matterhorn762

I got the Uniden BCT-8 scanner installed yesterday. I had a hole carved out from the top of the empty compartment directly beneath the speaker of the scanner (which is on its bottom). Therefore the natural open consol slot acts as a conduit for the speaker. Sounds pretty good.

The original discussion about the scanner question is in the 996 Turbo forum:
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...20#post1236720

matterhorn762

close up shot

TitanL9

Matter... what's the purpose of the scanner??? I have a hand held one that works great on long trips...

matterhorn762

If you already had one for the purpose of long trips then you must already know the purpose of a scanner.

This model has a built in alert mode to detect highway patrol vehicles when they act as re-transmitters for police networks. You don't even need to have the scanner volume on, and the peace officer doesn't even need to be transmitting anything himself.

TitanL9

Please excuse my ignorance in this matter. I was speaking of a CB for trips not an actual police scanner. Never thought of putting a police scanner in. Not familiar with re-transmitters for police networks either. Yes, I am now What does it tell you, that my radar/laser detector doesn't?

matterhorn762

As you well know, many police officers don't have their radar on. This is an especially common tactic on many speed traps where there are multiple police officer vehicles in a sequence. The first one will spot the vehicle (with his radar off) and either catch him from the rear or radio ahead to the next police officer and tell him when to turn his radar on based on your location. There is a whole bag of tricks used depending on your state and county.

Obviously, your radar detector is useless for this.

State police vehicles transmit a lot of traffic. Most states have systems where a vehicle will re-transmit all transmissions to the next vehicle automatically, therefore serving as a node in the transmission network and extending the range. This is true of all transmissions whether they come from the officer's personal handheld radio or from his vehicle radio. This scanner picks up those transmissions and alerts you in the form of a beep or a light if there is a state vehicle within 3 miles of you, regardless if he is there with his radar on or sleeping in his car.

Vehicles also transmit traffic to the radio on the officer's shoulder, and vice versa. These signals are also picked up by the scanner and create the alert tone. So if he's outside the car with a laser device, it should be detected by the scanner.

I just got it so I'm still testing it out. But several other users have these systems already. They're also good for receiving weather alrerts, monitoring Department of Transportaion bulletins, CB radios, emergency/fire vehicles, and all the other random stuff out there.

Obviously things vary by state to state and like all machines, there are problems such as false readings or no readings. But it's just an extra tool to help.

deputydog95

I'm gonna have to disagree with you on this one. At least this is the way it is in Florida and in New England. Police cars don't work as repeaters. They have a series of towers very similar to cell phones.

Also, most of the new 800 mhz stuff is encrypted...so you can't scan it at all.

Lastly, at least if in FL, if you get caught with a scanner hard wired in your car it's a misdemeanor and you'll be arrested.

How do I know this stuff??? Check out my screen name

Not for nothing, but I think that device is a gimmick. My father in law just bought one as well. The thing the manufacturer doesn't tell you is that most cites and town use the same radio system for everything. Police, Fire, garbage trucks, street repair division, etc... Depending on where're you're at, it'll be going off non stop. Those divisions can't talk to each other, but they're using the same towers and trunk system.

chitownbob

I just rely on my k-40 and if i get a ticket so be it. A scanner sounds a little overkill. I dont' care to know if a trooper is within 2 miles of me, esp here on Chicago highways where I know they probably are. Also, a scanner sounds like it takes a lot of monitoring to be effective. Never used one so I don't know but I'll pass. Nice install job, looks good. HOwever, don't you need to use one of those big *** whip antennas to make it work????

Later on

Bobby

matterhorn762

I may have mixed up repeaters and extenders since they are used so often to mean the same. This device will pick up the extenders used by vehicles to communicate to your handheld radio. Under what conditions this works also varies state by state. Some have it turned on all the time, some have it turned on only when the vehicle is parked, some only when the key is in the ignition but the car is not moving. But generally it is on in almost allstates when the vehicle is stationary. This unit WILL alert when a state trooper vehicle is parked and key is in the ignition, and in addition in some states at all times.
I think you're confusing trunking and digital systems with "encryption." Unless you are in a very bizarre county, nobody "encrypts" in the United States. What is becoming more and more popular is trunking and digital usage, which conventional scanners cannot effectively follow. The BCT-8 model DOES work on trunked systems however, which is what I have in my and in most states. Digital systems are also available that pick up all digital transmissions, but are a bit more expensive and bulkier, and therefore I didn't need it.
FL is one of the few states which ban mobile scanners. Here is a full list state-by-state:
http://www.fordyce.org/scanning/scan.../scanlaws.html
I agree that they're not very effective in cities and urban areas. But they are proven to be quite effective on the highways. There are tens of thousands of people who use this effectively every day. It is true that it's not as simple as a radar detector, you do have to know a little of what you're doing. But if you want, just check out some of the discussions on scanner forums for people who are really into it... it works like a charm. I have detected state troopers in North Carolina on I-95 and I-40 8 out of 9 times so far about a mile before I got in radar range. The one I didn't pick up was driving behind me. Scanners are not a gimmick. To say so is a bit ignorant (no offense). It's like saying "I got a radar detector at Best Buy and it just goes off all the time. It does me no good!" Obviously if you get a Valentine One and know how to use it, it can be quite effective. Same case for scanners.

