Scanner Master Blog

The Scanner Gazette Weekly Recap 01/23/2012 - 01/27/2012

2012-01-27T15:44:00.012-05:00

By Jonathan Higgins
Weekly News Recap [01/23/2012 - 01/27/2012]

New York, NY - NYPD Transit bureau will have the ability to communicate with NYPD precinct police... - Read More
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Leavenworth, KS - Rebanding under way, Leavenworth County Sheriff using temporary system. - Read More

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NASCAR - NASCAR Bans Driver-To-Driver Communications for All Races - New for 2012 - Read More

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New York, NY- With two police scanners in hand... A Day in the life of a Spot News Photographer [Story w/audio report] - Read More

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Porter County, IN - Man stole police cruiser, police communicate with him over the two-way radio system. - Read More

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Le Claire, IA - Railroad radio communication tower dispute ends - Read More

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San Bentio, TX - New digital Two-way radios coming soon to San Benito, TX Police Department - Read More

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Fox TV - Fox's new show Alcatraz [Episode 3 "Kit Nelson"] a police scanner was used to tip off the team about a kidnapping. - Read More

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---- Scanner Master News ----

New Product - Uniden Bearcat BC125AT [Analog Conventional] Scanner. Coming soon, first week of February! - Read More
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New Scanner Package - NASCAR Fans! Check out our "Ultimate Racing Scanner Package". Order now and save!!! - Read More
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Weekly News Recaps every Friday Afternoon!

New Product - Uniden Bearcat BC125AT Scanner

2012-01-24T09:00:00.013-05:00

Product: Uniden Bearcat BC125AT Analog Conventional Scanner
MSRP Price: $179.95
Price: $139.95
Note: Available first week in February!

This scanner will not work in all areas, please check out sister site policescanners.net for compatibly.

Bellow is product description provide by Paul Opitz Senior Product Manger @ Uniden

BC125AT, 500 channels in 10 banks/50 channels per-bank, the BC125AT includes full VHF and UHF coverage (see the frequency chart below), including Air and Military Air channels, as well as full alpha tagging for all channels. PC programmability makes it simple to quickly program up for events such as air shows, auto racing, boat racing, and more.

Close Call® RF Capture including Do-Not-Disturb makes capturing those unknown frequencies a snap. Plus, Uniden has extended the Do-Not-Disturb functionality to include Priority channels, so annoying interruptions from priority or Close Call checks is a thing of the past.

The BC125AT includes all the feature enhancements you've come to expect from Uniden, including Temporary Lockout, CTCSS/DCS decoding, per-channel dropout delay, and complete search features, all in a compact, easy-to-carry chassis. Weather priority and weather alert will also keep you informed as to the latest weather and other hazard as announced by the National Weather Service.

BC125AT Features:

Memory Storage/Programming

10 Channel Storage Banks - You can store up to 50 frequencies into each bank for a total of 500 frequencies so you can more easily identify calls.
PC Programming - you can download information into the scanner and control the scanner via your personal computer.
CTCSS and DCS Squelch Modes - rapid search for CTCSS/DCS tones/codes used during a transmission. You can identify up to 50 CTCSS tones and 104 DCS codes.
Direct Access - lets you directly access any channel.
Text Tagging - you can name each channel, using up to 16 characters per name.
Memory Backup - keeps the frequencies stored in memory for an extended time if the scanner loses power.
Key Confirmation Tones - You can turn on/off a tone that sounds when you perform an operation correctly or if you make an error.
Key Lock - lets you lock the scanner's keys to help prevent accidental changes to the scanner's programming.

Close Call

Close Call RF Capture Technology - you can set the scanner so it detects
and provides information about nearby radio transmissions
Close Call Do-Not-Disturb - checks for Close Call activity in between channel reception so active channels are not interrupted.
Close Call Temporary Store - temporarily stores and scans the last 10 Close Call hits in the 'Close Call Hits' system.

Lock-Out Functions

Lock-Out Function - lets you set your scanner to skip over specified channels or frequencies when scanning or searching.
Temporary Lockout - makes it easy to temporarily lock out any channel or frequency. The lockout is cleared when you turn power off, then back on so you don’t have to remember to unlock the channels later.

Priority Functions

Priority Scan with Do Not Disturb - lets you program one channel in each bank (10 in all) and then have the scanner check each channel every 2 seconds while it scans the banks so you don’t miss transmissions on those channels. Do-Not Disturb keeps the scanner from interrupting transmissions during receiving.
Priority Plus Scan - you can set the scanner so it scans only the priority channels.

Display

Display Backlight - You can turn on/off the LCD backlight, set it operate on squelch only, keypress only, or both.
Signal Strength Meter - shows the signal strength for more powerful transmissions.

Antenna/Reception

Flexible Antenna with BNC Connector - provides adequate reception in strong signal areas and is designed to help prevent antenna breakage. Or, you can connect an external antenna for better reception.
Triple-Conversion Circuitry - virtually eliminates any interference from IF (intermediate frequency) images, so you hear only the selected frequency.

Service Banks/Searches

Service Banks - frequencies are preset in 10 separate Police, Fire/Emergency, Ham, Marine, Railroad, Civil Air, Military Air, CB Radio, FRS/GMRS/MURS, and Racing banks to make it easy to locate specific types of calls and search any or all of these banks.
Custom Search - lets you program up to 10 Custom Search Ranges and search any or all of these ranges.
Quick Search - allows you to enter a frequency and start searching up or down from that frequency.
Turbo Search - increases the search speed from 100 to 300 steps per second automatically for bands with 5 kHz steps.
Search Lockouts - you can lock up to 200 search frequencies: 100 temporary frequencies and 100 permanent frequencies in Custom Search, Service Search, Close Call Search, or Quick Search Modes.
Scan/Search Delay/Resume - controls whether the scanner pauses at the end of the transmission to wait for a reply. You can set the Delay time for each Channel, Close Call Search, Custom Search, and Service search. You can also set a negative delay where the scanner stops on transmissions for a set time then automatically resumes.

Weather

Weather Alert Priority - the scanner scans active WX channels every 5 seconds to check for the presence of a 1050 Hz Weather Alert Tone.
Weather Alert Standby - the scanner allows you to monitor for weather alerts broadcast on NOAA channels.

Power

Two Power Options - let you power the scanner using the included two AA rechargeable or alkaline batteries or the supplied USB cable.
Battery Save - works when there is no transmission for 1 minute in Scan Hold Mode and any Search Hold Mode (without Priority Scan). This feature turns off RF power for 1 second and turns on it for 300ms to extend the battery life.
Battery Low Alert - the icon will blink in the display and a tone warns you every 15 seconds when the battery power gets
Built-In Charger - allows you to charge Ni-MH batteries in the scanner using a USB port on any computer and the supplied USB cable.

Frequency Coverage:
25-54 MHz
108-174 MHz
225-380 MHz
400-512 MHz

HomeTown Programming Services

2012-01-10T09:25:00.004-05:00

As scanner technology and memory management advances to keep up with advanced communications systems, scanners have become increasingly complex to set-up and program. Scanner Master is the nation's leader in scanner programming, relying on our nearly 30 years of experience.

We Program the following scanners:

Uniden:
BCD996T/XT, BCD396T/XT, BCT15/X, BC346XT, BC246T
GRE:
PSR-300, PSR-310, PSR-400, PSR-410, PSR-500, PSR-600
Radio Shack:
PRO-163, PRO-164, PRO-106, PRO-197
....as well as many older model scanners

Programming made as easy as 1,2,3!
Step 1 - Download Our Programming Order Form [PDF file]
Step 2 - Fill out order form
Step 3 - Pack up your scanner and ship it to us

Ship Scanners to:
Scanner Master Corp
ATTN: Programming Department
260 Hopping Brook Road
Holliston, MA 01746

Generally we program Police/Sheriff/Highway Patrol, Fire and EMS unless otherwise requested. Programming generally takes one to two weeks as we often have many radios to program at one time. Special requests may incur an additional fee.

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Set-up and Optimize Service for Pre-Programmed Scanners

Uniden:

HomePatrol HP-1

GRE:
PSR-700, PSR-800
RadioShack:
PRO-107, PRO-18

This great service covers the following:

Setting up a local favorites list/Scan List for your hometown
Updating the national pre-programmed database to the current date
Updating the radio's firmware (operating system) to the latest version

Set-up and Optimize made as easy as 1,2,3!
Step 1- Download our Setup and Optimize order form [PDF file]
Step 2 - Fill out order form
Step 3 - Pack up your scanner and ship it to us

Ship Scanners to:
Scanner Master Corp
ATTN: Programming Department
260 Hopping Brook Road
Holliston, MA 01746

Scanner Master Home Patrol 411 Video

2011-10-05T14:39:00.004-04:00

Jonathan Higgins and Greg Jolly talk about the Uniden HomePatrol in our latest Scanner Master Video.

The Scanner Gazette - Charlotte NC TRS Crashed!

2011-09-28T09:15:00.001-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Charlotte, NC Trunking System Crashed
Too much Radio Traffic with Public Safety and school bus drivers crash the Charlotte Trunking System – Read more with video
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Local Washington DC Media Upset about Encryption.
For decades local media relied on police scanners for breaking news, now need to find other ways… - Read more

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North Carolina man oversees the large collection of Law Enforcement Memorabilia.
Jackie Farrell is a collector of everything that has to do with police… From Badges, to patches to decals that go on the cruisers. – Read More

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The Scanner Gazette - Meriden, CT police will be silent soon!

2011-09-14T09:30:00.006-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Meriden, CT Police, Encrypted?
Soon Meriden Police communications will be encrypted, but they will be rolling out a new website to keep the public informed. – Read More

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Statesville, NC to upgrade emergency radios
$106,000 will be spent on a additional 800Mhz Tower and two-way radios. The community hopes to eliminate dead spots, with upgrade. – Read More
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Sport Sync Radio back in stock!
New improved SportSync Radio with 16 Second Delay is now available from Scanner Master. – Read More

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The Scanner Gazette - Sandy Spring, GA Radio Problems

2011-08-31T11:05:00.001-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Steuben County, NY approved a new $1.1 million radio system.
Steuben Legislators agree to buy the new system, but some people are not happy about it – Read more

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Radio Problems in Sandy Springs, GA
Police Chief Terry Sult is looking to improve their communications system – Read more
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Man with Scanner tracks down Hit and Run Driver
A 47-year-old salesman with a police scanner plays a quick role in tracking down a hit and run subject - Read More

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Tips for Scanning During Severe Weather

2011-08-24T12:53:00.029-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

When making up your Emergency Preparedness Kit you may want to add a scanner to the list. A scanner will give you a tool of knowledge during a storm. You can get weather updates, road closures, and so much more.

Severe Weather Scanning
Having a scanner can be very helpful during a severe weather event. With most scanners you can get updates on weather via NOAA Weather Radio. Some scanners can alert you when there is severe weather coming, such as hurricanes, Tornados, severe thunderstorms and so on. Monitoring your local and state public safety will keep you informed what going on during the event.

What type of scanner do we recommend?
We highly recommend a portable scanner, in the event of power failure. Portable scanners are easy to carry with you and also operate on batteries, AC and DC power.

The Scanner models below will have NOAA Weather Radio plus weather alert technology. To see what scanner is the best for your area please visit our sister website: http://www.policescanners.net

GRE Scanners	Type of Scanners	Uniden Scanners
GRE PSR-310	Analog trunking	Uniden BC346XT
GRE PSR-500	Digital Trunking	Uniden BCD396XT
GRE PSR-800	Pre Programmed	Uniden HomePatrol-1

If your new to the scanning hobby, we have programming options available for each model listed above. We also carry software for programming too.

