Curiosity is an instinct of mankind which urges us to gather intel about our surroundings and be well-informed. To satiate this thirst, man has continued to develop technologies that allow him to gather information about the world around him as soon as possible. This is the cause of the existence of telecommunication devices like radio and tv. One of the devices which were born as a result of the keen nature of man is the Police Scanner. A police scanner (also called radio scanner) is a device that can “scan” different radio frequencies and allow you to listen to particular ones.
A police scanner is designed to be tuned to the particular frequencies used by police and other departments. It looks for the channels that are in use at the moment and allows you to listen to two-way radio calls. You can overhear the two-way calls made by the police and the fire department. It is like a live commentary of the scene where the incident takes place. In this way, you can not only be aware of what’s happening near you but you can also learn how the whole incident unfolds. Though it may look immoral to some people (you know like eavesdropping), however, it is quite handy for people like journalists as they are quite keen. The police and the fire departments are not the only ones you can listen to, it allows you to hear people talk about business, like taxi firms, airport affairs, transport companies, etc.
The scanners have evolved with time and many new parts and accessories have been added to them and they have gained a no. of new features. Like some scanners have weather radio band providing you with weather broadcast. Others have fire-tone outfitted in them. They can also have multiple memory banks that can be dedicated to various purposes like air traffic control and ship port communication etc.
The most significant type of accessories that can improve the performance of your scanner include antennas and GPS (there are others like audio, cables, batteries, software, etc. but they don’t make much of a difference. A high-quality antenna is required for better working of your scanner and to catch signals. Some of the highly recommended scanner antennas which can improve the no. of frequencies available, the area covered, and the quality of sound, are those from Laird, Larsen, and Uniden. These can enhance your scanner’s functioning.
GPS is another useful feature when it comes to police scanners. Normally you have to enter a ZIP code to allow your scanner to self-program according to your location. However, if you use a GPS in it, you don’t have to bother with it as the GPS sends your location to the scanner. It may not be that useful for those who stay at home but it is indeed helpful to those who travel a lot.
To sum up the importance of a police scanner and why you need it, it is a very useful device not only to be a well-informed citizen but also for having some fun in your spare time.