309 - 2023 Holiday Buyer's Guide
Scanner School - Everything you wanted to know about the Scanner Radio Hobby
Release Date: 11/22/2023
331 - SRU109: FDMA and TDMA for beginners
Scanner School - Everything you wanted to know about the Scanner Radio Hobby
Digital modes, like P25, NXDN, DMR and others will use FDMA, TDMA, or both allow multiple transmissions to share a single frequency at the same time. FDMA or Frequency Division Multiple Access divides a current carrier frequency into multiple parts, allowing for multiple users to operate on the same time on the same frequency. TDMA or Time Division Multiple Access divides a current transmission over time, allowing for 2 or more users to share a the same frequency at the same time, depending on the digital protocol that is used. The ability for these digital transmissions to place multiple...
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329 - SRU107: Simulcast - How to Stop the Pain
Scanner School - Everything you wanted to know about the Scanner Radio Hobby
Imagine knowing that your scanner radio has a full signal, but you can't hear anything. Maybe you're listening to a p25 trunk system, but you can't listen to any of the activity. You can see your scanner is trying to go to a voice channel. It's trying to work. But you hear nothing. How frustrating does this sound? For many, this is a common occurrence when they try to listen to a P25 Simulcast site on their scanner radios. Let’s figure out why this is happening and some simple solutions you can try to overcome simulcast. ====================================...
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327 - SRU106: Rebanding - How Nextel complicated the scanner hobby
Scanner School - Everything you wanted to know about the Scanner Radio Hobby
The Nextel Conundrum: Originally established as a convenient communication solution for small businesses, Nextel swiftly expanded its services to include cellular telephony. However, the positioning of Nextel within the RF spectrum, sandwiched besides public safety frequencies, combined with its network built for capacity, led to unprecedented challenges. The dense clustering of Nextel sites interfered with public safety radios, prompting the necessity for rebanding. Rebanding entailed a complex realignment of frequencies to mitigate interference issues. This...
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335 - Ask Scanner School v70
Scanner School - Everything you wanted to know about the Scanner Radio Hobby
Every month I answer your questions on the podcast. If you have a question you would like me to answer, please leave me a voicemail at 516-308-2885 or by visiting Questions answered on this week's podcast SDS100 channel labels & alpha tags BCD436HP SD card error Whistler Group & SDS150 release King County, WA scanner recommendations Brevard County, FL P25 scanner options Sentinel & .NET install concerns Home Patrol 2 not receiving Scanner programming hierarchy 996P2 vs 536HP for digital SDS150 or other scanner? Detroit PD reception issues Discone antenna advice Magnetic antenna...
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334 - Radio Waves and Rescue Missions: How Scanners and Radios Aid in Disaster Recovery
Scanner School - Everything you wanted to know about the Scanner Radio Hobby
Phil sits down with Justin Kistner, a lifelong radio enthusiast and experienced storm chaser. Discover Justin's journey from his first analog Bearcat scanner in the mid-90s to navigating the complexities of today’s advanced digital systems. Whether you are curious about the evolution of the hobby or looking for practical advice on monitoring public safety communications, this conversation bridges the gap between the nostalgic days of analog and the cutting-edge reality of modern scanning. ==================================== 🛒 Check out our new Merch!...
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326 - SRU105 - Analog and Digital Trunked Systems
Scanner School - Everything you wanted to know about the Scanner Radio Hobby
Once upon a time, we only had analog trunked radio systems. These systems all had analog voice talk groups. These systems included Motorola Type I, Motorola Type IIi, Motorola Type II, EDACS, and LTR systems. Today, we are living in a digital trunked environment, where there are no analog voice channels. All voice is done using a form of digital modulation. These systems include P25, DMR, and NXDN. But, we had an in between. This is where we had digital talk groups on an analog trunked system. On a Motorola Type II system, we could find P25 talk...
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325 - SRU104 - LCN vs CC Only Trunked Systems
Scanner School - Everything you wanted to know about the Scanner Radio Hobby
There are two distinct flavors of trunked radio systems that we need to be aware of when programming our scanners. There are systems that require that every frequency for each site be programmed into their pre-determined channel number, and those that do not. Systems that require every frequency be programmed into our scanners in their designated sequence are Logical Channel Numbered systems and include EDACS, LTR, and all flavors of DMR. Control channel only systems only require the control channels to be programmed into our scanners, as those systems have a predetermined channel...
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333 - Ask Scanner School v69
Scanner School - Everything you wanted to know about the Scanner Radio Hobby
Every month I answer your questions on the podcast. If you have a question you would like me to answer, please leave me a voicemail at 516-308-2885 or by visiting This month, we are pulling questions that were asked via our Facebook Group. Questions answered on this week's podcast 1. What height should my antenna be on my tower? 2. How do I stop my scanner from stopping on a weather channel? 3. How can I adjust the contrast and visibility on my SDS100 scanner? ==================================== 🛒 Affiliate Links ==================================== Here are affiliate links...
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332 - Ask Scanner School v68
Scanner School - Everything you wanted to know about the Scanner Radio Hobby
Every month I answer your questions on the podcast. If you have a question you would like me to answer, please leave me a voicemail at 516-308-2885 or by visiting This month, we are pulling questions that were asked via our Facebook Group. Questions answered on this week's podcast 1. Is this an issue with simulcast? 2. Can You Scan Brandmeister or TGIF Talk Groups? 3. Finding information about Lehigh PA's New TRS 4. What does AI mean for the Scanner Hobby? ==================================== 🛒 Check out our new Merch! ==================================== Squelchy opened his own...
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328 - Ask Scanner School v67
Scanner School - Everything you wanted to know about the Scanner Radio Hobby
Every month I answer your questions on the podcast. If you have a question you would like me to answer, please leave me a voicemail at 516-308-2885 or by visiting This month, we are pulling questions that were asked via Facebook Messenger. 1. How do I log P25 Radio IDs? 2. Where can I find a manual for a Uniden BC950XLT? 3. How can I fix a battery door on a SDS100 that will not close? 4. Where can I find a list of Radio IDs for a Trunk system? ==================================== 🛒 Check out our new Merch! ==================================== Squelchy opened his own store selling...
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