Recommend accessories with your portable scanner:

Carrying Case

AC adapter and mobile power cord
(most scanners come with AC Adapter)

Alkaline /Rechargeable Batteries

Battery Charger with AC and DC plugs

Already own a scanner? Here are some programming tips…
In addition to programming your local Fire EMS and state/local police you may want to program some storm related departments such as:

Local and Statewide Emergency Management Agencies

Highway/Dept of Public Works

Electric Utilities Company

Intercity Fire and Police Networks

Most of this can be found on RadioReference.com

You don't always need to scan these departments, but you can stored them in the scanner, so in an event of a storm they can be turn on.

Helpful Links:
Basic Emergency Supply Kit
Disaster Supply Kit
Hurricane Evacuation Kit

The Scanner Gazette - More Towers on VIPER

2011-08-24T09:00:00.001-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Better Coverage on the VIPER System
Davidson County, NC will be adding a new Tower to improve coverage. – Read More

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City by the water sounds like it’s under water
Oakland, CA police officers say their new $10 million dollar communication system sounds like it under water most of the time. – Read More
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Canada and Mexico agree with FCC Spectrum Sharing
The agreement will pave the way for completion of 800MHz rebanding by the US - Read More

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The Scanner Gazette - Texting Saving Lives?

2011-08-17T16:04:00.006-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Texting Saving Lives?
Soon you maybe able to text 911... Rural Black Hawk County, Iowa you can text your emergencies. - Read more, plus video

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Washington State Patrol Upgrade
The Washington State Patrol need to upgrade its current VHF wide-band communication system to a narrow-band system. This upgrade will cost $40.1 million. - Read More
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Uniden HomePatrol Extreme Now Available!

If your looking to get more out of your Uniden HomePatrol-1 you should check out the HomePatrol Extreme Update. Get your Uniden HomePatrol Extreme update for $99.95 from Uniden - Read More

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Scanner 101 - HomePatrol-1 Extreme Trunking Discovery and Analysis

2011-08-12T11:31:00.016-04:00

Paul Opitz, Senior Product Manager at Uniden continues his video series about the new HomePatrol-1 Extreme features:

Trunking Analysis

Trunking Discovery

Click here to see all past videos.

How do you get HomePatrol-1 Extreme, click here to read the details.

New Product - Audio Isolator Cables

2011-08-04T09:30:00.003-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

The Products:
Isolator Cable Male to Male (6 foot)
Price: $19.95

Isolator Cable Male to Female (6 foot)
Price: $19.95
(Both cables made by Comtekk)

Streaming your scanner online? The Isolator Cable is a must have. The Isolator filters out unwanted line noise improving your streams audio. This cable will also protect your computer with the exclusive Comtekk’s 600-ohm isolator with DC Blocking, ground loop elimination “hot chassis” and surge protection.

We carry the Male to male cable for direct connection from PC to the scanner and the male to female cable so you can use extension (male to male) cable for those longer runs.

In the photo below is the Isolator Cable Male to Male (6 foot):

The Scanner Gazette - Twittering like Police Scanner

2011-08-03T09:37:00.007-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Twittering like Police Scanner
Tuesday, July 26, the Seattle Police Department was twittering every incident. Twitter users thought there was a crime wave going on. The department is trying a 12-hour experiment to keep the citizens informed of what going on in their community. – Read more
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Four South Shore (MA) Towns trying a new regional dispatch.
Cohasset, Hingham, Hull, and Norwell, MA are scheduled to move to their new regional dispatch center any day now. – Read more

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Jacksonville (FL) Sheriff’s pulls the plug on Media
There is only one way to monitor Jacksonville Sheriff Department... only by their two way radios. The Department leased over dozen portable two-way radios to the media for $70 a mouth. With upcoming budget cuts the department needs the radios for their own and buying new radios isn’t an option. – Read more
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Extra, Extra, this just in...
Here are the latest videos about the Uniden HomePatrol-1 also Uniden answers more of your questions about the updates - Read more

The latest update on the Uniden HomePatrol-1's Sentinel Software:

The latest update on the Uniden HomePatrol-1's new free feature:

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Riding the Rails - Steamtown National Park

2011-07-29T09:30:00.016-04:00

If you like trains and railroading, like I do, bring your scanner with you the next time you take a train trip. It will give you an exciting behind the scenes look at railroading!

Steamtown National Park
Scranton, PA

Over my July Summer vacation I was able to Ride the Rails at Steamtown. Steamtown is National Historic Site located in Scranton Pennsylvania. The museum sits on 40 acres of the Scranton Railroad Yard of the Former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. The collection consists of locomotives, freight cars and passenger cars, and Maintenance-of-way equipment. The collection includes Union Pacific Big Boy 4-8-8-4 Built in 1941.

You can even ride on historical passenger cars pulled by a vintage steam locomotive or an historic diesel-electric locomotive. Most of the excursions are on the weekends (see 2011 Excursion Schedule). Or you can take the “Scranton Limited” a guided tour taking you out of the historical roundhouse into the active rail yard and over Bridge 60 built in 1912.

The Electric City Trolley Museum
Scranton, PA

Trolley fan? Across the parking lot is the “Electric City Trolley Museum”. You can check out the Museum and take a 10 mile round trip ride on vintage trolley. This scenic ride on Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley (Laurel Line) right of way will take you through 4,474 feet long Crown Ave Tunnel, one of the longest interurban tunnels ever built.

Rail Scanning
Bring along your scanner, and program 161.4600MHz. Lots of active from the museum communications to the local freight passing through. I was able to find the frequency by using the Railroad Service Search.

My Scanning Gear
Uniden BCD396XT with the stock antenna
Soft leather Case with Swivel

The Scanner Gazette - Extremely Big news for the Uniden HomePatrol-1

2011-07-27T13:34:00.007-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Extremely Big News for the Uniden HomePatrol -1
Coming soon, Homepatrol -1 Extreme Firmware update and Sentinel Software update coming mid-August 2011. Extreme update is a optional paid upgrade adding new capabilities for the serous scanner hobbies. – Read more

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Towamencin PA concern about countywide radio upgrade
Montgomery County, PA is in the process of rebanding and updating their trunking. Towamencin Township is concern about the upgrade if the current dead spots will be address in the new system. - Read more

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Racing and Scanning!
Sarah Page Kyrcz, from the Madison (CT) Patch talks about attending the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 NASCAR Race at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. She also talks about using a scanner at the race – Read more

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New Product - HomePatrol - Uniden Nylon Travel Case

2011-07-13T13:01:00.022-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

The Product:
HomePatrol - Uniden Nylon Travel Case
Price: $69.95
For: Uniden HomePatrol HP-1

On the go with your Uniden HomePatrol? We now carry the HomePatrol – Uniden Nylon Travel Case. With the clear plastic cover over the screen you can see and operate the HP-1 in the Travel case. This Travel case is a must have for someone moving the HP-1 for from location to another.

Storage above for:

Flex Antenna

AC Power Adapter

DC power Adapter

Desk Stand

USB Cable

Extra Batteries.

Case Size:
10” x 7” x 2 ½”

There are opening on the sides for hook-up to antenna, power, GPS, and headphones. You can close these opening with the Velcro flaps located inside the case.

Other availbale cases for the Uniden Homepatrol:

HomePatrol - Uniden Nylon Case/Fixed Belt Clip

HomePatrol - Uniden Soft Leather Case/Swivel Belt Clip

HomePatrol - Uniden Hard Leather Case/Fixed Belt Loop

The Scanner Gazette - Trunking coming to Oregon

2011-07-13T09:30:00.001-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

New Statewide trunking system coming soon to Oregon
Ground breaking on Chehalem Mountain one of 30 towers to be placed thru out the state. The project had a price tag of $600 Million, with retool the system and the amount of towers it will cost $209 Million. – Read more
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South Dakota Statewide Trunk System delayed
With funding problems and technology issues, this system been delayed over a decade. The state currently owns equipment for a Motorola Smart Zone system; the system will be out of date by 2015. – Read more

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Northwestern University going to Digital
A digital Project 25 trunking system will replace the 14 year old analog trunking system. – Read more
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The Scanner Gazette - Weston,CT Police Now Digital

2011-07-06T10:30:00.002-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Weston, CT better Mutual Aid with New Digital System
Weston, CT police are now using a digital conventional communication system. Most of the neighboring police departments are already made the switch to digital communications. – Read More
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Floyd County, GA to Upgrade to Digital. (Update)
Construction will start on the 10-site, 800MHz digital trunking system sometime soon. – Read More

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Foal Mouthed Mechanics take over the Warren County 911 system.
Greenwich Township, PA police car was in for service on Tuesday morning, and the microphone was keyed, up by mistake. – Read More (hear the audio too)

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The Scanner Gazette - Upgrades in Charleston, SC

2011-06-29T10:00:00.003-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Much needed upgrades on Charleston, SC Trunk System
The system been plagued with problems from interference to volume issues to dead spots. The $12 Million upgrade will add 6 more towers, plus improve reception on the current towers. – Read more

The system on RadioReference.com
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Deputy proposes to the Dispatch over the radio!
Last Wednesday Brevard County, FL Sheriff Jack Parker got on the county-wide two way radio system and proposes to his long time girlfriend Dispatcher Ashley West. – Read more (Video too)
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Wareham, MA - New EMS Frequency
For years Wareham EMS shared the same dispatch as the police, now they have their own EMS Channel 482.7000 MHz with a Digital PL tone of 351.

The Update on Radioreference.com

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The Scanner Gazette - Rebanding in San Francisco

2011-06-22T09:00:00.002-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Delays Rebanding the San Francisco Police & Fire Radios

The very costly rebanding project should have been completed this month. But there is still a lot more work to be done, and more funds are needed to completed the project - Read More

System page in RadioReference.com

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Ridgeland, MS Police to Join MSWIN

Ridgland Police, was given a grant of $18,000 to purchase new two-way radio equipment. Ridgeland will join the new statewide digital trunking system Mississippi Wireless Integrated Network (MSWIN). – Read more

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New Radios for the Schools in Madison County, AL

Next fall 28 schools and 252 buses in the county will be equipped with new digital two-way radios. During the last tornados, communications was limited but with the new communication system they can have ability to communicate. – Read more

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The Scanner Gazette - Test Communication in the Big Easy

2011-06-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Testing Communications for New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival gave public safety agencies in the area an opportunity to test their interoperability. Along with the festival public safety agencies had to keep eye on the swollen Mississippi River. – Read more

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Simi Valley teen, follows fires with his scanners
15 year old Thomas Gorden spends a lot of time monitoring local fires with his police scanners. His passion started at early age 7-years-old. - Read more

Follow Thomas Gorden on Twitter
Check out Thomas Gorden Website
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Are code 10's a thing of the past?
Local Agencies in Alabama are divided on the future of dispatch codes. - Read more

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Plymouth Township, PA Rebanding
The Township is on the Montgomery County Trunking system. They hope the rebanding will improve the county wide trunk system – Read more

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The Scanner Gazette - Oakland, CA Goes Digital

2011-06-08T09:30:00.004-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Oakland, CA Goes Digital
Last Monday, the Oakland Police and Fire make the move to a New Digital Trunking System. Oakland is the first city in the Bay Area to go digital. - Read more

New System on RadioReference.com
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Montgomery County, PA Rebanding Game Plan

The County would like to use the "Sprint/Nextel" funds to upgrade the system rather than rebanding its old communications system. This upgrade will be very costly... - Read more

System on RadioReference.com

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St Mary's County, MD to add more Towers

St Mary's County is looking to repair some dead spots. This system upgrade would cost more than $20 million. - Read more

System on RadioReference.com
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Scanner 101 - Understanding BuTel ARCXT Software

2011-06-07T14:35:00.012-04:00

Last month Gommert Buysen, the owner and software developer of BuTel Software stopped in at our corporate headquarters in Holliston, MA. During his visit we shot two great videos about the ARCXT Software.

