Scanner screen info etc.

[AIRMAN]

I guess it's very much what you pay for is what you get these days. A basic scanning receiver like a Uniden UBCT9 has a screen which is very readable. The illumination is on permanently as it is a desktop model with mains power. The frequency display is the large and clear to read and the bank and channel are good as well......



This model does not have an alpha numeric feature whereby the user can enter details of the station he is listening to. Alpha numeric is very handy during scanning operation and the user doesn't have to pause and think what the station identification is.

This is a photo of the screen on my Icom IC-RX7. Its a more expensive scanner, but not by much. You can see the screen contains a lot more information. This has to be programmed in individually, which does take time of course, but I think its worth it in the end.



Like many hand held scanners, they can be a problem free standing, especially with a telescopic antenna which makes it very top heavy. You can see I have used a cheap 6X4 plastic photo stand and some Blu Tak to fix it to the desk. The scanner then clips (using the supplied belt clamp) on to the photo frame and is reasonably secure enough not to topple over.



I suppose the ultimate would be to have the scanner linked to your PC. I am hoping to get an Icom PRC1500 one day which is a black box scanner that has fantastic computer screen options for operation.

Do any other members have interesting screen pics of their scanners?

Cheers
Airman

[Stretch]

Airman, couldn't agree more about the UBCT8/9. Wondeful little scanner, excellent screen but the only down side is the lack of alpha tagging. This is where the 780xlt and the new 396/996 scanners are good. As for positioning in my room, my T8 is pushed up against the window with the telescopic antenna touching the glass, not sitting the most securely but I needed it there for the pager decoding side of things. I have also got a 92xlt which has basically the same screen as a T8 but smaller and the light does go off (there is a light button though that activates the light for a set amount of time) and that's a temporary set up I have it clipped to my window rail to achieve the best reception possible as its up against the window as well. I will take a photo and post it up when I get my camera from the car

[Finch]

The illumination is on permanently

Nothing that a soldering iron wont fix.

it is a desktop model with mains power

Not exactly, it runs off 12 volts DC and it is DIN sized. Although it can be used as a desktop (hence the fold away feet) it was more so designed for vehicle use. The fold away feet can be removed just for this reason.

I agree, it is a good scanner but not a great scanner. The RF performance is a bit of a let down, pretty average on VHF mid and OK on VHF hi. If you look at the screen carefully you can see that the bank digits go up to 10, I don't see why Uniden found it so hard to add a extra 250 channels and make it 500 all up with 10 scan banks.


I like the job that Uniden did on the 396Ts display, It is slightly smaller than the 73/93XLT screen but they have done a great job of putting all the important info in without making a mess.

Another screen I like is the screen on my Degen. Big and oversized, easy to read. It has a RSSI graph on the top left corner of the screen and in the top middle is the frequency and on the top right corner is the channel number combined with volume level. 3/4 of the screen is a meter band table, a horizontal bar moves up/down the table.

[AIRMAN]

Here are the photos. Only problem with the position of the portable is that I can't shut the window when it's there.

Does the security screen act as an antenna? Yours looks like a CRIMSAFE screen. Window panes can inhibit signal strength a bit, you could try a Scalar on glass antenna?

Another alternative is to make a small hole and hand the antenna on the gutter outside like this:



I can recommend a TV wall socket with a TV lead modified with a BNC connector and the scanner end.

More photo's from you would be good.

Photo's make the forum a bit more interesting

[Stretch]

Here are the photos. Only problem with the position of the portable is that I can't shut the window when it's there.

Does the security screen act as an antenna? Yours looks like a CRIMSAFE screen. Window panes can inhibit signal strength a bit, you could try a Scalar on glass antenna?

Yeah is a Crimsafe screen (or something very similar) I've tried cutting a whole in the screen but my knife was just useless. I did have a window mount antenna that i just stuck to the window and that worked brilliantly until it went into my car and acted as the antenna for my T8 in the car (will also now get a photo of that). So now I've just got the regular telescopic antenna on the T8 and the original antenna on the handheld (which i suspect may be getting a little bit damaged). I may be getting a wideband antenna from prestige comms and putting that on the roof and if I do I'll have a chat to Dave (scannersplitterguy) and have all my radios - minus my two ways - running of the one antenna and then the antenna cord will just run down through the roof and walls to my room where I'll feed it straight into the splitter if that makes sense.

[bonnie28]

My god. That is rough. Heard of an aerial on the roof ?

[Stretch]

My god. That is rough. Heard of an aerial on the roof ?

Some places you can't have antennas on roof. Body corporate rules etc.

[AIRMAN]

My god. That is rough. Heard of an aerial on the roof ?

Some of us maybe physically unable to get up on the roof to do it.

[bonnie28]

I just guessed that. Call me if you need help.

[bonnie28]

I can help you if you need a hand. I have many spare aerials and and some left over LMR-400 cable.

[Stretch]

Oh and Airman, how do you program the letters into your scanner???

[Mathew]

I must say I am visually attracted to the display on the Icom RX7 scanner. It looks so smooth and nice, but apparently has problems with hissing so i'm not so keen on it after reading those reviews. Other then that my opinion is that it is a beautiful looking scanner.

[AIRMAN]

I must say I am visually attracted to the display on the Icom RX7 scanner. It looks so smooth and nice, but apparently has problems with hissing so i'm not so keen on it after reading those reviews. Other then that my opinion is that it is a beautiful looking scanner.

Mine does not have any snakes in it.

I have been through a lot of handheld scanning receivers over the past 30 years and the ICOM IC-RX7 is up there with the best, particularly value for money. I would have rated it 5 out of 5 if it had and illuminated keypad.

[AIRMAN]

Oh and Airman, how do you program the letters into your scanner???

Following the manual instructions the first couple of times. After that, its easy peasy.

[Stretch]

I just didn't see any letters on the keypad

[AIRMAN]

I just didn't see any letters on the keypad

Its done with the multifunctional top control knob.

Open the Instruction Manual on this page:
http://www.icom-australia.com/products/ ... c-rx7.html

Have fun.

[Stretch]

Cheers

[jaskel]

nothing wrong with the 996 display either