# Can an analog police scanner be used for anything? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 8, 2011, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-analog-police-scanner-be-used-for-anything/581113 "2011-05-08T02:18:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-analog-police-scanner-be-used-for-anything/581113/1 "2011-05-08T02:18:23Z")
I recently bought an analog police scanner on eBay (Uniden Bearcat model) mostly because I liked the 70s-style faux woodgrain trim on it. Apparently the unit is in full working order. But I just learned that the local emergency services use all digital technology for their communications and that an analog scanner won’t pick up the signals - so apparently the device I just bought is obsolete. It would still look cool on my desk, but it would be an added bonus if I could actually do something with it. Will this scanner pick up any other signals? Can it be used to tune into weather, transportation or any other communications that might be intriguing? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-analog-police-scanner-be-used-for-anything/581113/2 "2011-05-08T03:32:08Z")
Probably. You should be able to get weather on one of the seven frequencies at the bottom of [this page](http://www.weather.gov/nwr/). Assuming it’s air-band capable, you should be able to listen to planes on it. If you’re near a railroad, you should be able to listen to rail operations too. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-analog-police-scanner-be-used-for-anything/581113/3 "2011-05-08T04:20:50Z")
Weather, old school cordless phones, airport. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-analog-police-scanner-be-used-for-anything/581113/4 "2011-05-08T04:23:25Z")
Weather, old school cordless phones, airport. Some of the higher end models can be easily modified to pick up one side of cell phone conversations. These are in high demand on ebay. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-analog-police-scanner-be-used-for-anything/581113/5 "2011-05-08T04:27:22Z")
What kind of range are we talking about here? ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-analog-police-scanner-be-used-for-anything/581113/6 "2011-05-08T04:41:41Z")
Not to attack your personal taste or anything: > [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > mostly because I liked the 70s-style faux woodgrain trim on it. But we definitely need a [Mr. Yuck](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/ff/Poison_Help.svg) smiley on these boards! You’ll be able to pick up quite a few frequencies as not all agencies have gone digital. It fact lots of analog radio freqs are still out there. Unfortunately the list will get smaller and smaller as time goes by, and eventually the device will be useless. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![FoundWaldo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@FoundWaldo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoundWaldo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-analog-police-scanner-be-used-for-anything/581113/7 "2011-05-08T04:48:32Z")
The range is the same range as whoever you’re listening to it would have, assuming equally capable antennas. Of course, the built-in antenna probably isn’t great. And in the case of aircraft, they have the advantage of being high above the terrain and out of at least some of the RF interference, so they can hear the tower from quite a bit further than you could. But if you’re anywhere near an airport, you should be able to hear something. I remember listening to voice pagers on a scanner years ago. Those were the days. Does anyone even have voice pagers anymore? Does any company still offer that service? ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-analog-police-scanner-be-used-for-anything/581113/8 "2011-05-08T04:53:08Z")
I’ll take faux woodgrain any day over the wretched, vile, fake-chrome-silver-grey-plastic horseshit that appliance design has been infested with for the past 10 years. 1970s Boogie Nights style modernist design is badass looking, in my opinion. [These](http://pichaus.com/media-technology-retro-1970s-@d20e7743a8c6b2b90b079fefa716831f/) designs, by Alex Varnese, of a fictional '70s cell phone, laptop, MP3 player and handheld Atari are pretty much my dream come true. [Here](http://rigreference.com/img/rigs/9/4516/uniden-bearcat-bc175xl.jpg) is a picture of the model scanner I bought…I love the way this stuff looks. That design aesthetic, to me, is awesome compared to today’s technology. ---
**Author:** ![FoundWaldo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@FoundWaldo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoundWaldo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-analog-police-scanner-be-used-for-anything/581113/9 "2011-05-08T05:08:22Z")
That’s old school, but at least it’s not so old school that it takes crystals. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-analog-police-scanner-be-used-for-anything/581113/10 "2011-05-08T05:30:17Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I’ll take faux woodgrain any day over the wretched, vile, fake-chrome-silver-grey-plastic horseshit that appliance design has been infested with for the past 10 years. > > 1970s Boogie Nights style modernist design is badass looking, in my opinion. [These](http://pichaus.com/media-technology-retro-1970s-@d20e7743a8c6b2b90b079fefa716831f/) designs, by Alex Varnese, of a fictional '70s cell phone, laptop, MP3 player and handheld Atari are pretty much my dream come true. > > [Here](http://rigreference.com/img/rigs/9/4516/uniden-bearcat-bc175xl.jpg) is a picture of the model scanner I bought…I love the way this stuff looks. That design aesthetic, to me, is awesome compared to today’s technology. Hey, you like what you like, don’t let anyone dictate your sense of taste. I’m still taking shit because I want them to make Augsburger, Weber, Kingsbury, and Red/White/& Blue beer again. I just don’t personally like woodgrain. My wife insisted once I buy her a car that had a woodgrain interior. It could have been a freaking Ferrari and I would have hated that car. Tri-fugly if you ask me! ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-analog-police-scanner-be-used-for-anything/581113/11 "2011-05-08T05:31:00Z")
