22
Understanding Scanning
Conventional Scanning
Conventional scanning is a relatively simple concept.
Each group of users in a conventional system is
assigned a single frequency (for simplex systems) or
two frequencies (for repeater systems). Any time one
of them transmits, their transmission always goes out
on the same frequency. Up until the late 1980s, this
was the primary way that radio systems operated.
Even today, there are many 2-way radio users who
operate using a conventional system:
•Aircraft
• Amateur radio
• FRS/GMRS users
• Broadcast AM/FM/TV stations
• Many business radio users
When you want to store a conventional system, all you
need to know is the frequencies they operate on.
When you are scanning a conventional system, the
scanner stops very briefly on each channel to see if
there is activity. If there isn’t, the scanner quickly
moves to the next channel. If there is, then the
scanner pauses on the transmission until it is over.
174 205 212 223 225 226 243 244
245 246 251 252 255 261 263 265
266 271 274 306 311 315 325 331
332 343 346 351 356 364 365 371
411 412 413 423 431 432 445 446
452 454 455 462 464 465 466 503
506 516 523 526 532 546 565 606
612 624 627 631 632 654 662 664
703 712 723 731 732 734 743 754
BCD396T Paper OM.fm Page 22 Wednesday, March 30, 2005 8:36 PM