Police Radio Scanner
Do you turn on the TV only to find that everything is blatantly scripted and lacking energy? Well, if you are looking for a whole new source of real entertainment, try a police radio scanner. There are obviously other reasons why you could use a police scanner as well but in general they are sometimes entertaining.
Unless you live in a city with a huge population you should not expect constant fireworks. You may have to wait a few days before hearing anything interesting on the scanner. Still, it can be very cool to know exactly what is going on in your city at all times.
How Do Police Radio Scanners Work
A police radio scanner gets aligned with the frequencies used with your local police and various other government related groups. There are a number of frequencies you can turn to with this scanner and it is not just all police channels. Once you program the scanner to a police channel you will be able to use it fully. You can find the specific frequencies in certain guides and you should be able to find them online.
There is no limit to what you will hear on the scanner. In some cases not everything will be discussed into detail but you can get a good idea of what is going on. You can listen to calls made between police officers in regards to crimes in progress, auto accidents, reported shootings, and more. The only down side would be that the police use a different language to identify with specific crimes.
Police Radio Talk
To be able to fully enjoy your police radio scanner you will need to know the language that they speak on the scanner. Not every word will be difficult to understand but rather it is simply used for reporting a crime or details of a stop. These are more commonly known as “10 Codes” and there are quite a few to go through. You may want to print out a copy of the list to have on hand until you fully memorize all the codes.
The most well known code would be 10-4, otherwise used as “10-4 over”. This basically means that the person has heard and understood what the other officer on the radio said. Some examples of other codes include 10-32 (drowning), 10-71 (shooting), and 10-79 (bomb thread). In many areas the more extreme calls are a rarity so it is only important to perfectly know the more common 10 codes.
While 10 codes are extremely common there may be some police departments that also use other codes as well. The alternative would likely be letter codes such as “ADW” for assault with a deadly weapon. Some of these codes just take common sense to understand but you could easily compile a list to print off and have on hand.
Buying a Police Radio Scanner
Before jumping the gun and spending a few hundred dollars on a police radio scanner you should consider your options. In many cities you can listen to the same scanner for free via live streams on the Internet. This may be an option for you so it would be suggested to do a quick search before buying the actual scanner.
If you choose to purchase a police radio scanner then you will have to decide what type you are looking to get. You have two main choices which are a portable and wired scanner. The portable model is about the size of a walkie-talkie. A wired scanner will vary in size but is usually a bit larger. Keep in mind that the portable scanner would be able to plug in to your power outlet via AC adapter. You could also bring it while you go out. Alternatively, you could find a police radio scanner to implement in your vehicle if you wish.
There are many options when buying a police radio scanner. You will want to look around for the best model available. The poorly made models will have a lot of static while there is no talking. Some older models are even too loud to leave on and be able to hear the TV at the same time. Read up on further details for specific models so you do not end up buying a low quality scanner.
