Scanner School - Everything you wanted to know about the Scanner Radio Hobby

Many of you have have been submitting their questions and today I am answering some of them. This month I answer: What is Intermediate Frequency Exchange and when would I need to use it? On an SDS-200 Uniden scanner, do you need to set up a quick key for every favorites list? How do you know if you need upgrades to your SDS-200 scanner? What portable scanner would you recommend for someone who doesn't want to spend a lot of money or have a lot of complicated features? All session notes with links to the items we talked about an be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session13 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support Don't forget to join us for our weekly net on Zello. For info, visit https://www.scannerschool.com/zello

Do you want to understand how trunking systems work in your Object Oriented Scanner? In this episode, Phil continues his miniseries about trunking systems. He walks through optimizing your Whistler, GRE, and Radio Shack scanners for trunking using their object-oriented scanning. What You Need To Know Think of a site as a repeater that transmits radio and control channel traffic for its coverage area. Whistler allows you to have more control over your trunk scanning thresholds than Uniden. To optimize your sites, you need to know what talk groups are most likely to be broadcast on what sites. When you're programming your Motorola or P25 trunk sites on a Whistler, you only have to input a list of every single control channel on every site you want to monitor, rather than having to break it out by site like on Uniden. Whistler has multi-site settings including Off, Roam, and Stationary. Off means, the scanner will find the first usable control channel and use it to track the systems without bothering to scan the others. Roam is used if you're driving or otherwise moving around and will lock onto the best site it can find based on your Threshold High and Threshold Low settings. Stationary allows you to scan through all decent quality control channels while you remain in one place. Butel software makes duplicating these scan lists much easier than using the keypad. All session notes with links to the items we talked about an be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session132 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support Don't forget to join us for our weekly net on Zello. For info, visit https://www.scannerschool.com/zello

Do you want to understand how trunking systems work? In this episode, Phil continues his miniseries about trunking systems, explaining how to most efficiently set up your Uniden DMA scanner for trunking, including sites, groups, quick keys, and more. What You Need To Know Episodes 129 and 130 are prerequisites for this episode. Trunking systems can have multiple sites that can run on their own or as one large networked site running as simulcast. Hypothetically, you could have sites for different regions of your state Ex north, south, east, west, and central each with their own control channel that would broadcast all the talk groups for all the radios affiliated on that site. Every time your scanner has to go to a new site, it first has to find the control channel, then check the system for active talk groups on your list. You should only program your scanner with sites that you expect to have the traffic you want to hear. you don't want to program every site in your state because many of them will be out of range. Each site you want to scan should be set up as its own quick key in the scanner so you can toggle them on and off as needed. Toggling some of the sites off as needed allows your scanner to only be scanning 1-2 sites at a time rather than 5 or more, making the trunking more efficient. For trunking, Phil recommends large systems that you can break down into groups. Groups make scanning more efficient because the scanner doesn't have to go in and out of sites repeatedly to check different scan lists. You want to make sure that each site you want is set up to its own scan bank, and within the system, you want to make sure that each group is set up as its own group key. You can assign more than one site per quick key. You can define up to 20 groups per system, and up to 10 quick keys per group; only assign quick keys to groups you want to toggle off and on. All session notes with links to the items we talked about an be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session131 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support Don't forget to join us for our weekly net on Zello. For info, visit https://www.scannerschool.com/zello

Do you want to understand how trunking systems work? In this episode, Phil explains how trunking system networks, sites, channels, and layers all work together and gives some examples both from his local area and more hypothetical use cases. What You Need To Know This episode ties into last week's episode about programming groups. A Motorola type 2 trunking system is capable of having 28 channels per site. A Smart Zone system is a collection of Smart Net systems Smart Zone networks have dynamic site assignments, meaning that if a radio or talk group is not affiliated with a site, then it does not need to be broadcast on that site. Although he uses a Motorola system as an example, these explanations also apply to DMR and P25 radio systems. In Phil's county, they have simulcast sites on different frequency bands. These sites on this system may or may not broadcast the same talk groups. Trunking systems have multiple sites in order to efficiently use the resources available, freeing up channels for local users. All session notes with links to the items we talked about an be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session130 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support Don't forget to join us for our weekly net on Zello. For info, visit https://www.scannerschool.com/zello

