Hello all
Seems this area of the forums is quiet so hopefully my question will get answered.
It has been many many years since I owned a scanner and I was looking at getting back into it with the wet Winter on it's way and saw the Uniden UBC355XLT as they are within my budget but I am reading all sorts of things about analog now being phased out and to get a digital scanner which unfortunatly is out of my budget.
I live inland about an hour from Bunbury so I am worried about buying the above scanner and not hearing anything and it becoming a paper weight.
I understand police are now out but will I hear anything on an analog being so far inland and away from the city or is scanning even with digital a dying hobby these days?
Thanks for your time.
Scanner question
Moderator: Always RX
-
- Site Admin
- Posts: 2610
- Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2005 10:33 pm
- Amateur callsign: VK6HGR
- Scanners and Receivers: Various Yaesu, Kenwood, Tait, Simoco and Philips'
- Location: Perth, Western Australia
- Contact:
Re: Scanner question
Howdy WesAusChris
Living where you are, it's unlikely that the police and ambos will be digital yet, so you should be able to listen in. The firies (and DPaW - i.e. CALM) are still analogue.
Being in a country area though means that a lot less happens so you have to be more patient to hear events of interest.
Living where you are, it's unlikely that the police and ambos will be digital yet, so you should be able to listen in. The firies (and DPaW - i.e. CALM) are still analogue.
Being in a country area though means that a lot less happens so you have to be more patient to hear events of interest.
Gavin Rogers; VK6HGR
http://vk6hgr.ampr.org/
WARSUG forum administrator
Site and stream donations: https://www.paypal.me/vk6hgr
http://vk6hgr.ampr.org/
WARSUG forum administrator
Site and stream donations: https://www.paypal.me/vk6hgr
-
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 3:10 pm
Re: Scanner question
Appreciate the reply mate.
So I should at least hear something with that model then which is a good start.
I guess for the price they are at now it might be worth buying the UBC355XLT to start with instead of a more expensive one just to see if I enjoy it as much as I did in the past.
So I should at least hear something with that model then which is a good start.
I guess for the price they are at now it might be worth buying the UBC355XLT to start with instead of a more expensive one just to see if I enjoy it as much as I did in the past.
-
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 3:10 pm
Re: Scanner question
Great to know Roland.roland985 wrote:I have the 355XLT. Great bit of kit.
I took the plunge and just purchased one tonight, should arrive hopefully by the end of the week, will be nice to try it out although I may need an external antenna as I am in a little gully with some hills but will so how I go.
-
- 150+ posts
- Posts: 218
- Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2014 8:23 pm
- Scanners and Receivers: Uniden EZI30XLT Scanner.
Bearcat UBC355XLT - Location: High Wycombe
Re: Scanner question
Yeah. You'd best be getting some low-loss coaxial cable and mounting an antenna on the roof.
WASES CSU
-
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 3:10 pm
Re: Scanner question
I still remember my younger years trying to work out how to get the cable from the room to the outside, looks like I might just have to just take the flyscreen off slip it through and put the screen back on the best I can.roland985 wrote:Yeah. You'd best be getting some low-loss coaxial cable and mounting an antenna on the roof.
By the look of the forum and google a discone antenna is the way to go and they aren't a bad price either which is good.
Just noticed you are right next to the airport as well, must be nice listening to the pilots/tower.
-
- 150+ posts
- Posts: 218
- Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2014 8:23 pm
- Scanners and Receivers: Uniden EZI30XLT Scanner.
Bearcat UBC355XLT - Location: High Wycombe
Re: Scanner question
Lol. I don't listen to the airport at all. I consider it boring compared to DFES.WestAusChris wrote:
Just noticed you are right next to the airport as well, must be nice listening to the pilots/tower.
WASES CSU
-
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 3:10 pm
Re: Scanner question
I'd be happy just to hear anything which brings me to a question I hope you may beable to answer.roland985 wrote:Lol. I don't listen to the airport at all. I consider it boring compared to DFES.WestAusChris wrote:
Just noticed you are right next to the airport as well, must be nice listening to the pilots/tower.
The last time I used a scanner was about 20 years ago, it was a handheld, it seems now I have choices of external antenna for base stations.
After looking at discone antenna they may be out of my budget, is there one you or someone else might recommend for someone like myself getting back into scanning?
Seems I will also need to let you know what I would like to listen to, well DFES would be nice with the amount of bushfires we get down here, police would be interesting, not so much ambulance, personal preference, maybe UHF, air might be out with my area?
Anything else feel free to ask me and thank you for the help.
-
- 150+ posts
- Posts: 218
- Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2014 8:23 pm
- Scanners and Receivers: Uniden EZI30XLT Scanner.
Bearcat UBC355XLT - Location: High Wycombe
Re: Scanner question
A discone is the holy grail, and I definitely recommend it.
But you can attach a cheapo Ebay omnidirectional antenna over a metal surface (minimum 1 Square meter) and listen from that.
If not, the scanner itself should come with a nasty little wire antenna you can string up inside. It works. Kinda.
But you can attach a cheapo Ebay omnidirectional antenna over a metal surface (minimum 1 Square meter) and listen from that.
If not, the scanner itself should come with a nasty little wire antenna you can string up inside. It works. Kinda.
WASES CSU
-
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 3:10 pm
Re: Scanner question
Cheers Roland, I will definatley look into a discone in the future, the roof of the house is corragated so I'm guessing that will be ok maybe with a magnetic mount for now.
-
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 3:10 pm
Re: Scanner question
Well the scanner arrived today, not sure if its the crappy antenna that it comes, me living in a gully/hilly area or if everything in my area has moved to digital but all I hear is static as it stops on frequencies.
I guess for $45 it might be good to get a better antenna and try again.
I guess for $45 it might be good to get a better antenna and try again.
-
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 3:10 pm
Re: Scanner question
Tried that as well, adjusted it and it starts scanning then just stops on static on certain channels, don't seem to hear anything.roland985 wrote:Adjust the squelch mate.
-
- Moderator
- Posts: 39
- Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 7:11 pm
- Scanners and Receivers: Uniden UBC73XLT
Uniden UBCD396XT
Re: Scanner question
Are you sitting at a desk with computers or other devices near it