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gear:scanner [2024/06/26 03:56] – [Encrypted Radio] Humphrey Boa-Gartgear:scanner [2025/09/30 22:44] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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 ====== Police Scanners ====== ====== Police Scanners ======
  
-The common **police scanner** is an essential intelligence-gathering tool for journalists, activists, neighborhood watch groups, spies, and more. With it, you can listen in on many of the conversations that law enforcement officers have with each other on their radios - from officers out on patrol, to the dispatch teams manning the radios at the precinct.+The common **police scanner** is an essential intelligence-gathering tool for journalists, activists, forward observers, neighborhood watch groups, spies, and more. With it, you can listen in on many of the conversations that law enforcement officers have with each other on their radios - from officers out on patrol, to the dispatch teams manning the radios at the precinct.
  
-The term "//police scanner//" is actually somewhat of a misnomer, as all of the devices described on this page can listen to more than just police frequencies, including fire/EMS, aircraft bands, marine radio, civilian walkie-talkie channels, and much much more.+The term "//police scanner//" is actually somewhat of a misnomer, as all of the devices described on this page can listen to more than just police frequencies, including fire/EMS, aircraft bands, [[gear:radio#marine-radio|marine radio]], [[gear:wx|weather radio]], [[gear:radio#frsgmrs-walkie-talkies|civilian walkie-talkie channels]], [[gear:radio#amateur-radio|amateur radio]], and much much more.
  
-Scanners are (usually) only capable of receiving audio. If you want to transmit, you will need a [[gear:radio|two-way walkie talkie or amateur radio]]+Scanners are (usually) only capable of receiving audio. If you want to transmit, you will need a [[gear:radio|two-way walkie talkie or amateur radio]].
  
 ===== Types of Scanners ===== ===== Types of Scanners =====
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 ==== Digital Scanners ==== ==== Digital Scanners ====
  
-If you are looking for maximum compatibility out-of-the-box with minimal configuration, you will need to pony up the cash for a **trunk-tracking digital scanner**. While they are a substantial investment up-front (especially if you have to purchase, yes **//purchase//**, a [[rr>Firmware_Upgrade_(Uniden_DMA_Scanners)|firmware update]] for your model), nothing beats having one of these mounted to your [[:vehicles|vehicle]] or [[gear:molle|tactical bag]], pre-programmed and ready to go.+If you are looking for maximum compatibility out-of-the-box with minimal configuration, you will need to pony up the cash for a **trunk-tracking digital scanner**. While they are a substantial investment up-front (especially if you have to purchase, yes **//purchase//**, a [[rr>Firmware_Upgrade_(Uniden_DMA_Scanners)|firmware update]] for your model), nothing beats having one of these mounted to your [[:vehicles|vehicle]] or [[gear:pals|tactical bag]], pre-programmed and ready to go.
  
 Some popular digital scanners with trunk-tracking capabilities include: Some popular digital scanners with trunk-tracking capabilities include:
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 [[wp>Software-defined radio]] (or **SDR**) is a simple type of radio tuner, which relies on piggybacked software to tell the radio what to do, instead of built-in firmware and hardware components. Many modern consumer radios are now glorified SDR's, as they are far cheaper to manufacture than your typical digital scanner. This is also extremely useful for hobbyists and other people with too much time on their hands, who can spend forever working on the perfect custom radio setup by tweaking some applications on their computer. [[wp>Software-defined radio]] (or **SDR**) is a simple type of radio tuner, which relies on piggybacked software to tell the radio what to do, instead of built-in firmware and hardware components. Many modern consumer radios are now glorified SDR's, as they are far cheaper to manufacture than your typical digital scanner. This is also extremely useful for hobbyists and other people with too much time on their hands, who can spend forever working on the perfect custom radio setup by tweaking some applications on their computer.
  
-The easiest way to get started with SDR, is with **RTL-SDR**, which is built off of the notoriously cheap and widely available [[https://www.realtek.com/Product/Index?id=615&cate_id=194|Realtek RTL2832U]]. For under fifty dollars, you can get an RTL-SDR starter kit from [[https://www.rtl-sdr.com/buy-rtl-sdr-dvb-t-dongles/|RTL-SDR Blog]] or [[https://www.nooelec.com/store/sdr/sdr-receivers/nesdr-smartee.html|Nooelec]], which works with any standard PC and even many phones, as long as you have the right software to make it work.+The easiest way to get started with SDR, is with **RTL-SDR**, which is built off of the notoriously cheap and widely available [[https://www.realtek.com/Product/Index?id=615&cate_id=194|Realtek RTL2832U]]. For under fifty dollars, you can get an RTL-SDR starter kit from [[https://www.rtl-sdr.com/buy-rtl-sdr-dvb-t-dongles/|RTL-SDR Blog]] or [[https://www.nooelec.com/store/sdr/sdr-receivers/nesdr-smartee.html|Nooelec]], which works with any standard PC and even many phones, as long as you have the right software to make it work. With RTL-SDR you can only receive (no transmit) which is fine if you are using it as a scanner, though some high-end SDR models let you transmit as well.
  
 **Note: If you choose to go the RTL-SDR route, __do so through Nooelec or RTL-SDR Blog__. Because anyone can order a crate of these RTL2832U chips and haphazardly slap them in a case, there are many RTL-SDR knockoffs which are infamously unreliable. DO NOT try to cheap out on these already inexpensive chips by going to Aliexpress or eBay, as YOU WILL REGRET IT.** **Note: If you choose to go the RTL-SDR route, __do so through Nooelec or RTL-SDR Blog__. Because anyone can order a crate of these RTL2832U chips and haphazardly slap them in a case, there are many RTL-SDR knockoffs which are infamously unreliable. DO NOT try to cheap out on these already inexpensive chips by going to Aliexpress or eBay, as YOU WILL REGRET IT.**
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 ===== Encrypted Radio ===== ===== Encrypted Radio =====
  
-Some police departments really do not like the general public listening to their conversations, and so they **encrypt** their transmissions. In some cities they will only encrypt some channels, and leave others open. In other cities, they encrypt everything. In either case, when it comes to encrypted frequencies, you will only hear a bunch of noise if you try to tune in. Short of having a person inside the police department to steal one of their radios (which will be remotely disabled once someone notices it is missing, and then you will be hunted down) there is no way around this. Even if you don't steal a radio, it might even still be illegal in your locality to even try and bypass this encryption through any other means.+Some police departments really do not like the general public listening to their conversations, and so they **encrypt** their transmissions. In some cities they will only encrypt some channels, and leave others open. In other cities, they encrypt everything. In either case, when it comes to encrypted frequencies, you will only hear a bunch of noise if you try to tune in. Short of having a person inside the police department to steal one of their radios //(which **WILL** be remotely disabled once someone notices it is missing, and then **YOU WILL** be hunted down)// there is no way around this. Even if you don't steal a radio, it might still be illegal in your locality to try and bypass this encryption through any other means.
  
 For an list of agencies known to use encrypted communications, check out [[rr>Encrypted_Agencies|this list at the RadioReference Wiki]]. For an list of agencies known to use encrypted communications, check out [[rr>Encrypted_Agencies|this list at the RadioReference Wiki]].
  
  
-{{tag>Gear Radio}}+{{tag>Gear Radio Recon}}
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