Do you understand the difference between a Group and a System your Uniden programming? In this episode, Phil explains use cases for groups and how to set them up, and how to create quick keys for them. What You Need To Know Groups are important to optimize your scanners for trunking. Systems are the container for your trunking and conventional systems in your DMA Scanner. Groups are where you store your frequencies or Trunk Group and Unit IDs. You can have up to 20 groups within the system. Each type of group and system can have their own quick keys defined. Using groups allows you to organize different precincts and battalions by location, for example, grouping all Manhattan NYPD frequencies separate from citywide NYPD frequencies. While you can add up to 20 groups per system, you can only map out 10 group quick keys. All session notes with links to the items we talked about an be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session129 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support Don't forget to join us for our weekly net on Zello. For info, visit https://www.scannerschool.com/zello

This month I answer: Is there any place in the US where law enforcement uses analog, unencrypted signals to allow you to use certain equipment like a radio that's inaccurately being marketed as a scanner? Can you disable certain frequencies in a statewide radio system to make a scan cycle go faster or will you be missing out on something? How do you know which radio and software upgrades will be most useful to you? What suggestions do you have for an HP2 that won't connect to the computer? All session notes with links to the items we talked about an be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session128 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support Don't forget to join us for our weekly net on Zello. For info, visit https://www.scannerschool.com/zello

Do you want to understand how a Yagi antenna works? In this episode, Phil explains the elements of a Yagi antenna, what they're used for, and even how to build your own. What You Need To Know Shintaro Udo and Hidetsugu Yagi created the antenna. A Yagi antenna is a directional antenna with at least two elements, usually three, mounted on a boom. The main element is the boom, where everything else is mounted. A Yagi usually includes a driven element, a reflector element, and a director element, all mounted on the same plane. The driven element is the main element, and it is what your feed line is connected to. Next, behind the driven element, you have the parasitic element called the reflector, and in front, you have the director element. The different elements are positioned to interfere with each other in a way that enhances the radiation and increases the directivity of the antenna. The longest element always sits behind the driven element, and that's how you know which is the front and back. A Yagi can be used to pick up signals far away from you You can use a Yagi antenna to try to overcome simulcast issues. Yagi antennas are typically built for a very small range of frequencies. You can get a cross-pole Yagi antenna, which is very popular with amateur radio and using satellites. It is possible to build your own Yagi antenna with some basic materials. All session notes with links to the items we talked about an be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session127 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support Don't forget to join us for our weekly net on Zello. For info, visit https://www.scannerschool.com/zello

Do you struggle to understand why antenna designs differ? In this episode, I explain antenna polarization and how the design impacts it. What You Need To Know Your antenna needs to be within the same polarity in order to receive what you're trying to receive. A vertically polarized antenna will pick up vertically polarized signals better than horizontal. Radio waves are oscillating sine waves, and the frequency at which they oscillate is measured in a hertz. Vertically polarized antennas are perpendicular to the earth's horizon Horizontally polarized antennas are parallel to the earth's horizon. Satellites are not in a fixed position, so we've needed to develop circular polarization to communicate with satellites when their polarization is constantly changing. Vertically polarized antennas are the most common in general, and horizontally polarized antennas are common in the scanner radio hobby world. A common example of vertical antennas is on cars. Cell phones are the most common example of a need for cross-pole antennas. Circular antennas are good for eliminating multi-path distortions. A GPS and some drones use circular polarization. All session notes with links to the items we talked about an be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session126 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support Don't forget to join us for our weekly net on Zello. For info, visit https://www.scannerschool.com/zello

The Spring (or Fall) to take inventory and make a note of how your radio setup is doing. Phil covers, antenna, masts, mounting, coax, and grounding. All session notes with links to the items we talked about an be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session125 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support Don't forget to join us for our weekly net on Zello. For info, visit https://www.scannerschool.com/zello

Many of you have have been submitting their questions and today I am answering some of them. This month I answer: Are there any scanners that are commercially available that are capable of Tetra decoding, and if not, what other options are there? What jacks are on the SDS-200? Is it possible to upgrade an HP2 to make it function more like an SDS-100 or SDS-200? How do you cross-reference what's available on Radio Reference with how it appears in Uniden's software? And more All session notes with links to the items we talked about an be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session124 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support Don't forget to join us for our weekly net on Zello. For info, visit https://www.scannerschool.com/zello

Do you want to find deals on used equipment on eBay? In this episode, Phil shares his do's and don't's of bidding on eBay auctions. Alls session notes with links to the items we talked about an be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session123 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support Don't forget to join us for our weekly net on Zello. For info, visit https://www.scannerschool.com/zello

Are you wondering what it's like to participate in a Scanner School Zello net? In this episode, Phil plays a recent Zello net chat for you to hear what it's like. All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session121 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support Don't forget to join us for our weekly net on Zello. For info, visit https://www.scannerschool.com/zello

Yes - Episode 122 is being released before episode 121... We are all starting to feel a little bit cooped up in our homes. Social distancing is the new normal and keeping inside may be driving you nuts. Today we go over 12 different radio ways you can keep yourself sane during an insane time. All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session122 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support Don't forget to join us for our weekly net on Zello. For info, visit https://www.scannerschool.com/zello

In this episode, Phil plays the live Ask Scanner School session he held on Facebook and YouTube. This month we answer: Has there been anything about new scanners on the horizon from Uniden or Whistler? Where should you look for tips if you're brand new to scanning? How to troubleshoot scanning on a Windows 10 Sentinel machine? What to do about a hum sound on an SDS-200? What impact will the passing of Paul Opitz at Uniden have on future scanner quality? Will Phil ever do an IceCast setup tutorial for Windows or Linux? Would Phil recommend Butel software for a beginner? What is the best antenna to use for your house without breaking the bank? Is there a known issue with the Radio Shack Pro 197 resetting its memory? How is the SDR class coming along? Does DSD support trunking? Can you fly with any of your scanning equipment? How can using quick keys benefit you? Is there a database to identify non-voice signals on scanners? What to do if you get an "Unknown" error? Are there certain settings to pay attention to, like filters, to improve your audio quality? All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session120 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support Don't forget to join us for our weekly net on Zello. For info, visit https://www.scannerschool.com/zello

Today we're talking about a classic, the Uniden BC780XLT. This radio came out in 2000 and it shook up the scanner radio market. Learn why the power that was behind it made it a go-to scanner for many people at the time and what was available for this model on the aftermarket. What You Learn in this Week's Podcast: Learn what the BC780XLT could do right out of the box. The BC780XLT was strictly analog. You can put a Motorola trunk system in the same bank as conventional frequencies. You can't mix two trunk systems in the same bank but you can mix conventional and trunking together. This model allows you to search out CTCSS and DCS tones. You can program 500 channels in 10 banks. It works well as a weather receiver You can program scan delays that are built-in per channel, and you can have a limit hold on each frequency. This scanner has channel alerts. A very cool feature is this scanner's versatile RS232 serial port. You have a tape-out on the back of the radio Program searches are built-in. You can pre-program ten search ranges and have selectable step sizes. The display was revolutionary for the time. There were many aftermarket software options for this model. People took this scanner with them and actually used it as a portable radio. Aftermarket Accessories Include: Protective carrying cases for portable use There was a way to have internal battery packs powering the scanner. AM and shortwave broadcasts modification An automatic mute with an RF sensor mod. Remote head kit. All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session119 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support Don't forget to join us for our weekly net on Zello. For info, visit https://www.scannerschool.com/zello

Have you ever wondered what it takes to set up a dispatch center? In this episode, Phil talks to his old friend Rob Bambino to discuss his company RF Designs. Rob's company specializes in consulting with fire departments and local law enforcement to build and maintain their dispatch centers and equipment. All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session118 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support Don't forget to join us for our weekly net on Zello. For info, visit https://www.scannerschool.com/zello

