# Fire / Police scanner? **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [November 28, 2011, 9:53am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/fire-police-scanner/218721 "2011-11-28T09:53:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KuntryQuestTSi](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/kuntryquesttsi/32/5010_2.png) [@KuntryQuestTSi](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/KuntryQuestTSi)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 9:53am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/fire-police-scanner/218721/1 "2011-11-28T09:53:28Z")
My mom wants a police / fire scanner for the holiday. Any input on these things? I always have my pager from the fire dept so I never need one. I’d like to keep it under $100 as its just going to sit in her window. ---
**Author:** ![FadetoBlack](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fadetoblack/32/6118_2.png) [@FadetoBlack](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/FadetoBlack)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 9:59am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/fire-police-scanner/218721/2 "2011-11-28T09:59:13Z")
Tell her to get a smartphone and get the ScannerBuddy app. Or just go to the computer and go to [ScannerBuddy.com](http://ScannerBuddy.com) when she’s home. $100 saved. LOL ---
**Author:** ![yamba6](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/yamba6/32/5161_2.png) [@yamba6](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/yamba6)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 10:47am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/fire-police-scanner/218721/3 "2011-11-28T10:47:48Z")
Exactly what I was going to say. This allows you to scan any city/town from what I have heard. lol Could be interesting to hear. ---
**Author:** ![KuntryQuestTSi](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/kuntryquesttsi/32/5010_2.png) [@KuntryQuestTSi](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/KuntryQuestTSi)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 12:30pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/fire-police-scanner/218721/4 "2011-11-28T12:30:03Z")
The cost of the phone and the data plan for 2 years would be way more than a $100 scanner. ---
**Author:** ![FadetoBlack](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fadetoblack/32/6118_2.png) [@FadetoBlack](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/FadetoBlack)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 12:49pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/fire-police-scanner/218721/5 "2011-11-28T12:49:13Z")
> [@KuntryQuestTSi](#): > > The cost of the phone and the data plan for 2 years would be way more than a $100 scanner. Yep. That’s why I mentioned the ability to do it on a computer though. If she has a PC, she can just go to the site and turn her speakers up. The phone app was only if she wanted to take it places, which it sounds like she doesn’t. I think it’s illegal to carry a scanner around in a car anyway. ---
**Author:** ![KuntryQuestTSi](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/kuntryquesttsi/32/5010_2.png) [@KuntryQuestTSi](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/KuntryQuestTSi)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 1:03pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/fire-police-scanner/218721/6 "2011-11-28T13:03:43Z")
There is no cable on her road. Thus she only has dial up, and enything else she uses the computers at work for. ---
**Author:** ![yamba6](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/yamba6/32/5161_2.png) [@yamba6](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/yamba6)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 1:04pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/fire-police-scanner/218721/7 "2011-11-28T13:04:18Z")
> [@FadetoBlack](#): > > Yep. That’s why I mentioned the ability to do it on a computer though. If she has a PC, she can just go to the site and turn her speakers up. > > The phone app was only if she wanted to take it places, which it sounds like she doesn’t. I think it’s illegal to carry a scanner around in a car anyway. So this would mean you cant go anywhere with the cellphone then. lol but really… its funny you bring this up. My buddy was wondering if this one car parked on the wrong side of the road facing the wrong way was a police car or not. His cousin pulled out the phone and put on the scanner. I didnt hear anything on there about the car, but was funny to hear some of the things going on in Buffalo. ---
**Author:** ![FadetoBlack](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fadetoblack/32/6118_2.png) [@FadetoBlack](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/FadetoBlack)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 1:08pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/fire-police-scanner/218721/8 "2011-11-28T13:08:43Z")
> [@KuntryQuestTSi](#): > > There is no cable on her road. Thus she only has dial up, and enything else she uses the computers at work for. Bummer. Sorry man, I tried. ---------- Post added at 04:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:05 PM ---------- > [@yamba6](#): > > So this would mean you cant go anywhere with the cellphone then. lol but really… its funny you bring this up. My buddy was wondering if this one car parked on the wrong side of the road facing the wrong way was a police car or not. His cousin pulled out the phone and put on the scanner. I didnt hear anything on there about the car, but was funny to hear some of the things going on in Buffalo. Yeah I know I thought of that too when I first got the ScannerBuddy app. I don’t really know if it’s illegal for sure, I only think that because I worked with a sketchy guy a long time ago who said he got arrested in Cheektovegas because he got pulled over and they found a portable scanner in his car. I’m guessing it’s because they don’t want anyone to be able to know where the cops are when they’re out and about, kinda like when in the Fast and the Furious, they waited to race until the cops go tied up across town. ---
**Author:** ![jimmyfloyd](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jimmyfloyd/32/3077_2.png) [@jimmyfloyd](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/jimmyfloyd)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/fire-police-scanner/218721/9 "2011-11-28T17:10:55Z")
I have had one of these scanners since 2000 and it works well: [http://www.uniden.com/scanners/800-mhz-bearcat-base-mobile-scanner/invt/bc355cg/](http://www.uniden.com/scanners/800-mhz-bearcat-base-mobile-scanner/invt/bc355cg/) Has the ability to connect an external speaker, came with home and car power cables, and hooks up to normal CB Antennas. Was recommended by several people when I got it. ---
**Author:** ![Hass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/51bf81/32.png) [@Hass](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Hass)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/fire-police-scanner/218721/10 "2011-11-28T17:31:05Z")
scanners are legal iirc. police agencies are switching to secured channels now though so scanners will be obsolete in the future. Since we’re so fucking poor in WNY, it’ll probably be a long while before they make the switch here. ---
**Author:** ![KuntryQuestTSi](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/kuntryquesttsi/32/5010_2.png) [@KuntryQuestTSi](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/KuntryQuestTSi)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/fire-police-scanner/218721/11 "2011-11-28T17:50:55Z")
> [@jimmyfloyd](#): > > I have had one of these scanners since 2000 and it works well: [http://www.uniden.com/scanners/800-mhz-bearcat-base-mobile-scanner/invt/bc355cg/](http://www.uniden.com/scanners/800-mhz-bearcat-base-mobile-scanner/invt/bc355cg/) > > Has the ability to connect an external speaker, came with home and car power cables, and hooks up to normal CB Antennas. Was recommended by several people when I got it. Perfect actually that was the exact one I was looking at.