There’s a lot you can still pick up on analog. Half the phones in my neighborhood are analog, so I can listen to all kinds of fun things while I take a walk. Military, FBI, SS, malls, businesses, trains, planes & more. Here’s a few links to help you get started: [http://www.radioreference.com/](http://www.radioreference.com/) It’s the database of everything. [http://www.milaircomms.com/](http://www.milaircomms.com/) [http://www.strongsignals.net/access/content/contents.cgi](http://www.strongsignals.net/access/content/contents.cgi) ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-analog-police-scanner-be-used-for-anything/581113/12 "2011-05-08T05:32:08Z")
Awesome, thanks for the info everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-analog-police-scanner-be-used-for-anything/581113/13 "2011-05-08T05:46:22Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > [These](http://pichaus.com/media-technology-retro-1970s-@d20e7743a8c6b2b90b079fefa716831f/) designs, by Alex Varnese, of a fictional '70s cell phone, laptop, MP3 player and handheld Atari are pretty much my dream come true. Yeah, that’s a very good mock 1970s aesthetic. (I should know. I _always_ mock 1970s aesthetics. ;)) ---
**Author:** ![bahia\_hombre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@bahia\_hombre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bahia_hombre)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-analog-police-scanner-be-used-for-anything/581113/14 "2011-07-04T21:33:16Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > Probably. You should be able to get weather on one of the seven frequencies at the bottom of [this page](http://www.weather.gov/nwr/). Assuming it’s air-band capable, you should be able to listen to planes on it. If you’re near a railroad, you should be able to listen to rail operations too. I have a 1990’s Uniden Bearcat scanner and since I’ve moved I haven’t been able to pick up anything at all, even on the weather frequencies from your link. I hadn’t used it for several years probably and I’m wondering if the electronics have gone bad. It still powers on, I can select bands, and the freq. no.'s roll by on the display, it just never stops on anything. Actually, I’d like to sell it on Ebay but not if it’s now defective. Thanks for any thoughts you might have. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-analog-police-scanner-be-used-for-anything/581113/15 "2011-07-04T22:17:07Z")
> [@bahia\_hombre](#): > > I have a 1990’s Uniden Bearcat scanner and since I’ve moved I haven’t been able to pick up anything at all, even on the weather frequencies from your link. I hadn’t used it for several years probably and I’m wondering if the electronics have gone bad. It still powers on, I can select bands, and the freq. no.'s roll by on the display, it just never stops on anything. Actually, I’d like to sell it on Ebay but not if it’s now defective. Thanks for any thoughts you might have. move the squelch control so you hear noise, then move it so the noise just disappears. try 162.4, 162.425, 162.45, 162.475, 162.5, 162.525, 162.55 MHz ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-analog-police-scanner-be-used-for-anything/581113/16 "2011-07-04T23:25:52Z")
You are right-the 1970’s were a time of designer dreangement-they seemed to think that anything could be made better by slapping cheap fake woodgrain on it. Blenders, radios, vacuum cleaners…you name it. Upon occasion, you see a Chrysler with fake wodgrain sides slapped on-looks like crap. ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-analog-police-scanner-be-used-for-anything/581113/17 "2011-07-05T00:02:39Z")
146.640 MHz, Bloomington amateur radio weather spotters frequency. Waaaaay beck in 1990, I bought a scanner, found that frequency, and 7 years later got my license. I’m sorry to hear the BPD has gone digital. I used to listen to them a lot. ---
**Author:** ![bahia\_hombre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@bahia\_hombre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bahia_hombre)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-analog-police-scanner-be-used-for-anything/581113/18 "2011-07-05T01:27:41Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > move the squelch control so you hear noise, then move it so the noise just disappears. > > try 162.4, 162.425, 162.45, 162.475, 162.5, 162.525, 162.55 MHz Thanks. This convinces me that it’s not working so off to Goodwill it goes. Maybe someone can harvest something from it. ---
**Author:** ![Pitter\_Patter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90db22/32.png) [@Pitter\_Patter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitter_Patter)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-analog-police-scanner-be-used-for-anything/581113/19 "2011-07-05T06:35:17Z")
This was sort of touched on earlier, but you can hear 2 Meter ham radio transmissions from 114-148 Mhz and 70cm band which goes from 430 Mhz-450 give or take a few Khz. Interesting stuff. Hold onto it. KI4JQM ---
**Author:** ![2gigch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2gigch1/32/3313_2.png) [@2gigch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2gigch1)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-analog-police-scanner-be-used-for-anything/581113/20 "2011-07-05T09:15:16Z")
> [@bahia\_hombre](#): > > Thanks. This convinces me that it’s not working so off to Goodwill it goes. Maybe someone can harvest something from it. Could be a bad antenna, or perhaps where the antenna attaches to the board is broken. I have had this happen before and it was an easy solder to fix. If you can open up your scanner look for a crack in the wire and/or solder attachment on the board. Also try swapping antennas if you can. Dittos on the RadioReference website; plenty of analog frequencies are there.