Do you really need other equipment?

Random

I have a PSR-255 (that's the model on it ... got it in Maplin) here in front of me. I've googled various things and clicked various links from the stickys but can't find anything at all on my receiver.

Couple of noob questions I guess:
- How close do I need to be to the source or does it depend on the source?
- What's the easiest thing to actually pickup so that I may prove to myself that this works and motivate me to search more?
- DO I have to have some sort of antenna on my roof of something?
- Is it possible to pickup signals indoors?


If my post is lacking in information please let me know. Thanks lads.

experimenter

Try a google for frequencydb

This is an interesting web site that will get you started.

watty

An outdoor high up aerial is best.
The Maplin Discone at about €48 is good value. You need 50 Ohm cable. RG58 for a short run or RG213 for a longer run. You may want an adaptor and RG58 cable tail at each end. (flexible to radio and small to loop/feed from chimney under a tile into attic.)

Random

watty wrote: »

An outdoor high up aerial is best.
The Maplin Discone at about €48 is good value. You need 50 Ohm cable. RG58 for a short run or RG213 for a longer run. You may want an adaptor and RG58 cable tail at each end. (flexible to radio and small to loop/feed from chimney under a tile into attic.)

Is this essential to pick up anything ?? Surely I can pickup something with just the receiver and the attached aerial that comes with it?

Or am I completely wasting my time?

Antenna

random, if you tell us your location in the country someone may advise a few frequencies to try...

try putting the scanner on a windowsill, this may improve reception..

if you're living in a rural area, especially if surrounded by hilly terrain you may need an external aerial to hear anything of interest, but in a city you should hear many signals with its own antenna..

I saw the specs for that scanner on the web..
Frequency 26-54, 66-88, 137-174, 380-512MHz

it does not cover aircraft communications 118-136 MHz AM (if that interests you)

I would expect the 137-174 range would have the most activity...

See if you can hear the Irish national paging network on 153.0000 and 153.8250
All you will hear on these frequencies is regular data bursts (no voice) but at least you know the scanner is receiving....

I'd recommend you join the website Experimenter mentioned.

Random

I'm in Dublin 15.

Doesn't cover aircraft? Bah ...

By try the 137 range you mean start there and move up? Should I wait long on each channel or frequency? Should I skim through in the hopes of picking something up?

I will also try the paging thing to see if I can pick something up just to convince myself that this thing works.

Thanks.

++ edit

Just went onto 153.8250 and it has static. Then the static stopped and sorta went "beep, err.. beep" a bit like the start of a modem dialing and then back to static.

Would this be what I'd expect?

mac80

PM sent

watty

It will receive any Amateur radio traffic that is FM on the Amateur bands below.
28 .. 29.7
50 .. 52
70
144..146
430..440

Repeaters & simplex traffic in 145.000 to 145.800 band is most likely.

You may pick up Dublin coast guard / harbour traffic in 150MHz to 164MHz band.

see http://www.sailing.ie/dynamic/pdf/VHF%20Comms%20Network%20Map%20-%20Copier%20version.pdf
for exact channels in use.

See http://www.merseyshipping.co.uk/minfo/marineradio/MarineFreq1.htm for
relationship of marine channel to VHF scanner frequency.

If you have enough memories putting the frequencies in memory.

Repeaters on 430MHz band
http://www.wattystuff.net/amateur/ei70cmrepeaters.htm

Repeaters on 145MHz band
http://www.wattystuff.net/amateur/ei2mrepeaters.htm