Scanner advice on 2GB..

[Mike Alpha]

2GB had Stephen Fenech, the Gadget Guy, on this afternoon answering caller's questions about plasma TVs and HDMI cables etc. Then an older sounding bloke called wanting to know about scanners and how to listen to the cops and ambos. He told them that ever since the cops and ambos went digital, he can't hear them on his old scanner.

He had been to an electronics retailer (DSE I assumed) and was looking at a Uniden digital handheld scanner that will cost him $999. What he wanted to know is if he bought this scanner, would the digital transmissions be around for a while, or will they eventually switch to something else.

Fenech took on the question and explained, in not too specific detail, that digital is the future and that he would expect it to be around for a while.

The old bloke then asked a second question wanting to know if you had to have a license to listen to a scanner, like they have with CB radios.

Fenech told him that as a junior reporter with the Daily Mirror, he used a scanner and that as far as he was aware, you only need a license to transmit, not if you were listening.

I don't think the poor bloke got all the info he really wanted and I think he is going to buy the 396 not realising that the cops are encrypted and the ambos are on a complicated analogue trunking system. But I'm sure the guys at DSE will make sure he knows all of that before taking his $999?

The segment ended before I could call up with a bit more info to help the bloke out.

Mike

[soupbones]

As if Stephen Fenech would have a clue anyway?

[Chrisco]

who was doing the show?? Chris or Luke did they say anything about it?

[Mike Alpha]

who was doing the show?? Chris or Luke did they say anything about it?

I'm sure it was Luke. He only agreed with Fenech that you don't need a license to listen to radio transmissions and he made a "whoooaaa" sound when the old bloke said the scanner costs $999.

Mike