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Planning
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Planning
Collecting Information
Getting your scanner programmed and scanning
takes a few steps. This helps guide you through these
steps that will make it easier for you to start scanning.
1. Collect information about the system(s) you want
to monitor.
Do you want to listen to your local police and
fire departments? How about the highway
patrol, ambulance service, and aircraft? You
might even want to listen to your local utility
company as they track down a break in
electrical service in your area.
Make a list of the agencies you want to listen to,
then look up the frequencies and systems used
by those agencies. The Internet is a great
source for current frequencies and information
about scanning.
• Scanners are designed to monitor complex radio
systems. That means that programming your
scanner might seem like a daunting task at first.
Be patient if you don't get it right the first time. You
can also seek out help locally for the systems you
want to scan by visiting the forums section of
http://www.radioreference.com/forums.
• Before you start to program your scanner, decide
how you want to organize the frequencies you
want to scan. For example, some areas are best
organized by geographic location (east, north,
south, west, central, etc), while others are best
organized by agency (police, sheriff, ambulance,
fire, etc.). You might even find it easier to organize
a mixture of frequencies (north, southeast, and
west for police but fire all in one group for
example).
2. Organize the system information using these
system worksheets included in this appendix.
Tips: