What kind of scanner do i need to listen to police

To add to the confusion; these change. Channels refers to the number of frequencies you can program into a scanner. Digital scanners have almost unlimited channels, so this is only a consideration for analog scanners. Banks are groups of channels.

Banks make listening easier as most users move from channel-to-channel within a bank while listening. For example, while listening to police channels in Cleveland I would move from channel to channel within that bank that I have set.

Search mode allows users to set the scanner to search all available channels in their area, including unpublished channels. This popular feature enables you to find a wide range of listening options from local business channels to FBI and local government channels. Almost all new scanners come standard with search mode.

When reviewing scanners it's important to look for frequency scan speed how many channels your scanner can search per second. We recommend choosing a scan speed above 30 channels per second. Anything slower than this you might find slow and annoying. Now that we've reviewed general scanning concepts we'll take a look at popular scanner features. We provide layman definitions below but link to resources where you can deep-dive if you're interested.

Now that you know the basic concepts of police scanners you can either shop for scanners or visit our guide on How to Buy the Best Police Scanner.

Are Scanners Legal? Your Cart. GPS allows users in vehicles to pinpoint their exact location, allowing new frequencies to load on their scanner as they move to new areas.

In some big cities such as Boston a basic scanner will work fine. But in Los Angeles as well as the backwoods of Michigan, Colorado and other states, you need a digital scanner. If you are unsure of the type of scanner you need for the area in which you'll be scanning, please check out our Compare Scanners page. A question we're frequently asked is how far can a scanner receive. There are so many factors involved that there's no easy answer to this question. Your elevation, the elevation and the power of the transmitting station, the frequency being used, and dozens of other factors all come into play.

Outdoor and single-band gain antennas and pre-amplifiers will improve reception and we offer these on our web site. Note that to scan the action at a sporting event, particularly an auto race, you have to be at the event itself to monitor. Please see our All About Scanners section for more information. Another consideration is whether you'd like to have an alpha display of what you're listening to. Scanners for years have displayed the radio frequency of agencies.

You can always see Regardless of whether your local police use an analog or digital system, a digital scanner will be able to access the frequency. Most modern police scanners rely on digital technology, so it is not difficult to find an effective option. Police retain the right to withhold information that can impact an ongoing investigation; which, in the past, led to encrypted frequencies i.

However, when different emergency departments tried to coordinate, these encrypted channels proved to be a risk. Most remain public to ensure open access during a time of crisis. Police departments transmit and receive on UHF bandwidths. While it is legal to listen to public transmissions in this range, you cannot transmit without a license.