My son is a policeman in a town 25-30 miles from where I live.

I'd like to pick up a scanner to keep up with what is going on in his town.

What is the approximate range of the various scanners and what type/brand
should I purchase.

Thanks in advance

S wrote:
My son is a policeman in a town 25-30 miles from where I live.

I'd like to pick up a scanner to keep up with what is going on in his town.

What is the approximate range of the various scanners and what type/brand
should I purchase.

Thanks in advance



Well, it depends.....

First, what technology and or frequencies does his dept use ?
VHF, UHF, Trunking, APCO, Analog or Digital ??

What is the local land terrain ? Flat, Hilly, Mountainous ??

Go here to find some info on system type, etc

http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/

Best thing to do would be have son ask around dept. Lots of wives like
to listen, or when off-duty.

Might also see what your local RadioShack store would recommend (just
don't buy first thing the say)

Also might check ScanAmerica and see if his dept is on the Internet !!
Won't cost anything then.

http://www.scanamerica.us/index.php

In article , "S" s
wrote:

My son is a policeman in a town 25-30 miles from where I live.

I'd like to pick up a scanner to keep up with what is going on in his town.

What is the approximate range of the various scanners and what type/brand
should I purchase.

The range is determined more by the antenna you use, and how high it is
placed, than the type of scanner. Of course you need to have a type of
scanner that receives the system you want to hear.

--
Larry Weil
Lake Wobegone, NH

You can maximize reception range, by utilizing a Beam Antenna. It'll concentrate the signal reception pattern. A receive pre-amp will also help. A typical Amateur Radio Beam for Two Meters, can have the elements trimmed [for a higher frequency] and the spacing between elements should be relatively insignificant. I'm assuming the frequencies of interest are in the VHF region. Same principles apply, if FOI is in UHF region. Revert to using a modified 70 cm Beam.

I have also used a Ultra-Fringe VHF/UHF Television Antenna, with signal booster. Though it's off frequency and a 75 Ohm impedance, I consistantly receive signals, from a metropolitan area over 60 miles away. The other respondants comments also apply. Don't forget, the higher the antenna, effectively the higher is your 'Lightning Rod'.