Scanner Question

[bryncvp]

Just a quick question about scanners....I am in the process of getting on with a volunteer FD as an EMT. I am wondering what people's recommendation are about purchasing a scanner. Yes, I know that the FD SHOULD provide communication devices for me as a volunteer, but money is hard to come by for them and you have to be on for a while to prove yourself before you get one. I know I can just go to radio shack and get one, but I was wondering if anyone knew of any places online that has them. I was in my EMT-Cardiac (Intermediate in RI) class yesterday and someon has a scanner that also allowed you to broadcast on the frequency. Yes I know you cant get those in the US..he ordered it off of some website and was shipped from China.

I also want to get some ideas about and antenna for the car to boost the signal.

Any thoughts??

 

[mcdonl]

Just a quick question about scanners....I am in the process of getting on with a volunteer FD as an EMT. I am wondering what people's recommendation are about purchasing a scanner. Any thoughts??

This may sound odd, but I have one for my wife. When I go on a call, she can hear if we do a transport or not. We have a 35 minute transport time, so when you consider onscene time, transport, paperwork and going back in service it can be 3 hours. My wife gave up on my having a minute to call so she just turns the scanner on and listens. It only scans the two freq's for the departments I work shifts for.

But as you said, your department needs to provide you with a pager at least.

 

[frdude1000]

I have a Radio Shack Pro 94 scanner. It does the job well, nothing fancy about it. I got it on Ebay a couple of years ago for $60. You won't need any additional antennas unless your repeater in your county is very weak. I would recommend buying a Minitor II pager on Ebay. There is a guy that sells a lot of used ones already programmed to popular frequencies. I would look around and see if there is one with your agencies frequency. These pagers are great and only about $30 on ebay!

 

[Akulahawk]

Most non-trunking scanners will do what you need. You'll just need to know what frequency your vol. FD uses. If they have a "PL" tone, you'll want to know that as some scanners can also filter audio using that tone. Non-trunking scanners should be fairly cheap as they don't need to have all the circuitry and programming needed to follow talk groups from frequency to frequency. Antennas can be pretty cheap as well. Just do a search for "scanner antenna" and you'll find a bunch of info and such on those. They don't have to be tuned.

Be careful about "transmitting scanners" like your buddy has. If they come from China already freebanded, chances are they don't meet FCC regulations for transmitting on any frequency, even Ham Bands. I have a ham radio HT that I've freebanded, but I do not transmit out of authorized bands

 

[TransportJockey]

Those china radios are technically grey market and illegal as far as the FCC in concerned. I'd looked at one for a cheap HTT for my backpacking setup but it's not worth the hassle.

And if they don't issue you what you need, look into a better dept

 

[subliminal1284]

Radio Reference FTW.

 

[Foxbat]

Just a quick question about scanners....I am in the process of getting on with a volunteer FD as an EMT. I am wondering what people's recommendation are about purchasing a scanner. Yes, I know that the FD SHOULD provide communication devices for me as a volunteer, but money is hard to come by for them and you have to be on for a while to prove yourself before you get one.

Are they going to provide you with a pager? Pager is the only thing you need to respond to calls. Scanner is pretty much for entertainment purpose, since it cannot transmit, unless you're planning to use one of the illegal ones, which I don't recommend.

...That being said, Uniden makes some scanner models with what they call 'fire tone-out' function (such as BCD396T), i.e. they act as scanners and pagers, check their web site. I personally have RadioShack's PRO-135. It's one of the cheapest ones and it works fine for me. It does not have tone-out function, but I have a pager, so I don't need it. Neither I need a scanner, frankly.

NB: some VFDs are very intolerant of those whom they consider whackers, and purchasing unnecessary equipment, especially while one is still a probie, may lead to some problems.

 

[Sandog]

Don't most FD and PD's use encrypted radio transmissions? Scanner seems useless these days.

 

[busmonkey]

Don't most FD and PD's use encrypted radio transmissions? Scanner seems useless these days.

That is true in most major cities and with paid departments however with Volly departments it is a rarity. Even Vancouver FD isn't encrypted but is digital which you need a better scanner for anyway. So anyway, if you are in a small town with paid or volly you are more than likely ok with the FD. In regard's to PD you are very right Sandog, they are very careful.

 

[TraprMike]

Those china radios are technically grey market and illegal as far as the FCC in concerned. I'd looked at one for a cheap HTT for my backpacking setup but it's not worth the hassle.

And if they don't issue you what you need, look into a better dept

what he said,, I have heard, read AAR's about these radios and for the money they are a good little radio,, although illegal to use on public service freq's. Some buyers have had these radios taken by US custom Service,, but some do slip threw. they are all over Ebay. like 20 bux and 60 bux shipping from China.

