Police scanner

[Tennsix]

He's referring to his Indiana University Police mobile radio, in that case.

All cell service and most line lines went down after a tornado a few years ago. No so much because damge but because the public were overloading the system.

[ACP01]

I have the best of both worlds.
Besides being a paid FD Captain I am the Assistant Chief at my local volunteer Fire Department so I have a 2-way that monitors and I can also transmit to FD,PD,and EMS. Yes I use it with blessings on security details when critical info needs to be passed.

[plankeye]

Ive been into the scanning hobby since I was about 8yrs old.
Currently Iam using a Pro 2096 digital scanner, pro 2040 analog scanner and a Pro 94 handheld analog.

I also have a vertex VX-10 UHF 2way HT thats got 102 channels with scan, so I got alot of companys/public safety freqs also some 70cm ham repeaters programmed into it.

Iam a holder of 2 FCC licenses
Ham radio and GMRS

And more radio equipment is being purchased for ham radio

[wvd1979]

I've been scanning since I ws a teen. Dad was a cop and I kept a scanner on to hear him at work. Also got into CB and Shortwave Listening (SWL) which came in handy when I deployed for Desert Shield/Storm. My Shortwave radio kept up up-to-date on the front lines.
I am also a Ham operator and GMRS radio op. Basically I will dabble with any electronics for fun.
Several years ago I started a Yahoo Group for scanner listeners in my area and today it has over 300 subscribers. I've used many different scanners over the years and have built up quite a collection. I even record scanner audio hooking one to my computer and running a program that converts it into Mpeg3 files.
Here's a shot of my radio/computer desk with many of my scanners posed. It's never really this clean-

Wow! That's quite a collection! There's one guy who lives in the townhouse behind mine, and he has this giant satellite dish that takes up his entire yard. He doesn't cut the grass, he just weedwacks around the dish. I nicknamed him Mission Control. (I can post a photo if anybody is interested)

[N. A. Corbier]

Wow! That's quite a collection! There's one guy who lives in the townhouse behind mine, and he has this giant satellite dish that takes up his entire yard. He doesn't cut the grass, he just weedwacks around the dish. I nicknamed him Mission Control. (I can post a photo if anybody is interested)

Probally an old C-band satellite. Does the satellite ever track (move around)?

[wvd1979]

Probally an old C-band satellite. Does the satellite ever track (move around)?

Not that I've noticed, but then again I sleep most of the day. It may not be in use. It looks like a relic from the 80's. Why he would keep it in his yard if it wasn't used is beyond me.

[N. A. Corbier]

Not that I've noticed, but then again I sleep most of the day. It may not be in use. It looks like a relic from the 80's. Why he would keep it in his yard if it wasn't used is beyond me.

Cost too much to rip it out, fill the hole, safely dispose of it...

I mean, it isn't like you can just sit a C-band sat dish, the supporting tower, and the concrete you poured 6 feet into the ground with the yard waste.

[EMTGuard]

Why he would keep it in his yard if it wasn't used is beyond me.

Of course it's possible that it is still in use either for subscription service or even "Free to Air" reception. I know several "Free to Air" and TV DXers and many have impressive arrays of dishes and equiptment for recieving various channels.
Here is a photo taken in the back yard of a friend of mine who is into satellite reception. All receive and the large ones track-

Inside his home is his entertainment center where our Science Fiction club gathers to watch episodes of Doctor Who he snatched off foriegn satellites.

Just as the average scanner listener may see my collection and say "Wow that's a lot of scanners" it's all relative. There are many others out there who have a much more elaborate monitoring station than me. So it goes for people with satellite dishes in their yards. One or two may be plenty for the average Joe but then you meet people who's hobby is scanning the airwaves and suddenly you no longer consider 6 or 7 dishes excessive.

[EMTGuard]

Just for kicks here are photos of dishes at the home of my Security partner who I'll be working a 12 hour shift with tonight. He is also into intercepting "Free to Air" or FTA signals among other things. He has 5 dishes hooked up and operating at his house.



Again, everything is relative.

[HotelSecurity]

You guys don't have city by-laws? I moved last year from a house to a condo. The freezer would not fit into the condo. I left it on thre outside porch until I could give it away. The city inspector was here after 2 days threatening to fine me.He'd have a fit if he saw some of thes photos

[N. A. Corbier]

You guys don't have city by-laws? I moved last year from a house to a condo. The freezer would not fit into the condo. I left it on thre outside porch until I could give it away. The city inspector was here after 2 days threatening to fine me.He'd have a fit if he saw some of thes photos

Satellite dishes are usually excluded, since we have a "right to cable TV."

[EMTGuard]

You guys don't have city by-laws? I moved last year from a house to a condo. The freezer would not fit into the condo. I left it on thre outside porch until I could give it away. The city inspector was here after 2 days threatening to fine me.He'd have a fit if he saw some of thes photos

No zoning or by laws in the photos I posted. These are located in small, rural south Louisiana towns where it really isn't an issue. On the other hand, there are places nearby, in Baton Rouge for instance, with codes and restrictions against antenna towers or large dishes like these. It just depends on where you live.

[crankloud]

Crazy laws here>

Man you guys have all the fun, we are not allowed any of those toys here in Australia, we can't even mobile scan, Meaning, we cannot use a scanner while in a vehicle. Big fine and yes they do regulate the use, the police fine you.We might hear where the local breath testing is taking place (Heaven forbid that happens)

[HotelSecurity]

Man you guys have all the fun, we are not allowed any of those toys here in Australia, we can't even mobile scan, Meaning, we cannot use a scanner while in a vehicle. Big fine and yes they do regulate the use, the police fine you.We might hear where the local breath testing is taking place (Heaven forbid that happens)

We are not allowed radar detectors in Quebec. I'm not sure about the rest of Canada.

[Mr. Security]

We are not allowed radar detectors in Quebec. I'm not sure about the rest of Canada.

No radar detectors allowed in Virginia either.