A few of my analog scanners have made nice dust collectors and nice bookend supports in recent years in my shack. However, I may have found new uses for them lately that I would like to share.
Crystallized scanners are truly obsolete however programmable ones regardless of the number of memories they are capable of receiving, may still offer some valuable uses when correctly "interfaced" with the amateur radio experience as I will explain later in this article.
These scanners are obsolete primarily due to the fact that over the past few years, more and more public safety agencies have been transitioning towards operating on trunked and digital radio systems making some of these older analog scanners obsolete.
Recently, I have revisited this equipment in my shack and decided to A) Throw them out, B) Sell them on ebay and get absolutely nothing for them or C) Explore new uses for them.
Yeah..., let's think about option C for a moment. My old outdated analog scanners might actually still have some uses.
Most programmable scanners will typically be capable of VHF and UHF reception from 30 - 512 mhz. Some even as high as 800. This means many of them are quite capable of 6 and 10 meter reception. I found this especially useful for monitoring 6 and 10 meters for a band opening.
This really free's up the "good equipment" for other operating activities with little or no additional investment required for a second 6 meter transceiver in the shack. When I start hearing activity on 6 meters using my scanner, I simply tune the main radio in the shack to 6 meters and operate.
Most scanners are portable than most fixed amateur radio stations so it can be toted with you outside so you can monitor for a band opening during your backyard BBQ activities.
A scanner can also be programmed to monitor for the next satellite pass. Depending on the number of memory frequencies available in it, you might decide to program every bank with nearby "doppler effect" frequencies so you can specifically monitor for the next satellite pass in your area. This also free's up your main radio equipment in your shack not to mention that if it's accidentally dropped or gets broken while using it outside near the pool, you lost virtually nothing.
In fact, you could just leave the scanner running all day and all night long with a VOX tape recorder attached to it. It's always fun to play the tape back at a later time. I found it especially revealing to listen to the recorded satellite passes and radio communications I have been missing.
Use a scanner as an APRS receiver? Sure why not?, just tune your scanner to 144.390 and connect the output of your scanner to an old junk laptop you bought at a hamfest for $10.00. Now download a free program called "MultiPSK" and install it on your junk PC.
How about turning that obsolete scanner into an International Space Station receiving machine? The program below is designed specifically for receiving and deciphering packet signals from the ISS:
http://users.belgacom.net/hamradio/uissscreenshot.htm
Now you will be able to use that inexpensive and obsolete scanner as a cheap radio receiver for decoding ISS PACKET, SSTV, PSK, CW, APRS and many other digital modes commonly used on VHF/ UHF bands. Total equipment investment = $20.00
A radio scanner can provide tactical or battlefield intelligence that is normally unavailable from any other source. In almost all cases it even can even scoop your local news media coverage of events before the public even knows about them. Just program it for common media outlet communications frequencies to see what I mean. For example you will enjoy listening to the media news traffic copters. You will hear more about what's going on from them, than you would on a higher priced - cream of the crop digital police scanner.
Some media communication frequencies can be found here:
An analog and obsolete scanner can be turned into an Emergency Management monitoring machine. This will be especially useful equipment for the emcomm group's go kit requirements. Just program the analog scanner solely for the purpose of using it as a national emergency frequency monitoring device as follows:
National search and rescue frequencies
40.500 US Military joint operations
47.460 National Jeep Search and Rescue
121.500 Civilian ELT/EPIRB / National Air Distress Calling
121.600 US/Canada On-Scene S&R
138.450 Air Rescue Service On-Scene
138.780 Air Rescue Service On-Scene (discrete)
156.300 Merchant ship/USGC Channel 6 On-Scene
156.800 Maritime Channel 16 (Distress/Safety/Calling)
156.750 Maritime Class C EPIRB 15-second homing signal
243.000 Military Aeronautical Emergency
259.000 Air Rescue Operations
381.000 Air Rescue Operations
381.800 USCG Aircraft Working Frequency
406.500 ELT
Civil Air Patrol (CAP)
26.620 AM
121.500 Civilian Aeronautical Emergency/ELT/EPIRB
121.600 ELT Testing
122.900 SAR
123.100 SAR
143.900 SAR (AM/FM)
148.125 Secondary
148.150 Primary
149.925 Packet Data
173.580
282.800 SAR DF/On-Scene Primary
American Red Cross
47.420 47.520
47.460 47.540
47.500
47.42 Primary channel used across the United States by the Red Cross for relief operations.
US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
138.225
138.575 142.350
139.450 142.425
139.950 142.450
138.225 This is the prime disaster relief operations channel used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency; it is active during earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and other catastrophic events.
US DOE Nuclear Emergency Search Team (NEST)
149.220 164.400
150.450 164.475
164.025 164.525
164.100 164.675
164.175 164.700
164.225 164.775
164.375
National Transportation Safety Board
165.750 Channel 1
165.7625 Channel 2
166.175 Channel 3
Nationwide interagency frequencies
155.160 Used for inter-department emergency communications by local and state agencies
154.28: Used for inter-department emergency communications by local fire departments.
155.475 Used for inter-department emergency communications by local and state police forces.
155.175 Emergency Medical Services
155.205 Emergency Medical Services
155.235 Emergency Medical Services
Other National Emergency Frequencies:
34.90 This frequency is used nationwide by the National Guard during emergencies
163.4875 National Guard during emergencies
163.5125: This is the national disaster preparedness frequency used jointly by the armed forces.
164.50: This is the national communications channel for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
168.55: This is the national channel used by civilian agencies of the federal government for communications during emergencies and disasters.
243.00: This channel is used during military aviation emergencies.
259.70: This channel is used by the Space Shuttle during re-entry and landing.
296.80: This channel is used by the Space Shuttle during re-entry and landing.
311.00: This is an active in-flight channel used by the US Air Force.
409.625: This is the national communications channel for the Department of State.
165.375: This is the national communications channel for the Secret Service.
167.5625: This is the national communications channel for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
415.70: This channel is used nationwide by various federal agencies.
Well that should fill a few memory banks for the emcomm enthusiasts out there! These frequencies are usually dead quiet but the minute something starts happening they instantly come alive.
I recall during 9/11 my scanner would stop on just about every frequency programmed into it. These frequencies were otherwise just dead air for months. You can just leave your Emergency Management Receiving scanner on all the time if you like.
When something happens in your area, I guarantee you will be the very first to know.
For example, I once heard a commercial plane going down into Lake Ontario. I heard the pilot calling "mayday! mayday!" on 121.500. It's truly an eerie feeling when you actually hear these things live as they happen. It was reported all over the news about an hour later. The power these scanners have in terms of first hand information can sometimes be astonishing.
So you have a sophisticated antenna analyzer, SWR and field strength meter in your shack huh? I bet most of you don't have a station monitor & spectrum analyzer yet?
You would be amazed at the great audio fidelity some of these analog scanners produce. You can effectively turn your obsolete radio scanner, er I mean "station monitor" in combination with your PC into a high-resolution spectrum analyzing equipment. Simply plug the audio output from your scanner into your mic input of your PC soundcard and download this program:
Now program your scanner on all your favorite repeater input frequencies and you can not only use it with the program listed above, but when you connect a pair of high quality headphones, it becomes a cheap an effective method of monitoring the audio quality of your stations transmitted signal.
Just what can be heard with an obsolete radio scanner? Technically speaking, anything. What you can do with them is only limited by one's imagination. Scanners are not just intended for listening to police calls but they can make a nice inexpensive interface to compliment many areas involving your everyday amateur radio activities.
You may have some additional suggestions. Let's hear your ideas!
73 Charles - KC8VWM
