By Jason Reilly.....

 

 

This article will outline in point form a load of scanning hints that will make life that little bit easier.  Without further ado, we present these low or zero cost hints that can improve your scanning enjoyment!

 

Most of these hints are by no means my own original ideas;  I’d like to acknowledge all those who originally suggested these ideas.  I thought that it would be a good idea to collate them all and present them as one handy collection, hopefully you will be able to make use of them, too.  No doubt you have your own ideas - be they specific or very general.  If you would like to share your hint for the benefit of other scanner users, you can e-mail them to us here.

 

 

 

Batteries:

 

• To get the longest life out of your rechargeable batteries, allow them to flatten completely every third charge or so, and don’t let them get too hot due to over-charging

 

• Higher capacity batteries can be purchased, over and above what is usually supplied with the scanner: 1000 mAh NiCad or NiMiH batteries can nearly double your listening time.

 

 

Antenna:

• If your handheld scanner antenna connector comes loose from constant attachment and removal of the BNC antenna, you can disassemble the scanner to re-tighten the securing nut, and re-solder the connection, and use ‘loctite’ to help prevent this from happening again.

 

• If using the scanner in a non-mobile situation, why bother locking the BNC connector into place?  It will put less strain onto the connector as detailed in the hint above, and the electrical performance is not degraded.

 

• The perfect scanner antenna hasn’t been invented.  It may pay to have several antennae handy to cover whatever the situation demands; for example a nice flexible UHF ¼ wave for use while clipped onto your belt, and a telescopic whip for all-round performance, and a dedicated antenna, tuned to your favourite frequency for long distance monitoring.

 

 

Protection:

 

• Many scanner carry cases are not up to the job of protecting your scanner while in transit.

 

• You can use a camera carry case, a special foam lined partition in your briefcase or any number of other methods to keep your handheld scanner from the rigours of travel.  I use a multimeter carry pouch, which does the job very well.

 

 

Keeping Your Scanner Looking Good:

 

• A spray-on furniture polish that is suitable for plastic applied using a soft cloth can keep the shiny ‘brand new’ look to your handheld or desktop scanner for years.  The same applies to a handheld scanner protective case.  It is best to test the polish on an inconspicuous part of the scanner case first, just in case it isn’t compatible with the materials or the printing on the keypad.  I’ve found that O’cedar spray-on polish is excellent, and that the cheap $2 polish spray does a good job of removing printing!

 

• Use a soft toothbrush to remove any dust or grime around the keypad area and speaker grilles and other hard-to-clean places.

 

• Scratches on the clear display window can be removed using a gel base toothpaste, or if you can find it, a fine grade plastic polish.  I’ve heard that the polishing fluid used in CD repair kits can do the trick, too.  Use masking tape around the edges of the display to keep the polishing compound from getting into the groove.  Again, it would be best to test the compound you are going to use on an inconspicuous corner, or better yet, a small piece of Perspex.

 

 

Interference Reduction:

 

• If a ‘birdie’ or other form of constant interference is annoying you on a particular frequency, try tuning 5 or maybe even 10 KHz off frequency in both directions to see if you can avoid the birdie.  The wanted signal will most likely still be quite clear and audible.  Similarly, if you want to listen to a 12.5 KHz stepped signal, and your scanner does not support these steps, program in the closest frequency in 5 KHz steps.  For example, if you want to listen to 168.1125 MHz, try programming in 168.110 or 168.115.  It will make virtually no difference at all.

 

• If FM broadcast interference is the problem, it may be reduced by adapting the old Tandy ‘FM Trap’ filter by opening up the case and replacing the TV style connectors with BNC connectors.

 

• Using a smaller antenna may reduce your range and signal strength of received signals, but will also reduce the chances of receiving interference.  If the signals you listen to are super strong, you may be able to get away with using a smaller antenna.