Where can you find frequencies that might have Coronavirus-related traffic? In this episode, Phil shares with you what he's listening to and makes suggestions for you to find what you might want to listen for in your area. What You Need To Know Some local radio frequencies will be encrypted, but don't expect everything to have encryption. You may be able to find local ambulance companies or EMS. Many of these dispatches give a rundown of symptoms before responders go in. Find frequencies for your local hospitals. Don't forget about news frequencies. Another suggestion is a university public safety office. On a national level, Phil suggests trying TSA, FEMA, and CBP. The NIFOG is a group with Homeland Security that responds in emergencies, and Phil has heard them in the past when they responded to Hurricane Sandy on Long Island. In search mode, maybe you'll hear something in aviation or rail, although rail is now being affected by the pandemic. All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session117 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support Don't forget to join us for our weekly net on Zello. For info, visit https://www.scannerschool.com/zello

How can you join the Scanner School community in a live Zello chat? In this episode, Phil walks you through how to create your Zello account and join the Scanner School group, and explains the purpose of the weekly Zello net chat and what sets it apart! For info, visit https://www.scannerschool.com/zello All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session116 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support

Many of you have have been submitting their questions and today I am answering some of them. This month I answer: Difficultly with monitoring in Sacramento California How do I program or add talk groups or frequencies to the GRE-PSR800 handheld scanner? What is the best scanner available? Who is the best source to purchase from? I have an SDS100. Can you tell me the flight watch move for the statewide system in Indiana? If you have a question about scanning, please visit www.scannerschool.com/ask and leave us a message via SpeakPipe or the local number on our website. We'll play your message on next month's #AskScannerSchool All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session1115 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support

Did you know you can use a free app to set up a live scanner feed? How can you get started? In this episode, I will walk you through how to set up a live feed of your scanner radio using the free app Zello, including equipment you'll need and how it compares to setting up a broadcast hosted on your own computer. PS - Join our NEW Zello channel! For info, visit https://zello.scannerschool.com What You Need To Know Zello is a free app for your smartphone or other smart device that wasn't originally built for the scanner radio hobby. Zello is a push-to-talk application that allows you to mimic the function of a two-way radio. It can be set up with "private rooms" where only one user can talk, or a few trusted users can talk, which makes it perfect for scanner radio broadcasts. There is almost no delay in the broadcast like there is with other online broadcasts. You can keep multiple rooms open at once. To broadcast your scanner, you need a Windows computer that's always on, a wired Internet connection, a radio scanner with output through a patch cable, potentially an additional sound card depending on your setup, and a separate Zello account just for the live stream. Know what your audio input is. Turn on Vox and set the activation threshold and deactivation threshold. To listen to your channel, open the app on your phone and search for the group you've created. All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session114 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support

Do you want to set up your own scanner live feed? How can you get started? In this episode, I'll walk you through how to set up a live feed of your scanner radio to be hosted on your home computer, from what hardware you need to specific software settings that need to be changed. All of this in less time than it takes to get a pizza delivered All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session113 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support

Does your area have a lot of rail traffic that you want to scan? How can you get started? In this episode, we have guest Joe Curtis. He shares about his background, his setup, how he monitors train location while trackside, and more. What You Need To Know Guest Joe Curtis shares his background and how he got into scanning rail networks. The equipment Joe uses and what's actually necessary to listen to rail traffic. What can you hear on a rail scanner? The first steps you should take if you want to listen to the rails. What does Joe hear most often when listening to the rails? You only need the basics to listen to the railroads because they haven't switched to digital yet. Listening to the railroad is a good alternative as police departments increasingly encrypt their radios. How Joe uses his iPhone to monitor train location with PC-based software. Joe and Phil discuss the benefits and limitations of different rail scanning setups. Joe shares advice for those interested in monitoring the railroads. All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session112 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support

