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Conventional/Wide-Band Scanner Comparison Chart
Features
Make
Shows the company that made the model. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Frequency Coverage
All ranges are rounded to the nearest megahertz (26.995 to 27) to conserve space. All (USA) scanners made after 1997 will not receive cell frequencies (824-849 and 870-894). (right-click/Back to return)
 
CTCSS/DCS
Some radios offer the ability to receive CTCSS (continuous tone coded squelch system) or PL (private line) tones and DCS (digital code squelch) or DPL (digital private line) tones. PL (sub-audible) tones are used to differentiate different users on the same channel. DPL (sub-audible) tones are used the same way but might be transmitted as tones or digital codes. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Alpha-tagging
Allows you to put text to a search bank, channel, or channel bank so you can more easily identify what you're hearing. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Channel Hit Counter
Counts the number of times a channel has been received. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Channel Alert Tone
Allows you to set the scanner to alert you if certain frequencies are received. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Signal Stalker I/II
Alerts you and detects information about nearby radio transmissions. Signal Stalker I - works “in the background” while scanning or by itself. You can set 1 frequency band where you want the scanner to look for transmissions and turn on a pager screening feature so the scanner ignores common pager frequencies. Signal Stalker II - allows you to watch for activity on all band frequencies or Police/Fire frequencies only. Signal Stalker II will not work in the background like Signal Stalker I or Close Call. Once an active frequency is found, the transmission is played through your scanner’s speaker, and you can quickly store it in any memory location. You can change the normal Signal Stalker II operation to the Special Signal Stalker II operation. If you lock out 5 frequencies within a 1 MHz segment, the scanner will skip that segment in subsequent sweeps. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Close Call/CC-DND
Alerts you and detects information about nearby radio transmissions. Close Call allows you select bands to look for transmissions, turn on a pager screening feature so the scanner ignores common pager frequencies, and has the ability to beep or flash the display. Newer models have Close Call Do-not-Disturb that will only look for signals when not receiving other scanning transmissions. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Police Alert
Alerts you to transmissions from 'mobile extender' radios within about 3 miles from the scanner. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Fire Toneout
A feature that allows your scanner can be set up to respond to fire tone-outs that use standard two-tone sequential paging. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Weather Alert
Allows you to set the scanner to receive SAME weather alert tones when they are broadcast. Most scanners will not scan while in alert mode. They will just sit (muted) and wait for a tone. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Weather Priority
Allows the scanner to check the weather channels every 5 seconds for a 1050 Hz weather alert signal and still scan or search. (right-click/Back to return)
 
VFO (Variable Frequency Oscillator)
An oscillator that tunes to a new frequency by adjusting a variable inductor or variable capacitor (tuner). (right-click/Back to return)
 
BFO (Beat Frequency Oscillator)
An oscillator used to enable Morse and single sideband transmissions. (right-click/Back to return)
 
AFC (Automatic Frequency Control)
Helps to lock in and stay and on a frequency. (right-click/Back to return)
 
AGC (Automatic Gain Control)
Automatically compensates for audio level variances in transmissions. (right-click/Back to return)
 
RF (Radio Frequency) Gain
Helps to remove undesired weak signals while monitoringr strong signals. The RF gain may be useful for setting a minimum level at which to hear signals for SSB/CW modes. (right-click/Back to return)
 
VSC (Voice Squelch Control)
Opens the squelch only when receiving a modulated signal with the Icom models. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Noise Limiter
Reduces noise components when AM mode is selected. Removes pulse-type noise when USB, LSB or CW mode is selected with the Icom models. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Repeater Reverse
Allows you to switch between input and output frequencies of a repeated frequency. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Memory Lock
A feature that will lock out any programming changes. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Speed Function
The Uniden models have switchable 'Turbo' and 'Normal' search speeds. The RS models have 'Hypersearch' for searching faster and 'Hyperscan' for scanning faster (usually in the bands with 5 KHz steps only). The newer models will do this automatically. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Memory (Bank) Scan
Scans channels programmed in memory channels. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Mode Scan
Scans channels with a specific receive mode. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Scan/Search Resume
An adjustable delay that sets the scanner to resume scanning/search automatically (before transmission ends) after a period of time. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Limit Search
A search that allows you to search between a programable upper and lower frequency such as between 150.000 and 155.000. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Service Search
Pre-programmed frequencies or search ranges for searching common frequencies like police, fire, weather, itinerant, etc. Usually not re-programmable. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Direct/Tune Search
Allows you to start searching at a specific frequency, usually up and down. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Band Search
Allows you to search pre-programmed frequency bands. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Full Search
Searches the full range (all bands) of the scanner. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Scan with Search
A feature in the newer Uniden models that allows you to search (service and custom) the same usual way except you are able to unlock (enable for search with scan) a band and set a 'hold' time that dictates how long the search runs before returning to scanning (or moving to the next search). The scanner will scan all the programmed (conventional and trunked) systems first then run all unlocked searches last. The scanner picks up the search the next time around where it left off. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Step Search
Allows you hold the search and step through the frequencies, usually up and down. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Auto Store
A feature that lets you set up the scanner to automatically search and store active frequencies into channels or banks. There is a 'dumb' auto-store which stores duplicate freqs (when the search repeats) or a 'smart' auto-store which only stores a frequency once. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Auto Sort
A feature that will sort the frequencies in banks in ascending order. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Power-On Resume
A feature that returns the scanner to the last function the scanner was doing when the radio was turned off such as scanning, trunking, or searching. Some newer models have the "welcome" screen you have to wait for to clear before they will resume. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Computer Interface
A computer interface allows you to communicate with the radio for uploading/downloading data to/from the radio. Beware there are one-way cables (for just uploading) and two-way cables (for uploading and downloading). Good idea to make sure you check with some place that knows about the radio like a newsgroup (and not Radio Shack). (right-click/Back to return)
 
Memory
Volatile memory means the scanner will lose its programming if the batteries or power is removed. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Scanner Reset
Allows you to reset or wipe out the scanner's memory (to the factory default?). (right-click/Back to return)
 
Monitor Function
Allows you to open the squelch to listen to weak signals. (right-click/Back to return)
 
AF Filter
An Icom feature that suppresses high-pitch tone noise. Not effective for FM mode. (right-click/Back to return)
 
Race Track Operation
A Uniden feature that allows you to scan cars in Race systems preprogrammed into the scanner (probably outdated by now). Also included are preprogrammed Conventional systems (Officials, Scoring, Media, etc.) for the race systems. You can also program your own race systems. As of this writing, only the SC230 and BR330T have this feature. Race systems allow you to program cars (by car number), program drivers for the cars (by name), program multiple frequencies (and PL/DPL, attenuation, receive mode, priority, and alert/tone settings) for each car and driver, and assign the car a quick key (0-9, just like a group quick key for a regular system). You can program as many 'Race' systems as you please but the scanner will only let you scan 1 race system at a time (along with any other conventional and/or trunking systems). (right-click/Back to return)
 
 
 
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Last updated
April 03, 2016
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