| A handheld radio scanner is often used for listening to | | | | because of that they might have additional features |
| emergency services, but there are other types of | | | | that the portable models can't because of their |
| communications that you can listen to also. They are | | | | smaller size. |
| usually used as a hobby, but they are also handy for | | | | Scanners today are capable of being programmed |
| investigators, journalists, and volunteers. | | | | with the ability of storing thousands of channels, and |
| Even though a lot of people call these radios police | | | | can monitor them in the hundreds per second. They |
| scanners, they can receive signals transmitted from a | | | | are meant to monitor and scan local VHF and UHF |
| large range of frequencies, and so you are able to | | | | bands in the RF frequencies. They also handle various |
| listen in on air traffic control, fire and ambulance | | | | methods of modulation such as AM, FM, and WFM. |
| services, race teams, and much more, as well as the | | | | A basic handheld radio scanner usually has 100 |
| police transmissions. | | | | channels, which is probably plenty for someone just |
| The most popular of hand held scanners are the | | | | starting out as a hobby. More sophisticated models |
| Uniden radio scanners, especially the Uniden Bearcat | | | | have up to 25,000 channels. An average scanner will |
| scanners. Bearcat scanners start with a basic model | | | | pick up transmissions up to 40 miles away, depending |
| with 100 channels, and go all the way up to models | | | | on the antenna being used. The scanner has a vast |
| with 25,000 channels, with many choices in between. | | | | range of frequencies to scan usually between 29 MHz |
| Modern scanners are controlled by microprocessors | | | | and 512 MHz. |
| and micro electronics and are designed to be light | | | | Basically a scanner is a radio communications receiver |
| weight and portable. Back in the 1970's, when they | | | | that can automatically scan, or tune into, at least two |
| first came out, they were very heavy, slow and | | | | frequencies. They have a squelch setting that can be |
| expensive, and their batteries were very large and | | | | adjusted in order to filter signals for more or less |
| heavy. Today there are also home based models | | | | sensitivity of interference or undesired transmissions. |
| available, and they are usually larger in size, but | | | | |