Products used in this Scanner 101:
ARCXT Basic
ARCXT PRO
Uniden USB Cable

The ARCXT Software works with the following Uniden scanners:

BCT15X

BC346XT

BCD396XT

BCD996XT

What are the differences between the ARCXT Basic and PRO?

Option	ARC-XT-BASIC	ARC-XT-PRO
Multi scanner support	Yes	Yes
Enhanced Editor for conv./trunk channels	Yes	Yes
Bandplan Editor	Yes	Yes
Multi Trunk site programming	Yes	Yes
Virtual Control	No	Yes
RadioRef Import	Yes	Yes
GPS US address lookup utility	Yes	Yes
Enhanced Virtual Control	No	Yes
Data logging/history	No	Yes
Bandscope	No	Yes
Waterfall Display	No	Yes
'no loss' Harddisk Audio Recording	No	Yes
Closecall/Subtone logging	No	Yes

Video 1 -
ARC-XT Scanner Radio Software Walkthrough

Video 2 -
ARC-XT PRO Scanner Radio Software Virtual Console Walkthrough

The Scanner Gazette - OpenSky Problems

2011-06-01T11:16:00.010-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Palm Beach Gardens OpenSky Problems
During a police chase officers couldn’t communicate with the dispatch, because the Palm Beach Gardens OpenSky Trunking System was stuttering and echoing. – Read more and hear audio from the system
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Read Dispatch Calls Online in Glendora CA
Glendora, CA, has set up a new website so people can see whats going on in their community. From disturbances to traffic stops. – Read more and check out Live Calls for Service
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Firmware Update Available for GRE PSR-800
GRE America released a new firmware update for the GRE PSR-800. With this update it will improve the USA band plan and fix other bugs – Read more

Note: This firmware update is only for the GRE PSR-80o... You can check on other GRE Models by - Clicking here
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The Scanner Gazette - Linn County, IA Going to Digital

2011-05-25T14:35:00.008-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

New $18 Million Dollar system for Linn County, Iowa

Linn County is looking to upgrade to a digital (Project25) system. The county hopes the new system will improve the reception throughout it's' 724 square miles. - Read more

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Moore County, NC Moving to VIPER

The county board is not settle on the game plan for this $5 million move. Currently the county is operating on UHF 450 and 460Mhz. - Read more

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New Firmware for the Uniden HomePatrol

New firmware update is now available for the Uniden HomePatrol - Read more
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Road Trip back from Dayton Hamvention

2011-05-25T09:00:00.006-04:00

By Richard Barnett

Destination: Dayton, OH
Event: Dayton Hamvention
When: Friday, May 20 - Sunday, May 22, 2011

Dayton Hamvention Report

Gommert Buysen of Butel Software and I just returned from the Dayton Hamvention in Dayton, OH. The Hamvention is the world's largest Ham radio show and has been held every year in late May since the early 1950s. For the past dozen or so years Scanner Master has had a booth at the show where we meet scanner hobbyists and amateur radio operators, talk scanners and show and sell scanners and accessories.

We drive out to the show each year from our Massachusetts offices and this year we brought with us the Uniden HomePatrol HP-1 for the ride and mounted it on Uniden's new windshield suction-cup mount along with our Garmin GPS receiver kit to provide the HomePatrol with constant automatic position data. This set-up was simply amazing. We did not have to touch the HP-1 more than a couple of times on the entire route from near Boston to the far side of Ohio. The radio constantly updated the active channels based on our location. As we drove the State Police/Highway Patrol was always active and the county sheriffs and local police channels enabled and disabled automatically as needed. If we wanted to listen to fire services as well we just pressed the menu key, pressed the select service types key, and the fire key. That's it.

At the show the HomePatrol received universal praise from other very serious hobbyists as well as Ham radio operators for its ease-of-use and, like us, everyone who drove to the show with the GPS functionality on were simply wowed at how well it worked. As the RadioReference database which fuels the HomePatrol gets better and better every day the radio becomes more of an incredible tool. Yes we're gushing, but this scanner deserves every accolade it gets.

We'll have more on the show and other radios that people loved in an upcoming posting.

Rich Barnett

New Product - Tenergy 4 In 1 Battery Charger

2011-05-20T15:10:00.002-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

The Product: 4 in 1 Battery Charger
Price: $29.95

Tenergy Ultra Fast 4 in 1 Battery Charger will get your batteries charged up within two hours.

Ultra Fast Charger, charges 2 or 4 AA or AAA batteries in 2 hours
Includes "intelligent" microprocessor controlled charging, identifies defective cells and a safety timer for complete overcharge protection.
Powered by an external AC adaptor for both indoor use or for in car usage by a cigarette lighter plug to your car.
With mechanical design against wrong polarity and short circuit protection.
Especially designed for rechargeable batteries used in scanners and other high drain rate electronic devices.

In the Package:

Fast Charger for AA/AAA Batteries
4 AA 2500mAh NI-MH Rechargeable Batteries
AC Adapter
DC Adapter Cigarette Lighter Plug

Firmware Alert - Uniden HomePatrol-1

2011-05-19T11:30:00.000-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Product: Uniden HomePatrol-1 (HP-1)
Firmware Update: 1.03.01

What included in the update?

Shorter POWER up time
Hold functionally
Setting default power down option
- read more about this firmware update

This update should fix a couple of the little bugs that were reported to Uniden. Nothing major in this update.

How to update your HomePatrol?

Plug your HP-1 into AC Power to prevent power lost during update.
Connect your HP-1 to your PC via the Programming cable.
Open the Sentinel Software
(If you don't have the software download it here)
Click "Update" tab
Select "Update Firmware"
Your HomePatrol should be selected, click "OK"
The software will prompt you once the download is done.
Disconnect the programming cable from your HP-1
Please allow a few minutes for the update process to run.
Your HP-1 will restart and the firmware update is complete.

Road Trip to Dayton Hamvention

2011-05-19T09:30:00.007-04:00

Destination: Dayton, OH
Event: Dayton Hamvention
When: Friday, May 20 - Sunday, May 22, 2011

Scanner Master will be back at its usual inside booth #402 at the Dayton Hamvention in Ohio from May 20th-22nd. Rich Barnett will be there along with Gommert Buysen of Butel ARC Software. If you've never been to the Dayton Hamvention it's the world's largest gathering of Ham radio operators including a great many scanner enthusiasts. GRE, Icom and others will have booths and Rich and Gommert will be in the Scanner Master booth to answer any questions and of course sell scanners and accessories.

Please stop by and say hello and and take a look at some of our new products and accessories.

Hara Arena - Map
1001 Shiloh Springs Rd.
Dayton, Ohio 45415

The Scanner Gazette - Scanner Master @ Hamvention 2011

2011-05-18T13:50:00.008-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Rebanding in Montgomery County PA
The county is looking at this options for rebanding, and it may cost more then the $3 to $5 million dollars offered by Sprint/Nextel – Read more
---

New Radio System Jamming Garage Door Openners
Navy in Newport, RI has a new radio system, the system is meant to open communications but it causing problems with area wide garage doors. - Read more
---

Scanner Master @ Hamvention 2011

Booth: 402 (Inside)
Dates: Friday, May 20 to Sunday, May 22, 2011

This week Rich Barnett of Scanner Master along with Gommert Buysen of Butel Software will be at booth #402 inside the Hara Arena Complex at the Dayton Hamvention in Dayton, OH. The Hamvention is the world's largest Amateur Radio convention and Scanner Master will be there demonstrating and selling scanners and accessories for the scanner community that attends each year. If you're a fan of scanners please stop by and say hello.
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The Scanner Gazette - Rebanding in the Nutmeg State

2011-05-11T11:25:00.003-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Rebanding in the Nutmeg State
Connecticut State Police are making head way with their Rebanding project. Most sites on the Motorola digital trunk system are now using the new rebanded frequencies. – Read more
---

Florence, MS Police Going Digital Soon
Florence Police will be joining the Statewide Mississippi Wireless Integrated Network (MSWIN). MSWIN is a statewide digital Project 25 Phase 1 trunk system. - Read more
---

Price Reduction on Two Popular GRE Scanners
On Wednesday, Scanner Master drops the price on GRE Analog Trunking PSR310 and PSR-410 Scanners from $199.95 to $174.95.
---

New Product - Windshield Mounting Kit for HomePatrol

2011-05-10T14:00:00.023-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

New Product:
Windshield Mounting Kit for HomePatrol
Cost:
$39.95

What’s included with the Windshield Mounting Kit?

Heavy duty 3 ½ inches suction mount
Adjustable 7 inches arm
HomePatrol Mobile Mounting Bracket
Bracket mounting screws and nuts

Road Test

Over the past weekend, I was able to Road Test the new Uniden HomePatrol Windshield Mounting Kit.

During the road test I was very impressed with this product. It has heavy duty suction mount along with its 7 inch arm. The windshield mount holds the one pound HomePatrol without a problem. Well built, and suitable for most windshield mounting situations.

This product is made by Ram Mounts for the Uniden HomePatrol.

The Scanner Gazette - Floyd County, GA going digital by 2013

2011-04-27T13:41:00.004-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Floyd County, GA going digital by 2013
The County will be upgrading from analog conventional systems to a new digital 800MHz digital trunking system. The project will cost $26.7 million dollars for this 10 tower system. – Read More
---

Bossier Parish, LA to move to LWIN
Bossier Parish hopes to make the move to the Louisiana Wireless Information Network (LWIN). This move would cost $1.3 million for radios and dispatching consoles. – Read more
---

HomePatrol Mobile Mounts Now available from Scanner Master
The much awaited Mobile Mount Bracket for the Uniden HomePatrol is now available. This product from Uniden will work with “Ram Mounts”. The “Ram” windshield Mounting Kit will be available soon, from Scanner Master.
---

The Scanner Gazette - Woonsocket, RI Police Going Digital

2011-04-06T13:54:00.007-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Woonsocket, RI moving to RI Statewide Communications Network (RISCON)
Woonsocket Police just finished instilling the new digital radios in the cruiser and the portables radios will be given to the officers soon. No date been set for the switch over. - Read More

Woonsocket will join other Rhode Island agencies on the RISCON System: RI State Police, City Of Providence, Cranston Fire, and Little Compton just to name a few.
---

Rebanding Montgomery County, PA Trunking System
Montgomery County is trying to decide to upgrade or replace the 13 year old analog/digital trunking system. – Read more
---

Police Scanning takes center stage!
In the Chicago area? You may want to see “Star Witness” at “The House Theater of Chicago”. A story about Grandmother and her 19 year old Granddaughter spend their evening listening to the Police Scanner. But tragedy strikes in the small town of Somerset, IL when a little girl has gone missing. – Read more
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The Scanner Gazette - High Tech Santa Cruz Police

2011-03-30T11:30:00.006-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Santa Cruz, CA Neighborhood Watch goes high tech!
Santa Cruz Police are first in the nation to use the app to help fight crime and to alert the public. With the app you can see real time crime maps, even text in crime tips, receive alerts on road closers even listen to online scanner feed. - Read more
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Green County, VA moving to VIPER
Next year, Greene County hopes to move to the statewide digital VIPER trunking system. It will cost $791,833 to upgrade their old communication system dating back to the 1960’s. – Read more
---

Germantown, TN hopes to go digital in 2012
Many things were on the table at the 2012 budget meeting include a new digital communications system for Germantown, TN. Germantown hopes to replace it 20 year old two-way radio system with a newer digital system. – Read more
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The Scanner Gazette - Project 25 Phase II

2011-03-23T13:00:00.011-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

We can hear you now!
Prince George County, MD and Loudoun County, VA
GRE has confirmed the new GRE PSR-800 pre-programmed digital scanner will decode Project 25 Phase II communications. Over the past year both Prince George County, MD and Loudoun County, VA made the switch over to the Project 25 Phase II, leaving the scanner community in the dark, until now. The GRE PSR-800 is available for purchase at Scanner Master for $445.00.
---

Uniden Digital Scanner Price Drop!
If you were putting off getting Uniden digital scanner the wait is over! The very popular Uniden Bearcat BCD396XT Portable and BCD996XT Base/Mobile are now $469.95.
---

South Portland Maine to join the Portland Public Safety TRS
Scan New England reporting, South Portland Police and Fire is now Portland Public Safety Trunking System.

