Foursprung: World’s Greatest… Radio Scanners

How does a radio scanner differ from a traditional radio? Whereas a generic radio receives only AM and FM, a radio scanner detects virtually everything else that’s broadcast—CB radio, air traffic control instructions, cellphones, and, yes, chatter among cops. Eavesdropping on the police would become a mandatory aspect of my Gumball strategy.

Radio enthusiasts and ham operators have been using scanners since the 1950s, though portable units didn’t debut until about two decades later. By the 1980s, a couple hundred bucks scored you a handheld scanner from the likes of Radio Shack, and a generation of geeks grew up eavesdropping on frequencies unheard by the masses.

The spectrum for scanner use runs from innocent fun (listening in on NASCAR pit crews and airplane cockpit chatter) to the lurid (emergency dispatchers) to potentially illegal (police and highway patrol conversations). Laws vary from state to state, but the general rule of thumb is you can listen in as long as you’re not using the information to commit a crime.

The colleagues over at Gizmodo did a feature on this topic including a review of the best devices for this. Enjoy...

Foursprung, radio, scanners

Source: Gizmodo

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