Although frequencies 868 through 894 are blocked on my
10 year-old BC80XLT, I receive a startling amount of
cellular activity between 902 and 925 MHz at its
factory pre-set 12.5k step!

It's been chirping like a bird in that range all
morning, and if I put a signal it catches on HOLD, I'll
often find continuous transmissions (one call after
another). I get answering systems, voice mail messages,
and recorded voice prompts too ...it's fantastic!

Who said the cell band wasn't a blast to listen in on?
I think it's great, and easy to see why certain parties
would want it outlawed for use by We The People. If
this wasn't true, there wouldn't be unblocked versions.

I'll tell ya, between its top-end receiver feats, a
great audio, the slick keypad tricks, and it's rugged
durability (I've put this thing through hell), for a basic Uniden
model, this has proven itself to be anything but a consumer-grade
scanner!

On 24 Oct 2004 12:18:20 -0700, (Vic Canova) wrote:

Although frequencies 868 through 894 are blocked on my
10 year-old BC80XLT, I receive a startling amount of
cellular activity between 902 and 925 MHz at its
factory pre-set 12.5k step!

It's been chirping like a bird in that range all
morning, and if I put a signal it catches on HOLD, I'll
often find continuous transmissions (one call after
another). I get answering systems, voice mail messages,
and recorded voice prompts too ...it's fantastic!

Who said the cell band wasn't a blast to listen in on?
I think it's great, and easy to see why certain parties
would want it outlawed for use by We The People. If
this wasn't true, there wouldn't be unblocked versions.

I'll tell ya, between its top-end receiver feats, a
great audio, the slick keypad tricks, and it's rugged
durability (I've put this thing through hell), for a basic Uniden
model, this has proven itself to be anything but a consumer-grade
scanner!

Holy crap, you mean people still use analog cell phones??
--
To reply, remove TheObvious from my e-mail address.

On Sun, 24 Oct 2004 16:10:41 -0700, Evan Platt
wrote:

Holy crap, you mean people still use analog cell phones??

Every digital phone has an analog mode, for when the digital signal is
not available. So, yes.

On Sun, 24 Oct 2004 22:19:47 -0400, JR JR wrote:

Every digital phone has an analog mode, for when the digital signal is
not available. So, yes.

No, not every digital phone has an analog mode. As a matter of fact,
less and less of the newer (Verizon at least) phones have analog, and
maybe half of the older phones have analog.

I can count on my hand the number of times in the past year my phone
switched to Analog.

Evan
--
To reply, remove TheObvious from my e-mail address.

Evan Platt wrote in message . ..
On Sun, 24 Oct 2004 22:19:47 -0400, JR JR wrote:

Every digital phone has an analog mode, for when the digital signal is
not available. So, yes.

No, not every digital phone has an analog mode. As a matter of fact,
less and less of the newer (Verizon at least) phones have analog, and
maybe half of the older phones have analog.

I can count on my hand the number of times in the past year my phone
switched to Analog.

Evan


Hey, it amazes me too gents.

That's what I meant about the qualities of this rather
ordinary radio. I don't know why my BC80 receives cell
signals in the 900 meter range, but it yanks them in
like it was designed to do it.

I used to have a Fairmate that would catch 800 MHz
traffic in the 700 meter range, so I'm not surprised by
the phenomenon. They're obviously mirror signals of
frequencies found in other bands, but don't ask me to
explain it, or why one scanner does it and one doesn't.

I'm just pleased to have an FCC-defiant scanner while
there's still plenty of analog eavesdropping to do!

Incidentally, I found the in-house frequency used by a
mall security team. It's a huge one about 10 miles up
the road, and it turns out that every day life in a
200-store environment offers some of the most
intriguing scanner drama I've ever encountered.

On Mon, 25 Oct 2004 20:48:18 -0700, Vic Canova wrote:


That's what I meant about the qualities of this rather
ordinary radio. I don't know why my BC80 receives cell
signals in the 900 meter range, but it yanks them in
like it was designed to do it...


Perhaps you're hearing cordless phones
in the 902 - 928 MHz range and misidentifying them as cell phones.

I was impressed with the BC80XLT I reviewed in Sept. 2004
Monitoring Times. It is very simple to operate so
it can serve as a good first scanner. The triple up-conversion
circuitry performs much better than older style economy
models employing a 10.8 or 10.7 MHz first IF, so it
is suitable as a second "knock around" scanner or more
advanced users, too.

--
================================================== =======================
Bob Parnass, AJ9S GNU/Linux User http://parnass.com

Perhaps you're hearing cordless phones in the 902 - 928
MHz range and misidentifying them as cell phones.

I get those signals too, but even a novice scanner
enthusiast can tell the difference ... especially when
these "mirror" signals remain active with identifiable
traffic, and can be verified by any unblocked rig in the
designated cellular range.

For instance, a signal heard on 907.0750 MHz in (factory
pre-set) step on my BC80, will show up as
886.3500 MHz in NFM@30k step on the unblocked radio.

Nope ... I can't explain it boys, and I'm eagerly learning
more all the time, but I figure a passion like ours knows
no boundaries. It's just a matter of operating the
equipment and acclimating to the mechanics of the trade.

This is FUN stuff.

I was impressed with the BC80XLT I reviewed in Sept. 2004
Monitoring Times. It is very simple to operate so it can
serve as a good first scanner. The triple up-conversion
circuitry performs much better than older style economy
models employing a 10.8 or 10.7 MHz first IF, so it is
suitable as a second "knock around" scanner or more
advanced users, too.

Interesting observation Bob ... as the seasoned veteran of a BC80XLT
and new owner of an AOR MK3, that's just how I feel, although I'm a
still more of a BC80-level user.

However, that temporary status doesn't interfere with the sheer
pleasure of catching smug cops talking to each other "privately" on
their cell phones. I mean, the new breed of militant law enforcement
can't very well discuss entrapping people on the unblocked airwaves,
now can they?

On 26 Oct 2004 10:13:56 -0700, (Vic Canova) said
in alt.radio.scanner:

For instance, a signal heard on 907.0750 MHz in (factory
pre-set) step on my BC80, will show up as
886.3500 MHz in NFM@30k step on the unblocked radio.

Nope ... I can't explain it boys

It's a 10.3625 MHz image. (Which probably means that the scanner
needs a bit of alignment.)

It's a 10.3625 MHz image. (Which probably means that
the scanner needs a bit of alignment.)

Makes sense Al, and I'm sure that's the case here, but
why would I want to align anything when I'm receiving
the full cellular range on a BLOCKED Uniden scanner
made in 1995? However, I'd really like to know what
formula was used to come up with that "image" number.

In article ,
says...
Incidentally, I found the in-house frequency used by a
mall security team. It's a huge one about 10 miles up
the road, and it turns out that every day life in a
200-store environment offers some of the most
intriguing scanner drama I've ever encountered.

I don't doubt it.

Any fun stories to tell?

--

-- //Steve//

Steve Silverwood, KB6OJS
Fountain Valley, CA
Email: