The scanner mega-thread

[Paul Newns]

I recall a couple of occasions when I have been asked to do a job which required a radio but one wasn't available and Chief Flag has asked if I had a scanner, so their are times when a scanner is necessary. I must admit, if I haven't got my scanner I do feel a bit cut off from what's happening.

[SouthportFC Fan]

I've got a Uniden Bearcat which is pretty good for the job. The only problem with it is that it has an internally mounted rechargeable battery pack which is a bit marginal wrt getting through the day.

With 20:20 hindsight, I would now buy one that is able to take normal AA batteries, so you can pick up some from the garage on the way to the circuit if you need to.

You can always run them off rechargable AAs if you want to help achieve Max's goal of making the sport more environmentally acceptable.

[TFHarv]

managed to get a GRE PSR-216 off ebay for £31 which if it is in full working order when i get it (fingers crossed) saved me £63 off retail

Think it will do the trick but I have to say it was total impulse buy as the wife saw it with 1min 30 sec left on the auction and said bid on that one.....

I did and 5 sec later i owned a scanner

It looks to be a good model but takes SIX AA bateries and may be a little bigger than i really wanted. Anyone know what this sort of scanner is like and if they are any good?

[White flag man]

I was checking my scanner ready for my first meeting of the year this weekend. I couldn't get it to work at first, you'd have thought I'd lost my right arm

[Robin_D]

Sometimes, I think 'great, got to get me one of those!' But in the near decade I have been trackside, I've not used one. It hasn't hampered me from what I can see.

However I will always ask someone what's going on.

[gachjoel]

TF,
my wife uses the 255 model,its about the size of the 2 way radio`s they use on circuits.
Its a good model and does the job well.
Rechargable batteries are the best option,i usuall find a set will last 2 meetings tops,otherwise getting normal batteries will cost you a small fortune.

i use the uniden..8 batteries & last about the same amount of time

[White flag man]

Robin,
As an Incident marshal, they have limited use, and I hope there are always other people around you. As a flaggie, that is not always the case, and the Observers, who hear the instructions about various flags over the radio, are not always at the flag posts, this is when scanners are invaluable, in order to be prepared.

[thepits!]

Originally Posted by White flag man

Robin, As an Incident marshal, they have limited use...

...because you normally have a circuit radio?

[gachjoel]

I would tend to disagree that an incident marshal has little use.
i usually get a lot more info from the scanner due to the fact that i`m not huddled with the i/o or pc.
helps me keep track of what is going on and where.

I take the tools to do the job to the best i can and using a scanner is one of them.
If someone objects,but not that anyone has,
well there we go

[sputnik421]

I have gone for the Alinco DJ-X30E as it's small and can receive the channels used at Goodwood. It takes 2 AA cells but no good for those of you who have big fingers, as the keypad is quite small. It receives 100KHz to 1,299.995MHz, it even has an Analog inversion-scramble decoder

[brandspost4a]

Originally Posted by SouthportFC Fan

I've got a Uniden Bearcat which is pretty good for the job. The only problem with it is that it has an internally mounted rechargeable battery pack which is a bit marginal wrt getting through the day.

With 20:20 hindsight, I would now buy one that is able to take normal AA batteries, so you can pick up some from the garage on the way to the circuit if you need t

My Bearcat, UBXC69XLT-2, has a switch in the battery compartment which allows you to use either rechargeable or AA batteries. I normally find that a 2 x AA Duracells last a 2 day meeting. Worth checking your one?

[Jim Lamb]

I am always Intrigued by these discussions on the use of Scanners.

I think the Important thing to recognise here is that everyone has a choice and there is a Time and Place for everything. That must be down to the choice of the Individual, despite laws, guidelines and Event Reg's and that choice can only be made through education and knowledge.

Advances in technology have provided a far greater community of people with access to Instant Communication.

It is now accepted by us all, that we should have that capability. After all, what are we all doing on here? However as with anything in Life you must consider your actions.

If you choose to use a Comm's device(Receiver, Transceiver, Mobile Phone) then your first consideration must be for your own safety and then that of your colleagues while using it. You should also consider how you go about using the Information provided by the said device.
Fireblade reproduced the standard wording that those of us in the know recognise as the 1949 Act in Law pertaining to Wireless Telegraphy(Time for a change there?)!
Personnally I feel it's way out of date and hard to enforce in these liberated days and I would suspect that OFCOM and the CPS would struggle to support an action brought under it. However if you were distracted through use of the device, contrary to Event Regulations Or acted upon Information or data received in a Negligent or Malicious manner, you would certainly be open to prosecution.

My personal view is that Scanners have a place at Motor Sport Events.
- They fill the blanks in what at times, can be holes, caused by very poor communicators. Believe me there are very few of us who are wholly competent at using a Radio!
- They uncover the secrecy desired by some, who believe they should not be listened to because of their 'Self Importance', or don't want to be shown as lacking! Whereas in reality if they stuck to a single frequency, with a competent Radio controller and used plain language they would not have to hide and would enhance the support they receive. If you truly need to have a confidential discussion then do so using a 'Secure method'.
- Let's not forget that indirect verbal comm's loses a minimum 50% of the actual conversation because you cannot see the body language of the other person! So us

Humans need as much help as we can get.
- They stop speculation, myth & Legend.
- They create speculation, myth & Legend.
- They provide that more complete 'experience' that we all seek these days.

So in conclusion, Like it or Not, I suggest they are here to stay. If you choose to use, then do so wisely, safely and consider the consequences of your actions based on the information received.

R's Jim

Stay safe out there and Remember, "YOU NEVER KNOW WHO'S LISTENING"!!!

[rescue dude]

I have to say that i agree wholeheartedly with your comments Jim.

Especially the channel 2 ones.

[Stuart Hill]

Originally Posted by rescue dude

I have to say that i agree wholeheartedly with your comments Jim.

well wouldn't we all ......... seeing as Jim has probably forgotten more about Radio Procedure (ie; when to speak and when not to) than most of the current users of radios, at certain hillclimb/race venues in the UK, can remember.

(edited as imflammatory post)

[rescue dude]

[QUOTE=Stuart Hill]well wouldn't we all ......... seeing as Jim has probably forgotten more about Radio Procedure (ie; when to speak and when not to) than most of the current users of radios, at certain hillclimb/race venues in the UK, can remember.

(edited once again)

(edited for obvious reasons)

[Col_Rugby]

Just bumping this thread back up as Maplins are selling this scanner for £39.99 again (thanks Matt).

[Lord Summerisle]

on the scanners at hillclimbs - i do tend to wear my scanner at Harewood, but not at Loton

- 1 at loton i normally have a radio anyway
- 2 my scanenr wont pick up the frequency at loton
- 3 its proved useful when on with one obersver has a coat that rubs against the volume control, turing it to min, so you cant hear anything
- 4 at harewood, the signal is a bit scrappy in places, and during last year i was able to give my observer the message that he was supposed to have recieved on the radio or between us peice together the message (usually the raffle results or what time's lunch ) it also helped with the problems they had with the batteries, that i knew when the radio had died as it would stop sending as i wasnt hearing the message.

as to the question of fiddling with it - the volume is set at the start of the day, the ear peice wire goes inside my overalls, and is no more likely to get caught in anything than my hair is

so really - they have there uses on a circuit, and i've found it a big help, and in someways more involved in the races (especially when doing the fun cup, and the current standings are read out every so often)
and on Hillclimbs mine has proved useful on more than one occasion, but not yet been a hindrance

[danccooke]

This weekend, I was on post 12 with Norbert.

He obvisouly had the observers radio. At one point the obrserver (I shall change the observers name to save embarassment)John Andrews on 14 was trying to contact Race Control but was not raising anyone. Strangely I was picking up the transmission on my scanner but no one else was. I told Norbert, who radiod it in, turned out that the channel mysteriously got changed on the unit, however it became clear and was sorted nice a quickly during the session as oppose to having to wait for the end of session and the Chief Observer to nip round with fresh radio.

Also at the end of today out scanner died on us. last race, we were down to using my scanner for information, race control were aware of the situation as were post 11 and 14, but it meant we could still at least hear anything that was reported in, and more importantly the chequered flag (god it was cold out there today)

As has been stated time and time again. When used for information it is another tool that is available, and can help. Not WILL help but CAN.

We don't all carry multi tools and Tough cuts etc etc but there is nothing to stop people buying them, we don't all have scanners either. Is there any difference

[Stephen Green]

As you will see I have edited several posts. Please remember this is a friendly forum and the rules are attack the post not the poster!

Either chill out or I will get the blatting stick out of the cupboard!

[Norbert]

Originally Posted by danccooke

This weekend, I was on post 12 with Norbert.

He obvisouly had the observers radio. At one point the obrserver (I shall change the observers name to save embarassment)John Andrews on 14 was trying to contact Race Control but was not raising anyone. Strangely I was picking up the transmission on my scanner but no one else was. I told Norbert, who radiod it in, turned out that the channel mysteriously got changed on the unit, however it became clear and was sorted nice a quickly during the session as oppose to having to wait for the end of session and the Chief Observer to nip round with fresh radio.

Also at the end of today out scanner died on us. last race, we were down to using my scanner for information, race control were aware of the situation as were post 11 and 14, but it meant we could still at least hear anything that was reported in, and more importantly the chequered flag (god it was cold out there today)

I can only agree with Dan. The fact that he had a scanner proved invaluable on 2 occasions over the weekend.

P.S. I haven't forgotten the couple of scathing comments Dan. Revenge is a dish best served cold!!!!

[TwoSheds]

I was on post 19 at Thruxton on Monday. No observer and therefore no radio. Reporting would have been handled by 18 and 20.

Having my scanner meant we were at least aware of what was happening.

[mmm_five]

Don't know if this has already been mentioned this month, but the Maycom AR-108 is on sale (again) for £39.99 at Maplins.

[Manny]

Originally Posted by mmm_five

Don't know if this has already been mentioned this month, but the Maycom AR-108 is on sale (again) for £39.99 at Maplins.

Have been to maplins and bought on 2 days ago, nice little unit, if your thinking of getting one don't think too long, our store only had two in stock of which I had one.

[snett fan55]

Thanks Col Rugby,
after seeing your post I went and bought one!Have to say it was hard work as the Maplin staff seemed to know less than I did.But I used it at CSCC meeting this sunday(6th) and it made me very aware of the background efforts/organisation.Silly,really,after all I've only been a spectator for the last 40 years....

[TFHarv]

Used my AR-108 for the first time last weekend for racing and found it enhanced my day greatly.

You knew when cars were being released to the track and heard about most of the incidents that were out of sight.

Also heard info regarding which cars were being scrutinised for problems so you could take a second look as they passed and check if their problem was going to cause any incident.

Very good when there is no radio set around as help for what to be aware of and as said as long as it is just taken as added info and not acted on its only a bonus.