[Scan-DC] Scanner Hobby

[Larry Van Horn, N5FPW]

> But the cost of equipment and the time and effort it takes to program it,
> at the time new technology is put out on the market  really does prohibit
> some diehard listeners from continuing in the hobby.

You really ought to go out and get you a radio Ken. You passed that Tech 
test, mastering one of the new scanner won't hard.

If you are a diehard listner, you will take the time and initiative top 
learn every inch of the manual and all about the PS systems you are 
monitoring. I find the more I know about the systems I monitor, the more I 
enjoy the listening. And I mean everything - unit numbers, codes, beats, 
TGs, etc. It really adds to the enjoyment, but...you gotta be WILLING to 
spend some "time" leanring how to listen, how to operate your scanner, and 
how to keep good notes.

When I got selected for the Beta test team for the then new Uniden 246 I 
never knew how radically different things were going to be with the new 
radios.

"No banks."

That first afternoon I was miserable. But I stayed with the manual and kept 
programming the sample stuff in. I took the time to understand what dynamic 
memeory was. Once I retrained my stubborn headbone not to worry about the 
loss of banks, I found out how truly kickass this new concept was. Yes, you 
can teach an old dog new tricks and I am glad I did. What a marvelous 
concept. Banked scanners -  yuck.

When I can take my 996, program it with all the frequencies for every PS 
system between here in Btown and San Antonio, and then back on another route 
with the touch of a button - Just Damn! Could never ever do that with a 
banked scanner.

I now own a BC-246T (2), BR-330T, BCT-15, BCD-396T,  and a BCD-996T. Love 
these radios. Best thing that ever happened to the scanner hobby. And I 
don't blame the scanner manufacturers for the level of complication, that 
rest with the more complicated systems and the number of systems we are 
trying to monitor.

Wind the clock back to pre BC-235 and how miserable the scanner hobby was. 
We darn near lost it. No one was buying any scanners in the post 
Congressional scanner cellular ban era. Darn near couldn't give them away. 
All those new trunk systems and no way to trunk or enjoy them. Most of us 
were miserable. ;-)))

I have been around this hobby for a long time, my first PS radio was a 
tunable VHF-lo RS. ;-) Ken, once you have mastered these crafts you can then 
call yourself a diehard scanner listener. Anything else.. appliance 
operator. ;-))))

>All of this technology and the learning curves to learn about the new 
>systems has both priced listeners out of the hobby or >turned them off from 
>it all together.   What do you think??

Totaly disagree. Next NASCAR race in your area, go to the track and see how 
many folks have scanners. Next airshow, enjoy watching quite a few folks 
monitoring the teams. The scanner portion of the listening hobby is much 
stronger than the HF side. Always has, always will be. I speak from first 
hand experience. ;-))


73 all de Chief

Larry Van Horn, N5FPW
USN (Ret)    ATC (AW)
Brasstown, NC USA
MT Milcom/Help Desk Columnist
Assistant Editor Monitoring Times
Blog Address: http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/
Personal Radio Blog: http://monitor-post.blogspot.com/