HAM Radio Scanners

[Drew84]

What is a good handheld HAM radio scanner for $150 or less. I'd like to have something on me when I'm on stage to monitor the radio net. I don't necessarily need to communicate. I just want to hear whats going on. It would have been really handy while on Mt Washington last weekend.

[Dan McGinn]

What is a good handheld HAM radio scanner for $150 or less. I'd like to have something on me when I'm on stage to monitor the radio net. I don't necessarily need to communicate. I just want to hear whats going on. It would have been really handy while on Mt Washington last weekend.


We have this one (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2970547) to listen in, works fine, RNY, NEFR, STPR, just not very user friendly so I don't really recommend it. It's probably my fault as I've never taken the time to really get used to using it, but I find it a pain to just enter a stupid frequency. If a friend hadn't gotten it for cheap, I wouldn't buy it, list price is $200

When we can hear net control, its been useful, especially when drunks got nasty at STPR that year or stages got scrambled elsewhere.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GwDYFxb8piY/SHBsm08RJ1I/AAAAAAAABec/t7GwjZldXBY/s400/pRS1C-2264562_rshalt1_dt.jpg

[UP2MTNS]

for the price, I'd just get a regular HAM radio.

something used like this will do you well:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270772930297&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

[Dan McGinn]

for the price, I'd just get a regular HAM radio.
something used like this will do you well:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270772930297&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT


I agree, get something that you can transmit with in an emergency as the price is not that much different.

[Drew84]

SO, I should read up on HAM on this forum. Do I have to have a license to own a radio ?

[A1337STI]

Nope you don't need a license to own a ham radio.

You need a license to transmit (excluding emergency situations)

[alosix]

I had one of these for rally idaho:

http://www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=DisplayProducts&ProdCatID=111&encProdID=87CE6C1FF54D5BBCA7F39179AB3B1511&DivisionID=65&isArchived=0

I normally use it for my SAR dog stuff, but threw it in the bag in case my scanner acted up.

For some odd reason, possible age of the scanner, it barely worked. I plugged the frequencies into the FT-270 and we were able to hear everything loud and clear for the rest of the day.

And I think I paid something like $129 for it retail in Sunnyvale, CA of all places..

Also.. a good bit of the handhelds are waterproof/submersible. This was pretty handy when the rain came down in Idaho as it was sitting on the roof of one of the service vehicles. Not sure if that's a normal feature for scanners ( I know mine isn't).

[A1337STI]

It was very cool hearing the HAM at service, really fills in what's going on at the rally. probably make hanging at the service park a lot cooler.

[alosix]

It was very cool hearing the HAM at service, really fills in what's going on at the rally. probably make hanging at the service park a lot cooler.

Let us relax when they started canceling/moving stages from the ATVs instead of being worried about WTF everyone was :)..

Next just need to get one in the car so we know if there was a canyon wall on the stage or not :)

[alosix]

Oh.

the one downside I can think of for using a handheld as a scanner is that they are probably 10x more complicated to use for that purpose.

My old uniden scanner I can just plug in frequencies and go the buttons just make sense.

The handheld.. lets say we were only monitoring 1 of the 3 frequencies in use 'cause I didn't bring the book and didn't remember how to setup the frequencies for scanning.

[Drew84]

Nope you don't need a license to own a ham radio.

You need a license to transmit (excluding emergency situations)

Yeah I but it doesn't look very hard to get the most simple license. I may do it just to have.

[UP2MTNS]

its not, just study the questions online and they have the same bank of questions on the test.

and as far as 'complicated'....they are a bit more comlicated in general, but all you really need to do is learn the basic settings (how to set up duplex/offset, memorize channels, etc) and you're good to go.

Stage rallies will always publish their frequencies, so 'finding' them is very easy. Usually, they'll have specific freq's for each stage (or group of stages) and then a separate frequency for Timing, general rally net, and sometimes emergency only/medical freq.

[Drew84]

I finally got around to getting my Tech License last night. I don't know of any other accredited media that has a Ham. I've never run into another photographer with it. I don't know why. It's super handy to know what is going on, like why a stage is delayed? Worst case scenario I could be the closest person to a wreck. Sometimes I'm way out on stage beyond or in between check points.

[X Mon™]

Thanks for following through with your license. The more HAMs, the more flow of information, and the safer things are overall. If you dig around on special stage, there WAS an offer for a Free Radio if you worked an event after getting your ticket.

-KB3UXC