Police talkgroup #12880
Fire talkgroup #12848

They are still simulating on there VHF channels.
---

The Scanner Gazette - Whaling City Going Digital?

2011-03-09T14:00:00.007-05:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Whaling City Going Digital?

Soon the city of New Bedford, MA will be upgrading their current analog communication system with a new 1 million dollar digital system. The plan for New Bedford Police is to stay on it current frequencies but upgrade to digital Project 25 signal. As for New Bedford Fire along with other city departments they will leave current system for a MOROTRBO digital system. Nothing set in stone yet, we will keep you posted.

Departments already digital in Southeastern Mass

Dartmouth Police

North Attleboro Police

Mansfield Police (Encrypted)
---

Cranston, RI Police Now Digital!
As of Wednesday, March 09, 2011 Cranston Police are now using digital communications. The frequencies remain the same, but are now broadcasting a digital signal. We are able to hear the new digital signal from our offices in Holliston, MA.

Police Dispatch F-1 - 482.4125 with NAC DEF
as for channels F2 to F4 they will switch over to digital as well.
---

Communications Towers are Going Up in Coweta County Georgia
Coweta County will be joining the “Western Area Regional Radio System Authority” (WARRS). Carroll, Haralson and Heard County are already broadcasting on this new 700MHz Project 25 Phase I Trunking System. Soon to join along with Coweta are Douglas and Fulton Counties will be online in the near future!

More info about Western Area Regional Radio System Authority
---

Scanner 101 - Uniden HomePatrol Favorites List

2011-02-15T10:30:00.008-05:00

Do you own the Uniden HomePatrol? Would you rather pick and choose the agencies or communities? You can simply select them in the database, and run them in a Favorites list. In this Scanner 101 we give you basic steps on setting up a Favorites List in your Uniden HomePatrol.

When running a favorites list, you will be just running the channels you select. This will work great for home or office set up. If your running the unit as mobile with GPS you would need to run the Uniden HomePatrol on the full database.

You can set up multiple favorite list, here are some examples of a few I have in my office Uniden HomePatrol.

Favorites List name: Office w/railroad
Holliston Police
Holliston Fire
Mass Dot – District 3 – Central
Mass Bay Commuter Rail South Road
Mass Bay Commuter Rail Worcester Road

Favorites List name: Office w/MSP
Holliston Police
Holliston Fire
Mass Dot – District 3 – Central
Mass State Police C-Patrol 1
Mass State Police C-Patrol 2

Uniden HomePatrol in the photo above scanning Bristol County, MA
Here are the steps to set up your Favorties List

Step 1
Press “Menu” (bottom Left Corner)

Step 2
Press “Manage Favorites Lists” (Right hand side 3rd option)

Step 3
Press “Crate New List”

Step 4
Type out a name for this list then press “Accept”

Step 5
Press “Review/Edit Channels”

Step 6
Press “Add Channel”

Step 7
Select “USA” or “Canada”

Step 8
Select your “State”

Step 9
Select your “County”

Step 10
Once you have selected your “Scope” you can browse the database and select channels you wish to monitor once all the channels you wish to monitor are selected press “add channel”.

Step 11
Press yes to conform.

Step 12
Once you have added channels you can review them on “Review/ Edit Channels” screen

Step 12A
To add more areas repeat Steps 6 – 10

Step 13
Press “Back”

Step 14
Press “Use This List”

Step 15
Press “Yes” to Conform

Sentinel Software

If you would rather do this using software, you can download the free "HomePatrol Sentinel" software. With the Sentinel you can update the firmware and the HomePatrol frequency database.

ARC Patrol Software
If you looking to add frequencies or trunking systems not listed in RadioReference.com you can purchase the ARC Patrol Software. - Read more about the ARC Patrol Software

New Product - Easier to Read Uniden XT Scanner Manual

2011-01-14T16:00:00.001-05:00

The Product: Easier to Read Uniden XT Scanner Manual
Price: $29.95
For: Uniden Bearcat's BCT15X, BC346XT, BCD396XT, BCD996XT

Painstakingly created by Marksscanners, this 100 page Easier to Read Scanner Manual takes you deep into the amazing feature set and instructions for the Uniden XT scanners:

BCT15X

BC346XT

BCD396XT

BCD996XT

This is an extremely handy 5.5 X 8.5 perfect-bound book which you can use on your desk, in your car and on the go. The guide is in 4-color with charts, images and super detailed text. This one guide covers all four of these latest Bearcat® XT model scanners and takes you far beyond what you get with the radio (only a CD-ROM and without the detail of Mark's guide). Go step-by-step through each of the hundreds of features of these scanners and learn what the functions do and how they are enabled and disabled.

Mark takes you through the process of planning systems, sites and groups and then programming your scanner with this information. The Uniden XT scanners are remarkable radios but to get the most out of them you really need this ultimate manual we are proud to offer.

Example Pages:

Scanner Master on Social Media

2010-12-17T10:14:00.008-05:00

Are you on Facebook or Twitter? Join us, today!

Don't miss out on...

Sales

Exclusive sales for our social media members!

New Product

Blog Entries

Scanner News

and much much more!

Click here to like us on facebook!
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Click here to follow us on Twitter!

New Product - SpectrumForce Scanner Lapel Speaker with Antenna Mount

2010-12-14T15:00:00.001-05:00

New Products
SpectrumForce Scanner Lapel Speaker with Antenna Mount:
• With SMA Connection - $29.95
• With BNC Connection - $29.95

In the photo on the left is the SpectrumForce Scanner Lapel Speaker with Antenna Mount (BNC Connection)

Puts scanner audio closer to your ear just like public safety two-way radios. Mounts a scanner antenna atop the speaker for improved reception.

These optional antennas can be placed atop the Lapel Speaker:
• All-Band Portable SMA Antenna
• UHF Low Profile Professional Portable SMA Antenna
• 800 MHz Low Profile 1/4 Wave Portable SMA Antenna

• Works with Bearcat 330, 346 and 396 (X and XT) scanner models
• Audio Boost with volume control slider
• Swivel clip attaches to lapel
• Single straight cord, 3' long, contains cabling for antenna coax and speaker wire

The SpectrumForce Scanner Lapel Speaker with Audio Boost & Antenna Mount is one of the coolest products we've ever developed. With a look similar to the speaker-microphones used by law enforcement, security, fire service and EMS officers, this speaker has multiple important functions: It brings your portable scanner audio up close to your ear (rather than down by your side on your belt), it provides a variable audio boost, and it puts the antenna up higher and away from your body -- in a much more efficient location for better signal reception range and clarity.
(In the photo to the Right Greg Jolly with the SpectrumForce Scanner Lapel Speaker)

How did we boost the audio?
The audio boost on the lapel speaker works via a jumper cable that runs inside the speaker housing from the antenna jack ground lead to the speaker ground. This method cancels internal scanner audio resistance to the speaker jack which is used to protect your hearing when utilizing an earphone. However, with the lapel speaker, you will not be using an earphone running directly into your ear, but rather a speaker, to listen to the scanner audio. Thus, the volume will be similar to listening closely to the speaker on the scanner itself (as you normally would if you were holding the scanner in your hands) however the speaker will be on your lapel or shoulder when walking around or driving in a car, rather than on your belt as part of the scanner. An engineer has tested this construction method and confirms that it works well and has no negative impact on audio amplifiers (see below). The lapel speaker audio boost works with most, but not all, portable scanners.

Elevating the Antenna
You must utilize the antenna mount on the lapel speaker to take advantage of the audio boost. However, the added benefit is that by mounting the antenna on the lapel speaker you elevate the antenna for the radio (as compared to having it located on your belt) which will in general improve reception. Also, by having the antenna on the scanner on your belt, next to your body, you de-sensitize it. Mounting the antenna up and away from your body and on the lapel speaker you no longer de-sensitize the antenna. This is why many police, fire and EMS agencies use a speaker microphone with the antenna mounted on the speaker for their officers as well.

Specifications
• Speaker: 45mm
• Power: 1 Watt Max
• Frequency Range: 500-9000Hz
• Size: 68H x 58W x 22D (mm)
• Weight: 51 Grams
• Connector: Standard 3.5mm

Not a microphone - listen only.
Model # SLS-401A (SMA); SLS-401B (BNC)

New Product - ARC Patrol

2010-12-01T11:40:00.015-05:00

By Jonathan Higgins

The Product: ARC Patrol Software
Price: $29.95
Works with: Uniden HomePatrol (HP-1)

The Uniden HomePatrol comes with software but the software has some limitations:

With ARC PATROL you expand the functionality of your HP-1:

Add a frequency that is not in the built-in database

Add a talkgroup that is not in the built-in database

Add a trunk system that is not in the built-in database

Add Nascar and other race frequencies

Change Alpha tags

Change or add subtones

Add Airband, CB, Marine, Railroad, FRS and GMRS frequencies

Change the service type of frequencies and/or talkgroups

Search a frequency range

Links about the ARC Patrol:

Questions and Answers

Download the demo

Introduction to the New BuTel ARC Patrol Software.
Narrated By Gommert Buysen of Butel Software

New Product - GRE PSR-310

2010-11-16T13:12:00.015-05:00

By Jonathan Higgins

The Product: GRE PSR-310 Analog Trunking Scanner
Price: $199.95

The GRE PSR-310 is a good looking unit out of the box, with its black exterior and buttons with white lettering. The case layout is just like the GRE-PSR 500 with the same placement of the speaker, screen, and keypad.

New features found on the GRE PSR-310

Memory System
Object Oriented – Very simple to use and to field program compared to other models. An object can be shared in more than one scan list. An object can be single frequency or talk group.

LCD Display
Much larger display over the GRE PSR-300, bring a great full dot matrix bitmap display with an white LED backlight.

Multi-System Analog Trunking
Works with the following trunking systems:
-Motorola
-EDACS Standard/Narrow
-LTR Trunking
Supports the new 700MHz and 380MHz bands also can follow multisite Motorola systems

Exclusive Alert LED
This can be configured to illuminate or flash when a certain object is active.
Example:
Holliston Police - LED Blue Flash
Holliston Fire – LED Red Flash
Holliston Highway – LED Yellow Flash

Color Options
1 – Red
2 – Yellow
3 – Green
4 – Light Blue
5 – Blue
6 – Purple
7 – White

In the Box
-Antenna
-Owner's Manual
-Black non-chargeable battery holder (inside the scanner)
-Yellow rechargeable battery holder
-Belt clip (Attached to the scanner)

Programming Software
ARC310 - Available from BuTel Software soon!

-NOTE-
For some people this scanner will not work due to the radio systems in their area. How check if this scanner will work in their area? Visit our sister website http://www.policescanners.com.

New Product - Uniden HomePatrol

2010-09-28T11:00:00.004-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

The Product: Uniden HomePatrol-1

The much awaited Uniden HomePatrol’s will be shipping out on Thursday, September 30, 2010.

Please check out my First Look @ Uniden HomePatrol
Highlights:

My first thoughts of the HomePatrol

For Advanced Users

Making Favorites Lists/Updating HomePatrol

Instant Replay Feature

HomePatrol Appearance and Jacks

and more!

Let’s go over the optional accessories available for the new Uniden HomePatrol:

Setup & Optimize:
This service covers the following :

Optimizing the internal database/frequency library

Checking and updating the firmware

Setting-up your local town/city into a Scan List/Favorites List
--- Learn more about the Setup & Optimize Service ---
***This service delays the shipping one week***

Mobile Antenna:
SpectrumForce Wideband Antenna with Mag Mount and SMA, Great low profile mobile antenna, with the SMA connection for quick an easy hook-up.