Scanners work in all states under all conditions if you have the right scanner and know how to use it. To follow a discussion on the use of state trooper mobile extenders, see the following:

http://www.radioreference.com/module...obile+extender

matterhorn762

I use my V-1 mostly. A scanner is definitely a device to really help reduce your odds of getting a ticket, and if that is an overkill for you... then that's your decision. That's why we're a free country (usually). I agree that it is more "extreme." I wasn't posting this thread to convince the world to get scanners! Just pics of my installation.

Quote:

Also, a scanner sounds like it takes a lot of monitoring to be effective. Never used one so I don't know but I'll pass. Nice install job, looks good. HOwever, don't you need to use one of those big *** whip antennas to make it work????

Again, I'm not encouraging use of scanners. If too many people use scanners effectively, then they will probably ban them more and find new system to circumvent them. If I'm the only person on the road with one, that is fine with me... although I'm not.

It requires no monitoring depending on what state you live on. If your state police use mobile extenders then you can use the device just like a radar detector, with a beep for a warning and the volume down to zero. If you want to get more advance you can also scan CB frequencies and listen to the truckers warn each other about police. It's up to you.

Lastly... no additional external antenna is needed. It's spliced in to car's existing antenna in the windshield.

TitanL9

Matter, my radar/laser detector is enough for my needs here in CA and it works fine. Have never thought of going to that length to keep from getting a ticket. If I get caught speeding, medicine it is, and I will take

IMO, that unit is overkill. Due to it's complexity, you're could be distracted by constantly listening and wondering. If that's the case, why bother, just drive at the speed limit and no worries. But, to each their own hobbies. Just be careful focus, focus focus.

Toreador

A scanner is the only way to beat the plane-enforced speed trap. You can hear the plane talking to the guys on the ground about the vehicles in front of you, so you have the time to slow down.

As for driving the speed limit like Titan suggested, I'll do that when and only when the speed limits are reasonable and not set to maximize revenue. Speed does not kill, no matter how many times ignorant people repeat that phrase.

deputydog95

Matter:
Encryption is not unusual. I've been in law enforcement for over ten years. With the advent of the new trunked systems, encryption is being incorporated into the replacement radio systems. Some don't have it because they are still on old radio systems. However, most replace their old stuff with the new and improved, AND encrypted 800 setups. It's done for two reasons. One, law enforcement is getting tired of the press and cop wanna be's showing up at every event. Two, the general public and the press don't need to be aware of sensitive law enforcement operations. I've been a narcotics agent for six years. We don't need bad guys listening to us preparing for a search warrant before we hit the door. I work for a state agency right now and we're encrypted. So are many agencies around me. It won't be long before the scanner is worthless, as it should be.

As far as defeating the air traps, just look for the painted lines on the road. No painted lines, you're okay. Go for it. Painted lines...slow down or least look up once in while Gotta have painted vascar lines to track speed.

matterhorn762

I seriously doubt that the scanner will become obsolete anytime in the near future. And when I say near future, I mean years and years and years. I'm a Captain in the Army Special Forces, so I know more than a little bit about encryption and government communication technology. But most importantly I know about how long it takes for the government to change systems. It may be true that certain somewhat more exclusive agencies will change or have changed to encrypted systems. It's possible LA and NY will go to them in a while. But in my state, NC, the highway patrol hasn't even fully upgraded to complete trunked systems. It's going to be a long time before they change a thing. And it's going to be a lifetime before local police sheriff billy-bob starts using encrypted communication technology! The scanner is here and here to stay for a long time. Not only that, but mere transmission on police channels is enough to alert me of a nearyby unit... even if I don't hear what he says, and most of the time I don't care anyway. I just need to know that there is one over the next hill.

Don't forget though that there is a cat and mouse game. When the government starts to encrypt more communication, more scanners will come out to beat that encryption. It's like the old days of software copy protection and software copy software. The cat and mouse games will never go away. Besides, it makes it a lot more interesting this way. Either way, my scanner works great for the time being and has been doing the same job for others for decades. The day it no longer does the job for me I'll pop it out of my car... but I doubt that will be soon (i.e. years).

Titan... I'm guessing you didn't actually read my entire post (I understand, it was quite long). This unit doesn't require you to listen to any conversations at all. It will beep to alert you of a highway patrol vehicle that is stationary within 3 miles of you in most states. Just because you haven't gotten a ticket to date doesn't mean you won't tomorrow in a speed trap to raise revenue. I personally drive a red Porsche, and I know there are plenty of cops who would love to give a guy like me a ticket just because they don't like the car I have. 15 years ago a radar detector was considered too "extreme" by most people since it was uncommon. Heck, my old-fashioned father still thinks I'm extreme because I have a V-1. But I choose to embrace technology.

Any device I can afford which will help reduce the odds of me getting a speeding ticket is not an overkill, but a smart purchase. As long as the speed of traffic on my local highway is 85MPH (read 20MPH over the speed limit and therefore ticketed as reckless driving in my state), I will do whatever I can to easily and cheaply avoid being taken advantage of by speed traps and revenue generating counties.

Phokaioglaukos

Any directions for this installation?