Why So Many Scanners, Radios, Pagers?

Good Morning All
It's pretty much everyday I get a friend, guys in my firehouse (now retired) or guys here on RR asking-
Why So Many Scanners, Radios and Unication Pagers?
For me they are all "Tools", NOT "Toys".
I live in a metro area of more than 5 million people (Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Palm Beach) where ALL the Fire/EMS and most of the PD are in the CLEAR, that's alot of listening, alot channel banks/favorite lists, etc. and I host feeds on Broadcastify and I travel quite a bit.
So here is how it all "Breaks Down".
Home
2-BCT15x's for Broadcastify Feeds, UHF 450-460mhz Analog Fire/EMS.
2-SDS200s for Just 700/800mhz Simulcast Systems. I have 4 Systems immediately adjacent to my house and 8 more total in nearby Miami to the south and Palm Beach County to the North. That's 12 Simulcast Systems I can receive using the 2 SDS200s AND 4 SDR Dongles running SDRTrunk, and you still miss stuff.
1-Motorola XTL5000 UHF R1 just for my agency, for my enjoyment listening. I also have FL State SARNET Ham Repeaters in there for the zombie apocalypse. I am not a big ham guy, even though I have my ticket. It's a nice to have for the mobile stuff, to make it "legal".
1-BCT15X VHF/UHF Analog Stuff, Marine, Comm Air, Mil Air, Occasional Feds when Broadcasting, enjoyment listening.

Mobile or In Hand
1-SDS150 Programmed identical to my SDS200 in Home. It clips on the dash using a "Pro Clip". Never stays in the car, and I never travel with it.
1-Unication G2 UHF 450-512mhz, for my local agency AND I travel with it, programmed with FDNY, and Los Angeles County Fire.
1-Unication G4 700/800mhz, for my local simulcast systems AND I travel with it, programmed with LA City Fire Analog 800mhz, Las Vegas/Clark County/Henderson Fire/EMS Simulcast, and ALL of the Washington DC Area Simulcast Systems FIRE/EMS and Whatever Police (Local and Federal) is in the CLEAR.
1-Uniden BC125AT I will only grab for Aviation and Air Shows as needed, home and travel.

As you can see there isn't ONE "Catch All" Scanner. The right "Tool" for the right job, even with enjoyment listening.

73s
Jim
KO9JAD

 

[N9JIG]

One can never have too many radios, regardless of what my wife says.

Every time she complains about a new radio in my office I walk into hers and start pointing out her sewing machines, her custom-made solid oak sewing table and the stack of Amazon boxes I have to break down every week, all with her name on them.

 

[W9WSS]

"A Happy Wife is a Happy Life." (Maybe that's why I've been divorced twice; But I'M HAPPY; That's what matters.)

 

[mark40]

Why So Many Scanners, Radios and Unication Pagers?
For me they are all "Tools", NOT "Toys".

Same here. When at my career dept. (retired) and now at my Vol. FD I get the same questions.
At my listening post I have 4 scanners, each with a particular job. Plus other scanners around the house and in the car with just the basics.

I only keep what I'm actually using, sell or shed the rest. It's fun to gift them, for example a new Jr. member in my Vol Fire Dept. gave him a basic handheld and a base model. He is thrilled to have them.