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When did you start scanning?
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Author:  Louie [ Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:09 am ]
Post subject:  When did you start scanning?
I was wondering when everyone started scanning? Everyone please share.

I myself started when I was 11 years old. I got started by my friend's dad. My very first scanner was a 30 channel Uniden BC60XLT-1

I am now 19 years old and still lovin scanning! :D

What about everyone else?
Author:  Ken [ Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:48 am ]
Post subject: 
I used to build those Radio Shack Electronic project kits as a kid. I started out with the crystal radio, and worked my way up to the 1000+ kits. One of the projects was an aircraft band receiver.... I was about 12 or so, and hooked. I ended up using that thing to listen to aircraft for years.
Author:  PRESTONBJ [ Wed Nov 21, 2007 8:30 am ]
Post subject: 
I have been enjoying scanning for many years. I've spent time in South Eastern Oregon and now in Central Washington State. What a blessing to be able to listen to ALL public safety in clear VHF high band!

Now that I work for a Kenwood radio dealer scanning has been even better. I'm 39 and probably been scanning since 1987.

Favorite scanners include: RS Pro-2067, RS Pro-92, RS Pro-2055, and a few 10 channel units located in the house + a multitude of Kenwood radios including the TK-7180, TK-863, TK-980.
Author:  silverone [ Wed Nov 21, 2007 10:22 am ]
Post subject: 
My uncle Ken is/was a ham radio operator. He got a scanner for his mom, my grandmother. Her response was "What the heck do I need this thing for?" Of course the first time she heard anything related to her neighborhood, she was hooked. ;-)

I listened to my grandma's scanner in her kitchen when I visited as a little girl. Many years later, I moved to Seattle's Capitol Hill - an "active" neighborhood. My curiosity drove me to purchase a scanner, something like a Bearcat 210. I was in heaven. My boyfriends thought I was a geek. They were right.

Now, at age 48, I live a block from a fire station. Thinking it would be as easy as last time, I bought a scanner. Damn! I can't get crystals for the frequencies I want to monitor! So I bought a NEW scanner...

Six months later, with help from you-all and a lot of time spent trying to read a manual obviously translated from sanskrit, I can listen to SPD North and SFD on my BCT8. I also have a Bearcat 210XL that I use for medivac and other non-trunked stuff.

And my boyfriends *still* think I'm a geek. ;-)
Author:  Ken [ Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:03 pm ]
Post subject: 
silverone wrote:
And my boyfriends *still* think I'm a geek. ;-)


Well at least you know what they are thinking. The women in my life have me so confused, I dont even know what to think. :D
Author:  Beaconhunter [ Wed Nov 21, 2007 10:21 pm ]
Post subject: 
I started monitoring in the early 1970's when I was 13 or 14. The first receiver I had was a handheld Lafayette that had a single, crystal controlled channel. I later upgraded to a six-channel VHF receiver that was also crystal controlled. I had crystals for all three of the Seattle Police channels plus one of the KC Sheriff channels and thought I was in heaven.

In 1972 or so, many of the agencies (including Seattle) switched from VHF simplex to UHF repeater based systems. About this time, I bought my first "scanning" receiver which had eight crystal controlled UHF channels. It was so cool to be able to clearly hear both sides of every conversation. (With the old simplex system, you could only hear the mobiles if they were fairly close by).

I'm still scanning 35 years later. To tell you the truth, I miss the simplicity and signal quality provided by the older systems. When I am driving down the street listening to the scratchy, weak signals provided in many areas by the newer trunking systems, I long for the crisp clean signals provided by the old VHF/UHF systems. I guess I'm getting old ... :D
Author:  Louie [ Wed Nov 21, 2007 11:58 pm ]
Post subject: 
really cool stories! thanks for responding! Ive heard about these crystal scanners. What were they? Does anyone have any articles about scanners when they first came out? Ive always been interested in finding info about the first scanners. Anyone know what year they released the first scanner?