Antenna Adapter:

SMA to BNC Adapter – If you looking to connect the HomePatrol to BNC (Male) connection this part is a must have.

GPS:**

GPS Receiver – (SpectrumForce GPS Receiver) Allows the HomePatrol to automatically tune to local frequencies as you drive.

**GPS Kit - Required with GPS Receiver:

GPS Accessory Kit – The cables needed to connect the HomePatrol to the GPS Receiver (SpectrumForce GPS Receiver)

1. SpectrumForce Wideband Antenna with Mag Mount and SMA
2. SpectrumForce GPS Receiver
3. SMA to BNC Adapter
4. GPS Accessory Kit

New Product - Setup & Optimize Service

2010-09-27T11:19:00.016-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Product Name: Setup & Optimize Service (for the Uniden HomePatrol and GRE PSR-700 only.)

Cost: $39.95 - If the scanner was purchase from Scanner Master
($49.95 for customers that already have purchased the scanner elsewhere)

Note: This service delays the shipping one week.

When you order this option along with your Uniden HomePatrol and GRE PSR-700 the Setup & Optimize Service Covers:
Optimizing the internal database
Checking and updating the firmware

Setting-up your local town/city into a Scan List/Favorites List

With Scanner Master's exclusive Set-up & Optimize Package we see to it that you’re pre-programmed scanner is fully updated and ready to use for your area, perfect for your own use and especially perfect for a gift. First we optimize the internal database by updating the frequency library, which changes daily. We will also check and install any firmware updates to before your pre-programmed scanner ships. (The firmware is the operating system for the radio which may have been updated or tweaked by the factory following its production in Asia.) Scanner Master will then build a Favorites List/Scan List for the customer (based on the ship to address of your order), or for the area in which the scanner will be used if the customer specifies a different city (for example if the radio is given as a gift).

--- Bellow applies to the Uniden HomePatrol ONLY. ---
(The benefit of this Favorites List work is that we insure that the most important data to the user is readily accessible as often times, if the database for the end user's area hasn't been completely prepared with what's known as "geo-tagging" then some or all of the local agencies will not activate for scanning. Scanner Master insures that this will not be the case.)

Scanner Master will also pre-tune the radio by entering the end-users zip code. Finally we will give the radio's installed re-chargeable batteries a brief charge to insure that the radio will be ready to use right out of the box.

Greg Jolly busy at work Setting up and Optimizing the New Uniden HomePatrol.

The Scanner Gazette - Digital Prince George!

2010-09-22T09:00:00.005-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Digital Prince George!
Prince George’s County, MD moved to their new Digital Project 25 Phase II trunking system. Most digital trunking systems are Project 25 Phase I, this system being a Phase II cannot be monitor by any scanner at this time. This is the second Phase II system in the country, in July Loudoun County VA moved to P25 Phase II System.

We will keep you posted when a unit is available to handle Project 25 Phase II Trunking systems.

Prince George’s P25 Trunking System
More about Project 25 Phase II
---

Another Town in Southeastern Mass Goes Digital
Dartmouth Police moved off their VHF analog system to a New UHF Digital conventional system.
453.5500 - NAC 293

Other digital conventional agencies in Southeastern Mass:
Freetown Police (Digital Capable)
North Attleboro Police
Mansfield Police (Encrypted)
---

Cape Fear going Digital!
The Police and Fire departments that patrol the nearly 30 miles of beaches in New Hanover County will be making the switch to a digital trunking system. County hopes the transition will be complete by the end of the year.

New Hanover County P25 Trunking System
---

New Product - GPS Accessory Kit

2010-09-16T13:16:00.021-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Product Name: GPS Accessory Kit
Cost: $19.95
Available: Early October

Included in this Kit:

Null Modem

Gender Changer

Uniden Serial cable

With the new GPS Accessory Kit you can hook up the following scanners to SpectrumForce GPS Receiver:

Uniden BC346XT

Uniden BCD396XT

Uniden BCD396T

Uniden BR330T

Uniden HomePatrol-1

The photo bellow shows the GPS Accessory Kit hook up to the SpectrumForce GPS Receiver.

The Scanner Gazette - Rebanding Suffolk County, NY

2010-09-15T13:33:00.013-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Suffolk County, NY Re-bands

The Suffolk County, NY, trunking radio system is currently under-going re-banding. This means that scanners will need to be re-programmed and scanners which are a year or two old or older will need a firmware (scanner operating system) upgrade as well. Older scanners, such as the Bearcat 895, 780 and 235, and most older RadioShack scanners, are not re-bandable and will need to be replaced. Scanner Master offers a firmware upgrade and a programming service if you're interested.
--

RI State Police, Now Digital

RI State Police have made the move to the Rhode Island Statewide Communications Network (RISCON). Left there old analog VHF conventional system.
--

Uniden HomePatrol-1 Available Early October

Uniden newest scanner HomePatrol-1 will be available early October from Scanner Master for $495.
Read more about our first look at this product

See the official Scanner Master product page for the HomePatrol-1
--

Scanner 101 - Uniden RH-96 Remote Head Hook Up

2010-08-24T14:55:00.039-04:00

The Uniden BC-RH96 Remote Head is
only available from Scanner Master!
Using the Uniden BC-RH96 Remote Head
Are you installing a new Uniden base/mobile Scanner in your car or truck? Most new vehicles don’t have a lot of space for a bulky full size scanner, so the Uniden BC-RH96 Remote Head is the perfect fix to any instillation. With the Remote head you can place the scanner under the seat or mount it in the trunk. With the compact BC-RH96 Remote Head you can have full control** of the scanner with full display taking up 75% less space. If you’re installing the BCT15X or BCD996XT in your vehicle, make sure you check out the Uniden Bearcat BC-RH96 Remote Head.

**Note:
When powering down the remote head, it will not power down the scanner itself.
Size:
7.2W x 1.9D x 2.2H in inches (without knobs)

Also In the box:
Mounting bracket with Knobs
10 foot data cable
Cigarette lighter DC power plug
The Owner's Manual
The Uniden BC-RH96 Remote Head works with the following Uniden Scanners:
BCD996XT / BCD996T
BCD396XT / BCD396T
BCT15X/BCT15
BC346XT
BR330T

Bring the Sound the Front
When purchasing the Uniden BC-RH96 please check out our external speaker options available. You also need to bring the sound to the front along with the controls. The BC-RH96 does not have an internal speaker.
Uniden 4” External Speaker - 10 foot cord
RoadPro 2.75” External Speaker - 6 foot cord

Simple 1,2,3 Remote head to Scanner Hook-Up

Step 1
Hook up the data cable to the scanner via the front PC Port.
Step 2
Hook up the data cable to the RH96 to the Remote port. This cable can be extended by using an optional 6 foot stereo extension cable or 25 foot stereo extension cable.
Step 3
Hook up your cigarette lighter power cord or using the optional Uniden Power Cable (it will plug directly into your fuse block).

Installing Tips
>> When placing the scanner in the trunk or under the seat make sure the scanner is in a location so will will not over heat. Try to avoid tight closed in spots.

>> If you need to extended the 10 foot data cable that comes with the BC-RH96 you can purchase optional 6 foot stereo extension cable or 25 foot stereo extension cable. These cables can be use to extend the speaker cables as well.

>> If your using multipliable cigarette lighter power cords you may want to purchase 12-Volt 3 Outlet Power Port Adapter.

Programmable Function Buttons
With the Uniden BC-RH96 you can program three function buttons.
Options include:

Scan Key

Hold Key

Service Menu Shortcut

WX Scan Menu Shortcut

Goto Tone-out Standby Shortcut

Goto Close Call Only Mode Shortcut

and more!
See the BC-RH96 Manual Pages 19- 21 for more details.

Optional Parts:

External Speakers
Uniden 4" External Speaker
Roadpro 2.75" External Speaker

Data and Speaker Extension Cables
Stereo Extension Cable 6'
Stereo Extension Cable 25'

Power Options
Uniden Power Cord (no cigarette adapter)
Uniden Cigarette Lighter Charger Straight Cord - This already comes with RH96, if you need extra here is the part needed.

Multi-port Mobile Outlet
12-Volt 4 Outlet Platinum Series Power Port

First Look @ Uniden HomePatrol

2010-07-23T13:42:00.028-04:00

First Look @ Uniden HomePatrol
By Jonathan Higgins

Release Date: Early Fall 2010 - 09/30/10
Price: $495.00

Uniden HomePatrol
Recently I had the opportunity to see the New Uniden HomePatrol in action. This product is very simple to operate, you can be up and running within 3 minutes or less. No programming needed all you need is your zip code. Once your Zip Code is entered, HomePatrol will load Police, Fire and EMS channels in your area and you have the option to also scan Utilities, Airports, Railroads, Businesses, schools and other services in your area that area listed on the Radio Reference database.

My first thoughts of the HomePatrol:
This cutting edge technology from Uniden will take the work out of programming. The menus are very straight forward and simple. The reception was amazing with the stock antenna that came with the unit. This product would be ideal for someone just getting into the hobby, or just looking for something that is very simple to operate.

Advanced Users
Advanced users may find the HomePatrol limits your ability to customize the programming. I would still recommend the Uniden BCD396XT or BCD996XT to advanced users. For myself HomePatrol would be great for traveling outside of my listening area, because I wouldn’t need to spend time setting up the programming.

GPS Scanning
HomePatrol would be a great for Road Trips too! By connecting a GPS Receiver the system will select all of the agencies in your area and it will keep updating as you travel.

Building Favorites Lists
You can make your own favorites Lists from the database in HomePatrol. If you only like to listen to fire call you can go into the database and select those departments. You can name and save each favorites list. I really like this option because you can customize what you’re monitoring.

Instant Replay
Did you miss a transmission? You can replay radio transmission from the last 30 Seconds to 240 seconds; you can set the replay time thru the Advanced Menu options.

Updating HomePatrol
With the HomePatrol Sentinel PC Software you can update the internal database within minutes. When needed HomePatrol may need a Firmware update, these are simple to and done thru the software. Also with-in the software you can make and save your own custom Favorites Lists.

HomePatrol Appearance and Jacks
Screen:
Full Color Touch Screen

Buttons:
Volume Control and Power Buttons
Jacks:
Left to Right - SMA Antenna Jack, Head Phone Jack, and Line Out Jack

Left to Right - GPS Jack, DC 9V Power Jack Jack, and USB - Programming/Updating Jack

In the Box:
HomePatrol will come with Flex Antenna, AC Adapter, DC Cigarette Lighter Adapter, 4 AA Rechargeable batteries USB Cable, Desk Stand, and a quick Start Guide.

Frequency Coverage:
25-54 MHz
108-512 MHz
758-960 MHz

Communications Systems Covered:

EDACS Wide/Narrow

LTR

Motorola

Conventional

Digital (Project 25)

Analog

Specifications for this unit are subject to change without notice by the manufacturer.

Great Links:
HomePatrol Offcial Website
HomePatrol Yahoo Group
HomePatrol Yahoo Group Links

HomePatrol on YouTube:

HomePatrol Launch Part 1
HomePatrol Launch Part 2
HomePatrol Launch Part 3

Scanner Master Road Trip - I-95 Maine

2010-07-12T20:25:00.006-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Last weekend, the Higgins family took a road trip to Northern Maine to visit with family! Oh yes, cozy Maine, with its 60 plus lighthouses, 6,000 lakes, 32,000 miles of rivers, and digital communications systems. Yes, digital communications is coming to Maine! In past road trips to Maine I known about Biddeford Police using Project 25 (P25), in this trip I found more areas using digital. They are using VHF conventional digital system:

Auburn Police - 159.1500 NAC 293
Augusta Police - 153.6275 NAC 770
Biddeford Police – 159.9450 NAC 51 (Dispatch),
and 156.2100 NAC 703 (Secondary)
Lewiston Police - 158.7900 NAC 293

Maine State Police
Soon the Maine State Police will be upgrading their Analog VHF conventional system to a new Project 25 VHF Digital trunking system called MSCommNet (Maine State Communications Network). Right now this system is in the planning stage. They hope to have this up and running by fall of 2012.