 

[TransportJockey]

what he said,, I have heard, read AAR's about these radios and for the money they are a good little radio,, although illegal to use on public service freq's. Some buyers have had these radios taken by US custom Service,, but some do slip threw. they are all over Ebay. like 20 bux and 60 bux shipping from China.

When I played Oklahoma D-Day two years in a row, my unit was using a bunch of the KYD VHF variant for comms between units (I was designated comm officer since I had the radio experience in the past). They were nice little radios, but out of everyone who ordered one only about half actually got theirs cause customs confiscated the rest.

 

[busmonkey]

what he said,, I have heard, read AAR's about these radios and for the money they are a good little radio,, although illegal to use on public service freq's. Some buyers have had these radios taken by US custom Service,, but some do slip threw. they are all over Ebay. like 20 bux and 60 bux shipping from China.

Yeah if it gets picked up by customs your kind of screwed, but your fine as long as it goes through. You would just have to hide it if you got pulled over etc. I don't know what the penalties are in the States for that kind of thing, but if it is like most other things, it will be pretty severe.

JB

 

[Foxbat]

In regard's to PD you are very right Sandog, they are very careful.

I believe PDs in my area have some encrypted channels for special situations, but dispatch and index aren't encrypted.

 

[sq3hjfd]

Are you joining somewhere in RI?

 

[TraprMike]

Yeah if it gets picked up by customs your kind of screwed, but your fine as long as it goes through. You would just have to hide it if you got pulled over etc. I don't know what the penalties are in the States for that kind of thing, but if it is like most other things, it will be pretty severe.

JB

actually, that is one thing I would not worry about in the US, unless it's the FCC that's pulling you over. as long as the person is "authorized" to have a radio,either a ham license or on a squad ....
local cops wouldn't know the difference, and if they did, it's, like we say, "not in the scope of practice"..
Kind of like local cops can't arrest illegal aliens, just because they are here illegally..

 

[bryncvp]

Sounds like the scanners that transmit are something to stay away from. I only ask these questions about scanners and pagers because a different VFD I was looking into said I had to purchase my own otherwise I would have no way of knowing when to report to the station. Sounds like that is not the norm. The current VFD I am looking into did not say I had to buy my own..I just assumed I had to even though they were 'suppose' to supply it.

 

[bryncvp]

So I looked up the BCD396T....yeah..anyone have any suggestions for under a 100 bucks? Under 50 bucks? Remember..I am a volunteer..well trying to be.

 

[TransportJockey]

There's a way to get a free one. Let your dept you wanna volly with issue one

 

[sq3hjfd]

Checkout the bearcat bc355c or bct8, but they're not under $100. You can always check ebay and get a 350 series.

 

[bryncvp]

Complete rookie at this..I found a radio..actually it was suggested by a classmate...here are the specs:

FM: 88-108MHz (RX)
VHF: 136-174MHz (RX/TX)
UHF1: 350-390MHz (RX/TX)
UHF2: 400-470MHz (RX/TX)
UHF3: 470-520MHz (RX)


Dual frequency display of the LCD
FM Radio
CTCSS/DCS
Dual-watch operation
Power switch:4w/2w/1w
Built-in VOX function
Priority scan
Wide/narrow bandwidth
PC programme or keypads programme
Busy lock
Cable clone
Alarm function
Transmitter:
Power output: High≥4w Medium ≥2w Low ≥1w
Emission Current: ≤1.5A
Modulation sensitivity: 12mV
Modulation Distortion: <5%
Modulation Limiting : Wide <5KHz Narrow <2.5KHz
Modulation Mode: 16ΦF3E 11KΦF3E
Remanent Radiation ≤7μw
Preemphasis character : 6dB
CTCSS/DCS Frequency Deviation :0.75KHz±50Hz 0.37KHz±30Hz
Receiver:
RF Sensitivity: -122dBm(12dB SINAD)
Modulation Receiver Bandwith: 5KHz
Audio Distortion: ≤10%
Audio power: <0.5w
Audio Response:6dB
Blocking: ≥85dB
Spurious response rejection: ≥65db
Dimensions: 110mmx 56mmx 37mm
Weight: 850g
Package contents:

1x TG-UV2
1x 7.4V 1500mah Li-ion Battery Pack
1x Dual band Antenna
1x Belt Clip
1x English Manual
1x Desktop Charger ( 100V ~ 240V ) with correct adapter for your country
1x FREE PTT earpiece (E-065K

I have no effing clue as to what these all means....can someone please translate. Is it a scanner AND a radio?? Is that legal?