April 19, 2009

From TheKCGuy

I've been getting some questions recently on using a radio scanner to listen to interesting things such as police communications around Kansas City. I've been listening to radios and scanners since I was a kid and have enjoyed learning both about the radios and the people that use them. In Kansas City, there are a few resources that can help you get started and as you learn more about the hobby.

One great resource is the KC-Scanning mailing list. Discussions on it range from advice on which scanner to buy to identifying uses of particular, interesting frequencies. It's a pretty low volume mailing list, so you won't get swamped with mail just for subscribing, and the members are all very receptive to helping out people new to the hobby.

If you get a scanner and need to set it up, the radioreference.com database is the best place to go to find out about local frequencies. It has pretty much replaced the old "Police Call" books that we used to use. There's also a wiki at radioreference.com that has a pretty good page on Kansas City that tells of some of the basic information.

Finally, I occasionally get questions about which scanner to buy. Most of the traffic in the area is not yet digital, but you will need a "trunking" scanner. This allows you to listen to traffic that uses trunking technology that has been used for a few decades in the area. It allows for more efficient use of the many frequencies that one organization may have. I happen to have a BC296D which is a pretty good portable scanner. You can get them from a number of online merchants.

Have fun listening in on the goings on around town, and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.