You can read more about this system on the Maine.gov website.
http://www.maine.gov/oit/services/radio/mscommnet/index.html

Handy Frequencies…
Maine Turn Pike Ops - 151.0700 CTCSS 107.2
Great channel to monitor for accidents, or lane closures. You can hear the motorist assistance trunks.

Railroad Buffs
Great place to stop anytime you’re making your way into Maine is the Seashore Trolley Museum, located in Kennebunkport, Maine.
Main Dispatch - 160.4700 CSQ
Secondary Channel - 160.5000 CSQ

Below is a photo of Wheeling Traction Co. #639
1924 Cincinnati Car Co.
Photo Taken by Jonathan Higgins
(Seashore Trolley Museum Members Day 2009)

New Product Austin Condor Portable Antenna with SMA

2010-06-02T15:09:00.010-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Austin Condor All-Band Portable SMA Antenna

The great Austin Condor is now available with a SMA connection. This multiband antenna packs a punch on all of the public safety bands 150-174- 452-512 and 806-896MHz with its tuned ¼ wave elements. The SMA connector is embedded in the "Condor's" high density urethane housing to stand up to the toughest handling. Pull in the weak signals with "Condor" State of the Art Technology!

Product Specs:

12 inches long (Flex)

SMA Connector

Coverage:
150-174 MHz
452-512 MHz
806-896 MHz

This antenna is great paired up with the following scanner models:

Uniden Bearcat BCD396XT

Uniden Bearcat BCD396T

Uniden Bearcat BC346XT

Uniden Bearcat BR330

If you have scanner with a BNC Connection you can still get this great antenna in the BNC version!
Austin Condor All-Band Portable BNC Antenna

Product Test - GRE 800 MHz Rubber Antenna

2010-05-19T11:53:00.012-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Product Tested: GRE 800 MHz Rubber Antenna
Cost of product: $19.95

Looking to improve your reception on the 800MHz? Over the past month Scanner Expert Greg Jolly and I tried out the "GRE 800 MHz Rubber Antenna". Not only did it improve on the 800MHz reception we saw improvement on VHF-Hi and UHF system as well. This antenna comes with BNC connection you can convert this to a SMA with an optional "SMA to BNC adapter" for Uniden units. For $19.95 you can't go wrong with trying this antenna!

Product Spec:

800MHz Rubber Antenna

Straight design

7 inch size

BNC Connector

Riding the Rails into Baltimore, MD

2010-05-05T13:11:00.026-04:00

If you like trains and railroading, like I do, bring your scanner with you the next time you take a train trip. It will give you an exciting behind the scenes look at railroading! Last weekend I took a trip on Amtrak Northeast Regional from Providence, RI to Baltimore, MD for a mini weekend vacation with my wife. I thought this would be a great opportunity to monitor railroad communications on the move rather than from my hobby room.

My gear for the trip:

Uniden BCD396XT

Shadow Earpiece

Leather case with swivel belt loop

AC Adapter

AA Lithium batteries

Small notebook

This was the first time I used an ear-piece for scanning, the Shadow Earpiece was very comfortable plus I could enjoy listening without disturbing anyone else. This was the first time using AA Lithium batteries with my scanner... I put in a fresh set of batteries at the start of my trip and I never had to change them.

Frequencies:
I was able to find a few frequencies here and there online. This was a great opportunity to use the scanner "Railroad Service Search"and the (Uniden) Close Call feature.

Below I found the Road Channels for each region along the Northeast Corridor from Boston to Washington DC:

Boston, MA – New Haven, CT

Road Channel - 160.9200 ARR Channel 54

New Haven, CT - New Rochelle, NY

Road Channel – 160.5450 ARR Channel 29

New Rochelle, NY – Philadelphia, PA

Road Channel – 161.0100 ARR Channel 60

Philadelphia, PA – Washington, DC

Road Channel - 160.9200 ARR Channel 54

What are Road Channels?
For Amtrak these channels are used for the train crew and for train to dispatcher communications.

Monitoring around Baltimore, MD:
Once I got into Baltimore I switched gears from rail to public safety communications. The city of Baltimore has a 800MHz Motorola Type II Smart Zone Trunking system with 98% of the talk groups using digital (P25) voice communications. So a digital scanner is a must for this area. I was getting great reception in most area.

Who is on the City of Baltimore Trucking System?

Fire

Police

Public Works
***As of right now this system is not rebanded.***

I was able to monitor both Security at Camden Yards and B & O Railroad Museum from my hotel room a little over a mile away. I could also hear a lot of CSX Railroad communications as well.

Scanner 101 - Cloning Uniden XT Scanners

2010-04-22T11:00:00.005-04:00

Have you ever wanted to clone your programming from Uniden BCD996XT to another Uniden BCD996XT?

Here are the models you can clone:***

BCT15X

BC346XT

BCD396XT

BCD996XT

***Note: You can ONLY clone from the same model to another of the same (like BCT15X to BCT15X or BC346XT to BC346XT and so on).

Here is how you do it….

Directions how to clone BCD996XT or BCT15X:

Parts needed:
1 Uniden 4' Serial Cable (comes with your scanner in the box)
Master Scanner:
This is the scanner that has the programming that needs to be sent to the Slave.

Slave Scanner:
This is the scanner that needs the programming.

Master Scanner
Step 1 - First plug in the Uniden 4' Serial Cable 9pin serial jack into the rear panel
On the Master Scanner
Step 2 - Press “Menu”
Step 3 - Scroll and select to “Wired Clone”
Step 4 - Select “Master”
Step 5 - Select “Rear Port”

Slave Scanner
Step 6 -Plug the mini jack into the front of the scanner.
On the Slave Scanner
Step 7 - Press “Menu”
Step 8 - Scroll and select to “Wired Clone”
Step 9 - Select “Slave”
Step 10 - Select “Front Port”

Last steps...
Step 11 - Hit Scan on Slave Scanner
Step 12 - Hit Scan on Master Scanner

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Directions how to clone BC346XT or BCD396XT:

Parts needed:
>> 2 Uniden 4' Serial Cable (comes with your scanners in the box)
>> Null Modem
>> Gender Changer
Follow the steps below on how to make the cloning cable:

Step 1 - Connect Uniden 4' Serial Cable 9pin serial cable to Null Modem
Step 2 - Connect the Null Modem to Gender Changer
Step 3 - then connect the second 9pin serial cable to the Gender Changer, and your clone cable is made.
Master Scanner:
This is the scanner that has the programming that needs to be sent to the Slave

Slave Scanner:
Is the scanner that needs the programming

Slave Scanner
Step 4 - Plug the mini jack into the right side of the scanner.
One the Slave Scanner
Step 5 - Press “Menu”
Step 6 - Scroll and select to “Wired Clone”
Step 7 - Select “Slave”

Master Scanner
Step 8 - Then plug the mini jack into the front panel
Step 9 - Press “Menu”
Step 10 - Scroll and select to “Wired Clone”
Step 11 - Select “Master”

Last steps...
Step 12 - Hit Scan on Slave Scanner
Step 13 - Hit Scan on Master Scanner

Scanner Master Road Trip - Hopkinton, MA

2010-04-21T13:37:00.016-04:00

By Greg Jolly
Road Trip to Hopkinton, MA

On Friday April 16th the Scanner Master crew, Rich, Jonathan and myself, traveled to the center of Hopkinton, MA and the start of the Boston Marathon. Our purpose for this visit was to install a very custom programming job into a Uniden BCD996XT that was located in the new State of Massachusetts 911 Telecommunications Mobile Command Center.

The custom programming job, created by Scanner Master, will allow the operators of this communications vehicle to monitor the public safety agencies of any of the 351 cities and towns within Massachusetts along with a variety of statewide agencies.

The telecommunications vehicle will allow for backup operation of existing 911centers and major event communications. We were able to witness the newest state of the art technology in communications while there, as the vehicle has just been placed into service.

This programming job provided another successful partnership between Scanner Master Corp. and the public safety community, of which we are very proud.

The Uniden BCD996XT inside the Massachusetts 911 Telecommunications Mobile Command Center

New ProductGRE PSR-200U Scanner

2010-04-09T11:02:00.034-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins
GRE PSR-200U Scanner

The GRE PSR-200/U scanner reminds me of my very first scanner the Radio Shack Realistic PRO-2014. GRE PSR-200U is replacing the GRE PSR-200.

What new with the GRE PSR-200U Scanner:
>> Adding the Broadcast FM Band – 87.3 – 107.9
>> Capability to program/decode the private line (CTCSS/DCS)
>> Signal Meter

Everything else is still the same. I have to say I like the added feature of CTCSS/DCS. This will help with blocking unwanted distance communications on the same given frequency. Also the Signal Meter is very nice too!

Also...
>> Desktop Design
>> 200 Channels
>> SAME Weather Alert
>> 5 Service Searches
>> Skywarn
>> PC Programmable
>> Backlight LCD Display
>> Easy to use Buttons

Frequency Coverage:
29-30MHz: 10 Meter Amateur Radio
30-50MHz: VHF Low
50-54MHz: 6 Meter Amateur Radio
87.3-107.9MHz: FM Broadcast Band
108-136.99166MHz: Aircraft
137-144MHz: Government
144-148MHz: 2 Meter Amateur Radio
148-174MHz: VHF Hi
380-450MHz: Amateur Radio/Government
450-470MHz: UHF Standard
470-512MHz: UHF "T"

Included in the box:
>> PSR-200U Scanner
>> Telescope Antenna
>> AC Adapter
>> User Manual

Great gift for someone that in a non-digital/trunking area…
You should keep the GRE PSR 200U Scanner in mind, this entry-level 200 channel scanner is very simple to operate. Program single frequency in a few simple steps, it that easy!

For some people this scanner will not work due to the radio systems in their area. How check if this scanner will work in their area? Visit our sister website http://www.policescanners.com.

GRE PSR-200U - Key Pad

GRE PSR-200U - Back of scanner Jacks

Product Test Ferret 8 Band Base Antenna

2010-03-19T13:27:00.020-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Spring is just around the corner, what better time to get a new antenna for your home or office.

The Product: Ferret 8 Band Base Antenna

Last September, my dad and I installed the Austin Ferret 8 Band Antenna at my home in Attleboro, Massachusetts. After about 2 hours, my new antenna was up and running. For this project we used 50’ LMR-400 Coax cable, 2’ wall mount bracket, 4 port multi coupler, two 3 foot jumper cables, and, two 50 RG-58 coax with BNC.

Installation

When mounting an antenna outside make sure your clear of any power lines, and never install antenna by yourself. Try to find the best route for the coax cable, make sure you measure the route and only allow a little extra. Rule of thumb, higher the antenna the shorter the coax is always the best.

We had to get a 2’ wall mount bracket two clear the roof overhang. Once the bracket was secured to the side of the house we then installed the antenna to the post using U-bolt brackets. After drilling 1 inch hole into the side of the house we ran the LMR-400 Coax into the 4 port multi coupler in my hobby room. In my hobby room I have Uniden BCD996T and the classic Uniden BC780XLT, hook up both scanner to the multi coupler via the 3’ foot jumpers. The remaining two ports were used for scanners in the living room and master bedroom connected via the two 50’ RG-58 Coax cable.

