Strong Signals - 15 Biggest Mistakes

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15 Biggest Mistakes to Avoid in Buying a Scanner
by Ed Hesse, WB2RVA
Monitoring Times, Nov 1995 (Vol 14, No 11)

Introduction
This is a condensed version of the above-mentioned article. The 15 items are those stated in the article while their descriptions have been listed here in condensed form. For a reprint of the original article, contact Grove Enterprises.
Disclaimer
Nothing on this page, whether stated by the original author or by myself, should be used as "expert" testimony. These are helpful "tips" which should only be used to augment your own purchase-buying decisions.
Note
My personal comments are preceded by 'RW:'

1. Putting too much emphasis on the number of channels
Imagine trying to program 1000 channels or finding a particular frequency in all of them
RW: This is getting to be less of a restriction with radios that come with alpha-tagging and memory search capabilities.
RW: You can also keep your sanity by grouping your services (put local police in one bank, fire in another bank)
RW: Most radios these days are averaging 200 channels which is good, but is marginal for those users in large metropolitan areas.

2. Putting too little emphasis on the number of banks
The more banks you have, the better you can manage your frequencies.
RW: Most radios these days come with 10 or 20 banks which is good.

3. Buying a scanner with a limited frequency range
The fewer the gaps in your frequency coverage, the fewer the restrictions on what you can't hear.
RW: To me, the biggest restrictions are in those radios which omit the FM radio (88-108) and TV audio (520-760) ranges.
RW: There are few radios which cover the military UHF aeronautical range (225-400). You will pay extra for this coverage but most people do not find it of interest.
RW: Only the "exotic" imports give HF (below 30MHz) coverage and require the highest price of admission.

4. Placing too much emphasis on scanning speed
If you are scanning 100 channels with a 14 chan/sec scanner, this will take approximately 7 seconds. How much will you miss in that time frame?
RW: Most radios these days are in the 25-50 channels/second range and this does just fine so this item is not really pertinent. Search speed is usually in the same ball park, and usually rated higher than the scanning speed.
RW: I will argue against the author and point out that the very nature of certain agencies dictate a fast scan/search speed. If you are monitoring a large number of trunked channels, it is essential to search quickly to find the frequency that a conversation has moved to. If monitoring commercial or military aeronautical frequencies, the average length of a response is in the 3 to 5 second range. Search or scan too slow and you will be missing a lot of activity!

5. Buying a scanner that's "too hot" or "too cold"
Buying a radio that is too sensitive can be a problem. If you live in an RF rich locale, a sensitive receiver might be overloaded giving lots of garbage to sift through. This type of radio is great if you live out "in the sticks" where you need every bit of help you can get.
RW: In certain cases, a very sensitive receiver might even be de-sensitized by strong RF emissions. This means you'll pass right over frequencies that someone else with a less sensitive unit is receiving easily.

6. Buying a scanner with only one source of power
The more sources of power a radio can use, the more likely it is to fill a number of roles. If you are just bound to AC power, you have a harder time using it mobile. What about if you have portable needs?
RW: Another issue is emergency needs. One of the best times to have a scanner is for when disaster strikes to keep you on top of the situation. This is when portable/handhelds and a good supply of batteries are essential.

7. Buying a scanner which won't search
Buying a scanner without search capability defeats half the purpose of buying it. How will you find new or unlicensed frequencies?
RW: Most scanners come with some form of search capability these days. It is important to have a 'limit' search which allows you to input the search range. Some radios come with a band search which only have pre-programmed search ranges which is much less flexible.

8. Buying a scanner with limited "modes" of coverage
Beware of radios that only have FM receive modes. There are also AM and wide-FM modes as well. Having just FM is too limiting.
RW: Most radios today have AM and FM. If the radio covers FM radio or TV audio, you'll find it probably has wide-FM as well.
RW: There is also single-sideband (SSB which is composed of upper (USB) and lower (LSB) sidebands. These are USUALLY used for HF transmissions (below 30MHz) and come on only the "exotic" imports.
RW: There is also CW (continuous wave) and narrow-AM but these are found only on a few of the "exotic" imports.

