Most scanners don't receive HF at all. The requirements for HF vs. public safety scanning are completely different. Most people use a separate radio.

The SDS is a HH scanner, sure you could use it as mobile. but HAM radios have had GPS Mic for a long time now.

What radios use a GPS in the microphone?

As I mentioned before, the ICOM R30 is $599, about $50-$100 cheaper than Uniden depending on where you buy it. even a ICOM $160 Receiver has 25-1300 MHz continuous coverage and SSB.
Uniden charges for "Updates" that are Locked Out, but the Scanner is capable of receiving. ICOM, AOR and Whistler All are FREE to use and All Digital Model are Free for Life.

Ok, all I'm getting out of this is you're unhappy with Uniden. I can only suggest that you not buy one, and hold your breath while someone comes up with a radio with all the features you want it to have.

 

[bob550]

I'm certain there are many more products that people would like to have seen produced, than those that have been produced. You probably couldn't find a product category where there wasn't someone who thought the industry leader in that category missed the mark by neglecting their personal preferences. But hey, successfully marketing a product isn't about catering to everyone's whims. It's about designing a product that can be mass-marketed and sell in acceptable quantities. Whether we're talking about scanners or women's dresses, the theory is the same. No manufacturer wants to market a product that won't sell.

 

[buddrousa]

Bob you forgot 1 thing affordable for the target market.

 

[bob550]

Bob you forgot 1 thing affordable for the target market.

Very true! Although I have to wonder how big the market is for the Icom R9500 at $13,000? And P25 is an optional add-on board.

 

[mule1075]

Ok, all I'm getting out of this is you're unhappy with Uniden.

Shh don't tell anyone. And also he forgets the reason Uniden charges for updates as soon the will actually trunktrack dmr and NXDN correctly unlike how whistler accomplished it. I have both brands and Uniden just works better for my monitoring.

 

[Ubbe]

Shh don't tell anyone. And also he forgets the reason Uniden charges for updates as soon the will actually trunktrack dmr and NXDN correctly unlike how whistler accomplished it. I have both brands and Uniden just works better for my monitoring.

It depends highly on the systems configuration. Whistlers method are more forgiving to interference and with my weak signal monitoring of low activity sites my Whistler are the winner, even though it's RF sensitivity are worse and squelch cannot be set as sensitive as you want.

/Ubbe

 

[pb_lonny]

The scanner market really has two camps:
- Those who just want to listen to stuff close to them. They need something that is simple to use.
- Those who have an interest in communications and understand what they are doing.

Different radios suit different needs.

 

[TailGator911]

It all boils down to what works best for me and how I use my radios, not that my radio is bigger and better and more capable and newer than yours. The radios and accessories I have at my desk and in my mobile configuration work well for me and do everything I need them to do, and then some. We all have specific interests in this hobby and no matter what they are, yours ain't gonna be like mine. Find me that one dream radio that does it ALL and I'll remortgage my house to buy it. Right now.

JD
kf4anc

 

[KK4JUG]

It all boils down to what works best for me and how I use my radios, not that my radio is bigger and better and more capable and newer than yours.

JD
kf4anc

That's exactly right. I'm sure there are some people in rural counties with law enforcement agencies that haven't changed frequencies in 30 years listening with crystal-controlled scanners that still work just fine for them.

 

[scannersnstuff]

Yes, it does boil down to what work's best for you. I will state again, I'll take a Uniden almost any time, but when it come's to nearfield capture, I'll take a Whistler.

 

[majoco]

IMHO if you want to scan a selection of frequencies you need a scanner with all the decoders that work for your area.
If you want to listen to CW, SSB, Psk and all sorts of other things, you need a receiver that tunes down to at least 10Hz and preferably down to 1Hz or even lower, 6.25kHz steps as in a scanner just won't do it.

Get yourself a proper communications VHF/UHF receiver, my Icom R7000 works very well, but too slow at scanning although it does do it, so I have a couple of UBCT8's and a R532 for airband, plus a Yaesu VX2 for when I'm out and about - and a few HF receivers....

 

[K7MFC]

My analogy...

This:

Will never be a direct substitute for this:

 

[KK4JUG]

K7MFC>> Very good

 

[w8prr]

If you only have one radio, then you need to get every frequency and mode you want to listen to, if possible.
I have scanners, HF receivers, HF transceivers, VHF two way radios, and also 700/800 trunked two way radios ( Yes, I am authorized on local and state systems ). Each radio serves a function, and if I only had one radio I'd miss most of what I want to hear, even if the radio did it all, because it would be tied up on some other frequency. To sum it up, different strokes for different folks.

 

[krokus]

Trying to have one radio to do everything, will not do any of it optimally. Putting it in vehicular terms, one vehicle will not be able to off-road rock climbing, hauling a full load of concrete slurry, while maintaining Autobahn speeds, and getting 75 miles to gallon. Even if it could be made, how many people would be willing to buy it?

Sent using Tapatalk

 

[hardsuit]

krokus - having a Scanner that gets a Narrow Slice of the RF spectrum is not HARD at all, I can pick one up from a China OEM, 25 - 1300 is not at all hard to do, we had Receivers in the 1980's that had that. My AOR 1000 could even tune 800/900 Cellular. And All mode (CW, AM, NFM, WFM, USB) is not hard to do Either , A ICOM $160 (scanner) can tune 25-1300 and its All Analog Mode as well. But, it is Laziness of the scanner makers.

 

[hardsuit]

pdfdems286 - a Digital Scout frequency counter can outperform any type of Close Call (search) mode, My Digital Scout can Scan the Entire spectrum in less than 1 second, anytime someone Keys up a Radio, my Digital Scout instantly Logs the FREQ, and DATA accioated with that transmission. I can the SEND the FREQ + DATA to my ICOM R20 Receiver, with a DATA cable. the Digital Scout saves every FREQ and records how many times that FREQ is used. the Scout is pagers sized and I regulary Patrol malls and other public areas , its Discrete , I wear it under my Coat, it BEEPs or Vibrates when it records a hit.

 

[hardsuit]

majoco - Scanners and Communications Receivers are NOT based on Location, ALL scanners and Receivers in the United States work Everywhere in the Americas, including Canada and Mexico.