Reception Test

In Massachusetts and Rhode Island, most of the public safety is using VHF High Band or UHF. I was amazed by the reception. I was able to pick up UHF systems for 15 to 30 miles away without a problem, and as for the VHF, about 30+ miles away. In Massachusetts, the State Police are on an analog 800MHz trunking system. I was able to pick up the local site with ease and neighboring sites up to 20 miles away. I found that the height of the Ferret really brings in the VHF Low Band without a problem.

If you’re a Railroad buff like me, this is the antenna for you. Being in Attleboro along the Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor there is a lot of active on AAR Channel 54 160.9200 Mhz. With this antenna I’m able hear more of the communications between the dispatch and train, since most railroad systems are line of sight without a repeater a great antenna is key.

Overall

With almost 20 years of experience, I have to say this is one of the best roof top antennas I have ever used. If you decide on the Austin Ferret, make sure you get high quality coax cable like the LMR-400. The coax cable is just as important as the antenna to get the ultimate performance.

Details about the Ferret…

All band omnidirectional antenna covering the following bands - 30-50/88-108/121/146/150-174/225-400/806-896/1.2 Ghz. The Ferret is in-case in 8 foot fiberglass tube protecting all of the elements for the eight bands

Recommend Coax for the Austin Ferret:
The LMR-400 is the best coax on the market for roof top antenna installations
LMR-400 Coax Cable, 25', N Male to BNC Male
LMR-400 Coax Cable, 50', N Male to BNC Male
LMR-400 Coax Cable, 75', N Male to BNC Male
LMR-400 Coax Cable, 100', N Male to BNC Male

Austin Antenna, a locally based company right here in New England, has been in business for the last 25 years. We carry the full Austin Antenna scanner product line; the Ferret, the Condor and the Spectra.

Product Test Uniden 4" External Speaker

2010-03-18T13:25:00.019-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

The Product: Uniden 4" External Speakers

Do you have your eyes set on new base/mobile scanner? If you’re installing any base/mobile scanner in your car, trunk, home or office, please check out the Uniden 4” External Speaker. I have tried many speakers in my almost 20 years in this hobby and I have found this speaker to be one of the best. The speaker is black with Uniden's signature paw print embossed on the speaker's metal grill. Included in the box is the adjustable mounting bracket along with a 10 ft cold with a 1/8 (3.5mm) mono plug. You can expect high quality sound to be transmitted from this heavy duty external speaker.

Product Specs:

Speaker: 4" Plastic Cone

Impedance: 8 Ohms

Maximum Power: 12 Watts

Wire: 10 ft. cord

Plug Type: 1/8" (3.5mm Plug)

Frequency Response: 500Hz-5KHz

Includes ratchet type mounting bracket & hardware

Scanner 101 - Installing the GPS Receiver for Uniden BC346XT and BCD396XT

2010-03-03T11:03:00.040-05:00

What is GPS Scanning?
Once you have the scanner programmed, this feature will allow for preset scanning, making it easier and safer for you to monitor a specific area while you’re driving. The scanner, along with the GPS Receiver, will turn on and off each programmed group as you travel. How is this done? The ARCXT software allows you to set up a center point's latitude and longitude for each group. Let’s say your home town is in group one, you can find the center point by simply entering your zip code in the software. You can set the scanning range anywhere from 0.5 to 100+ mile(s). As you approach X mile(s) of that center point, the group will become unlocked. GPS Programming will also work with trunking systems. If you set up the trunking systems with multiple sites, you can set up each site with a center point and range.

Parts needed for this project:
Scanner – BC346XT or BCD396XT
Uniden 4’ Serial Cable (included in the scanner box)
Mini Gender Changer
Null Modem
GPS Receiver

Once you have these features follow the step-by-step instruction below:

Step 1: Plug the “Uniden 4’ Serial Cable “mini plug” into the scanner

Step 2: Plug the other end of the Serial cable into the “Mini Gender Changer”

Step 3: Plug the Mini Gender Changer into the Null Modem

Step 4: Plug the Null Modem into the Serial end on the GPS Receiver

Step 5: Plug in the Cigarette Lighter on the GPS Receiver into a available DC power outlet in your car.

Step 6: Place magnetic GPS Antenna on a flat surface on the trunk or vehicle’s roof.

Step 7: Power up the scanner (It may take several minutes to process the GPS info in the scanner)

New Product RadioReference Subscription

2010-02-01T09:33:00.012-05:00

Now Available at Scanner Master, RadioReference Subscription for 180 and 360 days.

Subscription Information

General Information RadioReference.com provides premium services to members through a subscription model. There are a number of valuable features available including direct data downloads, personalization, printable PDF formats, and live audio feed archives.

We provide a number of great features for free and we have no plans to change that approach, however premium subscribers help support RadioReference.com in our efforts to bring the best services available to the community.

The following features are available to Premium Subscribers

Access to the RadioReference.com Web Service, which allows numerous programming applications to access the database directly, providing an easy to use process for programming scanners and communications equipment with data directly from the RadioReference Database. See the Web Service Application Support section for a list of applications that directly support this valuable Web Service.

Advanced searching and reporting capabilities

Access to all live audio broadcast archives

My RadioReference custom watch lists - your own customized front page on RadioReference.com

PDF and CSV Downloads of communications data

Access to post advertisements in the RadioReference Classifieds

RadioReference 180 Day Subscription
Our Price: $15.00

RadioReference 360 Day Subscription
Our Price: $30.00

Racing Season - Are you ready?

2010-01-28T12:00:00.011-05:00

Race Fan or know someone that a Race Fan? Don’t let another Racing Season go by without a scanner!

Racing Season Begins February 6, 2010!
Check out these great scanner Deals!

Uniden BC72XLT
100 Channels 10 Banks
Our Price: $89.95
Make a package and save on Headsets, carry cases and more!

Uniden BC95XLT
200 Channels 10 Banks
Our Price: $109.95
Make a package and save on Headsets, carry cases and more!

Uniden SportCat SC230
Race Track Operation
Easily program and select the race and drivers you want to listen to
Our Price: $179.95
Make a package and save on Headsets, carry cases, software and more!

Scanner Master has you covered with great Racing Accessories...

Racing Season Begins February 6, 2010!

Product Test WAN-97A Active Nomad Base Antenna

2010-01-25T11:00:00.017-05:00

By Jonathan Higgins

The Product: WAN-97A Active Nomad Base Antenna - Indoor Antenna

Are you living an apartment? We feel your pain, trying to find the right antenna, with the restrictions of apartment or condo living. Recently I was able to test the “WAN-97A Active Nomad Base Antenna”; I was amazed at the performance of this indoor antenna! Just hang this vertical antenna near a window or in attic and you will be amazed how much more you can hear. The WAN-97A has a built-in pre-amplifier that powered with four AA batteries or with optional external 12 Volt powers supply (Uniden AD-580U AC Adapter).

Product Specs:

25MHz - 1300MHz

Element length 4 feet

Coax lead length 10 feet

Power source; 4 AA Batteries or with optional 12 Volt AC Adapter

Above is the WAN-97A set up in Greg Jolly's office.

Free Ground Shipping to U.S. in December 2009! *

2009-12-01T08:01:00.008-05:00

Our gift to you…

December 2009 Free Shipping
* UPS/USPS Ground in the Continental United States only. All items in your cart must qualify for free shipping to receive it. The product must have a "Free Shipping" icon to qualify (as seen at the left). Selected items may ship by USPS First Class or Priority.

Same Day Shipping
Same Day Shipping orders must be placed by 3:00 EST Monday-Friday only. UPS ships on business days only.

***Promotion ends December 31,2009***

Holiday Gift Guide - Buying the Right Scanner

2009-11-27T10:31:00.004-05:00

By Jonathan Higgins

It's that time of the year again finding the right gift for that special loved one. How about a scanner? Here are 5 things you should keep in mind when buying a scanner.

1. What type of scanners is needed for their area? Please visit our sister website PoliceScanners.net to find the right scanner.

2. Deciding Base/Mobile Vs Hand Held - Base/Mobile Scanner are normally kept one location. Hand Held Scanner is great for someone that wants the scanner everywhere they go.

3. Scanner Programming options - Software or HomeTown Programming. If they are not computer savvy HomeTown Programming is the best option. HomeTown Programming means the scanner will be ready to go out of the box! HomeTown Programming takes 7 to 14 business days, so get your order in early!

4. Accessories
Make sure they have everything they need to when they get there new scanner! Carry Case, Computer Cable, Software, and so on. With each scanner on our website you can make your own package.

5. Make sure you select the best shipping option, visiting our Holiday Shipping Schedule.

Scanner Master's New Home!

2009-10-08T13:51:00.022-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

We have just moved to our own building in Holliston, MA, which is about 10 miles southwest of our old location in Natick. We're now centrally located between Boston, Worcester and Providence, just off Route 16 and very close to Route 495.

Holliston was first settled in 1659 and was incorporated on December 3, 1724. The town was once home of the largest shoe producer in the United States, Goodwill Shoe Company. Also home of Joe Fish, the first professional baseball player signed by the Boston Red Sox and country singer Jo Dee Messina, just to name a few.

On Tuesday, September 22, 2009 Scanner Master made Holliston its new home. Our new facility is 12,000 square feet located at the top of a hill in Hopping Brook Business Park.

Here is our new Address:
Scanner Master Corp.
260 Hopping Brook Road
Holliston, MA 01746

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View Larger Map
If you're ready to purchase a scanner or accessory and you're in the area please stop by. Best to call first to insure that someone will be available to assist.

In the future we will have our scanner museum set up and open to the public.

First Look at the Uniden BCD996XT

2009-07-22T16:49:00.041-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

The New Uniden BCD996XT looks very similar to the Uniden BCD996T, but its body is totally black, while the front face is glossy black. All of the buttons on the key pad are still the same, but some changes have been made to the Function Quick Keys. The Uniden BCD996XT is packed with the same great features that the recently released Uniden BCD396XT portable version has, but in the base/mobile form.

Key feature upgrades Uniden BCD996XT
• 25,000 Channels/ 500 Systems
• GPS on Systems and Groups
• Fire Tone Out with build-in tones Search
• NAC Decoding
• Individual Channel volume Offset
• Support EDACS ESK
• Multi-color display backlight (7 colors)
• Re-banding ready
• System/Channel Number Tagging - rapid access to channel or system

Programming:
I was able to program the scanner with ease with the ARCXT software, which works on 4 scanners (BC346XT, BCD396XT, BCD996XT and the soon to be released BC15XT). If you already own the BCD396XT and you saved the profile you can clone the BCD996XT with the same file. If you’re setting up your first XT, programming is made simple with the importing capability from RadioReference.com (with a paid membership to their website).

HomeTown Programming:
If you’re a beginner in this hobby and you looking to get the Uniden BCD996XT scanner I would strongly recommend our HomeTown Programming Service. After a week to ten days your scanner will be programmed and shipped to you ready to go out of the box.

GPS Programming:
The GPS scanning feature is amazing. Once set up, the scanner will turn on and off each programmed group as you travel. How is this done? The ARC software allows you to set up a center point's latitude and longitude for each group. Let’s say your home town is in group one, you can find the center point by simply entering your zip code in the software. You can set the scanning range anywhere from 0.5 to 100+ mile(s). As you approach X mile(s) of that center point, the group will become unlocked. GPS Programming will also work with trunking systems. If you set up the trunking systems with multiple sites, you can set up each site with a center point and range.

Installing the optional GPS Antenna:
Its pretty simple, just plug the GPS antenna serial female end in the back of the serial male end on your BCD996XT. The GPS Antenna needs to be powered by simply plugging it into cigarette lighter/ mobile power outlet in your car. Then put the magnetic GPS antenna on a flat surface on the trunk or vehicle’s roof. Power-up the scanner; it may take several minute to process the GPS info.