Many of you have have been submitting their questions and today I am answering some of them. This month I answer: What is the best broadband bay station antenna on the market, and the top-performing mobile scanner? What SDR dongle do I use? How to find out if the radio in your area is encrypted. Is it possible to get around control channel delays? How can you fix it if you are getting no signal from something you know is an active channel? Is it possible to set up your own private scanner broadcast to listen to on your own home system or on your cell phone? If you have a question about scanning, please visit www.scannerschool.com/ask and leave us a message via SpeakPipe or the local number on our website. We'll play your message on next month's #AskScannerSchool All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session111 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support

The Uniden SR30C is the newest release by Uniden. Hitting the market in late 2019, this scanner replaces the BC75XLT as a their entry level scanner. With 500 memory channels, 10 banks, and limited features, is this a good scanner for the money? How does it compare to the BC75XLT, BC125AT, or UBC126AT? We break it all down in this week's podcast

Have you ever wondered how to record your scanner audio? What software tools and equipment would you need? In this podcast, we have guest Garrett Farwell. He shares about his background, his setup, how he records his scanner audio to PC, and why. All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session109 You can help support Scanner School by visiting our support page at www.scannerschool.com/support

Today we remember Rodney Paul "Upman" Opitz. Paul was the Director of Marketing and Product Development for Uniden. It is his work that gave us scanners such as the HomePatrol 1 & 2, The BCD436HP and BCD536HP, and the SDS100 and SDS200. Paul passed away at the age of 59 after losing his battle with cancer on Dec 28, 2019. All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session108

Many of you have have been submitting their questions and today I am answering some of them. This month I answer: What GPS should be used on the SDS100 & SDS200 Why is my USB hub transmitting? Why can't I unlock banks on my PRO-2055? Should I trade in my BCD436HP for an SDS100? Does it look like a SDS100 or SDS200 will be required to monitor the Alameda County Trunk System in California? If you have a question about scanning, please visit www.scannerschool.com/ask and leave us a message via SpeakPipe or the local number on our website. We'll play your message on next month's #AskScannerSchool All session notes can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session107 A big THANK YOU to our continued Patreon Supporters. You can support us on Patreon by clicking here. Please support the Scanner School podcast. Visit www.scannerschool.com/support to see how you can help us. Some of the ways you can support us won't cost you any additional money!

The Scanning hobby is ever-changing. Who would have though that at the start of the 2010's we would see touch screen scanners, be able to receive DMR and NXDN, and also use SDR's to pickup almost any signal out there? What will the next one hold? In this podcast, we discuss what has happened over the last decade in scanning and what might be coming in the future. What do you predict we will see in the hobby in the next 10 years? All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session106

I've been in the scanning hobby for about 30 years now. Here are some of the observations that I've made about the hobby since I started. I hope you enjoy this list! What are some observations you made about the hobby? All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session105

In this podcast, we discuss where you can find high-quality reviews for the equipment you are looking for. Are you searching for new or used equipment? What do people think about the products you're looking for? Sometimes "good" review for can be hard to find. All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session104

Are you not able to afford completely new equipment? How do you go about finding the best "used" equipment? What do you look for when buying "used" gear? In this podcast, we talk about what's changed in finding new gear, how to go about looking for used scanners and the best and safe ways for finding good used equipment. All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session103

Many of you have have been submitting their questions and today I am answering some of them. This month I answer: Should you be scanning NIFOG Frequencies and why they should be programmed into your scanner Scanning the Connecticut Land Mobile Radio Network and where to find the frequencies and talk groups What type of computer should you buy for radio programming What antennas would I recommend for basement dwellers? What do the filters do on the SDS100 and SDS200? Where do I see the hobby going in the next 10 years? Does it look like a SDS100 or SDS200 will be required to monitor the Alameda County Trunk System in California? If you have a question about scanning, please visit www.scannerschool.com/ask and leave us a message via SpeakPipe or the local number on our website. We'll play your message on next month's #AskScannerSchool All session notes can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session102 A big THANK YOU to our continued Patreon Supporters. You can support us on Patreon by clicking here. Please support the Scanner School podcast. Visit www.scannerschool.com/support to see how you can help us. Some of the ways you can support us won't cost you any additional money!

