Encrypted signals cannot be picked up on any scanner.All communication is moving to digital.To add to the confusion-these change without much notice. Where you live & what you want to listen to are the main determinates of what format you need.Īdditionally, every county, state, agency & business is different. To help with this, watch our "H ow to Buy a Police Scanner" video below: This guide was designed to guide you through picking the best police scanner for your specific area and needs.Ĭhoosing the correct format is the most important (& confusing) part of buying a police scanner. However, as Bob Dylan famously said, things have changed.Īdvances in radio technology and digital systems have made finding the right scanner for your area is slightly more complicated than it used to be. In the olden days of scanning, this was as easy as switching on an analog (or Crystal) scanner and waiting for the calls to roll in. Most people use police scanners to monitor the law enforcement, fire, and EMS activity in their local area, as well as stay up-to-date on severe weather or emergency alerts. They are relatively simple to obtain, use, and set up. Scanners a powerful means of keeping tabs on all public agencies in your city.
Police scanners are one of the best worst-kept secrets in the history of modern technology. Scanners give you a live feed of the public safety activity in your area, granted you have the ability to hear police reports, EMS calls, firefighter activity, weather alerts, and more.