Has a scanner helped you avoid a ticket?

[Eleggua]

I've been wanting a scanner, thinking that perhaps on drives on the freeway that I'll hear about lidar/radar traps and can attempt to be more careful in those areas.

Is this a reasonable assumption?

Has a scanner ever helped you be aware of traffic enforcement operations?

If they have ever helped you (or better still, if it regularly helps you like that) I'd like to get one. So the question is, which one?

I'm in the Seattle/Tacoma area and if I get one, I'd like it to be the best. I'd probably want a portable one as I don't want to mount one in my Lexus unless that's the only way to go.

I'd like to be able to program it (don't mind buying software) without to much difficulty - though I don't mind an initial learning curve.

Price is not a determining factor, capability and state-of-the-art capabilities are what I would be caring about most.

Thanks.

[bart99gt]

Cops rarely identify where they are unless asked by the dispatcher or when making a stop, so a scanner is not of much use to avoid tickets.

It is possible to hear them running a stationary trap, but again, they're usually just announcing speeds and description of vehicles. Hardly the kind of information you need to avoid the trap altogether.

[Eleggua]

Interesting. Thanks.

So, a scanner is more for the enjoyment of hearing what's going on?

I remember about 1991 or so, I had a scanner that picked up cordless phones and cell phones. I never laughed so hard in all my life. Someone within range of my scanner had called a 900 number and was talking with the woman on the other end of the call. She told him that she could not talk explicitly due to legal restrictions but wanted to describe her wet peach to him.

I was rolling with laughter. She kept him on the phone for a long time. And at $3.99 a minute, it really added up. LOL

I heard that it's hard to get a scanner that has cellular unblocked these days. Is that true?

[bart99gt]

Yeah, its impossible to get a new scanner/receiver in the US that is capable of receiving cellular transmissions without having a legitimate need (read: law enforcement). Of course there are still plenty of used ones around that are capable of receiving cellular bands or can be modified to do so, but in all honesty, there isn't much analog cellular to even receive any longer, so its kind of pointless. I've noticed that the older cell capable scanners don't carry that much of a premium any longer, probably for that reason alone.

But yes, listening to the police is more about finding out what's going on around you more than gleaning any useful information. There is one particular situation where having a scanner was very helpful. I was driving down the road in a town I used to live in on the south side of Atlanta, and picked up a BOLO for a minivan that was just involved in an armed robbery. Wouldn't you know it that the van was in the next lane, about two cars up from me. I instantly got on my cell and called 911 and stayed on the phone with the operator until the cops got a roadblock setup a few miles ahead. All of a sudden about two or three patrol cars go whooshing by me and the road is completely blocked off by the city PD. They surround the guy and get him pulled over pretty quickly. Talk about a rush!

[Eleggua]

That sounds like a real rush. That's an instance I would have called as well.

Did you tell the 911 operator that you had a scanner?

Well, it sounds like this would be fun to get. I love toys. LOL

Any recommendations?

I've been looking at the Uniden BCD 396T. I understand it's difficult to program but if I buy a program, it can be done easier.

What I'd probably do is get a car power adapter, and plug it into an aux. sound input so I can run it through my speakers - at least once in awhile.

Any thoughts, or recommendations?

[Lucky225]

Can't say it's helped me avoid or 'elude' police, not that I would use it for that anyway. But it is great to hear what kind of information comes over the scanner about you when you're pulled over. For instance if you hear the dispatcher ask the officer if he's '10-35' in California, it means she's about to give out some confidential information that the person being stopped shouldn't hear, i.e. an outstanding warrant, suspended license, past history of violent crime, etc.. helps you come up with a story BEFORE he gets back to your car.

[camkuhns]

I have taken a scanner along with me on a couple of occaisions where it helped me avoid getting caught in an area where the state patrol was doing speed checks by air.

[Orbital75]

Any recommendations?

I've been looking at the Uniden BCD 396T. I understand it's difficult to program but if I buy a program, it can be done easier.

What I'd probably do is get a car power adapter, and plug it into an aux. sound input so I can run it through my speakers - at least once in awhile.

Any thoughts, or recommendations?

Well, I have a BC246T and have gotten plenty of enjoyment out
of it. I purchased the ARC246 programing software with it and
I found it very easy to program. In all honesty, it really depends
on if your area uses Digital. The BC246T is just an 800mhz Analog
Trunking scanner that doesn't have digital capabilities. Digital Scanners start at around $500.00 and there really no need to spend that kinda
money if your city doesn't use it.

Take a look at Radio Reference to look up what your City/State uses.
http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR

f you need any more help, I'd be glad to help out.

[Eleggua]

Thanks Orbital75.

In looking at that link, I find the following trunking systems in use in areas I frequent:

Motorola Type II Smartnet
Motorola Type II SmartZone
Project 25 Standard

The project 25 standard says something about a wireless system, and I don't know if that means phones - if so, it's probably not accessible.

Anyway, are the types above digital? I couldn't tell by what they listed if they are digital.

Other than the above, I see examples like this:

Frequency Input Type Tone CH Description Mode
155.58000 158.79000 RM 100.0 PL F-3 Seattle/North King County FM

Is that what would be entered into the scanner?

And based on this info, would I need a digital scanner?

[McArcane]

i have a bct 12 with the trunktracking and it just saved my ass late night in nebraska. I was crusinig along solo at about 3 am over the psl and the true lock lite up telling me that there was HP in the area. I slowed down to psl and about 2 miles up the road got lit up by laser on the v1. Had i not had the advanced warning of the scanner i would have been toast! This is the only time it really saved me, although i did notice that using the scanner with the v1 produced some very interesting results. Often the scanner would pick up a HP signal and then shortly the v1 would start chirping and i would see a leo some where up the road taking radar or having someone pulled over. I found it not completely reliable though because it only goes to 800mhz and a lot of towns out of that range now. Definatly can save you though and most of all its just nice to know whats going on around you.