9. Buying a scanner with inadequate audio
If using in the home, this is less of a requirement. If you plan to use in the car or in noisy environments, this is very important. One expert suggests at least 200 milliwatts as a minimum.
RW: Be wary of listed specs on audio power. Always try the unit to gain firsthand knowledge.
RW: Another important consideration is audio quality. Many radios sound too "mushy" making voices and wide-band audio harder to understand.

10. Buying a scanner without a priority feature
Allows you to monitor a frequency "in the background" while actively scanning other services.
RW: Most radios these days come with at least one priority channel and 10 channels is not that uncommon.
RW: Be sure to check how the priority can be used. Some radios will only let you enable priority checking while scanning. What about if you are searching?

11. Buying a scanner without a signal strength indicator
This meter gives a visual indication of the strength of the signal being received. They can be used for limited testing of mobile unit distance and antenna comparisons.
RW: Most radios do not come with signal strength meters and I do not consider this a short-coming. Most radios that do have S-meters only give a relative indication of strength or over-read. Having a S-meter that worked properly over the large range of frequency coverage would be prohibitively expensive.

12. Not considering accessories which may come with the scanner
Consider the entire package when purchasing. Do you get an AC adapter? DC adapter? Car adapter? Carry case? Earphone? Belt clip?
RW: Radio Shack handheld models usually come with just a belt clip. Compare this against most Uniden handheld models which give you a belt clip, earphone and AC adpator. Most exotic imports come with all this and a car adapter, hand-strap and sometimes even NiCd batteries!
Most base/mobile units come with just an antenna and AC cord or AC-to-DC adapter. If the unit is mobile, check to what options you get to hook it into your vehicle's power and if it comes with some form of mounting hardware and antenna options.

13. Buying a scanner with a limited service warranty
Most radios only come with a one-year warranty. It is the author's opinion that an extended service contract of reasonable price is worth the piece of mind.
RW: Most extended warranties offered are similar to the "extras" that get pushed on you by a car dealer. Worthless and designed to fill the pockets of the seller. I own, to say the least, a few radios (60 or so) with my oldest being around 11 years old. I have never had a problem (electrically at least; the worst is that knobs have fallen off). Had I purchased extended warranties, I would have "wasted" a LOT of money. Money that could have been used for other radios or accessories. The design and manufacturing of radios today is of very high quality and if they fail, most radios will do so within the warranty period as long as they are cared for reasonably.
RW: The only exceptions I would make is for people who are "hard" on their radios or come across what they believe is an unusually good deal for the price.

14. Relying too much on the antenna that comes with the unit
The antenna that comes with most radios is of limited usefulness. For better reception, try outdoor or amplified antennas. Be sure the antenna you plan to purchase has the proper connections to interface to your radio.
RW: Just as no radio can do all things well, neither can an one antenna. An antenna will receive frequencies in a few ranges very well and seem as though you have no antenna at all in other ranges. Experiment with different types and see which ones do well for the frequencies you monitor.

15. Being swayed too much by the price
Always remember, you get what you pay for. More features mean a higher price. Consider how long you will have the radio and break that down into a monthly cost; it will be an investment paying dividends of enjoyment over a period of years.
RW:Consider that a good starting radio will run you around $200. A good intermediate radio will run $250 - $500 while the exotic imports, with lots of bells and whistles and wide frequency coverage will run $500 to $2000.

Closing Comments
My suggestion is to use the above warnings as a starting point. No one radio can do it all. Taking the author's points on the whole, you would not be able to buy a single radio out there. Most Radio Shack and Uniden models would get disqualified for having segmented frequency coverage and no signal strength meter. Most exotic imports would get the axe because they have 500 to 1000 channels. Quite a bit has changed with radios since this article was written.