thanks -Louie-
Author:  MTM [ Fri Nov 23, 2007 8:10 pm ]
Post subject: 
:D :D Kid --- You're making me feel real old. ---( lol )---- I was listening to "police calls" 50 years ago -- You could listen to the LAPD on 1730 Khz AM, just above the standard AM Band -- up until 1963. "Scanning" didn't start until 1970 -- when the fisrt Crystal Scanner was invented by the Regency Electronics Company -- after a long court battle with the Bearcat Company. My first mobile police receiver was a "Convertor Box" that attached to the back of a standard car radio -- and converted the AM car radio into a VHF receiver. I later bought an RCA VHF station Receiver from a local Police Dept. It was set for one channel -- 156.15. 19 inchs wide by 12 inchs high and weighed almost 50 pounds. Most "Public Safety Band" radios were standard -- tuneable radios --. Glad you are in the group. Keep listening. MTM
Author:  Louie [ Fri Nov 23, 2007 9:43 pm ]
Post subject: 
whoa cool! Scanning back then sounded complicated. please anyone else share.
Author:  MTM [ Fri Nov 23, 2007 10:21 pm ]
Post subject: 
NO -- Not at all. It was very simple. Most police or fire "radio buffs" just used a simple -- tuneable "public safety band" radio receiver. Seattle PD only had 3 VHF channels. North, Central and South. King County had only one channel -- 155.19 and most of the smaller towns used the County Sheriff channel or shared 155.01 on the Eastside and 159.09 in the South or Valley. King County Fire used 154.19 or 154.25 and Seattle FD used 33.90 on low band. Kent FD used 33.82. It was very easy as well as fun. Heck -- the WSP used 155.475 / 154.77 Statewide except for 155.58 in Seattle + Spokane, 155.52 in Tacoma and later 155.85 in Chehalis and 154.845 in Everett. 90% of the WSP offices only used 155.475 Base ( + Car to Car - direct ) and 154.77 Mobile talk back to Base. It was a lot easyer.
Author:  xjf79 [ Fri Nov 23, 2007 10:38 pm ]
Post subject: 
I second that MTM.
scanning or monitoring was so much easier back in the 70 and 80s
before all this trunking and now "digital" has come into the hobby
of rf monitoring.

xjf79
monitoring the airways since 1976
with tunable/crystal/synthisized analog/ digital,
conventional and trunk receivers/scanners.
Author:  icom1020 [ Sat Nov 24, 2007 9:19 am ]
Post subject: 
Mike, I remember those WSP Motorola mobiles from the 60's and 70's They were some version of the Mocom but had colored buttons across to select tones or channels. They had "Washington State Patrol" printed on them.

Did the WSP use a rocker PTT like CHP to select car to car?
Author:  the Outlaw [ Sat Nov 24, 2007 2:22 pm ]
Post subject: 
It was christmas eve, my grandfather gave me his old crystal ten channel. I listened to Seattle. The next morning I listened to a chase down I90. They guy made it to/on the Winslow boat and was caught on the other side.
I was hooked.
Author:  MTM [ Sat Nov 24, 2007 3:19 pm ]
Post subject: 
Yup. The WSP control head had a select button for Car to Car - Direct (on 155.475) vs Duplex ops on 155.475 (B) + 154.77 (M). It provided better "dispatch control" over the fleet. But, just like the CHP -- after many years in use --- Full Duplex - Repeater operations -- works best. And the CHP has been using new Kenwwod multi-channel 100 watt low band mobiles for the last 2 - 3 years.
Author:  chpalmer [ Sat Nov 24, 2007 3:44 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
Mike, I remember those WSP Motorola mobiles from the 60's and 70's They were some version of the Mocom but had colored buttons across to select tones or channels. They had "Washington State Patrol" printed on them.


Motrac's! I still have two or three of these donated radios between a couple of school bus fleets I work on. They scratched off the "Washington State Patrol" on the control head but they still have the incident cards inside the radio's. They didnt have that style mike then but do now on the M/aCom's, and did I believe on the Syntors they used last.
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