Road testing the Uniden BCD996XT
In this road test, I will be hooking up the following to the Uniden BCD996XT; GPS Antenna, Comtelco Antenna with Mag mount, and the Uniden RH-96 Remote head. My first observation was that the sensitivity was great; it was able to pull in signal clearly from all around. I was amazed by the overall sound of both digital conventional and digital trunking systems. It was nice and clear without that under water sound. I found the new “Individual Channel Volume Offset” feature very handy for those low volume systems.

What is the “Individual Channel Volume Offset”?
This feature permits the volume adjustment of the individual channel, either up or down three notches.

RH-96 Remote Head:
If you have a remote head you can use it with any of the new XT models after updating the Remote Heads Firmware. You can do this once you register the remote head at Uniden.com - Firmware Link

Final thoughts on my first test:
Uniden made the great BCD996T even better with the BCD996XT… Better digital sound, more memory, rapid access to channels, more GPS control, and ready for rebanded systems.

This unit is great for either a mobile or a base application.

Helpful Links about this Product:
• Uniden BCD996XT
• ARCXT Basic Software
• ARCXT PRO Software
• GPS Receiver

A Breath of Fresh Air for the Airwaves

2009-07-14T08:28:00.018-04:00

By Richard Barnett

It just got a little easier to scan, and a whole lot easier if you live nearby TV transmissions towers. Analog TV has gone the way of the tube radio. In an effort to provide more radio frequency spectrum to public safety and other users the FCC many years ago mandated that all TV transmissions migrate to digital, a format which requires far less bandwidth.

So what's the benefit for scanner users? Well, here in Boston, for example, where channels 4 and 5 were broadcasting in the 54-72 MHz range, those stations have actually switched to frequencies up in the UHF TV range and now broadcast in the much narrower bandwidth. This means that low-band interference from these TV stations, particularly with stations above 40 MHz, are now a thing of the past. A friend of mine who is also the chief engineer for one of these stations is also a Ham. He reports that 6-meters (around 52 and 53 MHz) is now far more accessible and less noisy.

I personally always had a problem with TV channel 7 in my neighborhood mixing with pagers and the weather service transmitters and wiping out whole sections of the very active 155 MHz public safety band. It was a nightmare. That's now a thing of the past. Channel 7 I believe still operates in the same frequency range between 174 and 225 MHz but it's without the wide analog signal it had been broadcasting I no longer have those menacing monitoring problems.

By the way, it was July 12th that I had been waiting for. TV stations around the country went digital in June but they continued broadcasting an analog signal until June 12th with repeating videos explaining the switchover to those who still had not purchased a converter box. Now that July 12th has come and gone the airwaves are a whole lot healthier for the monitoring public. Now if we could just get rid of those bleepin' pagers!

Scanner 101 - "Search With Scan"

2009-07-07T08:28:00.023-04:00

One feature that I find fascinating, and is available on the following Uniden models, BC246T, BC346XT, BR330T, BCT15, BCD396XT and, BCD996T is the Search With Scan. With this feature, you can run a service search or custom search as your scanner is scanning. You can set up the search in one of your available systems.

Most Uniden Scanners have the following Service Searches:

Public Safety

News

HAM radio

Marine

Railroad

Citizen Band

FRS/GMRS

Racing

Military Air

You also have the option of making 10 your own custom searches

I like monitoring railroad communications. On long road trips I turn on this feature, so my scanner will be searching all railroad frequencies, while it's scanning whatever else I have programmed. (In the photo to the left is the Mass Coastal GP9u 2007 sitting in Taunton, MA,)

Below is step by step instructions:
Step 1 – Go into the menu
Step 2 – Select “Search for”
Step 3 – Select “Edit Service” or “Edit Custom”
Step 4 – Select the search you want
Step 5 – Select “Search with Scan”
Step 6 – Select “Set Quick Key”
Step 7 – Select a System quick you have available 1 – 99
Step 8 – Select “Set Lockout”
Step 9 – Select “Unlocked”
Step 10 – Hit “Scan”

Check out this feature and lets us know what you think.

3D Scanner Images: Now you can view from multiple perspectives before you buy!

2009-06-26T10:59:00.024-04:00

After being in the business of customer service for over 30 years, we are very familiar with all the common questions that you may have regarding your scanner. We now have a solution to help you answer many of these questions on your own without digging through mounds of text or contacting a scanner expert.

By recently upgrading from 2 dimensional images to 3 dimensional "circle around" models of our scanners, you can now answer many specific product questions by looking at the new 3 dimensional image accessible via the scanner product page.

Click here to view the BCT15 Scanner in 3D!

This revolutionary technology allows you to examine the range of depth and points of view of our most popular Uniden Bearcat, RadioShack, and GRE models. With video control capability, you can now dramatically expand your viewpoint using the zoom feature, as well as pause the rotating image at any point in time. This new feature will not only allow you to view a scanner from a completely new perspective, but will also help you to make more informative decisions before you buy without having to read through pages of text or contacting a service rep.

The 3D feature is currently available on 14 models and with in a few months it will be available on 12 more. We hope you enjoy it and we welcome your comments.

Hello from Tokyo

2009-06-08T09:29:00.002-04:00

By Richard Barnett

My meetings in Tokyo are finished so I spent the morning in the incredible electronics capital of Japan, if not the world, Akihabara. Any and every electronic gadget and gizmo is on display in dozens, if not hundreds, of stores, including of course scanners. While the legality of owning and operating scanners in Japan is of some question, there's no doubt you can buy them, but not the usual brands. You won't see Uniden-Bearcat scanners on display here for example. Why that is I don't know. But you can find ICOM, AOR, Alinco, and some unusual brands that have never made it to US shores such as Maruhama. While the Maruhama brand looks interesting you can't find an English manual for it and of course it's clear it isn't capable of trunking or digital, it's more akin to a basic scanner, possibly with some additional bands.

What's most amazing about Akihabara are the mini-malls of stores, no bigger than half a vendor's cart, where people specialize in capacitors, or switches or some such thing. It's incredible. There's aisles and aisles of these stalls and you get the feeling they've been handed down from one family member to another, selling extremely specialized equipment in maybe a 8' by 5' space. If you're into unique parts and equipment this is the place to come, although you should go with someone who's fluent in the language if possible. I'm sure there are many pictures online of Akihabara and these stalls -- it's worth a look.

On to Hong Kong!

Rich Barnett

Testing the Austin Spectra Mobile Antenna

2009-06-05T09:25:00.013-04:00

By Jonathan Higgins

Hello Everyone,

I would like to introduce myself. I’m Jonathan Higgins, lead on-site "scanner expert”… I’m happy to be a part of the Scanner Master team for over a year now, with almost 20 years of scanning experience under my belt. Over the years, communication systems have made a lot of advances with trunking and digital communications. My first scanner was a Radio Shack Realistic PRO-2014, a 50 channel scanner. Some of my favorite scanners are the Uniden BC246T, BCD396XT, BC780XLT, BCD996T and the GRE PSR-500.

Along with Rich, I will be posting information and advice on our Scanner Master Blog.

Testing the
Austin Spectra Mobile Antenna

The Spectra is 33 inches tall and its tuned for all 4 public safety bands:

VHF Low Band (30-50MHz)

VHF High band (150-174 MHz)

UHF (430-512 MHz)

800MHz (806-896 MHz)

The coax cable and mounting gear are sold separately. I used the 5” NMO Mag Mount for my test. The scanner used was the Uniden BCD996T …So off I went on a road trip!

In Massachusetts, most of the public safety is using VHF High Band or UHF. I was amazed by the reception. I was able to pick up UHF systems for 10 to 15 miles away without a problem, and as for the VHF, about 15+ miles away. In Massachusetts, the State Police are on an analog 800MHz trunking system. I was able to pick up the local site with ease and neighboring sites at times. I found that the height of the Spectra really brings in the VHF Low Band without a problem. Overall, a great antenna! It’s a true performer on all bands!

Check out the many mounting options we have available for this antenna:

5" NMO Mag Mount

NMO Hole Mount

NMO Mirror Mount

NMO Trunk Lip Mount

Austin Antenna, a locally based company right here in New England, has been in business for the last 25 years. We carry the full Austin Antenna scanner product line; the Ferret, the Condor and the Spectra.

New GPS Unit in Stock

2009-06-04T17:03:00.003-04:00

We now have in stock a new GPS receiver unit, a high-quality Garmin which has been customized for special applications such as GPS scanning (requiring a separate power input). The Garmin is more expensive than the previous GPS unit we had been selling but the older model is no longer available. Garmin of course has long been a player in the GPS industry and their products are top-notch. In the future we may try find a less expensive option but we wouldn't expect it to have the satellite capture speed and accuracy of the Garmin. For more details or to order the Garmin click here.

GPS scanning is a great feature. With it your scanner can automatically enable and disable systems based on your location as you drive. It save so much hassle trying to remember which systems to turn on/off while you're on the move (which can also be dangerous if you're actually driving and programming at the same time). The GPS feature is available on the BCT15 and BCD996T base/mobile models and the new BC346XT and BCD396XT portables, all only from Uniden. These new models have enhanced GPS features such as a much wider and more flexible range that you can set and you can also program GPS coordinates down to the Group level.

It is extremely complex to program all this GPS longitude/latitude data unless you have excellent programming software such as ARCXT, truly a must for basic or advanced programming with GPS in the 346/396XT or ARC15 or ARC996 for the base/mobile models. This program has a unique feature to instantly find correct coordinates for cities and towns anywhere in the country.

Scanner Master Road Trip - Dallas

2009-05-27T09:21:00.002-04:00

By Richard Barnett

Today I flew to Dallas and had lunch with Paul Opitz, scanner product manager for Uniden America. Amongst other topics Paul and I and discussed the new portable BC346XT and BCD396XT scanners and their success in the marketplace. Paul was kind enough to review and make some edits to our 346 and 396XT comprehensive reports and we'll be posting those corrections shortly. I had a suggestion for Paul for a new features for these and other Dynamic Memory scanners: The ability to stop on one System and scan it by itself, even if other systems are enabled. But Paul had me scooped. The feature is already in the radio. Here's how you activate it: While scanning any system, press HOLD for 2 seconds.

There's so much scanner firmware developers can now do with scanner operation that many features we're not even aware of -perhaps because we didn't spend enough time reviewing the manual- although sometimes one finds features that are not even in the manual.

Scanner Master Road Trip - Set-up Day at Dayton Hamvention

2009-05-15T09:40:00.004-04:00

By Richard Barnett

I arrived in Dayton after a long, long, ride from Boston. I met up with Gommert Buysen of Butel Software and Rich Carlson of the CARMA club in Chicago and we set up good 'ol booth 402-403, our regular spot at Hamvention these last 10 or so years. I wonder how turnout will be with the economy in rough shape. Last year the economy was holding up OK but gas prices were double what they are today so we didn't expect to see people coming to the show from long distances. In the end though we had a great show last year, surprisingly better than the year before.

Tonight we went to a terrific ICOM-hosted dinner party at a Packard car museum in downtown Dayton. Beautiful cars and great food, hosted by a very classy company. We are proud to have been selected as ICOM's newest dealer and Scanner Master now carries the full line of ICOM communications receivers. More on that in a future blog.

Rich

Welcome to the Scanner Master Blog Site

2009-05-14T15:28:00.002-04:00

Hello. We're pleased to introduce the Scanner Master web blog service today at Scannermaster.com. The purpose of the blog is to provide a forum for Scanner Master staff and colleagues to provide interesting and informative scanner news and tips to our customers and friends. Over time these blogs will also serve as an information resource that our customers will be able to use to research such topics such as, "Ways to Improve Scanner Reception Indoors," and other interesting articles. We'll also let you know about new products that are soon to be released and events and trade shows that Scanner Master will be attending.

We also invite you to submit your ideas for topics and your scanner questions that you would like answered. And of course at anytime we'd love to hear from you with your comments on our blog and our our site. Thank you very much.

Richard Barnett
May 2009