InterceptRadio.com Forums

Is it at all possible to mod your scanner to receive all possible frequencies? Such as the 80.00 through 108.00 frequencies, or the 950 through 1000? I have heard that if certain diodes are cut that these results will be achieved. Any ideas?

Most newer scanners can't be modified that way. Scanners need wideband FM capability for 88-108mhz, so a scanner without that coverage wouldn't be able to receive it properly even if you could modify it to tune those frequencies. Receiving upper frequencies (especially 1000mhz+) is most often an issue with sensitivity. Many scanners which can tune those frequencies often times have horrible sensitivity according to their specs.

Bottom line is that its best to buy something already designed to fit your needs.

So is it possible to buy a scanner that can access all given frequencies? I know that some of the 900s are blocked because of cell phone frequencies, but I wasn't aware that you could buy one lith those capabilities.

Some of the 800's are blocked due to cellphones. You can always buy equipment from out of the country that doesn't have it blocked although you risk confiscation by customs since it is illegal to import unblocked radios. Either way it is a waste of time because cellular is all digital these days and the scanner can't decode the audio.

EBay is your friend

Is it possible to buy a digital receiver?

Just ask what you really want- Can I buy a receiver to listen to cell phones?

Answer- No.

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President-in-Exile, Seattle Area Radio Communications And Scanner Traffic Intercept Crew (SARCASTIC)
Don't feel bad if you can't use your STD100/200; there are still people using Digital Frequency Search!
Bunnery definition for the under-fives

Can you do anything illegal?

Answer - No.

Don't beat around the bush, as my boss would say, "Don't waste my time."

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Interoperability is an attitude, not a technology.

Haha I see where that comes off as bad, but what I really was implying was about the rebanding topic. I know that going digital is on the horizon, so I was wondering if digital receivers had come out yet. But thanks for the law lesson :wink:

Yep, they are out. Not much digital radio traffic around, but that is changing monthly. Uniden 396 is the smallest around so far and the PRO500 is the best of the scanners that get analog and digital (watch the replies after that hee, hee, hee). And BTW, legal to own.

To clarify, there are many "digital" modes that are used across the spectrum you wish to hear.

So to ask "can I receive digital" is akin to "how many stars are in the sky".

P25 Digital is the mode that is predominantly used in Public Safety. There are several digital modes emerging for private sector business use, including Moneyrola's "MotoTRBO", and the Kenwood / ICOM IDAS / NXDN. I think there is a digital mode available for Ericsson EDACS (now MA/COM / Tyco owned). There is also Tetra (actually 2 different modes using the Tetra designation), is Open Sky digital? I don't know.

Then there is D-Star for amateur radio. Also there is Alinco's Digital mode for ham, and there is a modem being sold for use in Amateur HF that is digital as well, bloody expensive if you ask me ($500+ per end).

And then there is digital Cellular, of which there are actually many different modes, iDen, GSM, etc... - which as mentioned is unlawful to listen to.

The point here is, yeah, there are scanners out there that can listen to *some* digital, mostly P25. But to ask "can I receive digital" is a rather generic question.

You may as well ask how many fish are in the sea.

Not to mention that, there are not any "scanners" that can decode more than one or 2 of all of the modes listed above.

If you have deeper pockets than me, you *could* purchase a Service Monitor / Test Set that will get you a few more modes - even including a few of the ever elusive cell modes. But that is a little hard core if you ask me. If you google around or look at ebay, you will see this kind of gear regularly runs $20K and up - way up.

As for "rebanding" - that is independant of digital modes. As another person posted previously, there is not really a whole lot of digital in this area. And the stuff you really want to hear - many of us here would like to hear - is typically encrypted.

Happy hunting!

M/A-COM ( ex-tyco electronics, now its Harris Corp) provoice digital is the enemy here on the lower mainland of B.C.
No scanner on the maket can receive that form of digital. :starwars: