So I am hoping to get a question answered by some spotters here…
I was just about to invest in a new scanner for while I am out spotting and the lady at Radio Shack told me that will have to get a digital scanner because all of the airports have converted to digital and that a regular old $100 analog scanner will be useless.
Is this true?
Bummer if so because the cheapest digital scanner they had was $449.99.
Any insight is appreciated.
Thanks!!!
That’s BS, don’t listen to her. All aviation bands are still analog AM.
I have a triple-trunking analog that I got for $150 (Radio Shack PRO-97), and it works perfectly.
Good thing you didn’t buy it right away, It’s sad thats how they make money by Bull S**ting people and acting like the customer doesn’t know anything about what they are buying.
I have a Uniden BC246T. Pretty much the same as the PRO-97. I recommending getting a larger antenna.
Newark: I got the antenna you suggested. Works like a charm. THX!
Nice, glad to hear you like it!
I’m sorry, it’s late, I may have missed something. But, which antenna are you speaking of, and is it compatible with a Sporty’s SP-125 radio?
so I ended up getting the PRO-94 at radio shack…I don’t know how I feel about it yet…I am going spotting tomorrow down at KMSP.
I live about 25 miles north of MSP and from home I am able to pick up a faint signal from Minneapolis Center on 126.300.
Wich me luck!
It is this antenna:
radioshack.com/product/index … age=search
And all antennas are compatible with any radio. It’s a universal thing that is the same on every scanner.
Yes, it’s incorrect as stated. However, because of frequency congestion the separation which was always 25kHz is being reduced to 8.33kHz. This has already happened in parts of Europe, don’t know about the US. What this means to your scanner will depend on the model; I can see how older ones would ‘skip over’ the new frequencies. Maybe that’s what she meant, in a confused sort of way.
I live 13 miles from BNA, I was wondering if it would be worth the $$$ to buy a scanner? I can’t make it out to the airport much, but just for home use. Would I be able to pick up the signal from my house?? Thanks!!!
You can pick up feeds from the internet, But I have been trying to find a site that has the feed but I can’t find one. Do you know of any sites???
I was under the impression that rebanding would only effect the 800mhz frequency range, mostly the trunked systems?
I agree 100% with 777. What she did was a POOR attempt to “upsell” you. What is with Radio Shack these days? I knew they were bad with the whole digital or HDTV myth when it came to TVs, but now this?
Stick with the $100 one.
Yep, unless you need trunking capabilities (which isn’t used by aviation), you can get a very good one for $100 or less.
There is a lesson to be learned here. Unless somebody is holding a lighter to your butt after soaking your pants in gasoline, do not go to Radio Shack for anything!
Remember: friends do not let friends go to Radio Shack.
It’s not so much going to Radio Shack, it’s asking for help there that’s the problem. When I go, I go knowing exactly what I need, usually with the product ID# I looked up online. If you depend on the employees for help, you’re screwed.
When I went to get the antenna, the guy had no idea what it was or where to find it. Took him like 15 min. to find it in back.
It’s not really true that all antennas are compatible with any radio. It depends on the connector type. My Radio Shack scanners all use ‘BNC’ connectors. Other brands may use other connectors. It sure is a pain to buy a new antenna and then have to solder on a different connector.
At least when it comes to Radio Shack and Uniden, however, most radios I have come in contact with have had the standard BNC connector. Always smart to check beforehand, though.
No, the 8.33kHz frequencies are already in use in Europe for the aviation band (118-136). Maybe elsewhere, although I don’t know for sure.
I would expect that most of the current TWR and APP freqs will remain unchanged, so ‘old’ scanners wouldn’t miss much for a few years yet. Only a relatively few airplanes (mostly airliners) are 8.33 equipped so far.