The holidays are just around the corner! Here is my scanner radio and accessory buyer's guide for the 2019 Holiday Season. Links to purchase all of these recommendations can be round at the link below. All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session101

We made it to session 100 of the podcast - and I have something new for you. A new community for all of you Scanner School members, called scannerschool.club This will not replace the existing Facebook Group, but will be a place for anyone to join. So if you don't like Facebook here is a way to network with your fellow Scanner School classmates.

Harrison Wilson returns to the podcast to discuss some tips and tricks on how to install your scanning in your vehicle. All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session99

Many of you have have been submitting their questions and today I am answering some of them. This month I answer: Why can't I update my SDS 200e? Is there a setting to allow me to listen to just My fire station or equipment that I need to do so? What external antennas do you recommend? How do you input frequencies when not using the Radio Reference Database? If you have a question about scanning, please visit www.scannerschool.com/ask and leave us a message via SpeakPipe or the local number on our website. We'll play your message on next month's #AskScannerSchool All session notes can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session98 A big THANK YOU to our continued Patreon Supporters. You can support us on Patreon by clicking here. Please support the Scanner School podcast. Visit www.scannerschool.com/support to see how you can help us. Some of the ways you can support us won't cost you any additional money!

We spoke about the dangers of using commercial radios on Session 81 of the podcast In this podcast, we talk about an actual incident of stolen radios that occurred in the Ohio MARCS P25 System. Several people were arrested for "stealing" and "pirating" stolen radios IDS that belong on the OHIO MARC Trunk Radio System. Those arrested were charged with the following: Engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity Aggravated theft Unauthorized use of computer, cable or telecommunications property Criminal simulation Impersonating a peace office What You Need To Know The Incident that sparked arrests for stolen radio I.D.'s The effect of the stolen pirated I.D.'s The charges attributed to the perpetrators. Can you actually steal a radio I.D.? What you need to be aware of. Why you need to scan with a scanner. Remember - this is now on the radar. People have been charged with possessing, selling, and programming commercial radios. If you want to monitor a trunk radio system, you are far safer to do so with a communications scanner and not a two way radio. If someone sees you using a two way radio, it can look suspicious. And now that people have been charged with this, what is to say there won't be more people in possession of personal two way radios that are monitoring a trunk system find themselves in trouble with the law as well. It is better to be safe than sorry! All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session97

While Whistler might have thrown in the towel on new radios, they have been busy upgrading the current TRX-1 and TRX-2 platforms, and released new accessories this month In this podcast, we talk about the latest upgrades and updates to Whistler's TRX-1 and TRX-2 Scanners. We also look at Whislter's new antenna lineup, which is quite interesting. What You Need To Know Features of the TRX-1e and TRX-2e updates What happens when you convert? How to upgrade to the new software. What happens to your weather button? Service searches unique to e-version: great for those outside U.S. and Canada. New products from Whistler: 3 new antenna Details and Specs for new antenna WMM-160 WMM-460 WMM-860 All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session96

In this podcast, I talk with our guest Nathan McMullin, who is the first repeat guest on the podcast and is an aviation major at Eastern Kentucky University. He shares today about combating the issues of simulcast, but in his own way. If you remember from Nathan's first interview (link in the notes below) we talked about how to scan on a budget. This includes monitoring a P25 simulcast system. Nathan is here to talk about how he is building upon that setup to be able to do more with it, and what he is doing to try to monitor a simulcast system with a Whistler 1040. What You Need To Know Updates on Nathan now and his current equipment setup. Using Zello as a streaming tool. What content is being streamed? Time needed for setup for streaming. Using Zello as a scanning tool. Utilizing the Whistler WS1040 on the simulcast system. Keys to working through the simulcast headaches. Common issues with decoding. Why laying the radio on the side helps. More suggestions for combating simulcast issues. Addressing issues from being between 2 sites. Isolating talk groups with OpenMHz.

