Re: best handheld scanner's


Message posted by Joerg (Webmaster) on December 12, 2010 at 10:12:29 PST:

I have three scanners, each of which I can highly recommend for their respective tasks. All, of course, cover both the military and civilian air band.

The Uniden BCD-396, mentioned by Steve, is the best all-around scanner. It can also receive some, but not all, digital trunking systems, such as the one used on many air bases, by law enforcement etc.

The Icom IC-R20 is more sensitive in much of the mil. air band, easier to use when you need to quickly change settings "on the fly" and I love the built-in digital audio recorder. Both of the above can be programmed via USB port with a PC.

I also have an old Yupiteru MVT-7100, still one of the most sensitive handheld scanners ever made. I find it very useful for some tasks, but I would not recommend it as your first scanner.

As for the antenna, there are many choices. I assume you are interested mostly in military and civilian air. When I use my scanner hand-held, I use a Diamond RH-77 that seems to do well in those bands. If you are looking to mount an antenna at your house, you will need to decide whether you want an omni-directional antenna or whether you are interested in traffic only in a certain direction. In that case a log-periodic is best.

Check out the attached link. Dave at DPD Productions makes excellent antennas, and he even provides tips on set-up, wiring etc. I have his Mil-Tenna Omni and the Mil-Tenna log periodic mounted at my property in Rachel. Excellent reception and I haven't seen any deterioration from being exposed to the elements over the years.

I know this is all very confusing when you first get started, but we are here to help. Also, as Hank suggests, there is a wealth of information in the forum archives that can be accessed with our search feature.

Attached link: DPD Productions

In Reply to: best handheld scanner's posted by Lex Luthor on December 11, 2010 at 19:59:14 PST:

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