Purchasing a scanner

[alext9]

I've been thinking about getting a scanner and have leaned towards the hand held ones, however it seems like there is so much to deal with when looking for one, I cant even start.  I want something that can listen into cordless phone and drive through frequencies.  After looking for a while (on PLA and other sites) I'm slightly confused.  The scanner pages on here say that there is a range of 40-50 ish on the cordless phones, but if the current phones are operating at 1.3 some Ghz, how does the scanner receive it (aren't the 40-50 numbers in Mhz?).  I'm looking for a sub $130 scanner.

The one scanner that seems to have a good price range for me is this :
http://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BC92XLT-Bearcat-Handheld-Scanner/dp/B0002QIBP8/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1219817398&sr=1-7
its refurbished for only about $70.

I would really appreciate it if you guys could help me out, I just cant seem to find a place to start when purchasing a scanner.

[Lestan Gregor]

Yes

[sknOOb]

There are 4 billion people on earth.
237 are scanners.
They have the most terrifying powers ever created .........and they are winning.

[Lestan Gregor]

Okay...okay. I'll try being helpful. If you want something that will listen to cordless phones and drive thru's than a basic scanner like the one you posted a link to, will work. If, however, you want to listen to local emergency calls and whatnot, you will need a trunking scanner. As for the 1.3 and 2.5 ghz phones...you cant listen in on them as they tend to frequency hop. Old cordless phones that operate in the 49 mhz range are still audible though.

Check out www.universal-radio.com for a decent selection of scanners.

[Lestan Gregor]

Okay...okay. I'll try being helpful. If you want something that will listen to cordless phones and drive thru's than a basic scanner like the one you posted a link to, will work. If, however, you want to listen to local emergency calls and whatnot, you will need a trunking scanner. As for the 1.3 and 2.5 ghz phones...you cant listen in on them as they tend to frequency hop. Old cordless phones that operate in the 49 mhz range are still audible though.

Check out http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/scanners.html for a decent selection of scanners.

[alext9]

okay, thanks for the help.

as for transmitting on those freqs, I'm guessing that the price increases significantly?

[Lestan Gregor]

If you want to transmit on the drive thru's you will need a vx-7r or similar which will run you 300 or so.
To transmit on the cordless phone frequencies, your cost goes up to about 900 bucks.

[alext9]

Wow, $900.  I'll just have to save up some money to mess with the drive thru.  $900 is SLIGHTLY out of my price range 

possibly I could rip open an old CB radio 

[sknOOb]

 

[Zazen]

If, however, you want to listen to local emergency calls and whatnot, you will need a trunking scanner.

Check if this is actually true in your area. Where I live the cops just use plain ol' radios with no trunking or anything.

[Lestan Gregor]

If, however, you want to listen to local emergency calls and whatnot, you will need a trunking scanner.

Check if this is actually true in your area. Where I live the cops just use plain ol' radios with no trunking or anything.

in bumfuck idaho...yes.

Zazen is mostly right...there are always divisions of police/fire/hopital/REMSA that dont use trunking. We have both here in Reno.