Are you curious about a wide gamut of hobby radio topics? Have you wondered where you could find the most up-to-date info on hobby radios? In this podcast, our guest Chuck Gysi, who is the editor of National Communications Magazine shares about National Communications Magazine and its role in the industry. He talks about the ins and outs of producing a quality publication that brings the best information from the hobby radio world. All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session94

Many of you have have been submitting their questions and today I am answering some of them. If you have a question about scanning, please visit www.scannerschool.com/ask and leave us a message via SpeakPipe or the local number on our website. We'll play your message on next month's #AskScannerSchool If you are a little shy, you can always use the contact form on www.scannerschool.com/ask or use #askscannerschool on Twitter All session notes can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session93 A big THANK YOU to our continued Patreon Supporters. You can support us on Patreon by clicking here. Please support the Scanner School podcast. Visit www.scannerschool.com/support to see how you can help us. Some of the ways you can support us won't cost you any additional money!

What do preppers need to know about scanners? Do you know what to do before the emergency? What kind of scanners? How to set it up? In this podcast, we walk through all you need to know in detail! All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session92

What do you need to know about Amateur Radio DMR? Everything you need to know from getting your ID's to hardware to use. Our guest, Kenneth Fowler gives us some great insight into Amateur Radio DMR. All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session91

Here is a question that I receive often How do I properly set my squelch? In fact, it isn't always asked often enough, because sometimes I see radios where the squelch is set as high as it will go. In today's podcast, I explain how to properly set your squelch. All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session90

This is the "Health and Wellbeing" report of Scanner School. Find out what it takes to put a podcast together, how it costs, and what I am changing to make the podcast easier to produce and better for you. What are the additional future plans of Scanner School? Listen to find out

Many of you have have been submitting their questions and today I am answering some of them. If you have a question about scanning, please visit www.scannerschool.com/ask and leave us a message via SpeakPipe or the local number on our website. We'll play your message on next month's #AskScannerSchool If you are a little shy, you can always use the contact form on www.scannerschool.com/ask or use #askscannerschool on Twitter All session notes can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session89 A big THANK YOU to our continued Patreon Supporters. You can support us on Patreon by clicking here. Please support the Scanner School podcast. Visit www.scannerschool.com/support to see how you can help us. Some of the ways you can support us won't cost you any additional money!

Lou Carollo asked a question on last month's Ask Scanner School and by doing so, he won a free consulting call. This is our conversation as I help him with his SDS100 and why he is having issues listening to certain talk groups on the amateur radio DMR network. We also sort out some Sentinel issues. If you would like to book a consulting session, please visit www.scannerschool.com/consulting If you would like to ask a question for the podcast and enter to win a chance for your own free consulting call, please visit www.scannerschool.com/ask All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session88

Ben Hilburn is the project lead for GNU Radio. What is GNU Radio? GNU Radio is a free & open-source software development toolkit that provides signal processing blocks to implement software radios. Ben and I discuss what you can do with GNU Radio, why you might want to use it, and who else is using it and what they are doing with this software suite. Don't forget to check out GRCon this September and Ben's new podcast, Signals and Bits on www.gnuradio.org All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session87

Pete De Vasto is a self taught scanner radio user. Pete is also blind since birth. Pete and I discuss the ways that he sets up his scanners so he can keep track of what it is he is listening to, and how he uses text to speech software on his computer to program his radios. Pete and I also talk about the limitations that today's software has in them and how some changes to the software could make his programming tasks a lot easier. All session notes with links to the items we talked about can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session86

Many of you have have been submitting their questions via e-mail, and today I am answering some of them. If you have a question about scanning, please visit www.scannerschool.com/ask and leave us a message via SpeakPipe or the local number on our website. We'll play your message on next month's #AskScannerSchool If you are a little shy, you can always use the contact form on www.scannerschool.com/ask or use #askscannerschool on Twitter All session notes can be found on our website at www.scannerschool.com/session85 A big THANK YOU to our continued Patreon Supporters. You can support us on Patreon by clicking here. Please support the Scanner School podcast. Visit www.scannerschool.com/support to see how you can help us. Some of the ways you can support us won't cost you any additional money!