 

• One person I knew lived in an area plagued by TV transmitter interference.  The solution was to use a horizontal dipole, oriented away from the offending TV transmitters so that TV interference pickup was minimised.

 

 

Stronger Signals:

 

• For those handheld scanners that can receive below 70 MHz, having the recharging power pack plugged in can improve reception, especially in the HF region.

 

• An external antenna can certainly be worth the effort.  However, you will have to balance the possibility of receiving extra interference against the improved signals when looking at an external antenna, wether it be a mobile or base situation.

 

 

When Used Mobile:

 

• A secure location within your car to hold your scanner is vital.  There are several ideas here: you can use a cheap generic mobile phone ‘gripper’ to hold your scanner, Icom sold a bracket that slipped between the window seal of the car door, or you can use the belt clip to hold it to any convenient point, such as a map pocket.  I use the centre console, which happens to be a snug fit for my AR8000.

 

• An external speaker will help overcome the road noise of your car while in motion, and will generally produce better quality audio at higher volume levels.

 

• A CD adaptor that uses a cassette shell with an audio cable attached can be used to pipe your scanner earphone output to your car radio, so you can have a cabin full of your favourite radio services.

 

 

Techniques:

 

• Got a lower-end spec scanner that doesn’t have the airband (118-136 MHz) available?  By tuning to twice the IF above the wanted airband frequency, your scanner may be able to hear it.  For example, if you wish to receive 120.5 MHz, try programming in 141.9 MHz, for those scanners with a 10.7 MHz IF and 142.2 MHz for those with a 10.85 MHz IF.  Sensitivity won’t be the best, nor will the reception mode be correct, but you will be able to make out what is being said.

 

• Want to listen to split-simplex frequency systems?  These systems use one frequency for the base, and another for the mobiles, thus preventing the mobiles from hearing and talking to one another.  Smaller taxi companies sometimes use this.  All you need to do is to program both frequencies in, lock out all other frequencies, and select no delay, and scan just those two frequencies.

 

• Getting your scanner to scan faster is as simple as doing some homework before you load up the memories with your precious frequency data.  Arrange your frequencies in roughly ascending order, and by mode for each bank.  The electronic circuitry within your scanner will be able to tune in to the frequencies faster as it quickly scans the banks by having the channels arranged this way.  This trick works on many scanners, resulting in anything from a slight to a noticeable increase in scanning speed.  I have also found that with some scanners and some channel combinations, it is quicker to actually scan the channels in an ascending direction, rather than the ‘backward’ direction.

 

• Listening in to Trunked frequencies can be a challenge.  The basic tips are: 1) don’t use the delay feature on any channels;  2) lockout the ‘control’ channel with the constant noise on it.  This channel tends to hop around every day or so (depending on the system etc) so be prepared to lock the new control channel out, and unlock the ‘old’ channel;  3) for a really busy system, you may want to restrict your listening to the night when most daytime users have concluded work;  and 4) channels within a trunk ‘group’ are for the first five channels spaced at 1 MHz apart, and for the next five channels offset at 500 KHz to the first five.  Any more channels than 10 and you will probably have to go looking for them.

 

• If you don’t have a ‘priority’ feature on your scanner or you don’t like the way it works on your scanner that does have it, there is a way: simply keep a channel or two free in each bank and program that all important frequency when needed.  Similarly, if you already have a channel that is programmed in, but would like to have it checked more often for any activity, what’s stopping you from programming it in twice or three times per bank?

 

• Trying to find a frequency for a user?  If you know the rough area to search (i.e. VHF low or mid band, or UHF etc) and you can get close to a known transmitter, you can search between the two search limits in Wide FM mode with 100 KHz steps and the attenuator on, and once you find a likely signal, tune it in using the proper steps and mode for that band.  This will effectively increase your tuning speed to find strong (i.e. nearby) signals.  After some practice, this can be a very effective way to find those ‘secret’ frequencies.  A poor mans Opto Scout!