While there are all kinds of live audio feeds from police and fire scanners online, there is nothing quite like owning your own scanner, even if it is just for entertainment purposes. Programs can be downloaded from the internet which keep a live feed going, but a hand-held device can be useful and entertaining in certain local areas, especially if there is not an internet feed for that area.
Police Scanner
Handheld police devices typically come with sixteen hundred channels, sometimes even up to twenty-five hundred channels, programmable search ranges, remote control and programmability from a PC interface, search lock outs, backlit display screens, preprogrammed frequencies for highway patrol for each state, frequencies for the Department of Transportation and local police channels available when moving or traveling from place to place, and sometimes even weather broadcasts. Typically covers bands 25 to 54, 108 to 174, 406 to 512, and 806 to 956.
Fire and Weather Scanners
Typically, fire and weather scanners are included in high quality base scanners. These base scanners include fire, amateur radio, public utilities, weather, ambulance and police functions. They usually have at least three hundred channels, preprogrammed service searches, Close Call RF capture technology, search lockouts and 800 MHz scanning technology.
Airport Scanner
These come in “wand” form which can easily be waved around the body to check for metallic objects. The Garrett handheld scanner features tip pinpointing to properly scan suspicious areas, and you can choose between audible and silent or vibrating signals if detection is made. It has auto-adjusting sensitivity. The Pro-Scan metal detector has an audible sound and a visible red light that comes on if potential danger is detected. The sensitivity can be adjusted to detect a pen knife or even a razor blade. The Pro-Scan II has a twenty percent larger scanning area.
All of these scanners can be found and bought online. They come with instruction manuals, so that you can learn how to get the most use out of your purchase. Many features, including both handheld and base units, are available. Battery powered and electrical cords options are given, too. Scanning frequencies can be adjusted and tuned to individual specifications and tastes. There is a wide variety of police, fire, weather and airport scanners available online for the sake of your curiosity and entertainment.
